Anastasia Weight Loss : Calcium Emerging Key Nutrient for Weight Loss

Anastasia Weight Loss : Calcium Emerging Key Nutrient for Weight Loss: Calcium could be the key nutrient needed to help you lose weight, according to a growing consensus of new research examining the mineral. C...

Calcium Emerging Key Nutrient for Weight Loss

Calcium could be the key nutrient needed to help you lose weight, according to a growing consensus of new research examining the mineral. Calcium not only helps with hypertension, the research shows: it also appears to support healthy physiology in a way that results in the loss of excess body fat.
But there's a major misconception with all this talk about calcium: people think that if calcium helps them lose weight, then drinking cow's milk or eating cheese pizza is the way to go about getting that calcium, and that's just plain bad thinking. Cow's milk is associated with all sorts of chronic stagnation disorders such as asthma, constipation and sinus infections. And cheese, for its part, is extremely high in both saturated fat and sodium.
There are far better ways to get the calcium you need to support a weight loss effort, and nutritional supplements offer the answer. Coral calcium supplements offer a convenient way to take regular doses of the mineral, and plants like broccoli are naturally loaded with precisely the form of calcium your body wants. Quinoa, a supergrain, is also very high in calcium while containing a complete protein. Whole food meal replacement powders like The Ultimate Meal are also high in calcium.
Definitely get your calcium, even if you're not trying to lose weight, but don't make the common mistake in thinking that calcium = milk. That's just a marketing myth promoted by the dairy industry. Coral calcium supplements are far better for you, and plant-based calcium is better yet. Work to get your calcium from superfoods, whole foods, vegetables and supergrains, not from bovine juice. And, of course, to make sure you don't lose the calcium you already have, never drink soft drinks, which have been proven to strip calcium right from your bones.

Anastasia Weight Loss : Weight Loss Centers Do They Really Work

Anastasia Weight Loss : Weight Loss Centers Do They Really Work: As a writer of educational material that is made freely available to the public on topics like weight loss and disease prevention, I've of...

Weight Loss Centers Do They Really Work

As a writer of educational material that is made freely available to the public on topics like weight loss and disease prevention, I've often thought about ways to get groups together and hold meetings that would offer strategies for preventing chronic disease and losing weight. But each time I brainstorm this issue with knowledgeable people, I've come to the same frustrating conclusion: that most people may be motivated briefly to attend a meeting or alter their behavior for a couple of days, but in the long run, people will generally return to their old habits, and those old habits, of course, are the habits that made them overweight or diseased in the first place.
The fact is, most people aren't willing to do what it takes to change. And it takes quite a bit to change -- to cast away the standard American diet and the belief system that everything should be easy and effortless. In fact, being healthy is not easy and effortless, even though it certainly can be straightforward once you acquire the knowledge necessary to guide your lifestyle choices.
The fact is, it's much easier to get a customer to pay $2000 in the hope of losing weight than it is to actually get them to change their life in a way that produces weight loss. There's also a widespread belief, especially among Americans, that they should be able to pay a certain amount of money and have other people or services or products "fix them." That is, they shouldn't really have to do anything on their own, they should just be able to hire out these services that will make them healthy or thin. It's the mindset of hiring a cleaning company to clean your house, or hiring a car mechanic to fix your car. People mistakenly apply this thinking to their own health. They think they can hire professionals to fix their health problems without requiring any real effort or changes on their part. And that's where diets and disease prevention efforts ultimately fail, no matter which franchise we're talking about.
So it is ultimately the customer who decides whether these programs are going to be successful, not necessarily the franchise strategy itself. As I've said, I believe all of these franchises offer workable solutions, but relatively few people will actually work the solutions. One more interesting note to all of this is that you really don't need a franchise at all to lose weight if you're willing to do the work from the get-go. All you need to do is educate yourself by reading articles like this one and come to understand the true causes of health (and the relationships between foods and the level of health you currently express).
You can learn just about everything you need to know about being healthy on the internet, and if you take steps to apply that information in your own life, you can radically transform your health relatively quickly without paying a single fee to any health professional or weight loss expert.
Of course, sometimes it helps to get guidance from a professional, or to be part of a group effort where you are more strongly motivated to lose weight. And I think that these franchise weight loss centers can be quite helpful in that regard -- they can give you structure where otherwise it might be difficult to find that structure on your own. They can also help answer your questions so that you can clear up any confusion you might have about the relationship between foods and body fat.
But the bottom line to all of this is that your best success is your internal success. You can have the most outstanding weight loss plans in the world, but if you don't follow them, you're not going to get the results you hope for. On the other hand, if you are willing to put in the investment -- the thousands of hours of cardiovascular training, and the near-complete avoidance of many popular foods and drinks -- you will indeed achieve the results you hope for and be able to live the rest of your life with a healthy, fit, and happy body and mind. Simple, huh?

