The Most Effective Stomach Workout Starts With the Legs

If you want to have a six pack or flat, sexy abs, the best ab workout is going to be a full body workout that focuses on multiple muscle groups and not just the abdominals. It will be hard to burn the fat and create a physically fit body without working all your muscles. I am going to go over a few variations of a good exercise that will help you more than the best ab workout in the world done by itself. 

The reason that I say that the best ab workout is a full body workout is because if you want to have great abs, you need to have very low body fat not just strong, defined muscles. When you do full body exercises, you stress multiple muscle groups which causes more muscle growth than just doing abdominal exercises. Muscle burns calories all day every day. When you do a squat, you are stressing the largest muscles in your body, quads, as well as the back, abdominals, and others. You can do squats with just your body weight and get quite a workout. You can also use dumbbells, weighted barbells, kettle balls, or anything else you can hold on to that gives you more of a challenge. The key is to do the exercises with freedom of motion. Don’t use a machine that forces you to lift in a straight line. This isn’t natural for your body and can actually cause injuries. It also takes away some of the challenge because you don’t have to control the weight as much. Your abs get a great workout as well keeping your body stable as you do the lift. 

When doing squats, there are 3 variations you should consider. You can use whichever one works best for you or rotate so you are constantly forcing your body to adapt. 

Usually squats are done with a bar resting on your shoulders and a lot of weight on each end. You lower your butt until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor and raise back up again. Keeping your balance and keeping your back straight really challenges your mid section and is one of the reasons you don’t want to use a machine that guides you through the motion. When done right, you will get a tremendous muscle building boost even in muscles you didn’t work. 

You can do a couple variations of squats that can help you mix up your workout and give you a bigger muscle building boost as well as focus a little more on the abdominals. The first alternative is front squats. This exercise is very similar to traditional squats, but you hold the barbell on your upper chest instead of your shoulders. The other variation is hold the barbell with weights over your head with your arms extended. Both of these variations are more difficult and force you to use more muscles to stabilize the lift and can really be effective at building muscle in your whole body. 

Using these exercises that focus on several muscle groups will really help you get the abs of your dreams. The extra muscle you gain will burn more calories which will make your abs look great. This is why I say the best ab workout isn’t about doing lots of abdominal exercises! 

Before you start any exercise or diet program, you should check with your doctor to make sure there aren’t any health issues you need to consider. Most likely, there aren’t any, but it is better to be safe than sorry. 


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author: David Victor

How To Shed The Pounds Without Changing Your Lifestyle

Have you tried a number of diets and failed? Maybe even tried some exercise only to find you lose a little weight but it comes straight back again? Well don't worry. There's a reason for that and in this article I'll explain why it happens, and how to combat it. 

Stress it not just a mental reaction but a physical condition. When placed under stress your body will produce adrenaline but it also produces a hormone called Cortisol. This hormone is responsible for pumping energy in the form of sugar into the body to fuel the adrenalin rush. Stress is then a natural bodily function designed to help keep us alive and reactive to things going on in the world. 

Unfortunately there is then a negative by-product if you are not using this energy. Stress in the modern world often takes the form of money worries, issues in the office, family problems and much more. The extra blood sugar that is being released has nowhere to to except settle around your stomach to be used later. As fat. 

Because of this many people are keeping or gaining weight without even realising it. Of course, there are other factors, but stress is one that very few people talk about. Stress however needs to be controlled and fought against such as an unhealthy diet needs to be. It may be the one thing stopping you from losing the pounds you so desperately want to. 

Stress and anxiety is in fact a double edged sword. Not only does it produce the excess blood sugars that turn to fat but it also encourages you to use food as a comfort tool. You may tuck into chocolate or fast food for that instant hit that is the culinary equivalent of a warm hug from a loved one. 

Eating these foods that are bad for you when you are stressed does not mean you are weak minded. You are just following your biological programming. Tests on rats have shown that under stress organisms naturally engage in pleasure seeking behaviour. In particular high calorie food. 

Other tests have shown that men who only manage to get four hours sleep a night have on average a thirty seven percent higher level of Cortisol (the hormone that is responsible for energy - sugar) that those who get a full eight hours? And what is one of the biggest reasons for lack of sleep? Stress! 

On top of that it is imperative you get a good nights sleep when trying to shed the pounds because a deep sleep leads to higher secretions of a natural occurring hormone called Human Growth Hormone. This protects your muscle mass and it is muscle that helps to maintain a steady burning metabolism. We're not talking bodybuilder type muscle here either. Just the natural kind we all have. 

