Archive | March, 2017

Are You Overweight? Know If You Are Fit Or Fat by Calculating Your Body Mass Index (BMI)

Body Mass Index, popularly known as BMI, is a way of calculating the fitness (or fatness!) ratio of the body. It has a simple formula, by which we can know our BMI quotient, and determine our present state of fitness. BMI figure is determined depending on the height and weight of a person.

Body Mass Index (BMI) = (Weight in Kilo grams) / (Height in Meters)²

or,

Body Mass Index (BMI) = (Weight in Pounds * 703) / (Height in Inches)²

For example, if your weight is 60 kilo gram, and your height is 1.5 meters, than your BMI will be : (60) / (1.5) ² = 26.66. Similarly, if you want to calculate your weight in pounds, then you can convert kilograms into pounds (1 Kg = Appx. 2.20 pounds), and meters in inches (1 meter = 39.37 inches), and calculate your BMI. The resulting figure will obviously be the same!

The BMI figure thus obtained in indicative of our present status of body weight, and it can be compared with help of the following chart:

• BMI less than 18.5 means that your body is Underweight.

• If BMI is between 18.5 to 24.9 means that your body has Normal weight.

• BMI is between 25-29.9 means that your body is Overweight.

• And, if BMI is equal to or greater than 30, it means that you Are Obese

So the person in the above example has a BMI of 26.66, which means that he is slightly overweight, and needs to burn some fats.

Although there are various theories, and debate on what exactly is an ideal eight for a body, BMI is still an effective indicative method, if not the exact one, to determine where do you presently stand in terms of weight, and how much fats you need to loss or gain, as the case may be!

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FitTeam Fit Product Review

A FitTeam Fit Stick is a proprietary blend of organic ingredients that you can pour into water or mix into a drink of your choice, making it really easy to use on the go.

The product is organic, non-gmo, gluten-free, lactose-free, soy-free, kosher, and vegan friendly. It contains some blend of the following ingredients: green tea, l-theanine, garcinia cambogia, cayenne pepper, 5-htp, caffeine anhydrous, citrus aurantium, grapefruit seed extract, blueberry powder, b-12, and niacin.

The advertised benefits are that it may help provide increased energy, enhanced fat loss, enhanced mental focus, antioxidant benefits, mood enhancement, appetite control, blood glucose control, and improved fat metabolism.

If you read all of the above you may realize that very few bits of the product information actually differentiate from all the other products out there, in fact, it all sounds pretty much the same.

For this review I want to examine four primary factors of what really makes the difference in a health supplement: uniqueness, ease of use, effectiveness, and side effects.

Before I give you an analysis of each of those factors based on the research I did, both online and offline, I have to point out that I am in no way shape or form to give any legally qualified medical advice and that this review is simply my opinion.

Uniqueness

We’ve all heard the “all natural” pitch over and over again as it’s quickly becoming an advertising fad. The words all-natural are not defined and could literally mean anything at this point.

Where this product is unique is that it is Organic, Kosher, and Vegan Friendly. Having just one of these qualities makes the product unique enough but to have all three of those qualities in a single product makes the product a rare commodity.

Being free of soy, lactose, GMOs and gluten is very common thing, so I do not find those details rather impressive as those are almost the default setting for any supplement.

Ease of Use

I have used a lot of other supplements. Some of them are in pill form, powder form, or even drink form. The Fit Stick is really high up on my list for ease of use.

The packaging itself is very small and since it’s not pre-mixed into a drink you can simply buy a water bottle anywhere you go and mix yourself a drink at anytime with relative ease.

There are no pills to take and it is not a messy process. For ease of use I find this product surpasses a lot of the other products I have used.

Effectiveness

Let’s just be honest here, the product comes with a recommended meal plan that focuses on cutting carbs and calorie restriction. Although it contains known metabolism boosting ingredients such as green tea and caffeine, the effectiveness of those natural ingredients is minimal by themselves.

This is not a miracle cure, even if it burns off an extra 10% of the calories you eat, it will not save you from heavy over eating as you will just end up gaining weight slower or not losing.

However, almost all supplements recommend a calorie restricted diet, so I can’t knock too many points off for effectiveness. Some of the customer reviews indicate that they’ve lost as much as 10 lbs in the first 5 days, a few of which I’ve personally verified, but I believe those results can be achieved by many other supplements as well when combined with exercise and calorie reduction.

Side Effects

There aren’t really any worthwhile negative side effects out of the normal unless you have a medical condition or adverse reaction while taking this product.

The amount of caffeine per serving is about half of what is in a can of soda and there’s some niacin in the product which has been known to cause your face to flush, but there is nothing really in it that has any proven negative side effects.

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Thermogenic Fat Burner Supplements – Six Powerful Factors You Should Know Before Making A Decision

Thermogenic fat burner supplements vary but there are six factors that the best fat burner supplements should offer to be consistent. Americans rely on products that produce reliable results, and do so safely.

First, It Should Stimulate Thermogenesis

Meaning that it should activate the brown fat mechanism within your body and rev-up the fat burning furnace within.

