Cellulite are deposits of fat, toxins and water just under the skin. It takes years of unhealthy eating to accumulate these fat cells. It won’t go away in a day. Most of time they remain out of sight under the clothes we wear.

Come summer when it is time to don a bikini or shorts you suddenly become aware of dimply, orange peel looking pitted surface of your skin. Frantically you look for solutions to get rid of them. All those skin creams and lotions won’t help. Going under the surgeon’s knife to remove fat deposits is too drastic a measure to take.

So, what can you do to get rid of cellulite.

First, you cannot get rid of cellulite in day or a week. It takes sustained effort of at least a month or more depending on how bad your problem is. So, you need to make a commitment to reduce the problem much before your planned summer vacation. Cellulite affects almost every woman. You can reduce it to a great extent though you cannot completely eliminate it.

As cellulite is nothing but a type of fat the most effective way to burn it away is through intense exercise. Running, cycling, jogging, hiking up hills or cardio classes are the best ways to melt the fat. This takes several months and is sure way to reduce the overall fat percentage of your body. But, it works and you will start noticing a difference in the appearance of your skin.

Once the fat is gone concentrate on toning and strength training. Core training your abs and glutes is important to keep cellulite at bay. Build up your lean muscle and make your abs and back look smoother and healthier. Stretching the muscles your strength train is a very crucial part of building muscles and increases the effectiveness of your training by 20 percent.

So, cardio, strength training and stretching should be key elements of your exercise regime. Don’t forget to include one rest day in your routine to allow the body to rest and heal. Sleep is another aspect that gets neglected in the busy life-styles we lead. People tend to forget that sleep is the time that body uses to heal and repair itself. Just exercise and no sleep is no help at all. 7-8 hours of restful sleep works wonders for your body.

Eating the right foods while you are on a mission to get rid of your cellulite is another important aspect. Cut down on fats and sugars as these are enemies in your fight to gain control over cellulite. Eat healthy greens, fruits, lean proteins and whole foods rich in minerals and nutrients. You benefit your body in many ways by following this diet.

Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated helps remove harmful toxins from the body. It also improves the texture of your skin. In fight against cellulite don’t forget that water is one of your biggest and most effective weapons.

The word “Protein” comes from the Greek work “Protos” which means “Of prime importance”. Protein is the main building block of the human body, if you were to compare your body to a building, protein would be the raw material. Like fats, and carbohydrates, proteins are composed of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. The actual difference between protein and the other two macro-nutrients is the presence of nitrogen. Scientists use nitrogen tests to compare the utilization of proteins in the body by comparing the amount of nitrogen consumed to the amount excreted through urine, feces, and sweat.

Your body is a very complex machine that is constantly changing, evolving, and adapting to the circumstances that you put it through. As a matter of fact, physicist have proven that your body changes or replaces 98% of its atoms within 1 year, that means that molecularly speaking, you are not the same person that you were a year ago, you might feel like you haven’t changed, but your cells, tissues, and organs are made up out of entirely new atoms.

Protein plays a crucial role in these processes, as it is what your body uses to replace damaged or dead cells within it. Where does all that protein come from? The answer is from the food that you eat, hence the saying “You are what you eat”, and that is no overstatement either.

The smallest protein units are called Amino acids; they are the “bricks” that make up the protein blocks.

Proteins are made up of multiple amino acids linked together. There are 20 essential amino acids required for the human body to grow. From these 20 basic amino acids, tens of thousands of different protein blocks can be formed. Just like bricks are used to create different building structures (walls, roads, chimneys, ovens, etc.), amino acids are used to create proteins designed for different purposes within the human body.

Amino acids can be broken down to essential and non-essential amino acids. The human body is able to manufacture 11 out of the 20 amino acids; these are called “Non essential”. The remaining 9 amino acids are called “Essential” as the body needs to be provided with them through food.

The list of “Essential” and “Non Essential” amino acids include:

Essential (Indispensable) amino acids:

Histidine

Isoleucine

Leucine

Valine

Lysine

Methionine

Phenylalanine

Threonine

Tryptophan

Non essential (Dispensable) amino acids:

Alanine

Arginine

Asparagine

Aspartic Acid

Cysteine

Glutamic acid

Glutamine

Glycine

Proline

Serine

Tyrosine

When you eat food, the body utilizes the amino acids that the food contains in order to manufacture the proteins required for its different metabolic processes, when one or more of the non-essential amino acids are missing however, the body has to manufacture them within the liver.

To avoid the body breaking down its own protein, you need to provide it with foods that contain all 20 amino acids. These food sources are called “Complete Proteins”. Most of these proteins come from animal sources, such as meat, milk, and eggs.

Vegetables, legumes, and grains are considered “Incomplete Proteins” because they are missing or more amino acids. For example, Beans are very high in protein, but they are missing the essential amino acid Methionine. One way to overcome this is by combining “Incomplete Protein” sources with one another to make one “Complete Protein” source. Rice and Beans is a prime example of this.

Protein cannot be stored for later use, unlike carbohydrates. This makes the consumption of at least one complete protein source with each meal of the utmost importance to avoid a negative nitrogen balance, or the breakdown of muscle tissue.