Of course if you are already stressed the chances are you are not getting enough sleep already and so are caught in a vicious circle that is affecting your weight loss. Going to your doctors to ask about prescriptive sleeping tablets is one option, but should be used alongside a healthy lifestyle not in place of one. Fortunately, despite stress being the silent diet killer, there are some easy ways to fight it. 

Firstly with a little bit of exercise you can help yourself get an easier nights sleep which kills two birds with one stone. Just a brisk walk every day will be enough for your body to fall to sleep naturally at the end of the day. 

A good breakfast is also associated with reduced stress levels. Skipping breakfast is just asking for trouble and will actually have a negative effect on your weight loss. You need to eat breakfast to fuel your energy resources. This will also manage your Cortisol levels. Cereal is especially good at this 

Fish, although not to everyone's liking, is another food that should be added to your diet to reduce stress and therefore help weight loss. Oily fish particularly are high in Omega 3. A tin of boneless sardines costs little and is delicious on toast. This alone contains a week’s worth of Omega 3 which is great for your diet plan. 

Finally learn to accept stress and use it. In other words make stress work for you. We all need a little stress to keep us on our toes and in this day and age it is everywhere. The trick is to put things into perspective and ask yourself "Are things really that bad?". There are sick children and sadness across the world and often we let every day things stress us out needlessly. Remember, combating stress with a healthy diet could just be the miracle weight loss plan you've been looking for. 


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author: Barbara Woodward

The Best Ab Workout Is A Complete Fitness and Health Plan

The best ab workout consists of way more than just abdominal exercises. You cannot get ripped abs or a flat stomach just by doing a bunch of abdominal exercises. You must have an entire health and fitness program or lifestyle to get the most out of your ab workout. 

If you want the best ab workout possible, you have to focus on getting the results you want. You must know what your outcome is and this will be different for each person. Some people want a flat stomach so they look good in a bikini. Some people want to have ripped abs so they can show off a bulging six pack. Other people just want to strengthen their core so they can feel better and eliminate pain. 

After you figure out why exactly you are working so hard, you need to customize your abdominal workout. If you are trying to get a flat stomach or want to strengthen your mid section for every day activities, you probably want to do a lot of repetitions to build toned muscles with high endurance. If you want to have bulging abdominal muscles to create the coveted six pack, you need to do abdominal exercises that are more challenging. Ideally you want to do exercises that are so challenging that you can only to 10 to 15 repetitions before you can’t do any more. This can be an effective way to make your stomach muscles grow stronger and bigger. 

The second part of your complete health and fitness plan is to eat healthy. This is especially important if you want to have six pack abs or a flat stomach for the beach. If you keep eating a bunch of junk, you won’t be able to lose the fat that is covering up your stomach muscles. Just remember that vegetables and water are good while fried foods and Coke are bad. This is how to reduce belly fat and will take some discipline. 

The last piece of the puzzle is optional, but can help you build a stronger body and lose body fat. I am talking about nutritional supplements. There are tons of all natural weight loss supplements that can help you burn fat faster, increase your energy levels so you feel better and want to exercise more, or control your appetite so you eat less. Again, these are optional, but with tons of free trials available, you can try them out without spending a lot of money and decide if they are right for you. 

When you put all the pieces together, you will find the best ab workout is really a lifestyle and not just a workout. If you commit to changing the way you live and think, I know you will get results that you will be proud of. 

Before you start any exercise or diet program, you should check with your doctor to make sure there aren’t any health issues you need to consider. In most cases, there isn’t anything that will prevent you from exercising or dieting, but you should check to be sure. 


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author: David Victor

Where to Get Acai Berries if You Can't Get to Rain Forrest

There are a lot of health benefits that are attributed to the acai berry. It is one of the world’s most interesting and unique foods. It may also be one of its healthiest. With tons of antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fatty acids, the tiny little acai berry packs a nutritional wallop rarely seen in the natural world. In fact, it has been called by some experts the world’s most “complete” natural food. The acai berry has been eaten in Brazil by the local population for hundreds of years and there are many local legends about acai’s incredible healing and sustaining powers. To this day it is a popular health and energy food in that country.

Unfortunately, Acai Berries spoil very quickly. This means that you won’t be able to go to your local grocery store produce department and pick up a pint of Acai Berry to put in your smoothie to help you lose belly fat. If your looking for where to buy acai berry, your best bet is to look on the internet. You should be able to find a variety of supplements and be able to get powders, drinks, capsules, and even acai berry chewable tablets. 