Anastasia Weight Loss : Low Carb s.low fat diet

Anastasia Weight Loss : Low Carb s.low fat diet: So what's wrong with processed foods? First off, they are usually manufactured with heavily refined, processed ingredients such as w...

Low Carb s.low fat diet

So what's wrong with processed foods? First off, they are usually manufactured with heavily refined, processed ingredients such as white flour. This refined white flour has had virtually all of its nutrition stripped away during the milling process, leaving only empty calories that have been shown to promote nutritional deficiencies and chronic diseases like colon cancer.
Processed foods are also typically made with large quantities of added sugars or other sweeteners. Many contain high-fructose corn syrup or common table sugar to add flavor. Many such foods are also manufactured with hydrogenated vegetable oil, a dangerous form of dietary fat that promotes nervous system disorders end aggressively attacks the cardiovascular health of human beings. These are oils that have been artificially modified through an unnatural process that makes them foreign to the human body, and yet virtually every cracker product, cookie, margarine, or baked goods product contains hydrogenated oils. It's the mass-poisoning of America, brought to you by your local grocer.
That's not all: processed foods also contain chemical flavor enhancers such as monosodium glutamate as well as preservatives, artificial colors, and other chemical additives. Packaged meats, for example, are made with sodium nitrite, a highly carcinogenic chemical that promotes aggressive cancer in the human body.
Put it all together and you get a food product that's dangerous to the health of any human being, regardless of whether it's low-fat or low-carb. In reality, virtually all processed foods are unhealthy for human consumption, even if they are low-fat or low-carb. Thus, the argument about low-fat diets versus low-carb diets ignores the far more important question: processed foods versus unprocessed foods.
What is an unprocessed food? These are foods made from natural ingredients -- the way foods are found in nature. All fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, herbs, and fresh meat products are unprocessed foods. These foods are all high in fiber, high in antioxidants, and yet exhibit low caloric density which promotes healthy body weight and reduces the risk of obesity. These foods offer much higher vitamin and mineral content than processed foods, all while avoiding the unhealthy additives, oils and sweeteners found in processed foods.
So, as usual, the so-called health authorities in this country are arguing about the wrong thing. While Americans continue to debate the merits of low-carb versus low-fat diets, the real truth about how to lose weight never gets openly discussed: and that is to stop buying manufactured foods and turn to natural foods / whole foods the way they are found in nature.
Quiz time: can you guess why there is never a discussion about moving away from manufactured foods? Simple: manufactured foods are extremely profitable. Grocery stores make far more money on manufactured foods than fresh vegetables. And because these food products are so profitable, they are heavily advertised and promoted to consumers (who tend to blindly purchase whatever product is frequently advertised on television). Money from the manufacturers of such products provides financial support for virtually every newspaper, magazine, and television network in the nation. The mainstream press depends on revenues from food manufacturing companies, including junk food companies and soft drink companies that sell products strongly correlated with the development of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity. Thus, the business of selling disease-promoting, obesity-encouraging foods is extremely profitable to everyone in the industry. To openly discuss the strategy of moving away from processed, manufactured foods would alienate most advertisers who support these information publishers, and it would drain profits from grocery stores as well.
And that's precisely why you continued to see the headlines dominated by the rather worthless discussion of low-fat versus low-carb diets. It's a classic shell game deception, all orchestrated for your entertainment by the very same industry that's giving you chronic disease.