Just like with the other two macro nutrients, there are better sources of protein than others. A basic guideline to follow is to make your source of protein as lean as possible.

Sources include:

o Chicken Breasts

o Turkey Breasts

o Lean cuts of red meat

o Eggs

o Low-fat/Non-fat Dairy products such as Milk, Yogurt, or Cheese

o Fish, and other sea food.

All of these sources will provide you with all the essential amino acids required by your body without the saturated fats associated with other animal protein sources.

As far as combining “Incomplete Proteins” to make “Complete Proteins”, there are some simple guidelines to follow:

o Combine Legumes with Grains

o Combine Nuts with Grains or Legumes

o Combine any animal protein with any incomplete protein

The question of how much protein should an individual wanting to gain muscle should take, is a matter of great debate. There are those who believe that a high protein/low carbohydrate diet with upwards of 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight is the way to go, others argue instead that much less protein is needed, and that 50-60 grams a day is all that a healthy human adult needs.

For the purpose of muscle mass gain however, the most widely accepted guideline for active males is to at least take in 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.

A better approach to calculating total protein intake is to use macro nutrient ratios. This means that you determine your total daily caloric needs, and split the calories coming from the three main macro nutrients into percentages.

So for example, a 190 pound male needs 3000 calories to maintain his weight, he wants to add muscle mass so he eats 500 extra calories, this bring the total to 3500 calories a day. Out of those 3500 calories 30% will be coming from proteins, 50% from carbohydrates, and 20% from healthy fats.

Proteins, and Carbohydrates both contain 4 calories per gram, and fat contains 9 calories per gram. So if we do the math, we come up with:

3500×0.3=1050 – 1050 calories from proteins

3500×0.5=1750 – 1750 calories from carbohydrates

3500×0.2=700 – 700 calories from healthy fats

1050+1750+700=3500 – Grand total of 3500 calories per day

If you want to know how many grams of each macro nutrient you need per day, just divide the total calories of proteins, or carbohydrates by 4 or the fats by 9.

1050/4=265.5 – 265.5 grams of protein

1750/4=435.5 – 435.5 grams of carbohydrates

700/0=77.7 – 77.7 grams of fats

By using these simple formulas not only do we know the amount of calories he needs from each macro nutrient, but also the amount of grams.

To summarize the article, I would like to outline the following points:

o Proteins are the essential building materials used to rebuild all of the tissues in the human body.

o Protein building blocks necessary for human growth are made out of 20 amino acids, which can be arranged in tens of thousands of ways in order to make the necessary proteins in the body.

o Animal protein sources are a prime example of “Complete Proteins” which contain all 20 amino acids.

o Vegetables, Legumes, and nuts are all “Incomplete Proteins” because they lack one or more essential amino acids.

o It is crucial to provide the body with complete protein sources in order to avoid a negative nitrogen balance, and muscle tissue break down.

o The most widely accepted guideline for daily recommended protein intake is 1 gram per 1 pound of bodyweight in males.

It is my hope that from reading this article you attain the basic knowledge of what protein is, and why it plays such an important role in your body.

With this in mind, remember to always train heavy, eat big, and rest to grow!

Stress affects all students, from graduate level to those in the kindergarten. The term stress refers to the response you have when facing circumstances that force you to act, change or adjust in some way to keep things balanced. It is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand. It can be caused by both good and bad experiences. In the right dose, stress can be healthy or even enjoyable. However, stress can be very damaging for students when it becomes excessive. It can harm students’ health, happiness, performance, relationships and personal development. This article will deal with management of negative stress.

Causes Of Stress In Students

Causes of stress in school children include; bullies, a mismatch between student and teacher, concerns about not having enough friends, not in the same class as friends, peer pressure, lack of family time, over scheduling of extra-curricular activities, insufficient sleep, poor diet, lack of preparation, noise pollution among others.

As the students progress to a different level the causes of stress often increase. When students go to college or university, they have to contend with leaving their parents and beginning the process of finding their own identity as adults and their place in the world. The main causes of stress here will therefore include; the new university or college environment, payment of fees, the new relationships formed, the competitive circumstances, exams, lack of proper time management techniques, peer and parental pressure.

How Students Can Manage Stress

Students can manage stress using various techniques. The most important of these are;

1. Learning to manage their time wisely. This is done by setting up a study schedule, breaking up studies into smaller chunks. In short, students are advised to formulate, with the help of their teachers and parents, study timetables and adhere to them.
2. The student will also need to have a system of organization for note-taking, keeping track of assignments and other important papers.
3. Creating a good study environment is also a great tool for stress management. Students have different study habits. While some need a completely quiet room free from interruptions, others actually study better listening to quiet music in the background. A student should pick which is best for him or her.
4. Determining the most appropriate learning style: whether the student is a visual, kinesthetic or auditory learner. Tailoring your study practices around your particular learning styles makes success easier to attain and keeps stress at bay.
5. Using relaxation techniques like deep breathing, visualization or imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and yoga. Additionally, being optimistic will help students become healthier, less stressed and more successful.
6. Learning how to budget money, spend wisely and pay bills on time, if any, is very important for the student’s survival and will lower stress levels.
7. Lastly, students must take care of their bodies and minds by getting proper nutrition, getting some form of physical exercise and getting enough sleep. Seven hours of sleep each night is recommended for optimum body and brain function. Naps, not exceeding one hour, should also be taken when needed.

