Know More on Quick Weight Loss

Posted By Fleur Stuart
Categoirzed Under: Weight loss
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by Fleur Stuart

Crash weight loss plans and fad diets are an unreasonable alternative to permanent healthy eating habits, according to the American Heart Association.

What is a fad diet? It’s a well marketed diet with some outrageous scheme to lose weight in an impossible manner, often by eating nothing but one food like a cabbage.

Quick-weight-loss diets generally put far too much emphasis on one particular food or type of food. They don′t include a variety of foods or a healthy balance, a violation of the first principle of good nutrition, eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods. If you are able to stay on such a diet for more than a few weeks, you may develop nutritional deficiencies, because no one type of food has all the elements a human being needs for good health. The Cabbage Soup Diet is a good example. This so-called fat-burning soup is eaten mostly with fruits and vegetables. The diet supposedly helps heart patients lose 10-17 pounds in seven days prior to surgery. Even if the weight loss claim were true, all the damage due to a lack of a host of important nutrients would far outweigh (pun intended) the benefits of losing the weight. Pixies, elves and fairies, or even cabbages, can′t provide magical weight loss. Moderation and consuming all the major food groups is the best bet.

These crazy diets also ignore a second important principle of good nutrition which is that eating should be enjoyable.. These diets are so monotonous and bland that it’s almost impossible to stay on them for long periods. Imagine eating cabbage soup, nothing but cabbage soup, for even a few days much less for a whole week. By mid week crawling bugs would look good. They’d carry you away in a straight jacket on Sunday.

Boredom isn′t the only reason fad diets aren′t good ones. Most don′t talk about exercise, such as aerobics for 30 minutes a day every day. Physical activity helps maintain weight loss, while physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. When a diet includes no need for a workout, run the other way.

Quick weight loss is possible. But if a program sounds too good to be true, it is.

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Want Some Atkins Diet Tips?

Posted By Reagan Blake
Categoirzed Under: Weight loss
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by Finn Hailee

Many people have heard of the Atkins diet, the short name for Atkins nutritional approach. Dr. Robert Atkins invented this low-carb diet. He put on a lot of pounds while he attended medical school. He read about this diet in the medical journal. He built on that diet and eventually made it popular.

Dr. Atkins came up with new ideas, his Atkins diet, about the nature of weight gain. He disagreed that saturated fats were the problem. Carbohydrates, found in potatoes, and breads, were the real problem. Atkins held that our obsession with fat actually worsened the problem. Carbohydrates are used to make up for the lack of fat in low fat foods. That meant people on a diet often ate foods that were worse than they normally ate.

This all changes in the Atkins diet. By cutting out carbohydrates people would burn stored body fats. That’s the goal of weight loss. It’s not just a matter of eating less. Dr. Atkins held that your diet could actually help you burn calories. In fact Atkins cited a study that claimed the body would burn an extra 950 calories on his diet. But later reviews of his studies found that his claims were false.

The Atkins diet also could help people with type 2 diabetes.. As opposed to type 1 diabetes, type 2 is often closely associated with diet and people who weigh too much. Therefore, by means of losing weight a person on the Atkins diet would be addressing their type 2 diabetes. In addition the Atkins diet also addresses the measure of taking in fewer carbohydrates which is part of managing type 2 diabetes, so that Dr. Atkins suggested people on his diet would no longer need to monitor their blood sugar or take insulin. But that’s counter to the prevailing medical theories regarding type 2 diabetes which, although recommending that lowered intake of carbohydrates and weight loss help manage diabetes, ascribe no causal relationship between carbohydrates and type 2 diabetes.

What are the specific rules of the Atkins diet? It consists of four steps or phases which are induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. Here are more details of Induction which is the most crucial of the phases.

The first phase of the Atkins diet, Induction, is like the boot camp for the diet. It lasts for about two weeks. Carbohydrates are nearly removed entirely from the diet, only 15-20 grams can be consumed each day. The lack of carbohydrates will prompt the body to convert fat into fatty acids for fuel - a process known as ketosis. During this phase weight loss can reach as much as 10 pounds per week.