Anastasia Weight Loss : Diet Pills Junkie

Anastasia Weight Loss : Diet Pills Junkie: The reality of weight loss is that there are no shortcuts! You can have cosmetic surgery to remove fat from your thighs, or the back of yo...

Diet Pills Junkie

The reality of weight loss is that there are no shortcuts! You can have cosmetic surgery to remove fat from your thighs, or the back of your arms, but if you continue eating the way you've been eating, your body will just deposit the fat somewhere else on your body -- usually in a place that looks even stranger than when it was on your hips. Even if the cosmetic surgery works out for you, it doesn't alter your blood chemistry, your cardiovascular health, or your level of physical fitness. Meaning that you are just as unhealthy after the surgery as you were before, even though you may physically show less body fat. Something similar is true with foods as well. Many people continue to eat a diet high in refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and obesity-promoting ingredients, such as high-fructose corn syrup. Then in an attempt to lose weight, they will take a couple of weight loss pills each day, and hope that those pills will some how counteract the entire day of eating unhealthy, obesity-promoting foods. It just doesn't work this way.
If you really want to lose weight, you've got to do two things. First you have to avoid foods that promote obesity and weight-gain. These are the foods that are consumed by the vast majority of Americans, and are the ones that are the most popular in grocery stores and restaurants. Any food that's processed or manufactured is very likely to promote obesity, or some other chronic disease. Foods made with refined white flour or refined sugar, for example, will undoubtedly alter your blood sugar levels and tell your body to start storing fat. Foods high in saturated animal fats, such as red meat, or foods that are high in hydrogenated oils, like margarine or shortening, will also pack on the body fat, and harm your cardio-vascular health at the same time. Achieving a healthy body weight absolutely requires taking these foods out of your diet for the rest of your life. You can have either soft drinks and processed foods, or a healthy body weight -- but not both. In fact, much of the foods available today in the national food supply are simply incompatible with a healthy body weight, no matter how much surgery you undergo, and no matter how many weight loss supplements you attempt to take.
The other part of the equation here is physical exercise. The human body simply won't shed excess body fat without engaging in regular physical exercise. Physical exercise gives you a much higher metabolism; it helps you burn calories, even while you're sitting or sleeping. It also increases your lean body mass -- especially when you engage in strength training -- and that results in even more calories being burned when you are at rest. Physical exercise, in fact, modifies your body chemistry in a way that helps your body better use refined foods such as breads or pasta. When you eat those foods without engaging in physical exercise, you're automatically going to add weight. But when you have an extremely fit body that engages in regular exercise, such as jogging, swimming, walking, or biking, you can get away with eating a few processed foods. But still you have to limit your intake of processed foods if you want to maintain a healthy body weight.
In my own case, I engage in rather vigorous physical exercise several times per week, typically putting in 10 hours of exercise each week. And even then, I don't allow myself to eat any breads or pasta or refined carbohydrates of any kind. I don't consume breakfast cereals; I don't drink fruit-drinks or consume soft drinks. And what I've found is that if I eat a piece of bread or have a sandwich, then those refined carbohydrates alter my blood sugar in a way that makes me extremely hungry three or four hours later. If I had eaten a high protein meal, or a meal high in healthy fats and fibers, I wouldn't be hungry so quickly. So it is these processed foods that are in fact causing the obesity in the first place. And consuming diet pills or weight loss supplements simply isn't the answer to long-term weight loss. The answer is to look at your lifestyle, examine what you're doing wrong that needs to be corrected, and then have the courage to make the changes that will bring you into a healthy body weight and keep you there for life.