When you are first starting out with Acai Berry, it is a good idea to see if it is going to work for you before spending a bunch of money. With that said, I don’t recommend going to Walmart and getting a cheap vitamin supplement. You will probably not get a high quality supplement and not see any benefits. You will, incorrectly, assume that acai berry just isn’t for you. You need to get a high quality supplement and with all the free trials available, there is no reason not to try out a high quality supplement. 

Where to Buy Acai Berry 

There are many acai supplement offers available in the United States, but if you live outside of the United States you can get free trials too if you know where to look. Here are some of the great offers I know about. For all your Acai Berry supplement needs, head over to AcaiBerryPill.info for the latest information on where to buy acai berry. 

One of the most popular acai berry supplements is Acai Burn. They have a great trial offer that ships to the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK. 

Acai Berry Blast has the most widely available supplement I have found. They ship to over 30 countries including Ireland, Puerto Rico, Australia, and the UK. If you are outside of the US and the 5 other countries that Acai Burn ships to, check out Acai Berry Blast for your free samples. 

Acai Chewables makes an acai berry chewable tablet which gives you another option for how to take your supplements. This offer is only available in the United States. 

Before you start any exercise or diet program, you should check with your doctor to make sure there aren’t any health issues you need to consider. Most likely, there aren’t any, but it is better to be safe than sorry. 


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author: David Victor

Weight Lose the Easy Way

Grady Lyda
There was a time when I was fat, but I didn't know it. To me, weight loss was a foreign concept that was only for "all those other people." I was blissfully unaware that I had a (gasp!) "weight problem" because I’d been a physically fit, tall and lovely teen in high school, and my self-image was still stuck in the good old days. 

As the years went by, I fell into an increasingly lethargic lifestyle, and the pounds were surely creeping up on me though I blindly believed I was as attractive as I’d ever been. Okay, maybe my new clothes needed a bit more room to be comfortable, but I figured that was natural as we get older. No big deal. 

Facing the Truth: When does it finally hit you? 

One day, before a routine trip to the vet, I needed to find out the weight of my cat, Roxie. I dusted off my invisible old scale, hung on to Roxie, and we weighed ourselves. It was unbelievable, but apparently my cat was more than 80 pounds! 

Then I did the math and it immediately sunk in -- all that extra tonnage was ME! Now it was all too obvious: If I didn't change my lifestyle, I would become a big fat slob very soon. So I went on the alert for any sensible - and easy - ways I could find that would reverse my impending obesity. 

Dealing with the Problem at the Source: My mouth has been getting me into trouble for years! 

Where do we pick up these rules of life? "Brush your hair 100 times each day." - "Chew every mouthful one hundred times." - "Don't run with scissors." Oh yeah, now I remember where I heard that stuff... 

Actually, the chewing thing makes sense, but I can’t imagine anybody would be OCD enuff to count to exactly one hundred. Some "authorities" say 32 chews is adequate (but who knows how they come up with these numbers?). 

Anyway, my first strategy was to slow down my eating, taking lots of time between bites, which was a major leap for me since I was in the habit of wolfing down huge servings in record time. No more gulping half-chewed chunks to make room for the next shovel full. 

Liquefying every mouthful is very important because saliva is the first step in digesting your food. It produces an enzyme (amylase) that breaks down pesky starches and delivers them to your bloodstream directly through the inner flesh of the mouth. Saliva also kills bacteria and can prevent illness by sanitizing your food before any germs can cause trouble. 

Plus, well-chewed food efficiently oxygenates your brain, and that's considered a good way to stave off mental laziness that develops as we age. And while you are chewing, your stomach receives messages about all the goodies that are on the way. Without a sufficient heads-up, your belly can’t produce enuff acid in adequate quantities to deal with what’s coming, and this is the main reason people get upset stomachs. Sloooow down and you’ll feel better. 

The Magic of Twenty: The best advice I’ve ever heard! 

Getting used to slowing down was helpful, but what really changed my whole out-of-control fatness spiral was one simple fact that was to alter my life and was the key to my success at staying slim and trim. This is it: "Your brain takes 20 minutes to recognize that it is full!" 

Do you appreciate the earth-shaking implications of this biological truism? That means, if you shift yourself into slo-mo and take a full twenty minutes to just eat a carrot or a slice of toast or a simple salad, your body will say, “Okay, I’m done. Let’s move on.” 