Second, It Should Provide Energy

This means you should have enhanced physical performance. Now, one should be aware that if you suffer from low energy levels while using a thermogenic herb supplement, that may be an indication of adrenal stress. If this happens we suggest you stop using the supplement for at least 7 days.

Thirdly, It Should Assist in Suppressing Appetite

A key mineral called chromium is needed, for it assists with appetite when added to your formula. In fact, thermogenic herbs, can reduce cravings, as when fat burning takes place, insulin levels may drop. This reaction will assist the body naturally in controlling hunger and appetite.

Fourth, It Should Also Assist in Detoxing and Cleansing Tissue Fluids

When the body is toxic, the liver, thyroid, gall-bladder, and metabolism will react. Thus you could anticipate a slower metabolism. A change in body temperature, and digestive challenges can result in less fats being metabolized and consumed by the body.

Fifth, Your Thermogenic Fat Burner Supplement Should Also Provide Liver and Adrenal Gland Support

Your liver is responsible for producing bile that aids the digestive system in metabolizing fats. The bile that is produced is also stored in the gall-bladder, where it is directed to your digestive system.

Your adrenal glands need nutritional support so they are not taxed. If the adrenals become fatigued, then your energy level and performance will drop. Plus you may find that the body will start using lean muscle for energy and reverts to storing fats, instead of burning fats.

Sixth, It Should Promote Bowel Regularity and Reduce Constipation

Constipation and a toxic body go hand and hand. It takes around 22 hours for one meal to cycle through your digestive tract. If one is not regular, by that I mean at least twice a day, this toxic build up not only will impact key organs such as, the liver, thyroid, and gall-bladder, it will play havoc on your immune system and naturally increase your weight.

The longer you store this toxic waste, the more likely that mucoidial plaque will start to build up in your digestive tract. The main cause for constipation is mucoidial plaque.

Results of Selecting A Top Rated Fat Burner Supplement

As a result of selecting the correct thermogenic fat burner supplement one MAY expect to have the following results:

1. Reduced body-fat percentages

2. Enhanced mental alertness

3. Enhanced physical performance

4. Reduced hunger and cravings

5. Increase energy level

6. Allergy and asthma conditions reduced

7. Possible reduction in cholesterol levels

8. Enhanced well-being

9. After weight reduction – possible blood pressure reduction

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How to Achieve a Healthy Diet

Here’s an important factor that has a huge impact on your overall fitness level and general wellness: your diet.

What is a “diet?”

The word “diet” means “a collection of food items that a person regularly eats.”

Every person has a current diet. If you know someone who eats cheesy potatoes and cheeseburgers six days a week, that’s still considered a diet (admittedly, a very unhealthy one).

If you want to slim down and tone up, start by examining the composition of your present diet to determine how many calories you are consuming per day. Analyzing your current diet can also reveal if you are getting enough essential nutrients, water and dietary fiber.

What is a quality diet?

A quality diet provides a balanced mix of macronutrients and micronutrients in the right amounts. Here is a quick recap of the essential nutrients that our bodies need to function normally:

Macronutrients

Protein – Protein repairs and builds muscle tissues. People who regularly perform cardio and weight training need sufficient protein to build lean muscle mass.

Both male and female bodybuilders consume large quantities of protein-rich food to ensure that fat stores are kept to a minimum and that muscle size and strength are maintained.

Carbohydrates – Carbohydrates are the main fuel of the body. Our bodies transform carbohydrates into glucose, a usable form of sugar. The body can also store glucose in the muscles.

When glucose is stored in the muscles, it’s transformed into a substance called glycogen.

It may be more difficult to lose weight if you completely remove carbohydrates from your diet because the body needs carbs as its primary energy source.

Fat – Fat performs numerous important functions in the body, including vitamin absorption, transport and storage.

It also creates a padding around the muscles that acts as a shock absorber. Fat also improves a person’s thermoregulation and prevents too much heat from escaping the body especially during cold weather.

Excess calories from food are stored in our fat tissues. When we lose weight, we don’t actually “burn off” fat cells. Our fat cells simply shrink as the excess fat is burned off through exercise and other physical activities.

Water – Keeping your body hydrated is easy! All you will ever need is pure water. My personal rule for hydration is equally easy to remember. If you’re thirsty, reach for water 99% of the time.

If you drink soda, start reducing your daily consumption and replace it with water. You’ll soon feel more energized because your body is not under the constant influence of diuretics found in soda.

Dietary Fiber – Dietary fiber plays a crucial role in maintaining cardiovascular and digestive health.

Fiber has the ability to block some of the lipids or “bad cholesterol” from being absorbed by the body.

Insoluble fiber on the other hand (fiber that cannot be digested by the body) acts as a cleaning machine inside the colon and helps you clear your colon effortlessly.

Micronutrients

Vitamins – Vitamins are used by the body to maintain normal growth and development. Vitamins also enhance major and minor functions within the body such as eyesight and skin growth.

Minerals – Minerals are inorganic substances derived from the food we eat. The body cannot naturally create minerals.

You have to make sure that you are getting enough minerals from your diet. Essential minerals include calcium, iron, potassium and zinc. Minerals naturally occur in meats, vegetables and fruits.