Anastasia Weight Loss : Daily Aid Weight Loss Efforts

Anastasia Weight Loss : Daily Aid Weight Loss Efforts: We all understand the importance of sleeping seven to nine hours each night to allow for adequate cellular housekeeping, as the body met...

Daily Aid Weight Loss Efforts

We all understand the importance of sleeping seven to nine hours each night to allow for adequate cellular housekeeping, as the body metabolizes and synthesizes enzymes and proteins that are critical to our survival. In the past, a sound sleep has been shown to lower incidence of heart disease, diabetes and dementia in direct relationship to the number of hours slept each evening.

Canadian researchers publishing the Canadian Medical Association Journal have released the result of a study showing that adequate sleep is an important part of a weight loss plan and should be added to the recommended mix of diet and exercise. In addition to lowering caloric intake and increasing physical activity, the research team led by Dr. Jean-Phillippe Chaput of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute in Ottawa has provided sufficient evidence to show that inadequate sleep is an independent risk factor for overweight and obesity.

Scientists determined that lack of sleep increases the stimulus to consume more food and increases appetite-regulating hormones. Dr. Chaput explained "The solution to weight loss is not as simple as eat less, move more, sleep more... however, an accumulating body of evidence suggests that sleeping habits should not be overlooked when prescribing a weight-reduction program to a patient with obesity."

Seven to nine hours of sleep are needed daily to aid weight loss efforts

Many different factors affect body weight including predisposition to handling stress, depression and genetic individuality. Adequate and sound sleep can improve or eliminate each of these risk factors, and can also regulate the hormones leptin and ghrelin to lower food cravings and naturally promote a normal weight range. Naturally, reducing or eliminating insulin-producing processed carbohydrate foods and cutting sugar from the diet are necessary to stimulate weight loss in many people.

The authors of this study did not provide an exact mechanism to explain how adequate sleep assists weight loss, but they did explain that a lack of sleep affects the parts of the brain that control pleasure eating. Further, the scientists indicate that levels of the hormones leptin, ghrelin, cortisol and orexin, all of which are involved in appetite or eating, are affected by lack of sleep.

Dr. Chaput concluded "An accumulating body of evidence suggests that sleeping habits should not be overlooked when prescribing a weight-reduction program to a patient with obesity." Continuing research studies validate the critical importance of a sound night's sleep of between seven and nine hours each night to protect against chronic disease and to aid weight managementefforts.

Anastasia Weight Loss : Remaining Diet Components

Anastasia Weight Loss : Remaining Diet Components: The Remaining Diet Components A caloric surplus is definitely the most important part of your muscle building diet. However, afte...

Remaining Diet Components

The Remaining Diet Components

A caloric surplus is definitely the most important part of your muscle building diet. However, after that, there are still some other diet factors that play a role in improving the results you get. So, let’s take a quick look at each of them now and set them up accordingly…

Protein

After calories, protein is definitely the next most important part of a muscle building diet. Common recommendations for the ideal daily protein intake typically fall between 0.8-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight.

In general though, an even 1 gram of protein per pound is a perfect starting point for most people trying to build muscle. I cover this in more detail in my article about How Much Protein Per Day.

Common ideal sources include chicken, turkey, fish, meat, eggs/egg whites and protein supplements.

Fat

Recommendations for the ideal daily fat intake typically fall between being 20-30% of your total calorie intake, with an even 25% usually being just right. Another common recommendation is 0.4-0.5 gramsof fat per pound of body weight, which usually ends up being pretty close to the first method. Either will work just fine.

Common ideal sources include fish, fish oil supplements, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.

Carbs

The last of the macronutrients is carbs, and recommendations for the ideal daily carb intake are pretty simple. Carbs should make up the remaining calories left over to reach your total calorie intake after protein and fat have been factored in. My article about How Many Carbs Per Day explains this in detail.