No kidding, it really works, and this little secret has shrunk my stomach back to my minimum youthful size, and I am a constant annoyance to anybody who invites me out for lunch. So be it. I’d rather be a freakishly slow nibbler than an obsessive stressed-out calorie counter. 

I still like chomping down on a big dinner (relax, I'm not starving myself), but I’m no longer overeating all day long like I used to. Life is too short. Just slow down and enjoy the taste. 


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author: Grady Lyda

I Need to Lose Weight But How? Lose Fat Easily and Safely

So often when you are thinking about losing weight, you wonder how? Lose fat with a combination of the right diet and moderate exercise. It is far easier than it sounds. I do not deny that it will take some commitment and work, but once you start losing those extra pounds, you will become so motivated that it will be easy. The first step is the most important. Once you are on your way, it will become a way of life. 

You are now probably wondering where to start. This is totally up to you. You have to decide what you think will be best for you. Some people find it the easiest to start with moderate exercise and once they start losing weight they become motivated to diet as well. Other people though, especially if they are very obese, prefer to go on a healthy balanced diet first, and once they have lost some weight they feel more comfortable with exercising and will then start an exercise routine to speed things up. You know yourself, so you are the one to make this decision. 

So, it is clear, if you are saying: "I need to lose weight, but how? Lose fat with a combination of a healthy balanced diet and moderate exercise. You decide the order that will suit you best. 

Now it is time to look at each of these two elements: 

1. A healthy balanced diet 
2. Moderate exercise 

A healthy balanced diet: 

When you are considering a healthy balanced diet keep in mind that it is not a good idea to eat too little. This means, stay away from those fad diets! The problem with eating too little is that your body will try and preserve energy for the vital organs and go into "starvation" mode and your metabolism will slow down, making weight loss more and more difficult. 

Okay, so you have to eat a little less and you have to eat healthy, but in moderation. A starvation diet is not going to make you lose more weight in the long run, on the contrary, it will make you gain weight in the long run. Of course, the best option is to vary the amount of calories you eat each day so your body cannot detect a pattern and slow down your metabolism. Other than this, any healthy balanced diet will do. You will be able to find many of them online. 

What are the characteristics of a fad diet? 

To make sure you do not fall for a fad diet here are the things you have to be on the lookout for: 

* If you are only allowed to eat very little 

* If you mainly eat only one kind of food 

* If whole food groups are left out completely (here you have to keep in mind that you will have to eat less of certain kinds of food because they are very fattening and contain a lot of calories, so if a diet cuts down quite drastically on certain kinds of food it is not necessarily a fad diet, only if you are very limited in the food groups to choose from.) 

* If you are not allowed to exercise while you are on the diet (It does not mean the diet has to encourage exercise, most will not as they think it may scare off potential clients, it must just not be expressly forbidden, because that means it is dangerous and the diet contains too little calories for you to exercise safely.) 

What is moderate exercise? 

This is the easy one. Moderate exercise is any exercise you enjoy at least three to for times a week for at least thirty to forty minutes a time. Make sure the exercise increases your heart beat. You can go for a brisk walk, jogging, kick a ball with the kids etc. anything you enjoy, as long as you get moving. As you become more fit and lighter you can move on to more strenuous exercise to speed up the weight loss even more. 

Caution: never go on a strenuous exercise routine before first checking with your doctor, even if you feel perfectly healthy. 

This then, is the answer to your question: "I need to lose weight, but how? Lose fat with a combination of a healthy balanced diet and moderate exercise.


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author: Magrietha Du Plessis

The Best Diet Plan - How to Find Yours

Looking for the best diet plan? Convinced it doesn't exist? In a way, you are right. There is no perfect diet plan that is going to allow you to shed weight -- without you having to change a thing about your lifestyle. Sorry, Virginia, but there is no Santa Claus and there is no magic weight loss pill 

On the other hand, there are literally hundreds of successful diet plans that can assist you on your journey to Thinsville. But, fair warning, they all require a bit of effort and a ton of commitment on your part. The commitment is actually more important than the effort. You'll find that once you have made the decision to do whatever it takes to shed the weight, the actions themselves become much easier. This is because you know, in your heart of hearts, that each action is bringing you closer to your goal weight, so it's actually easy to make the choices that are aligned with your desire. 

So here's the secret. The best diet plan is the one that you will actually follow. Not the one that looked good on TV but ends up requiring sacrifices you are not willing to make. Or the one that worked great for you friend, but doesn't fit you own lifestyle. Nope, it's the one that resonates with you, your weight loss goal and your lifestyle. 