How do you know if you are getting enough nutrients?

Losing weight does not mean you have to sacrifice your nutrition. Weight loss actually comes naturally when you modify your diet and add more of the best food on the planet like beans, legumes, green leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, etc.

Superfoods like spinach and broccoli provide only a modest amount of calories in every serving so it would be challenging to “overeat” when your diet is comprised of at least 85% healthy, whole food. Usually, it’s the nutrient-deficient food items like candy bars and hamburgers that are responsible for caloric overload in a person’s diet.

Be mindful of what you eat (even when you’re just snacking) and you just might discover the food items that are making you gain weight!

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Parsnips – Should This High Glycemic Index Food Be Avoided?

There are many diet plans today which advise you to avoid High GI (Glycemic Index) foods. I was shocked to find out that one of my favourite vegetables, the parsnip was in this High GI category. Should I stop eating parsnips because of it’s Glycemic Index?

Carbohydrates are converted to glucose after they enter the body. The speed at which the carbohydrates are converted to glucose is known as the Glycemic response. Foods with a higher Glycemic Response cause a more rapid increase in blood sugar levels.

The Glycemic Index is a ranking system for foods containing carbohydrates to give an indication of how rapidly blood sugar will rise after consumption. The Glycemic index runs from 0-100, with zero representing foods with no carbohydrates, i.e. yielding no rise in blood sugar and 100 representing pure glucose.

Foods with a Glycemic index less than 55 are known as Low GI foods, foods with a GI of 56-69 are Medium GI foods and foods with a GI 70 or higher are High GI foods.

By avoiding High GI foods, you will be in a better position to maintain a relatively constant blood sugar level, which will reduce the likelihood of increasing body fat and, particularly in the case of people with diabetes, prevent medical complications. Parsnips have a Glycemic index of 97; it has a very high GI. If we are avoiding high GI foods, parsnips would not make it to the dinner table.

The bodies Glycemic Response is based upon 2 factors; The Glycemic Index and the amount of carbohydrates consumed. If a small amount of carbohydrates with a high Glycemic index were consumed, there would be a relatively low rise in blood sugar.

This is the case for parsnips; an 80 gram portion of parsnips contains 12 grams of carbohydrate. Although parsnips have a high GI value, they contain a relatively small amount of carbohydrates and the Glycemic response will not be as large, as say, the same portion of glucose.

The Glycemic Load takes account of both the Glycemic Index and the net carbohydrates to determine how the carbohydrate and the amount consumed will affect your blood sugar. The Glycemic load is determined by taking the GI value as a percentage and multiplying by the amount of net carbohydrates. Parsnips have a Glycemic Load of 12.

A Glycemic Load of 10 or less is low, between 11 and 20 is medium and greater than 20 is considered high. Parsnips may fall victim to the GI system; however taking account the relative amount of carbohydrates in the food, parsnips are a great, filling food that can be incorporated into a healthy diet.

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Benefits of Venison – A Natural Fat Burning Food!

Discover the incredible weight loss benefits of venison, how to best prepare it and how much you should eat to get maximum benefit from venison – one of nature’s amazing fat burning foods.

Venison or game meat encompasses elk and moose as well as deer. While they are harder to find, caribou and antelope are also forms of venison.

Venison is hard to come by if you are not a hunter, but you might find it in a specialty market. If you have a hunter in the family, this could also be a source of venison. You may at least get to enjoy a meal or two featuring this meat that is both delicious and nutritious and great support for your fat burning regimen.

Deer meat has a deep, full flavor and a tender, yet supple, texture. Deer can be hunted wild, or they may be raised on a farm. The flavor of the meat depends upon the diet of the animal. A deer that has foraged will taste different than a domestic deer. In any case, deer meat has an awesome flavor.

Fat Burning Benefits of Venison

Venison is incredibly low fat. It is very low in saturated fat, and it is also low in calories.

A 3-ounce serving of venison has about 134 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 1 gram of saturated fat. A similar serving of elk meat will yield 124 calories and 2 fat grams – one of those saturated fat. Moose meat contains 114 calories and 1 gram fat, but not any saturated fats.

Here are the benefits you will derive from venison: It is a great source of vitamins B12, B2, B6, and niacin. It also contains the minerals: zinc, selenium, iron, phosphorous, and copper. It is an excellent source of high-quality protein.

Venison contains iron, which is a building block of hemoglobin. This is what makes it possible for your blood to transport oxygen from your lungs throughout your body. Additionally, hemoglobin is an essential part of the enzyme systems that regulate metabolism and the production of energy.

Venison contains B vitamins (that is, B12 and B6), which assist in keeping homocysteine levels from becoming unhealthily high.

Here are the dangers of high levels of homocysteine:
The worsening of diabetic heart disease or atherosclerosis.
Damage to blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.

Osteoporosis and colon cancer may be prevented with the consumption of vitamin B12, which works to protect the colon against carcinogens.

Venison contains a good supply of Vitamin B2 (riboflavin). This vitamin helps with promoting a steady supply of oxygen based energy to your body. This is especially useful for the heart and muscles of the body. The protein like antioxidant molecule known as glutathione must be recycled constantly. Riboflavin helps to protect this delicate molecule.