Common ideal sources include fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, beans and most whole grains.

Post Workout Meal

While eating the right total amount of calories (and getting those calories from ideal amounts and sources of protein, fat and carbs) is definitely the most important part of a muscle building diet, eating a proper post workout meal (the meal after your workout) is definitely the next most beneficial factor.

In general, this means eating a significant amount of both protein and carbs, usually from fast and easily digestible sources. As long as you’re doing that, you’re doing it right. If you want more specifics, my Post Workout Meal article has them.

Muscle Building Supplements

95% of the supplements on the market are useless over-hyped garbage that do nothing but waste your money. And the 5% that are useful will NOT make up for failing to properly do everything else I’ve described in this article.

Having said that, there are a few supplements that I personally use and recommend because they’ve proven to be safe and effective for building muscle. They are:

• Protein Powder
• Creatine
• Fish Oil Supplements
• Multivitamins

Each link above will take you to the articles I’ve already written about each. They’ll explain everything you need to know about them.

Need A Muscle Building Program That’s Already Proven To Work?

You now know everything you need to know about how to build muscle successfully. We’ve covered the main muscle building requirements as well as the best workout, the best diet, and everything in between. The articles I’ve linked to throughout this guide will help provide a few extra details as well.

Now, it’s still possible that you’ll have some additional questions about how to put everything together and design the most effective muscle building program possible. You may also just want some help doing it. Well, after nearly 10 years of people asking for it, I’ve finally created the solution.

It’s called The Ultimate Fat Loss & Muscle Building Guide, and in it I provide every additional answer, detail and fact you will ever need to get the best results as fast as possible. It contains the proven workout and diet system I’ve used to help countless men and women build muscle mass and completely transform their bodies.

Anastasia Weight Loss : Foods That Supress Cravings Without Adding Calorie...

Anastasia Weight Loss : Foods That Supress Cravings Without Adding Calorie...: Emergency appetite control food #1 Fresh drinking water. That's right: water is a powerful appetite suppressant and if you drink an 8-ounc...