Following these tips will help you greatly to reduce the stress and it might even help to improve your performance on exams.

Amino acid products are becoming a very popular component of a boxing training program. Athletes of all shapes and sizes can make use of amino acids because they provide a huge range of benefits. They are of course natural compounds, and your body utilizes them in a near infinite amount of ways. Take a look at how you can benefit from them as a piece of your boxing training program.

When most people think about amino acid products they think about building muscle and strength, and this is true. Aminos are the building blocks of proteins, which are the building blocks of muscles. They are necessary for muscle repair, growth and recovery, and if you want to build new muscle mass you need to be ingesting enough amino acids.

As mentioned, most people realize that but what most people don’t necessary think about is that they make for excellent muscle recovery supplements. They will help your body repair your muscle mass in less time, allowing you to get back in the gym and back to training. You will also be able to prevent injuries from reoccurring, and you’ll notice less pain and nagging strains as well.

In addition to serving as muscle recovery supplements, they can also help to improve the strength of your entire frame. They target the bones, joints, ligaments and cartilage, providing an all-over boost to your strength and fitness. You will immediately notice the difference in your performance and what you’re capable of.

With amino acid products this is still really just the beginning. They can be used for just about anything. Some can actually serve as a natural energy booster, while other products and supplements can help your focus and concentration. You can find both complete amino acid products and those that offer or specialize in just one key amino acid. The most popular of these products are those focusing on L-Glutamine and L-Arginine.

It’s also important to realize that many of these are actually essential for your diet, which means that your body can’t produce them and therefore needs to ingest through through diet and supplementation. Therefore, using some of these products will enable you to meet all of your dietary needs, which can have a wide range of health benefits as well.

For a boxing training program, your body and your performance can reach entirely new levels as you take advantage of amino acid products. As muscle recovery supplements and in many other ways, they will increase the results that you see and keep you in action for more of the time with less pain and aggravation.

Restoration isn’t a hobby – it’s a way of life. Whether you have a recently-purchased classic (stored safely under a car cover) or something that’s been sitting on blocks (without so much as a sun shade), taking that first step towards fixing it up can be a daunting task. Here you’ll find a few tips that can help prioritize the job and keep you from having to do things more than once.

Tip 1: Restoring a car is like building a house. There’s a logical order. You wouldn’t build the roof before the foundation. So, the first step in any restoration is to plan out exactly what needs to be done, making a complete list of the entire project to avoid missing something essential or risk damaging a refurbished bodyline or fresh paint job. Once you have an overview, organize it into a game plan. Depending on the repairs you’re making, it’s best to proceed in the following order: transmission, engine, electrical, suspension, interior, body and wheels.

Tip 2: An older car may have been built like a tank, but the downside is it usually sounds like one too, especially on the freeway. If your restoration includes stripping the vehicle down to the undercarriage, take the time to sound-proof your ride with spray undercoating, insulating foam or reflective insulating wrap. Undercoating helps minimize vibration through sheet metal and is highly effective when you need to reduce noise coming through metal air ducts or fender voids. Expanding foam is great for filling cavities in car bodies and holes in firewalls. Keep in mind, it’s called expanding foam for a reason. So, be sure to leave room for expansion, or your fender may swell out like a botched Botox treatment. Finally, reflective insulating wrap comes on rolls that are either two or four feet wide. It installs with spray adhesive and is thin enough not to require any modifications to upholstery or trim, making it ideally suited as a liner in doors, hard tops or over flooring.

Tip 3: The words steel wool and auto repair aren’t often used together. But there are different grades of steel wool intended for a variety of uses-notably, very fine grade 0000. It can be used on a variety of auto parts and car accessories, including chrome, glass, stainless steel and other delicate materials, without scratching the surface. Use it with chrome polish to brighten stainless to a high luster, polish auto parts with chrome trim like molding or wheels, and clean around your headlights or rocker-panels. You’ll find it in most hardware or do-it-yourself stores. One thing to remember when using anything for the first time: start small. Begin in a corner, underside or unnoticeable area and work your way out. It’s the best way of avoiding disaster should the surface not be compatible with the grade or chemical treatments in your polishing pads.

Tip 4: Taping off an area to be painted protects windows and trim but also raises the problem of tearing off a freshly painted surface if you use the wrong tape. If you can, use masking tape designed especially for your application. But when you don’t use the right thing and realize too late that you’re going to tear up your new paintjob, there’s a simple way to get standard masking tape off without ruining your finish, and it’s as close as your own bathroom: a hair dryer. Gently heat the tape as you peel it off the painted surface. In case you’re wondering, the operative word there is GENTLY. If you’re a pro and have a heat gun, that works too, but keep the temperature LOW. The tape will pull right up. It may leave a slight residue but it’s easily removed with a mild solvent or a variety of car waxes like Zymol wax.