Venison contains niacin to combat the incidence of osteoporosis. It also produces starch in the liver and muscles that can converted into energy.

Preparing Venison

When you choose your venison (deer meat) try to find meat from younger deer. It should be dark with flesh that is finely grained and fat that is clean and white. Fat is the source of the real taste. Look at the recommended sell-by date to find fresh venison in stores. Venison can be purchased in the freezer section or as fresh meat.

You’ll need to trim any fat off the deer, elk, or moose before you grill or broil it.

Venison is very vulnerable and perishable, thus it is vital to place it in the coldest section of your fridge right away. When you plan to use it within a couple days, keep it in its wrapper to reduce handling. If you can’t use it right away, be sure to wrap it properly for the freezer (using aluminum foil or freezer paper) and freeze it promptly. It won’t spoil for a minimum of three to six months.

Exercise caution as you handle raw venison, being sure to rinse any utensils completely. When you marinate your venison, be sure to keep it in the refrigerator. If you leave it out, it is sure to spoil, as it is very heat sensitive. Frozen venison should be thawed out in the fridge.

One excellent way to enjoy venison is simply as a steak or on kabobs. You can also make venison jerky. It can be substituted for many other meats such as turkey or beef in stew or lasagna.

Here are some ways to enjoy elk meat: Chili, meat loaf, roast, stew, burgers, barbecue, or slow cooked in the crock pot.

Here are some ways to enjoy moose meat: Kabobs, hoagies, roast, meatballs, stroganoff, or stew.

Recommended Serving Size

A typical portion of venison is about 3 or 4 ounces per person.

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Fighting Obesity Through the Centuries – A Weight Loss Doctor Reveals Some Old Secrets

Without A Plan Permanent Weight Loss is Impossible.

The top resolution for 2010, just like it has been for every year is shedding weight and becoming physically fit. It also can become the hardest to do: changing the way we eat and exercise in a few days or even in a few months can overwhelm just about anyone. The first step is always to prepare a plan, weight loss without a definite plan is impossible. Whether you try low carb, count calories, points or eat specially prepared meals, you still need a plan. Before you jump on the first plan you hear about, take a long look and see that the task of losing weight is nothing new. It goes back to 5000 years to early Egypt. Take a look through the centuries and find a plan that is best for you.

Obesity and Dieting is Nothing New

The earliest indications of obesity can be traced back to the first modern humans in Europe about 35,000 years ago. In those days, efficient storage of energy (i.e., fat) in times of plenty was paramount to surviving the next famine. Times have changed and famine does not exist in our part of the world any longer. Therefore, our once lifesaving ability to store energy (i.e., fat) efficiently has since turned against us. It now shows up in our society as the constant concern of too much weight and ultimately, as obesity. For thousands of years, being overweight and obesity were exceptionally rare phenomena and were almost never studied.

The perception of obesity varied among cultures.

In ancient Egypt, obesity was considered a disease. Egyptians depicted their enemies as obese individuals. Obesity was certainly not the Egyptian beauty ideal, which instead featured long, slender legs, narrow hips with high breasts, and golden skin. Concerned that diet maintained their health, the ancients recognized that the quantity and quality of food were equally important. Their method of portion control was rather primitive. They

Vomited and purged themselves three times a month.

Ancient China was aware of obesity and the dangers that come with it. The texts tolled Gobi berries for strengthening the liver, preventing obesity, and fortifying the-Qi-(chi) or life force. The Aztecs believed that obesity was supernatural, an affliction of the Gods. They had a sophisticated vocabulary for obesity and locations of specific fat deposits, including a double chin and a -beer belly.

The ancient Greeks first recognized the dangers of obesity. Hippocrates, considered the Father of Medicine,believed that obesity led to infertility and even death.

  • Hippocrates was aware of sudden deaths being more common among obese men than lean ones. He correctly identified the energy balance equation:
  • Energy cannot be created or destroyed.
  • Energy is either used or stored.
  • When -calories in- are greater than -calories out- then body weight increases.
  • When -calories in- are less than -calories out-then body weight decreases.

After Hippocrates laid the foundation for understanding energy and weight management within the human body, another two thousand years went by before the general public in Europe, in the early 1600s, began to recognize diet and exercise as means to preserving one’s health.

Around the 17th century, links between diet, disease, and health were clearly acknowledged.

Study after study emphasized the benefits of leanness and the dangers of corpulence. beginning in the 17 the century. The term obesity was first used in 1650 by the English physician and medical writer, Dr. Tobias Venner. With the industrial revolution of the 19th century, England saw a growing abundance of food coupled with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. The result was a vast increase in obesity among the middle and upper classes.

Unfortunately, as the medical society and the public in general began to look at obesity and its complications as serious health problems, knowledge on how to reverse it, especially permanently, remained unclear! Surprisingly, most 19th century doctors had no idea about its cause. Many thought obesity was due to sin or diseases.