Foods That Supress Cravings Without Adding Calories

Emergency appetite control food #1
Fresh drinking water. That's right: water is a powerful appetite suppressant and if you drink an 8-ounce glass of water when you first start feeling hungry, you will find that it suppresses your appetite in nearly every case. If you just drink a full glass of water and have the discipline to wait 10 minutes, you will find that your appetite is either completely gone or dramatically reduced.
Your next choice, if water does not do the trick for you, is to purchase a 32-ounce quart of natural, organic vegetable broth. You can get organic vegetable broth from Trader Joe's, health food stores, or even many of the finer grocery stores that have a natural health section. The key is to get organic vegetable broth that does not contain excitotoxins. These are ingredients that cause neurological disorders because they overexcite and harm nerve cells. Those ingredients are MSG, yeast extract, autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, and other similar ingredients. Warning: watch out for broth products made by Kitchen Basics. They claim their products don't contain MSG or yeast extract, but when I tried their product, I experienced a massive "MSG headache" that tells me it contains free glutamic acid that isn't listed on the label. (I'm very sensitive to MSG.) The brand of broth I buy is Trade Joe's house brand, which does not contain free glutamic acid.
You can also choose organic chicken broth if you prefer the flavor of chicken. Once you have that, simply empty the entire quart into a very large bowl, heat it up and eat it like soup. You will probably be unable to get through the entire bowl without feeling full. And how many calories have you consumed? Not 900 like you get in two cups of cashews or 1200 like in a big Mac, not even 300 calories like you get from a typical protein bar, instead you get 20 calories only. That's right: you can feel full on 20 calories by drinking an entire quart of organic vegetable broth.
Emergency appetite control food #2
The next best strategy is to turn to green vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, bokchoy, and other leafy vegetables. They have so few calories that in my own diet, I don't even count them. That's right: I allow myself to eat an unlimited quantity of any green leafy vegetables without even recording the number of calories I have consumed. In my book, they are "free" foods.
It takes just as many calories for your body to digest them as you get out of the foods themselves. And yet at the same time, they fill your stomach and make you feel full, turning off the hunger signals in your brain. You may have also heard these called "negative calorie foods."
You can consume these green leafy vegetables in a couple of ways. Most people don't like to eat them plain. Instead, you can fill up a very large bowl (I am talking about something the size of a family dinner salad bowl) with lettuce and salad greens, then add only 100 calories worth of salad dressing. You will want to find some of the lower calorie salad dressings out there, and of course you want to avoid MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, and other ingredients in salad dressings. There are many very good salad dressings that only have 25 calories per tablespoon. Using those dressings, you can put four tablespoons of salad dressing on your salad and start munching away. In a few minutes, you will feel quite full and yet will have only consumed 100 calories that count. Remember the calories for the green leafy vegetables are free. You only count the calories of the salad dressing itself. This is an excellent way to fill your stomach and turn off your hunger signals while only giving yourself 100 calories.
Another strategy that uses green leafy vegetables is to stir fry them in a pan with no oils whatsoever. Just use water and flavoring such as onions, garlic and soy sauce. Simply stir fry all the green vegetables you want, add the spices and eat it. I do not count the calories in onions or garlic either, nor do I count the calories in soy sauce since none of these spices have very high calorie density. As a result, that entire meal goes in your stomach and counts for zero calories. Once again, it's a great way to curb you appetite without consuming large quantities of calorie rich food.
Emergency appetite control food #3
This is one of my favorites: I call it my "instant banana pudding" recipe, but of course, it's nothing at all like store-bought pudding. You'll need a blender for this one.
Add a quart of soy milk to the blender, then a couple of scoops of unsweetened banana-flavored simply natural spirutein soy protein powder. (Sources are listed in the downloadable book, "Secret Sources." Add stevia powder as the sweetener. I also toss in some supergreens powders, but you may want to avoid that at first, since it's an acquired taste (and it turns your banana pudding green).
If you were to blend this up, you'd have a banana-flavored soy protein shake. But we're not done yet: while the blender is running, put in about 1/2 tablespoon of guar gum powder, plus another 1/2 tablespoon of xanthan gum powder. These are thickeners. Within seconds, your blender will start whining and the whole mixture will attain the consistency of pudding. Now just pour it into a bowl and eat it like banana pudding! The mixture has near-zero carbs, no sugars, and is high in soy protein. Plus, it tastes great and fills you up fast. This is my favorite choice for a late-night appetite emergency.
You can get guar gum and xanthan gum at a health food store, or order online at a vitamin supplier.
Emergency appetite control food #4:
The last food is pickles. That's right, pickles. But I am not talking about the pickles you find at a regular grocery store. Nearly all pickles you find in grocery stores contain artificial food coloring. They have a yellowish tint to them that has been added through the use of chemical colors. This is not a natural ingredient and so it is something you want to avoid purchasing. Instead, you want to buy completely natural pickles like the ones you get at Trader Joe's that are made without artificial colors or flavors and that have an extremely low calorie count as well. An entire jar of pickles may give you only 50 calories or so and yet they can be quite satisfying and take up a considerable amount of space in your stomach, thereby turning off your appetite cravings.
Just don't buy pickles containing any added sugars or artificial colors. Some pickles are, believe it or not, loaded with sugar. They're more like candied cucumbers than pickles. Read the ingredients labels to be sure what you're getting.
By the way, while you're eating pickles, it's an excellent time to take some calcium and mineral supplements, too. The acidity of the pickles will accelerate the absorption of calcium.
Emergency appetite control food #5:
Here's an easy one: apples. Yep, apples. Eat the largest apple you can find. Sure, you'll get some calories and some carbs, but the apple will fill you up for quite a while, and that will stop you from eating far more calorie-dense foods.
Let me explain why this is such an effective strategy. If you're crazy hungry, it's very easy to reach for some processed foods (bag of chips, for example) and start munching away until you've consumed 1000 calories or more. And that's about half the total calories you need for the entire day!
But I dare you to try to eat 1000 calories worth of apples. It's impossible. You'll fill up even before reaching 400 calories, probably. Apples are great appetite suppressing foods because the bulky fiber fills up your stomach and turns off your appetite control hormones before you overeat. Plus, apples contain various phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals. They're even a decent source of folic acid.