Once again, there are hundreds of different ways to reduce your calorie intake and lose weight. And let's be honest, it all comes down to calories in vs. calories burned. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter so much where those calories came from as it does how many "net" calories you consumed. Whether you control carbs and gorge on fats, or control fat and gorge on carbs, the net caloric intake is the determining factor in your weight loss success (or failure). 

So pick the diet plan that speaks to you. Do you like to cook? Then Weight Watchers may be a great choice because it allows a great deal of flexibility in your eating choices. Hate to cook? Then you may be a good candidate for a plan like Bistro MD, where healthy gourmet meals are delivered to your door -- prepared in the exact caloric portions that assist you in losing weight. 

Whatever eating plan you choose, it's important to back it up with accountability. Studies have shown that the most successful dieters are the ones who write down every calorie consumed. This forces the dieter to acknowledge every calorie and causes them to reconsider calories they might otherwise have unconsciously consumed. 

There are even some great software programs today that take the accountability factor one step further. These programs, such as DietPower, help the dieter set a weight goal by a certain target date, and then it recommends a daily calorie budget. The dieter then enters information throughout the day, tracking calories, exercise, water consumption and the nutritional intake of all food consumed. 

So whichever diet plan you choose, make sure it fits your lifestyle, and make sure you have a method of accountability. It won't always be easy, but you'll know that each choice you make is bringing you closer to the day when you can claim "I did it!" 


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author: Barb Dearing

Acai Berry Select What Is All The Fuss?

Unless the aliens just released you from extended space captivity, you have undoubtedly run into umpteen different news stories, press releases and advertisements about the acai berry (pronounced ah-sigh-ee). This little purple berry has become so popular in such a short period of time, it is on the verge of becoming a new food group all by itself. But what sets this berry apart from, say, a raspberry or even the almighty blueberry? Let's take a quick look at where the acai berry comes from and the nutrients it contains. 

The Brazilian rain forest is the ancestral home of the acai berry. It grows as fruit on the Amazonian Acai Palm and has been used for hundreds of years by the Brazilian people, not only as a significant source of food, but also for the berry's detoxifying properties. 

The anti-oxidant agents in this particular berry put even the blueberry to shame. The nutritional content of acai even surpasses that of the kale plant, which has long been considered the nutritional holy grail. While both kale and the acai berry contain cancer-preventing phytonutrients such as glucosinolates and the methyl cysteine sulfoxides, the berry also provides heart-healthy nutrients like Omega 3, 6 and 9 oils. 

What are some of the benefits of this nutritional mighty-mite? Increased energy levels are a primary benefit of a diet that is high in acai berry nutrients. Because it is considered the perfect source of carbohydrate-fueled energy, the pulp of the berry is eaten before competition by Brazilian soccer players and other athletes. The berries also contain such high levels of anti-oxidants, they provide additional energy by strengthening the immune system to a point where the body isn't constantly struggling to fight germs and disease -- the result is that more of the body's energy is freed up for other uses. 

The health benefits of the acai berry are related to the fruit's high levels of anti-oxidants. By attacking the free radicals that enter the body through environmental sources such as pollution, pesticides and cigarette smoke, the acai berry strengthens cells and fights disease and damage to the body's DNA. 

The acai berry is also credited with fighting obesity. The fruit has a natural combination of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, amino acids, and phytosterols -- allowing the body to function at a higher level, process food more easily, and burn fat more efficiently. 

The benefits of the acai berry cannot be ignored, however, they can be improved. Some manufacturers are now combining extract from the acai berry with other health-related supplements such as green tea, to create a kind of super-supplement.


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author: Barb Dearing

Weight Loss and Unexpected Benefits

A lot of people are struggling with weight loss. 

We all want to look good, but looks are not all there is to getting to a healthy weight. 

It's more. It's about quality of life and feeling well. 

The fact is many people just eat too much of the wrong things and don't get any exercise. Some people who are relatively young are ending up in nursing homes because they are not strong enough to take care of themselves. And many people who should be young and healthy are developing a lot of the health problems normally occurring in old folks early. 

The saddest thing about the stuff people eat is that there are better choices that really could make a difference in just how much weight you gain or lose without feeling like you are starving. The first choice you can make, even if you are already overweight, is to skip packaged foods entirely. 

Why? 

There are several reasons. 

1. Packaged foods contain too much sugar and your body can't process that sugar safely. It can't even process artificial sweeteners safely. 