The other Atkins diet phases are generally used for determining the levels of carbohydrates ideal for losing weight and for maintaining a standard weight - not gaining weight. Dr. Atkins himself died of complications of increased fat intake in his diet, which is something to keep in mind when choosing this diet.

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Wu Long or Wu Yi Tea for Beautiful Skin?

Posted By Caitlin Ryan
Categoirzed Under: Weight loss
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by Caitlin Ryan

Maybe you have been searching for the fountain of youth to restore your gorgeous looks and prevent any further damage from aging. Actually, the Chinese have known about a potential fountain for centuries. Oolong tea has some wonderful age-fighting abilities, and a few lovely mugs a day may help you maintain your youth or undo the damage already done!

Though both wu long and wu yi tea have become popular for both weight loss and age fighting, some proponents would have you believe that one is better than the other. Is this true? Let us look at the background on both teas.

Tea begins as a plant called camellia sinensis. The tea leaves are picked at different times and then prepared in different ways. The four major teas are black tea, green tea, white tea and oolong tea and they are fermented in different ways or harvested at different times.

Green tea and white tea are highly nutritious because they are not fermented and none of their natural properties are destroyed. However, they are both pretty grassy tasting and not a lot of people enjoy their flavor. White tea is slightly more delicate merely because it is picked earlier than green tea. Though black tea is the most popular in the Western world because of its mild flavor, it is not as nutritious because it has been fermented for too long to maintain the same nutritional values.

Oolong tea, on the other hand, is both pleasant tasting and highly nutritious. This is because they are fermented for a short time. There are two main varietals of oolong tea: wu long and wu yi. The wu long tealeaves are picked during the first growth cycle of the tea plant, which is then allowed to go through several more growth cycles.

Tea salespeople would have you believe that this makes a huge impact on the flavor and quality of the tea, but wu yi and wu long tea are similarly flavored AND they both are capable of promoting youthful, healthy looking, radiant skin! The main difference? Price! Wu long is more expensive.

In a way, choosing between wu yi and wu long tea is like choosing between a $20 bottle of red wine and a $50 bottle. Will the $50 be so good that it is worth the extra $30? Probably not. Personally, I would rather save the money by buying wu yi tea because the taste differences are not that remarkable. At the same time, you are not likely to find wu yi tea next to the cheap, econo-sized teas at the market. These could be compared to the $5 bottles of Shiraz.

Oolong tea, whether it is wu yi or wu long, contains powerful antioxidants that fight free radical damage and thus help slow down the process of aging. The signs of aging can be seen in your face when free radicals take their toll on skin health at the cellular level. Collagen breaks down and soon, fine lines begin to appear as well as sagging, fragile skin. Wu yi tea can reverse this and help create more youthful, glowing skin!

As well, the antioxidants in wu yi tea can help restore a healthy complexion because they are key in skin cell regeneration and repair of damaged cells. A lovely mug of wu yi tea can also calm your body, mind and spirit and reduce stress.

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Is Oolong the Secret Behind Youthful Skin?

Posted By Caitlin Ryan
Categoirzed Under: Weight loss
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by Caitlin Ryan

Women in Asia seem to have more beautiful, flawless skin well beyond their youthful years. It seems as though time stood still and allowed them to maintain this gorgeous look for many years. What do you suppose their secret is? Could it be oolong tea?

Asian women tend to live cleaner lives. They consume better diets and are generally exposed to less environmental toxins. These are few of the reasons behind their gorgeous, youthful skin.

We should all strive for a better diet full of fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean proteins; however, we cannot do much to escape environmental toxins from industrial facilities, car exhaust and chemicals. This is where oolong tea can help fight the damage, prevent premature aging and improve the youthful appearance of your skin!

All tea is from a plant called Camellia Sinensis. The difference among different teas is due to when the leaves are harvested and the fermentation process that they undergo afterwards.

Fermenting is the oxidation process that turns the leaves a darker shade. Whether tealeaves are fermented or not and for what length of time lends to the different flavors, aromas and coloring of the tea. Black tea is fermented the most whereas green tea is not fermented at all. Oolong tea is in between and has an interesting background.