Physicians of the time did not believe that what you ate had a direct impact on your body and on your general health. People typically ate bread, potatoes, pastry, puddings and cakes, and served their meat with thick gravies. Alcohol was part of daily life. Basically, people of that time ate as much as they could afford! After all, a big belly was a sign of prosperity.

Lights Begins to Shine in the early 1800’s with Graham Crackers in America

During the early 1830s, Reverend Sylvester Graham was the first American to relate food choices to health. He condemned the sin of gluttony,advocating a bland, vegetarian diet as the cure. Dr. Graham developed a recipe and encouraged people to eat flat bread made of coarse whole wheat flour. However, people who ate his Graham Cracker were described as -pale and sickly. Reverend Graham became known as Dr. Sawdust-not a very good start to reversing obesity, but these were the first efforts made to remediate the condition

Revelations Appear in early 19th Century London:

Across the Atlantic Ocean, in the early 19th century Dr William Wadd, a physician of the English Court, finally touched the heart of the matter. He connected overindulgence at the table with the dangerous conditions that resulted from an excess of fat deposits in the body.

Dr. Wadd’s first principle of treatment was taking food that has little nutrition in it.Was he describing eating food with less fat or carbs? He pointed out that many physicians refused to treat obese patients because they did not recognize the growing obesity epidemic of the early 1800s as a real and dangerous disease. That was in 1800. Sounds familiar?

In 1850, the medical profession in Europe had accepted the theory of German chemist Baron Justus von Liebig that carbohydrate and fat supplied the carbon which, combined with oxygen in the lungs, produced body heat. In terms of this theory, carbohydrate and fat were respiratory foods and the cause of obesity was believed to be an overindulgence of them.

Dr. Liebig’s patients were cut off from food for as long as possible and almost starved themselves to death. He exhorted establishing an hourly watch over the instinctive desires of his patients. Although this was only the first organized attempt to reverse obesity, a more humane treatment was needed. Nevertheless, the importance of limiting food intake to treat obesity became fairly well accepted by the mid 1800s. The challenge was then, as it still is today, the unbearable hunger that always accompanies the reduction of food consumption.

4 London Doctors Uncover the Secrets of Weight Loss: (Much of which we then forgot)

During the 19th century, three English doctors-Horace Dobell (1826-1916), Isaac Burney Yeo (1835-1914) and John Ayrton Paris (1785-1856)-turned their attention to the growing problem of obesity, researching methods and assisting obese individuals in overcoming their weight-related issues. They concluded that the excess food and increasingly sedentary lifestyle of 19th century England conflicted with the body’s biological need to efficiently store energy (i.e., fat) in times of plenty to survive the next famine. They recognized that quick fixes and miracle solutions offered no answer to this problem.

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, alerted his readers in 1825 to the dangers of fad diets. He warned against the common use of so called venagar to lose weight and was one of the first advocates of limiting carbs. His book, The Physiology of Taste is one of the first important books on food.

Dr Burney in 1842 Unravels the Secret to Successful Weight Loss:

Humans-like animals-are motivated by four basic drives: hunger, thirst, sex, and the need for security. Hunger and sex are the strongest, being necessary for the survival of our species. Dr. Burney-famous for his Yeo’s Treatment(treatment of obesity by giving large amounts of hot drinks and withholding carbohydrates)-noted that the sensation of hunger, although involving mainly the stomach, originates in the brain. Additionally, as this sensation is one of the most basic of the human emotions, its regulation must occur slowly and with the greatest care.

Hunger that is not satisfied creates morbid cravings,as Dr. Burney wrote. Probably the main reason why so many diets fail is that they ignore what Dr. Burney calls-our most basic of all drives-hunger.

Before we even started to count calories, points, fat, carbs or protein, and other metrics we use to help us regulate our food intake, Drs. Dobell and Burney had already concluded that all of these methods were too complicated. Both doctors noted that dietary changes should be based on the individual’s unique requirements concerning age, gender, and activity level. However, 1865 was the age of vapors, elixirs, potions, and liniments. Telling an upper class, overweight lawyer that his excessive eating caused the fat around his belly and that he had to physically exercise-like a farm hand-was problematic and almost drove Dr. Burney out of practice.

Diet is related to age, sex, occupation… and should correspond to what a person likes. Avoid any unnecessary changes in the number or variety of food and always give a patient what he likes, unless there is an unquestionably good reason for not doing so, writes Dr Burney in 1842.

You might think recognizing that overeating will make us fat is pretty obvious and was not at all a significant discovery. In reality, most weight loss plans today fail to take into consideration that not everyone can eat the same food, the same amounts of food, or react the same way to foods. This is why none of these generic diet concepts work. We are all different and every person requires personalized plans of action to achieve long-term success in managing sustainable and healthy weight levels.

How many diet plans even consider what the individual actually likes to eat? Drs. Dobell and Burney stressed that a successful weight loss plan depends on making as few changes as possible and then tailoring the food to the individual’s age, sex and occupation and, especially, to personal likings. This advice is even more relevant today than it was 175 years ago. Finding the real causes for your weight problems and then selecting foods based on these personal factors-including what you like to eat-was fundamental back then and is just as important today.