2. Packaged foods and fast foods also contain refined flour and sugar. One two punches of empty calories and no fiber, both poison to your health. The constant load of sugar throws off your metabolism and your pancreas, creating insulin resistance and, eventually diabetes. Then without fiber to clean you out, you have a constant load of semi-digested, low nutrient mud in your colon that causes lots of problems, too. 

3. Sugar, the worst for those of us who don't want the weight gain and health problems that come with it, lurks in many prepared foods that you would not expect to contain sugar. Ask any diabetic who is trying to eat right. 

So, how do you deal with it? 

Stick to the fresh aisles in your grocery store and local farmers market (except dairy). Eat mostly vegetables and fruit. The fresher the produce is, the better it tastes. You'll be amazed. Go easy on dressings and just eat a lot of it raw. 

Then stay away from fast food. It should come with fat warnings. And, get some exercise. 

This whole lifestyle may have many benefits. You will lose weight without fad diets. You will be able to buy regular sizes and not have a closet full of various sizes of clothing, saving lots of $$$. You will be stronger and you should have fewer health problems. You may no longer need some medications (consult and be guided by your physician). The exercise will have benefits like alleviating depression and lessening your need for more medications (again, consult and be guided by your physician). If you are no longer having these problems both your health and life insurance may be cheaper. Most insurance companies will rate you up (higher cost) if you are taking or have ever taken antidepressants. 

These are some of the advantages of getting to a more healthy weight or not gaining the weight in the first place. 

This kind of eating is also great for children. It's very sad for a preteen to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and/or diabetes. 

Just say "Yes" to better nutrition for a better life. 


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author: Ron Stone

Obesity and Herbs

There are plants that can provide useful polysaccharides not equivalent to moderate appetite: the Konjac (Amorphophallus konjac), guar (Cyamopsis tetragonolobus), plantains (psyllium, Ispaghula). All these non-assimilated carbohydrates may accelerate intestinal transit and may cause cramping or diarrhea in people with very reactive intestinal. The acceleration of intestinal transit or standardization among overweight ,usually constipated, people facilitates weight loss: food just spend less time in the digestive tract, bacteria in the colon have less time to degrade into assimilable molecules, food normally indigestible and non assimilable. 

Medicinal Plants to Increase Thermogenesis (Fat-Burning) 

It is easy to increase the consumption of energy by exercise, but much more difficult to induce this effect with miracle chemical drugs. How to increase thermogenesis? It is known as hyperthyroidism (increased activity of the thyroid gland), weight loss is accompanied by increase in the basic metabolism, it is possible to lose weight by increasing artificially the thyroid. Many women have thyroid extracts used as an adjunct to a diet (especially in USA), sometimes with catastrophic results often due to exaggerated titrations in thyroid hormones, this trail is now more or less abandoned, but we can try to stimulate "natural" thyroid. 

Caffeine is a tonic for central nervous system and heart, it is a stimulant which causes an increase in physical activity and which, it seems, increases lipolysis. Ephedrine which is an extract of several ephedra (ma huang) is very similar to amphetamine and is a "sympathomimetic” stimulant, which, inter alia, facilitates weight loss, but it is discouraged to consume it because its side effects are not negligible. 

Fucus 

Fucus (vesiculosus, serratus) are mainly used as additives in the diets (effect of fucans + iodine), especially when obesity is accompanied by hypothyroidism (soft, pale and chilly obese). There are herbal drugs that are made of thallus of Fucus powder (containing 20 to 120 micrograms of iodine per gram), alcoholic extract of fucus (110 micrograms of iodine per 10 ml) and a homeopathic mother tincture. An average dose is 0.5 to 1 g of powdered thallus per day or 100 to 150 drops of mother tincture. Be careful not to exceed 120 micrograms of iodine per day. 

Caffeine Plants 

Coffee is paradoxically not "slimming", on the contrary, green tea and mate seem to be interesting adjuvant to dieting. The infusion of these leaves contain caffeine and flavonoids. Green tea is quite bland whereas mate, Ilex paraguariensis, is quite bitter. 

Green tea is not very exciting, it is a pleasant and beneficial drink for several reasons (vascular protection, may be protective against cancerous degeneration). Mate is "very" stimulating, pay attention to insomnia when you drink mate at the end of the day. Don’t forget that caffeine is also an exciting and slightly cardiac diuretic. 

Garcinia 

Extracts from the bark of fruit of Garcinia cambogia and Garcinia indica, in vitro, prevent the accumulation of fat, seem to decrease appetite and increase at the same time the consumption of glucose (thermogenesis) in animals. In humans, it is less obvious. 