Anastasia Weight Loss : Solution For Joint Pain

Anastasia Weight Loss : Solution For Joint Pain: The cure for joint pain I've got to mention this too: If you engage in Pilates, you may experience one of the benefits that almost...

Solution For Joint Pain

The cure for joint pain

I've got to mention this too: If you engage in Pilates, you may experience one of the benefits that almost everybody experiences when they do this for a couple of months: their joint pain begins to disappear. People always complain about their joint pain, it seems. When I'm at the gym, I hear guys in their 40s -- they're only 45 years old! -- and they're complaining and whining about how much everything hurts. They say, "Oh, wait 'til you're my age, everything's gonna hurt!" And I respond with, "I don't think so!" I've experienced chronic pain, and I know what that feels like. But now I do Pilates and engage in outstanding nutrition and the pain is gone.The body is designed to be healthy, it's not supposed to hurt. If you feed your body right and if you use and mobilize all those joints, they will not hurt, even to the age of 100. There's no reason why we can't live to 100 in a state of perfect health with outstanding cognitive function, free of chronic pain. But to do that, you have to use it. I firmly believe in the concept of "use it or lose it." If you're not using those joints, then you're going to lose their range of motion.
Just ask any physical therapist, they will tell you much the same. You have to have range of motion in order to be free of pain. The difficulty is that as we get older, we tend to stop using all of those muscles and joints in their full range of motion. A lot of people who say that chronic pain is related to aging are really confusing cause and effect. It's not related to aging, it's related to the number of years that they've stopped using their body.
For example, take a person who is a dancer or someone engaged in yoga, Pilates or flexibility well into their 80s or 90s, and they won't have joint pain. If aging causes joint pain, then how is it that these people have no pain? The answer is because they keep mobilizing those joints, they keep using their body. They engage in Tai Chi or other gentle body movements. And they are free from pain. By the way, Tai Chi is another outstanding way to get range of motion, but it won't do quite the same thing for you in terms of muscle mass as Pilates training or other weight bearing exercises. (Tai Chi has many other energetic benefits, though, which are beyond the scope of this article.)

What's missing from all diets

The bottom line is if you are attempting to lose weight, or more specifically to lose body fat, then engaging in some form of strength training is crucial to your success. I know there are a lot of books out there that say well, you can just change your foods, or you can consume this one particular food like grapefruit or cabbage, or you can go on the popular low-carb diet. I know some people have success with that, but I think the vast majority of people don't really meet their weight loss goals just by changing their foods.What's missing is that body component, the strength training, the movement, the flexibility, and also the cardiovascular training. What I'm suggesting is that you seriously consider finding a way to get some form of strength training into your life. It could be as easy as buying a floor mat or a DVD video on Pilates. Those videos are as little as $15 or $20. So your total investment, including the mat, could be only $40 or $50. And then you can engage in strength training.
But the catch is that you actually have to do it -- right? That's the catch. People want a system that requires no effort. Sure, we all want that. I've even written a book on this called The 5 Habits of Health Transformation -- you'll find that at truthpublishing.com - that lists the 5 most effective health strategies that require the least amount of effort. And people have been downloading that book like crazy! It's been a huge hit, because people want to know what's going to give them the best results for the least amount of time or money or effort. I think it's been successful because everybody's so busy these days; they really want the most effective and high impact strategies. But the point is, none of this is going to happen for you automatically. You can't just buy a Pilates video and gain muscle mass; you actually have to do it.
Some of these Pilates moves, when you get into the advanced stages of it, are not so easy. You know, lifting weights, even just for 15 seconds with high intensity, isn't always easy, either. When I do it, sometimes I feel like I'm about to pass out. It's such high intensity. When I do a leg press with a 15 second high intensity static contraction system -- and I'm really not even anywhere near what some of the founders are -- I'm pushing at least 1500 lbs. I'm out of breath after that. I'm wiped out. This is hard stuff! It takes effort.
None of it is going to happen automatically, and if you whip through a strength training routine, and you don’t feel like you've done any work, then you probably haven't. You're not going to get any benefit from that. At some point, it's going to require some effort to get these results. A lot of the information out there that claims you can lose weight without any effort is just flat out wrong. Certainly, there are some shortcuts. There are some strategies that can make it a lot easier for you, no doubt about that. There are some nutritional supplements that can help -- I agree. But the bottom line is, if you don't engage the physical body, if you don't do some strength training and some cardiovascular training, you're not going to get the results you want.