Keeping Weight Loss Plans Simple is Nothing New:

-Interference with a diet, like all good things, is particularly open to abuse for nothing is so easier than to lay down a complicated code of restriction and rules as to what to eat and what to drink and the patient is very apt to think that the skill of the doctor increases with the number and variety of the orders. But those who understand the principle of a diet know that the reverse is true…instead of meddling with unimportant details, seize the few essential points for which a diet generally will be found to turn. Those that are best off are those that abstain from all attempts to meddle-writes Dr Horace Dobell in 1865.

William Bunting, a London Undertaker Writes About His Experiences Fighting Obesity, Some Practical

Ideas from the First Celebrity Dieter:

In 1860, in what is considered one of the first diet books, a famous London undertaker and coffin maker William Banting, revealed how to lose and-most importantly-maintain, weight loss for years. At 5 feet 5 inches in height and weighing more than 202 lbs., Banting experienced rapid weight gain beginning at age 30. He was so overweight that he had to walk down the stairs backwards to avoid jarring his knees. He was unable to ties his shoes or pull up his pants. Despite vigorous exercise, spa treatments, self -induced vomiting, drinking gallons of water, low-calorie and starvation diets, he only kept gaining weight.

For many years, he went from one doctor to another in vain-They took my money but they failed to make me thinner. He was hospitalized twenty times for weight reduction, only to fail again. One of his physicians noted that putting on weight was perfectly -natural-; the physician himself had being gaining a pound a year for years. Fed up with physicians and failures, he created his own plan, bearing many similarities with the findings of Drs. Dobell, Burney and Paris and described it in his famous Letter of Corpulence, first published in 1864.

Amount of Food: People of larger frame and build require a proportionally larger quantity of… food… and foods that are beneficial in youth are prejudicial in aged.

  • Kind of Food: Starch, sugar and fatty meats tend to create fat and should be avoided all together. Experimentation is needed, to establish which foods cause weight gain for that individual and which do not. No attempt to restrict all carbohydrates — but sugar, potatoes, and some breads… Vegetables and fruits of all kinds are permitted freely.
  • Food Changes have to be gradual and kept to a minimum so as not to cause feelings of loss and… return to former habits.
  • Number of Meals -Four meals a day are preferred. (The fourth is a late evening snack.)-
  • Exercise- The rules of diet you found so beneficial have been long forced upon men who are under training for running or prize fights… most overweight people are unhealthy or lacking time and are unable to exercise and sweat-

Mr. Banting successfully lost more than 50 lbs. and kept it off until he died at age 80. Inadvertently, he incorporated the basic findings of the English doctors, including tailoring the amount of food for his age and activity level. He made only a few important and gradual dietary changes and ate three meals a day, along with a bedtime snack. His emphasis on eliminating starch, sugars, and fatty meats in his diet preceded Dr. Atkins by more than 100 years. Banting concluded that exercise was not as important as changing the food that he ate. As successful as it was, Banting’s plan seemed too obvious and simple. As much as his name became synonymous with slimming, he was ridiculed and denounced as a charlatan. The British Medical Society vilified his diet system as -humbug- and the basic principles on which it was based were ignored for another century.

Basic structure of daily foods revealed by Dr Paris in 1826!

Despite all controversy, some headway against obesity was made when Dr. John Ayrton Paris revealed the basic framework for moderate food distribution throughout the day in his book, Treatise on Diet (1826). His daily food framework includes the importance of breakfast, light lunches, and small evening meals. Dr. Paris also emphasized the importance of snacks and was the first to introduce the idea that eating a larger dinner after a day’s work may be more advantageous than eating large lunches.

–Everyone’s diet depends… upon the degrees of exercise, age and rapidity of growth. Usually, one large meal a day, the other light and small in bulk… again depends upon occupation. A light lunch is preferable to two large meals a day. Often a patient arises in the morning without inclination for breakfast but because of his occupation, he is compelled to force down food in order to protect himself against exhaustion latter in the day from lack of food. At least have a biscuit, eggs or toast for breakfast. Snacks become necessary in civilized life. Dinner, the large meal of the day, in this manner may be postponed to 7 PM- writes Dr Paris in 1826.

Obese Individuals Turn to Quackery beginning in the 1890’s

In the last half of the 19th century, both obese people and their physicians turned away from the newly discovered -secret– a big belly was the consequence of excessive eating. Instead, they desperately turned to the use of all kinds of medical quackery, including water, vibration and massage therapy, laxatives, purgatives, electrical and non-electrical corsets and belts, Epsom salts, various tonics, creams, liniments, and pills.

What We Can Lean From the Past:

During the 20th century, science revealed more and greater details about the human body, but some of the most fundamental and simplest truths about weight management seemed to have been lost or have faded into oblivion. Instead, modern-day weight loss methods such as calorie counting, weighing and measuring portions, points, phases, only protein, no carbs, as much fat as desired, no fat at all, whole wheat, natural, light, organic, pre-portioned, frozen meals– along with complicated recipes, diet schemes and specialty foods– took the place of common sense. Diets became restrictive, fundamentalist, ideological, and sometimes even contradictory. Clichés and myths do not help to clear up the issues related to obesity and what to do about it.