It is estimated that extracts of Garcinia cambogia hydroxycitric concentrated in acid or salt calcium can help to lose weight: 

• When food is too rich in carbohydrates (sugars, sweets, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc.) Garcinia extract does not act when food is too rich in fats. 

• When absorbing Garcinia extracts rich in acid hydroxycitric just before eating (1 / 2 hour to an hour before meals) 

• When the daily dose is quite high: at least the equivalent of 1500 mg hydroxycitric acid per day in divided doses depending on the meal, in some studies the daily dose is approaching 3 g per day, and even 4.5 g / day. 

• Avoiding a diet rich in insoluble fiber (like malt) that prevents, it seems, the intestinal absorption of hydroxycitric acid or its salts. 

On the market, pure extracts of Garcinia, or dietary supplements are often in combination with other substances or plant extracts referred to slimming. One should favor pure Garcinia extracts as slimming supplements do not usually contain enough Garcinia extracts to be effective. In addition, some substances associated with extracts of Garcinia may have harmful side effects (chromium, caffeine, ephedrine). 

There are so many plants that can help to fight over-weight but they must be used wisely, that is why it is highly advised to use herbal products conceived by herbal experts. 


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author:Ines Khalsi

Is a Diet Without an Exercise Regime Futile?

The biggest mistake people make, when dieting, is to assume that a diet is there to help them to lose weight. This is not the case. The result of a healthy diet is weight loss, if you are overweight or obese, but the reason why you are picking up a diet plan is to improve the quality of your nutrition, to provide your body with the necessary nutrients and to learn how to eat properly. Weight loss is just a side effect, signifying that you are doing it right, for a change. 

Same thing can be said for your exercise regime. Your body is built for certain activities, which should not be a problem for you. As soon as some regular activities, like getting up off a chair or walking to the supermarket to pick up groceries, seem like work, you know that you need to exercise. Unless you want to run a marathon or pick up professional sports, you do not need to exercise like a professional; if you have a personal trainer who makes you run fifteen miles every day and then schleps you into a gym for weight lifting, it is time to evaluate your goals and ask the trainer to show you his or her professional license. 

Yes, you will lose weight more properly if you exercise while dieting. No, you don’t need to go hungry all the time; if you are exercising, the idea is to spend the calories, not to starve you to shape. That is why you would need a personal trainer, for instance, because you can provide him or her with a diet schedule that you have, or had made by a nutritionist, then this trainer can provide you with a sensitive exercise plan that will burn the calories and a little bit more, in order to lose the excess fat you are harboring. 

The reason why many people go around eating a salad a day and one or two fruits is because they are not exercising, any calorie they eat will not be spent. Therefore, if you are working out and spending four hundred or five hundred calories in your workout, even if you eat your two thousand calories a day – depending on your diet plan – which is not much, but also not little, if you eat proper food, you are still losing weight! 


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author: Jason Reams

Lose Weight by Breaking Free From Emotional Eating Lose Weight by Breaking Free From Emotional Eating Lose Weight by Breaking Free From Emotional Eating

Breaking free from emotional eating to lose weight is to start by under­standing that the brain has two built in directives: pleasure seeking and survival. Which one influences our eating behavior? Both! 

The Pleasure-Seeking Program 

First, since having been a child, how many holidays did you celebrate? Add to that the birthdays and other special occasions, such as weddings and anniversaries, and you may total between eight and fifteen per year. All of these occasions brought with them friends, relatives, at­tention, love, warmth, and what else? You got it--wall to wall food! 

What happened when you ate your peas or cleaned your room? You were rewarded with what? Dessert! Or on Sunday Daddy would pack up the family and take you to? Dairy Queen? 

Little wonder your brain often says, "Eat, you'll feel better; be nice to yourself; it tastes good; you deserve it." 

The Survival Program 

When you were a baby and you cried-for most any reason-what was the answer? The bottle, right? Anytime you were frustrated or upset, the bottle was there. Food and frustration being connected together was the result. And when you ate your baby food-especially carrots and peas, you were rewarded with kudos and related food with pleasurable feelings. 

Later when you were a toddler, maybe you made an over­ture toward another little boy or girl and were rejected, or you lost or broke a toy, or the teacher yelled at you because you didn't have your homework, or you didn't have a date for the first dance, or some other calamity happened, and you ran home crying, "Mommy, Mommy, the world's coming to an end." And what did Mommy say? "Come have some milk and cookies. You'll feel better in a little while." And sure thing, a little while later you felt better. All this time you have thought it was the cookies and milk, when it was really just the passing of time. No wonder your brain often says, "Eat, you got a lot done today," or "Eat, you've had a rough day," or "Given all the bull you've put up with today, you deserve something," or "Eat. If you don't, it'll get thrown away and you'll be wasting money," or "Eat. Be nice to yourself and treat yourself to some­thing good!" 