Legend tells that oolong tea was created purely by accident. A man named Wu Liang was harvesting tea leaves and was interrupted by a passing deer. Wanting the deer for his family, he abandoned his freshly picked tea leaves to hunt the deer.

He returned a few days later and found the tea leaves partially oxidized by the sun. He proceeded to prepare the tea anyway and found that this oxidation process had made the tea more delicate than green tea. It no longer had a bitter grassy taste!

Oolong tea, green tea and white tea are the most beneficial teas to fight the signs of aging, but oolong tea has a nicer flavor because of the semi-fermentation process. Tea is capable of fighting aging and restoring more youthful skin due to its phytochemicals, which is a fancy name for antioxidants.

At the heart of aging lie free radicals. We are exposed to free radicals on a daily basis through UV rays and all of the chemicals and pollutants previously mentioned. Free radical molecules damage our skin (and all tissue) at the cellular level.

They destroy cellular membranes and alter genetic material. As we age, it becomes more and more difficult to fight free radicals and repair the damage. As well, we stop regenerating cells as much as we did when we were younger.

This has many affects on the body such as decreased cardiovascular health. In terms of our skin health, this is exactly why we end up with wrinkled, sagging, fragile skin.

As mentioned oolong tea contains strong antioxidants. When free radicals damage cells, the process is called oxidation. ANTIoxidants fight this process. They can also repair the damage done AND they are important components of cellular regeneration. This is why drinking oolong tea regularly can improve the health of your skin and restores a more vibrant, healthy appearance to your skin!

Moderately priced and wonderful in flavor, oolong tea is one of the best!

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Is Hoodia Gordonii the Best Appetite Suppressant?

Posted By Caitlin Ryan
Categoirzed Under: Weight loss
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by Caitlin Ryan

Do you know how to lose weight and have a slender, beach ready body? Are you able to avoid temptation long enough to stick with a healthy eating plan? What if you knew about a completely natural supplement that would help you control your appetite without the side effects?

Though hoodia gordonii has helped tons of people lose weight and achieve a slender body, there are still plenty of other diet aids and appetite suppressants on the market, which can make it difficult to choose the right one. There are strong appetite suppressants and cheap appetite suppressants. Is hoodia gordonii better?

You need to contemplate a few different aspects before you make a choice. If you understand the basics behind different types and a few things about hoodia, you will be able to make a wise decision regarding your weight loss needs.

Strong appetite suppressants often contain stimulants such as caffeine or ginseng. If you are at all sensitive to caffeine, you may not feel very well if you take these types of weight loss aids. Many people feel jittery effects. If you have any heart problems, stimulant appetite suppressants may not be the best choice.

Hoodia gordonii does not have any known side effects, although diabetics should not take hoodia because of how it works. The active ingredient in hoodia gordonii is p57. This molecule suppresses appetite because it mimics glucose. We feel hungry when blood glucose levels drop and the brain sends a signal to create the sensation of hunger. This action may have a negative effect on the ability of a diabetic to control glucose levels.

This is partially why hoodia makes such a great choice in boosting your weight loss efforts. It does so in a more natural way then strong stimulant suppressants.

Cost is yet another consideration. Because of the popularity, there are plenty of choices when it comes to the cost of hoodia gordonii. Expensive hoodia products are a bit much, but worse is to spend too little on cheap hoodia.

The popularity of hoodia lead the South African government to limit the export of this highly sought after cactus. In order to purchase hoodia, a weight loss company needs to have a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) or the purchase is illegal. Black markets often sell fake or tainted hoodia to companies without the certification.

If the company is not CITES certified, there is a possibility that the hoodia they are using is fake. You will be wasting money on a weight loss aid that does not work. Another reason hoodia gordonii supplements might be cheap is if the manufacturer used too little of this hard to obtain cactus in their product. Again, it will not be effective and your dreams of having a beautiful body will be more difficult to achieve.

If you want fast appetite control to obtain your dream body, you may not find this option with diet pills. Hoodia gordonii can be found in liquid and pill format. Liquid supplements are more effective because they work more quickly in your body.

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