Tip 5: Gluing vinyl or leather material onto panels or seats can result in splotches of contact cement on the appearance side. Cleaning products like 409, Mr. Clean or other solvents may remove the glue but discolor the vinyl or leather in the process. Instead, grab some vinyl or aluminum duct tape and wrap a little bundle around your fingers with the adhesive side out. Then, just like removing lint from a sweater, pat the glue spots with tape and the glue will come right up. This technique also works on sewed seams and seat covers, a task that’s nearly impossible to achieve with cleaners.

Want to know how to get big biceps fast? A fit body reveals how strong and handsome you are. To complete your healthy look, you need to have good biceps. Big arms show off your power. Strong and fit biceps themselves are enough to scare your enemy or win any girl. Do you want to know the secret way of how to get big biceps fast? This article will reveal how you can get those desired biceps.

There are two ways in which you can get your biceps in the way you want them. One is the natural way while the other is the artificial way. Now at this point of time, you might be thinking which way to learn how to get big biceps fast? If you have a bodybuilding show and you have to win it, you can go for the artificial methods. This method works excellently if you want to get some really fast growing muscles. You will find powders and herbs that help your muscle develop fast make you appear strong. However, there are some side effects of this method. One cannot always depend on these methods to get fast biceps. Sometimes it may your good biceps may turn worse.

If you are still not satisfied with the artificial methods and are thinking how to get big biceps fast, you can go for the natural methods. These methods involve exercise and healthy diet. There are many forms of bicep workouts but the one which works the best is weight lifting and resistance training. However, you cannot start off with extreme exercise on the very first day; you need to train your body for it and then increase your level of extremity. You need a professional to train you and your body to get fast biceps.

The disadvantage of the natural method is it does not give fast results and consumes a lot of your time and energy. Artificial methods have both advantages and disadvantages so it depends on you to decide which method to try and understand how to get big biceps fast.

There are a couple of must haves when you are working out: you must have a good nutrition plan set up, you must get enough rest, and so on. To “supplement” this list of must-haves is the supplement glutamine (excuse the pun). Regardless of whether you are a beginner or a pro, if you are trying to lose weight, get bigger, or tone up, glutamine is something you need to have in your cupboard. It has many diverse benefits to help you develop more efficiently and expediently well as to help keep you in good general health.

Firstly, you are probably wondering what glutamine is. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the human body used to help regulate cell growth and function. In addition to being produced by our bodies, glutamine can be found in beans, meats, fish, poultry, dairy products, many protein powders, and of course, on the shelves at your local supplement store in pure powder or pill form. Some of its benefits are that it serves as a “brain fuel” that increases brain function and mental activity, promotes a healthy digestive tract, significantly shortens the healing time of ulcers, reduces depression, impotence, fatigue; decreases sugar cravings and perhaps most important to us (considering this is a fitness article), it helps build and maintain muscle tissue through minimizing muscle deterioration and increasing protein metabolism AND glutamine also helps tighten skin which is perfect for someone who has recently lost a lot of weight.

There is simply no denying Glutamines benefits to our bodies. However, despite the fact that it is the most abundant amino acid in our system, the complication is that it is always being depleted. During intense training, Glutamine levels are significantly depleted in our bodies which reduces stamina and muscle recovery. Research indicates that following intense workouts, glutamine levels could be reduced by as much as 50% and it could take up to 6 days for Glutamine levels to return to their normal levels.

Having your Glutamine levels depleted will slow the progress you see from exercise and since one of Glutamine’s main jobs is keeping up collagen levels, which is critical for healthy skin, a deficiency will make your skin look older, while supplementing with glutamine can actually be effective in tightening loose skin. The most common dosage of glutamine is 5 to 10 grams on an empty stomach 25 to 30 minutes prior to working out and then 5 to 10 grams immediately afterwards. Many also take 5 to 10 grams upon waking and directly before bed to combat muscle breakdown which occurs during sleep. If you have recently lost a significant amount of weight and part of your goal is skin tightening, I would take 20 grams of glutamine each day, even on days that you do not work out, split it up into 2-4 servings taken on an empty stomach if possible to maximize absorption.

If you aren’t taking Glutamine you need to start; I’m sure you can appreciate why I consider it a must have. Furthermore, as amazing as Glutamine is in terms of its effectiveness, it is also amazing in terms of its affordability and it is one of the most reasonable priced supplements you will find on the market. Quite simply, glutamine as so much to offer you, you can’t afford not to take it!

One of the most perplexing problems that diabetics face is weight loss. Many doctors insist it is a simple matter of consuming less calories than are burned. And, in a perfect world that works. But most diabetics will insist that there is more to it, because when they do the same things as non-diabetics, they get no results, while their non-diabetic friends drop pound after pound. Fad diets do not work, diet products do not work, even exercise shows little or no results. The struggling diabetics are right– there is more to it than just cutting calories.