Maybe the ideas of the early 19th century London physicians can help you design a successful weight loss plan for 2010. Give their ideas a try. They Work!

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Balancing Your Chakras to Heal Emotional Eating

Energy Balancing of the Chakras, when combined with hypnosis, can help a person lose weight and feed the “Hungry Heart” of emotional eating. I have noticed many overweight people are “leaking” energy in what I named the “Hunger Chakra” located in the “basin” of the lower stomach, also known as the Sacral Chakra area. If you are challenged with the frustrations of excess weight and “yo-yo” dieting, ask yourself these questions:

• Are you always Hungry?

• Have you tried everything to lose weight?

• Have you wasted enough of your precious time, energy and money on this weight release problem?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then perhaps you need to go deeper beneath the layers of the weight loss puzzle to find a missing piece….Chakra Balancing.

Knowledge of the Chakras is ancient and new scientific research gives credence to this theory. The ancient Hindus specified that we have 7 Sacred Energy centers running from the base of your spine to the top of your head which correspond to certain bodily organ functions, psychological functions, emotional and spiritual centers. Their interconnected balance plays a profound role in every aspect of your life and well being. According to recent scientific studies, each Chakra location corresponds with a major bundle of nerves beginning at the base of your spine and ending at the brain’s cerebral cortex. If any Chakra is blocked or imbalanced due to fear, stress, negative programming or inactivity, then your overall well being is affected. You can even sense a deficiency or imbalance in that area if it feels constricted or cold/hot or you feel stress or pain in that area.

Your Sacral Chakra is located in the sacral region of your body about two inches down from your navel to your pelvic area. The Sacral Chakra is “the seat” or the origin of our instinctual cravings, desires and habitual responses-and is intimately connected to emotional eating. Desires, impulses and cravings rule the Sacral Chakra. They are for food, sex, relationships and procreating. This is also where the instinctual “Hungry Beast” resides, the part of your subconscious mind that just wants to be gratified and feed all the time. So how do you quiet the “Hungry Beast” whose voracious appetite constantly demands to be fed? In order to “tame” the Hungry Beast, there are learned bad habits, learned behaviors and an unhealthy lifestyle to address; as well as the issue of emotional eating used to medicate, sooth or repress emotions. Digging even deeper, there is the Spiritual Hunger that yearns to be feed to fill the “hole in the soul” that no food will ever fill!

The mind and will power exerted to “beat” the Hungry Beast into submission through strict diets and deprivation, don’t work in the long run. It is human nature to desire what we are deprived of-setting most up for a binge. Your body is wired to seek energy when it is starving. To fulfill that Spiritual Hunger however, your Heart Chakra, located in the center of your chest is the great healer and transformer and balancer of all the Chakras. Only through the wisdom of your Heart Chakra, working in concert with your “Hungry” Sacral Chakra, the need to achieve Balance can help to tame the Hungry Beast.

Listen with your Heart Chakra! Treat your body as your own best friend-with respect, care and compassion. Listen to your body’s needs and messages to you. Ask your body: What do you need? What kinds of food do you need to fuel well to feel well? Are you really hungry-or do you need to be nourished and comforted by love and kindness-reaching out to a loved one-or to extend love or a helping hand to another? Do you need to move and stretch your body? Do you need to take in a deep delicious breath? Or are you starving for some “me” time? A very simple exercise to Balance your Hungry Sacral Chakra is to connect with the healing and transformative energy of the sacred Heart Chakra. The Technique is as follows:

First rub your hands together and place one of your hands your sacral area about two inches down from your navel and your other hand over your heart. You can easily “connect” with your chakras through your life breath…..just follow the flow of breath moving in and out as you release, relax and let go into your body as you imagine your breath is just like the flow of the ocean waves. Imagine the gentle flow of a radiant breath of light moving in and out through the center of your heart. Feel, sense or imagine there is an eternal flame of light within the center of your heart-the light of your soul. Feel this inner light grow brighter and more radiant-opening up and filling all the dark spaces and places within you and illuminating your life with love, forgiveness, peace and understanding. You can even allow your love light to grow brighter as you bring to mind a loved one, the smile of a baby, giggles of children playing, a treasured pet, a beautiful sunset or a scene in nature that takes your breath away!..Just stay a moment here.

Now imagine a cord of spiraling light connecting from your Heart Chakra to your Sacral Chakra and the cord of light spirals up from your sacral chakra and one that spirals down from your heart chakra intertwining like a double helix of spiraling light. The balancing color of your Sacral Chakra is orange. As you are inhaling and exhaling, imagine a golden orange ball of light warming your belly area and filling it with light. Allow its orange glowing radiance to glow brighter and brighter. Feel the light filling any empty spaces and places within your belly with the warmth and radiance of the sun.

Imagine this area as an open vessel, a bowl of light that opens and receives this good positive energy and becomes revitalized and recharged and full. Take in as much as you need to take in and feels good to you. Now rotate your hands first in a clockwise and then counterclockwise position 7x to balance and anchor this energy within your body. Next, check in with your body and ask what it really needs….Listen to your body. Now repeat the following affirmations out loud:

I am connected to my Divine/Source energy

I am loving and compassionate

I appreciate my body and treat it with respect

I draw in vitality

I honor my body and its needs.