The Result 

For many years this was OK. Then at some point you discovered that you had a weight problem. At what age? Seven, fifteen, thirty-five? The age is irrelevant. The first five or six years of your life are the most formative. By the time you realized you had a weight problem and needed to lose weight you had already been perfectly condi­tioned to eat in response to pleasure and/or survival. 

Little wonder then when you feel 

glad 
confused 
down 
excited 
rejected 
frustrated 
irritated 
happy 

.. your brain suggests having something to eat. The result is the program. 

The obvious answer would seem to be cognizant of our emotions, and stop overeating by eliminating emotional eating. 

However, because most of us have been trained to deny our feelings, the brain doesn't say, "Eat, you're happy." It says, "Eat because it looks good." Even when we're bored, the brain doesn't say, "eat because you're bored;" it says, "eat because it would taste good," or "eat because there's nothing else to do." 

Because of this, the emphasis is on having an eating problem as opposed to a problem handling emotions which which are actually a reaction to our nefarious stressors in life. The irony though is that our emotional reactions to stress become stressors in themselves and this is because of our limited experiences in managing emotions. The goal to breaking free from emotional eating is to learn to acknowledge emotions as they are felt--end eating emotional--stop diluting emotions with food. 

A progressive approach to losing weight involves asking questions "What is missing here? Why are people not getting the results they are promised? It is clearly insane to keep using the same techniques when the results are so poor. It's more important to gain a grasp on breaking free from emotional eating than it is to read the scale. Besides focusing on the scale doesn't empower you to be a better more enlightened person, whereas results are there by learning about emotional eating. Stop emotional eating empowers you in all aspects of your life. 


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author:Richard Kuhns

Super Weight Loss Tips From The Average Joe

Effective Everyday Weight Loss Tips 

Daily pointers on how to effectively lose weight while not starving yourself. 

Everyday, people want to lose weight.Every New Years or a special event, weight loss is the first priority. I will show you pratical ways to lose weight effectively and consistently. 

Write down everything you eat for 3 days. Everything! 

A person needs to see exactly what he or she is consuming. When you write it down,this makes you see for yourself, the daily intake. 

When you write everything down, you are being honest with yourself. In order to change the behavoir, you haveto face the behavior. Wanting to lose weight effectively is really wanting to change behavior. 

Eliminate late night snacking 

At night time, the metabolism in the body slows down dramatically. If you eat pizza(example) at night, then go to sleep,when you wake up, the pizza is still in your system. It takes time to fully digest your food. The insides are playing catch up while your outside is saying,"What's to eat"? Your next meal is piled on with your last meal. Try to eliminate late night snacking. 

Drink plenty of water 

Water is a zero calorie beverage. The body is consisted of 70%+ water. Carbonated beverages has salt and sugar in them. Salt is sodium and sugar is fructose, sucrose, etc. Sugar and salt retains water in the body. If you eat and drink pop, you retain all the water and food. Even diet pop has sodium in it. Drinking water naturally flushes you out. In order for effective weight loss,drinking at least 8 ounces of water is suggested. 

Change cooking habits 

Instead of frying foods, bake or grill foods. Reduce your caloric intake by baking instead of frying. 

Season your food with more natural seasonings,instead of seasonings for convenience. Try Mrs. Dash or garlic powder instead of season salt and garlic salt. 

Eat consistently. 

Eating at the same time everyday is crucial for effective weight loss. Your body will digest and eliminate waste if your body knows it will be refueled. I lost 80 pounds from changing my eating behaviors and eating at the same time, 3 times everyday. 

Think about your change, not losing weight. 

Focus on the goal of change, you will change.Focus on healthier living,feeling better, accomplishing a plan. 

If you focus on losing weight, focus on what it's like having something or cooking something, or eating something you shouldn't. 

Achieve your goals. 

It feels great achieving your goals of effectively losing weight. It feels great whatever goal you set and accomplish. Focus on the goal at hand. If you believe it, you can achieve it and that settles it. 

To effectively lose weight weight, write all the foods down, set a goal, change your cooking and eating habits, drink plenty of water, eat consistently and achieve that goal. 


Source: www.articlecity.com
Author: David Jackson