Diabetes is caused by eating a bad diet, and a good diet is a key part of regaining control. But it is the bad diet that has placed a number of conditions in place that must be understood in order to win the fat war. There are a number of interrelated circumstances that contribute to making diabetic weight loss difficult. First, let’s look at how the problem originated, then we can investigate how that information can lead to reversing the problem.

Years of bad diet, containing fats, sweets, high glycemic index foods, prepared foods and dairy products caused inflammation. A complete detailed explanation of how inflammation caused diabetes can be found in the “Diabetics Handbook” (see below). The following will be a gross oversimplification, due to space limitations, but hopefully, it will demonstrate the important aspects of the problem. Pro-inflammatory substances (pro-oxidants) are normally used by the body to fight disease and infection (via the immune system). They play many important roles in the body including digestion, and even breathing. Normally, the body uses antioxidants to control these processes. However, years of bad diet, which is characteristically very low in antioxidants, causes an immune system to lose the ability to shut down. Consequently, the immune system begins to attack healthy cells causing serious damage. In type I diabetes, the beta cells (insulin producing cells) are destroyed. In type II diabetes many cells are damaged setting up a condition known as insulin resistance. Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells cannot properly communicate when using insulin to uptake and burn glucose.

When the body digests food, particularly carbohydrates, it is converted into glucose. Glucose is distributed throughout the body in the bloodstream by the liver. The liver will normally control fat levels. When very high levels of fat are in the bloodstream, due to diet, the liver cannot process it all. It begins to fill its cells with sacs of triglycerides (converted glucose for storage) and it places the excess in the adipose tissues (belly fat).

The brain, vital organs and muscle tissue rely on glucose which provides energy to function. As these organs use glucose, the liver will place more in the bloodstream to replace it. In a perfect world, the organs and tissues would use it efficiently, and hopefully in proportion to the amount produced by food. Insulin resistance reduces the amount of glucose that is absorbed and stored by the organs and muscle tissue. Add to that, the fact that most diabetics lead a sedentary lifestyle, meaning that they get minimal amounts of exercise resulting in much less glucose being burned.

When the body is impaired by insulin resistance (type II diabetes), the cells do not use as much glucose. The body senses that glucose levels are building up in the bloodstream, so it instructs the pancreas to release more insulin. The body now has high glucose levels and high insulin levels in the bloodstream. Insulin is a hormone that performs many functions, besides allowing cells to absorb glucose. Insulin will also attempt (vigorously) to remove excess glucose from the bloodstream by placing it in storage as fat. Once in storage, insulin will block the process of breaking fat down to remove it from storage. Many doctors say that the presence of high levels of insulin in the blood causes unnecessary water retention in the body, which is a factor in weight gain. This is a key aspect of beating diabetic obesity, which means that insulin regulation is very important. Insulin also acts on the brain. It promotes cravings that result in eating more and on the liver to manufacture more fat. The liver removes insulin from the bloodstream, but insulin causes fat to be deposited in the liver which, in turn, prevents the liver from removing insulin from the bloodstream. People with belly fat store too much fat in their livers (fatty liver disease – see below), which prevents the liver from removing insulin. consequently, insulin levels rise higher and higher, which can contribute to heart attacks and more abdominal obesity.

Also, fat in the abdominal area functions differently than fat elsewhere in the body, such as the hips. Blood flow from the belly fat goes directly to the liver. The blood flow from other fatty areas, such as the hips, goes into the body’s general circulation. Belly fat has an efficient blood supply and has as more receptors for cortisol (a stress hormone). Cortisol levels vary throughout the day, but will elevate and remain elevated if the body is under stress. High stress and high cortisol levels promote fat deposits in the belly area. It goes to the belly area because there are more cortisol receptors there. Chronically high cortisol levels kill neurons in the brain. They also interfere with neurotransmitters (such as dopamine and serotonin – the good mood neurotransmitters) which leads to depression and feeling more stressed. Depression is common in diabetics, which adds to the problem since depression causes a stress type reaction in the body. In other words, depression promotes the development of belly fat.

The fat that is stored in the adipose tissue (belly fat) is also a characteristic of diabetes. That means that diabetics are genetically prone to belly fat. Belly fat (central obesity) is associated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease, and several types of cancer as well. Heredity plays a role in overall body type (apple vs. a pear shape). Genetics accounts for 25-55 % of the tendency to develop the most serious diseases associated with abdominal fat, the remainder is lifestyle. As belly fat builds up, it does several things. First, it stops the production of the hormone leptin, which normally would curb appetite. Second, it causes insulin resistance to further increase, which has obvious consequences. The cells use less glucose, the body produces more insulin, and guess what… more fat goes into storage. Fat storage is the body’s way of following ancient mechanisms designed to protect the body during lean times. Cave men would sometimes go long periods of time between successful hunting campaigns. So the body learned to take advantage of good times to prepare for the bad times. The body converts glucose into glycogen and triglycerides which are very efficient methods of storing energy.