I feel my emotions and I am connected to my center of well being,

I honor my emotions as they are my internal guide.

I reach out to the world in healthy ways

I am nourished by healthy relationships

I establish healthy boundaries.

I have a healthy relationship to my body and to food.

I am grateful.

I honor and appreciate the energies of these chakras in my life. I am connected to Source/Divine energy.

I radiate good health and wellbeing.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

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How to Lose Weight When You Are Lazy and Fat and Even Depressed

So you want to know how to lose weight if you are lazy, fat and maybe depressed.

Lazy, fat and depressed, that was the me three years ago when I was overweight after the birth of my second child. However that is now history since I lost the weight.

The first thing you need to do is to change your thinking. Being lazy was my perfect excuse not to lose weight. You may be overweight but to add on laziness makes it worse.

In addition if you think you are lazy and fat then in most cases you will also be depressed. The depression is due to the fact that you think you may not lose weight. This may not be the truth. Anyone can be able to lose weight if they choose to.

I have been overweight at different stages in my life and I am proof that anyone can lose weight if they put their mind to it.

The first thing to do if you are fat, lazy and depressed is to find something to do that makes you happy.

If you cannot immediately find something that makes you happy then try walking while listening to music. Try reading a book or watch a comedy. Listen to some inspirational music.

There are many things that can set you on the path to happiness. The point here is to deal with your depression before you even think of losing weight. Chances are that the depression may be contributing to your weight gain.

Once you find something that makes you happy, give yourself a challenge to try and shed off some weight. You can start small by aiming to slash off a few pounds in a month. Believe that you can do and write your goals down. Have friends to support you, make it a daily challenge.

Try to eat something healthy before drinking soda or eating donuts. Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast and quit watching a lot of television this way you will keep your mind working and focus on different ways you can lose weight.

In addition try getting a job that will keep you active and carry water, vegetables and protein snacks to keep you full all the time.

Like all things in life anyone can achieve what they put their mind into. So if you want to know how to lose weight when you are fat and lazy and depressed then try incorporating the above suggestions and more to help you shed some pounds.

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5 Of the Very Best Weight Loss Tactics

Shedding pounds continues to be the challenge of many individuals these days. We all would like to appear in shape and attractive at all times. Therefore, we attempt really hard simply to have the physique that many of us would like. Yet, with all the ways of living and eating routines that many of us were raised with, it can be extremely difficult to remain slim and therefore all to easy to put on weight.

With all of the calories that many of us consume daily, with the unhealthy and fast foods we take in, along with the caffeinated drinks that we consume, plus in our own frustration to tone down excessive fats, we’ve been constantly looking for weight loss tactics and various methods to losing excess weight.

There are many points readily available for you with regards to slimming down. Magazines and books pertaining to losing weight along with other important things in weight loss have come into your reach. Go to your booksellers and magazine stores and you’ll certainly see them.

Do-It-Yourself Weight Loss Tactics

Since there are a great deal of tips about how to reduce extra fats and drop some pounds have been released, now you can locate fairly easily a couple of methods suited to your case and your diet and lifestyle. Still, the very best techniques to dropping unwanted weight are the ones that you can do even if you’re on your own; those that don’t need you to visit and seek advice from a medical clinic or a weight reduction professional.

Listed below are a few weight loss tactics that can be done yourself.

1. Water remedy – water might not be regarded as a thing that may burn off fat, but drinking the correct quantity of water daily can deal with bodily processes including correct digestion. Additionally, it allows you to feel full to ensure you won’t want to over eat.

2. Reduce your current calories intake – we require calories for the day to day actions, however we have to reduce the needless calories. Mainly, you need to stay away from carbonated drinks and alcoholic beverages. Gourmet coffees likewise has an excessive amount of calories and you might wish to decrease usage of this or completely refrain from consumption.

3. Don’t miss breakfast – it isn’t smart to forget about breakfast in order to shed pounds. You will simply have a tendency to eat a lot more later on in the day.

4. Being active is even now the best method to drop some pounds – without a doubt, this is always the most effective method that can be done at your home to reduce excess weight. You could start off by simply walking more regularly. Such as, rather than driving to a neighborhood grocery store, you could walk. Refrain from driving if it’s a little strolling length. You can even walk the dog just about every morning. Cleaning the home additionally would make the body exercise more likely. The simple truth is, you don’t require instructors and gadgets simply to work out.

5. Five modest servings daily – rather than consuming three hefty meals, you could eat a number of tiny meals during the day. By doing this, you could separate your everyday calorie consumption without needing to endure fasting or not eating meals.

In case you haven’t realized, the ideas previously mentioned mainly require self control. The reason being, self-control may be the basic of all the weight reduction methods available. You need to know your own limits should you are seriously interested in cutting down on all those unhealthy fats. Simply no weight loss tactics are as useful as they guarantee if you, as the individual who really wants to slim down, won’t include a slice of self control.

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