When the cells of the liver fill up with triglyceride fat sacs, the liver’s function is impaired. It cannot process fats efficiently. It quickly runs out of room to store more fat, and when the body’s tissues and organs are not using as much, the liver simply puts it all into storage as belly fat. The number of fat cells a person has is determined at birth. The numbers remain constant unless the fat cells become full. When they become full, the cells will divide creating new fat cells. The new cells will remain throughout the balance of the person’s life. However, a successful diet will reduce the size of the fat cells. Fat cells are fed by blood vessels in the belly area. Each fat cell is in contact with at least one capillary. The blood supply provides support for the metabolism. The blood flow will depend upon body weight and the overall nutritional state. The number of vessels will increase during fasting or high demand for glucose. Increased numbers of blood vessels can contribute to increasing blood pressure. The heart simply has to work harder to supply the additional vessels.

A liver that has many cells filled with triglyceride sacs is called a fatty liver NAFLD (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease). Any diabetic that has large amounts of belly fat likely has a fatty liver. Fatty liver develops early in the process because of high levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream. Diabetic fatty liver’s second stage is called NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis), meaning that it is not caused by alcohol consumption (but similar), and it mimics damage caused by hepatitis diseases. Oxidation of cells begins to occur causing cell damage. The third stage is cirrhosis which is very serious and dangerous. The first stage of fatty liver is not particularly dangerous, and will go away with proper treatment. Fatty liver is difficult to diagnose. The only reliable test is to conduct a biopsy to determine how much fat is present and if any scarring is present. Biopsies are rarely conducted, because the medical industry cannot agree on how it should be interpreted. The symptoms of NAFLD are nondescript, non-existent or mimic symptoms of other diseases. Certain blood tests will display the presence of certain liver enzymes that are common in hepatitis, which would signify the presence of NASH. Fatty liver will seriously complicate the weight loss process.

Parasites will virtually stall weight loss efforts. Parasites are more common in diabetics than a non-diabetic person, due to their weakened state. Unfortunately, western medicine doctors have little training in recognizing the presence of parasites. Few people are trained in testing for them. Most common tests have a very low accuracy rate. Treating parasites with drugs is rarely effective because they have a very narrow range of effectiveness. There are over 100 common species found in humans and treatments are very specific to specie. Parasites escape diagnosis in as many as 70 chronic diseases, and are now believed to be instrumental in the development of many chronic diseases.

When parasites are present, patients will have virtually no success in losing weight. Reduced portion sizes, carbohydrate counting or elimination, or even vigorous exercise will not produce results. Parasites inflame the lining of the digestive tract, and slow nutrient absorption. They eventually spread to all areas of the body, including vital organs. They disrupt hormonal balance, blood sugar regulation and alter the metabolism. Parasites eat the nutrients ingested, or they eat the host. They leave the host with empty calories, which triggers cravings and over consumption of food (urges to pile it high on a plate). They virtually take over control of the body.

Parasites release toxins that overload the kidneys and liver. The weakened state leads to further reductions in metabolism. They hinder the maintenance of beneficial flora in the intestinal tract that can lead to over production of yeasts. Overdevelopment of yeasts lead to the development of allergies, gas and bloating. Their acids damage organs, breakdown muscle tissue and cause the central nervous system to become sluggish. The body will react to increased acid levels by producing fat cells to store the acid, thus removing it from the system. A lower metabolism encourages the production of fat cells.

The good news is, by now, the reasons for difficulty in losing weight are clearer. So how does one beat these powerful mechanisms? Start by getting rid of any parasites. The safe bet is to assume that they are present, because they probably are present. There is an extensive listing of symptoms, and how to cleanse the body of parasites in the “Diabetics Handbook”. Also read about glycemic index and load. Modify the diet to eat only low glycemic index foods. Stop eating any of the pro-oxidant foods, especially processed foods, which is basically anything in a box or can that has ingredients that you cannot pronounce, or it’s unknown as to why it is in there.

Then assume that you have a fatty liver, because you probably do to some extent. This is the tough part. The most success comes from combining a series of techniques. Fasting and exercise are effective to break the cycles and burn liver fat. But it must be done correctly. If liver and/or kidney damage is present a doctor should be consulted. An alternative to fasting is to start eating 6-8 very light, low glycemic index meals per day, instead of three large meals. That will reduce the glucose spikes that exacerbate the process.

Change the diet. Stop eating the pro-oxidant foods. Processed foods are poison to diabetics, which cannot be stressed enough! Processed flour is very bad for diabetics (actually for everybody). Sodas are high in pro-oxidants and phosphoric acid, drink green tea instead. However, be careful, some bottled green teas have additives in them, including phosphoric acid. Stop drinking coffee. Eat only very lean cuts of meat. Stop eating sweets, sugar substitutes and dairy products. Never cook food at high temperatures (over 400 degrees F) or microwave food. That means that grilling and broiling are out. Microwaves kill as much as 97% of the living nutrients in food. Steaming, stir frying in olive oil or boiling food is best. Diabetics should eat fruit if their system does not react to them (glucose spikes). Pineapple and bananas are very high in natural sugar. Eat low glycemic index foods only. Take a good quality multivitamin daily, such as Rejuvenage 40+, which is sold on the internet. If a multivitamin is being taken, compare the product label to the sample label posted on the internet. This particular multivitamin has the broadest coverage of nutrients found on the market. Eat lots of fiber, especially water-soluble fiber.

Glucose management can be improved if sodium levels are managed, and fiber levels are kept high. Sodium slows the insulin response, which means higher sodium levels can be an advantage for hypoglycemia. High sodium levels prevent a quick rise and fall in insulin levels, and subsequently reduce the blood sugar highs and lows commonly experienced with hypoglycemia. Sodium, along with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and biotin are among the most important factors in reducing erratic glucose level changes; even between meals. Manganese, chromium and niacin/niacinamide control glucose response as well as the liver’s storage of glycogen. Potassium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C can both, help stabilize, or interfere with glucose management depending on whether a patient is prone to be hypoglycemic, or hyperglycemic. Lower amounts are recommended for patients that are prone to hypoglycemia, and higher amounts for patients that are prone to hyperglycemia. On the other hand, high amounts of potassium can reduce manganese and chromium. High amounts of vitamin C can lower manganese and stimulate insulin. Vitamin B6 stimulates magnesium and potassium, but lowers manganese. It can become complex. It should be noted that too much sodium in the diet is never a good thing.

Eliminate candies, honey, sodas of all types, donuts, cereals (especially sweetened), cakes and bakery goods, over ripe fruits, fruit juices (unless diluted), sugar (both brown and white), syrups (corn, maple and molasses), glucose, sucrose, fructose (of any variety), dextrose, maltose, or any substance ending in “ose”. Eliminate all artificial sweeteners except Stevia. Most of the bakery goods contain synthetic additives, along with processed flour, both of which are highly pro-oxidative.

It will be necessary to start exercising to maximize the burning of glucose in tissues. Power walking for approximately 45 minutes, preferably daily, will burn upwards of 300 calories each day. Exercising other major muscle groups is important. The fasting and exercise program should be alternated with non-fast and exercise programs (3-5 days each). Depending upon health conditions, choose between a water or a juice fast. The water fast is more aggressive. Don’t lose weight too fast. It can damage the liver. Most people lose 3-5 pounds after the first several days and an additional 3-5 pounds the next day, it will level off at a pound per day after the initial loss. It is customary to not lose weight during the non-fast phase. Then repeat the cycle. The “Diabetics Handbook” covers a variety of programs, the most aggressive being a 30 day fast, which will totally detox the entire body as well. It is known to release toxins present since birth. Fasting is safe, and very effective. Exercising a muscle does not get rid of fat over the specific muscles that are exercised. The only way to reduce a fat belly is to lose weight overall, and any type of exercise will help accomplish that. There’s a growing body of research showing that the fastest way to burn off belly fat is by a combination of weight training, aerobic exercise and modified diet. Bear in mind that increased muscle mass, from exercise, will increase body weight as fat is lost.

Physical activity is clearly beneficial for diabetics, including lowering blood glucose levels. However, physical activity can make levels go too low, causing hypoglycemia for up to 24 hours afterward. For those taking insulin, or one of the oral medications that increase insulin production, the breaking of routine (fasting) by having a snack, may be required if the glucose level goes below 100 mg/dL. Adjusting medication doses before physical activity can help avoid hypoglycemia. For some diabetics, it may be necessary to consult a doctor while on aggressive programs. A snack can prevent hypoglycemia, provided that it is a low glycemic index food. Extra blood glucose checks, especially 2 hours after strenuous exercise, may be advised. Place increased emphasis on maintaining blood sugar levels. Hold them as close to normal as possible. In type II diabetes that will reduce the amount of excess insulin in the bloodstream. If insulin-dependent, or type I diabetic, avoid taking more insulin than is required to maintain control. Many diabetics assume that more insulin than is needed is not necessarily a bad thing. This is a critical phase that requires lots of testing and focus. The combination of lower insulin, lower glucose levels and vigorous exercise will allow the body to quickly start burning the liver fat. It takes up to 12-16 hours for the body to start drawing fat from the liver. Exercise will increase the metabolism. However, understanding the metabolism will be helpful, because the metabolic rate will change throughout the process. Exercise reduces stress levels. If high stress is an issue, try stress reducing activities such as deep breathing or meditation. Be certain to take antioxidant supplements during the fasting process. Several recent studies show that omega-3 fats can reduce output of another stress hormone, epinephrine (aka adrenaline). Start taking 4000IU of fish oil twice daily. You cannot overdose on fish oil. The body will produce large amounts of free radicals, which will require large amounts of antioxidants to be controlled. Be certain that 100% of the daily requirements of vitamins and minerals is consumed.

In summary, modify the diet; learn what to eat and what not to eat; take a good quality multivitamin every day; get the glucose levels in tight control; manage the insulin levels; manage the sodium levels; exercise vigorously daily; manage stress; eliminate the possibility of parasite infestation; and consider fasting techniques. Learn as much as possible about diabetes, food, and how to cleanse and maintain all of the vital organs.

If this appears to be a lot of hard work, it is. But it is not unusual for diabetics, that have not had any dieting success at all, to lose 30 pounds the first month. The key to total diabetes control, and improved health, is to lose the belly fat. It is paramount. As the belly fat goes away, it will become increasingly easier to win the fat war. Blood sugar control will become easier, blood pressure, triglyceride and cholesterol levels will improve. Go to http://www.diabeticshandbook.com for a free daily nutrition log, which will make tracking nutrition easier.

How do you train your vertical leap to play better in basketball? First, assess your needs, as well as your time frame and vertical jump goal, in inches.

It is important to know your jumping ability and strength level before setting up a training program. Once realized, you can design a program with your coach or trainer. Training programs should include repeated workouts followed by periods of recovery. The program covers the entire year.

Here is a three-step, yearlong exercise program to train vertical leap ability in basketball players.

1. For the first three months, concentrate on building up strength, especially lower body muscles, through weight and resistance training exercises. Starting slow with 3-5 sets of a load of 50%-60% load of one repetition maximum (1-RM) at 15-20 repetitions done 2-3 days per week and building up to 80%-90% 1-RM at 4-8 reps of 3-5 sets done 3 days per week, separating each session by 2 days.
2. On the fourth month, start plyometrics or jump training. It is relatively simple but demanding and must not be overdone. It uses the body weight only, done 2 to 3 days per week at 8 -12 reps and no more than 120 ground contacts per session. Plyometrics include rim jumps, depth jumps, cone hops with change of direction sprints, lateral cone hops, cone hops with 180-degree turn, depth jump with 180-degree turn, low post drill, catch and pass with jump-and-reach.
3. Follow with 6 months of combination weight training and plyometrics to maintain muscle power. You should do 1 or 2 sessions of weight training and 1 or 2 sessions on plyometric training and rotate them. Remember not to do the same exercises all the time, or your muscles will stop being challenged, and you won’t increase your jumping power.

Jump higher tips to keep in mind:

• While exercises are important, getting ample rest is crucial to the success of any training, and should not be neglected. You can have two months of rest with light exercises or take an entire week off every 6 to 8 weeks.
• As with any exercise program, it is important to consult with your physician before starting on one. You can injure your body easily, especially your knees and your Achilles tendon, if you train too hard.

For those suffering hiatus hernia symptoms Mixed Martial Arts training can assist as part of a plan for natural treatment. However martial arts and MMA fans who have found themselves with a hiatal hernia need to be careful when and how they train to avoid triggering symptoms.

Those with acid reflux problems like GERD, acid reflux disease and hiatus hernias MMA training and diet can sometimes be a challenge. Though at the same time sufferers from these conditions can greatly benefit from martial arts training even if they never plan on jumping into the UFC octagon. Obviously the training, exercise and a healthy diet can even help prevent many other health problems from developing.

Hiatal hernia symptoms just like GERD and acid reflux include regurgitation of stomach acid and stomach contents (food and liquid), heartburn and chest pain. A large part of the battle with hiatus hernia symptoms involves diet and exercise which are also two of the biggest factors in Mixed Martial Arts training.

If you have been training heavily or have been taking part in MMA competitions and have been experiencing symptoms, you may have a hiatal hernia and not know it. Diagnosis can be performed by a doctor using an s-ay. A hiatus hernia occurs when part of the stomach and the lower esophagus slides up through the hiatus (hole) in the diaphragm. Or when part of the stomach squeezes up through the hiatus next to the oesophagus. Those with a hiatal hernia need to be careful not to do themselves further injury. But building strength in core muscle can help prevent getting a hernia and help with symptoms. The potential link between GERD and hiatus hernias means those with a hiatal hernia should spend extra time focusing on the center body and abdominal.

Part of the root cause of hiatus hernia symptoms is digestion. Exercise and training promote better digestion and a good metabolism. This will prevent food from sitting in the stomach too long and creating the potential for heartburn. This doesn’t have to mean grueling training for hours on end, but hitting a martial arts other workout class or the gym for 30-60 minutes 3-5 times a week can go a long way towards helping hiatus hernia symptoms as well as regular walks. If you suffer from gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), acid reflux or other hiatus hernia symptoms you need to be careful when you work out. Avoid working out after meals as bending over or laying down can trigger hiatus hernia symptoms.

Diet can often appear like an issue for those who are serious about their MMA training and that have hiatus hernia symptoms. It may seem like the goals you want to achieve and what it takes to avoid irritating symptoms requires two opposite diets. Because it is highly acid foods like eggs and meat that are the worst culprits for causing high production of stomach acid, but are the same foods that are favoured by those desiring to pack on muscle. Thankfully there are plenty of foods that can be added to your diet to keep you healthy while helping you keep in great shape. Martial artists and fitness fans also often plan there meals in a way that is very effective for eliminating hiatus hernia symptoms. Most often it includes eating 6-7 small meals during the day as opposed to a couple larger ones and promotes staying well hydrated with 6-10 glasses of water a day. Treatment is also best combined with other natural remedies and home cures for balancing stomach acid and preventing reflux.