Finding a workable system

Most people who are really committed to losing body fat are okay with the effort part. That hasn't been the problem. The problem has been finding a strategy that really works. What's a system that works? People tried the Atkins Diet or the low carb diet, and for many people that didn't work. People tried the low fat diet years ago -- well that didn't work, because everybody just loaded up on carbohydrates and cookies. People tried all kinds of other things -- they tried stimulants, things that make you shake all day long because you have a lot of caffeine in your system. And gee, they found out that didn't work either, because it just made them hungrier.So, typically, it's not the effort that stops people. It's the reliability of the system. Finding out what really works is the hardest part. Unfortunately, this particular narrative here isn't about food strategies that work for dieting, although I have many -- those that I've used and those that I've shared with others have really worked well. I'll be sharing those in another segment or another book.
But I can tell you that no system will work without the physical body movement component. You've got to engage in strength training, you've got to engage in cardiovascular exercise, even if it's just walking for 5 minutes a day. If you can't walk, even just lifting your arms for 10 minutes a day, or lifting a 1 lb dumbbell over your head 50 times will benefit you. I don't care what it is, if you can move something, then you can engage in cardiovascular exercise. There is no excuse, unless you happen to be paralyzed from the neck down, in which case obviously you can't engage in strength training. But for everybody else, there's no excuse. If you can move a limb, you can do this.
Find a way to start strength training today, and your body will immediately start showing results.

Anastasia Weight Loss : How Lodine Can Accelerate Weight Loss

Anastasia Weight Loss : How Lodine Can Accelerate Weight Loss: if adjusting your diet and exercising more hasn't helped you reach a healthy body weight, you may have hypothyroidism, or an underactive th...

How Lodine Can Accelerate Weight Loss

if adjusting your diet and exercising more hasn't helped you reach a healthy body weight, you may have hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid gland. In addition to weight gain, other symptoms of hypothyroidism include a bad complexion, fatigue, forgetfulness, loss of sex drive, impotence, irritability and unhealthy hair, nails and teeth. Fortunately, you can help normalize an underactive thyroid gland by increasing your intake of the mineral iodine.
"The healthy functioning of the thyroid is essential to maintaining metabolism and preventing the accumulation of body fat," writes Burton Goldberg in Alternative Medicine. An underactive thyroid gland slows your metabolism; you thus burn dramatically fewer calories and feel sluggish. In addition, in Asian Health Secrets, Letha Hadady explains that an underactive thyroid gland promotes excess weight and cellulite by causing water retention.
After-effects observed following thyroid removal surgery helped prove the connection between the thyroid gland and metabolism to the medical community. For example, according to Gayle Reichler's book Active Wellness, thyroid removal caused one patient to gain weight daily and feel that her "system had slowed down considerably." Unless your thyroid has been completely removed or damaged, your symptoms will not be quite so severe; however, even moderate hypothyroidism can make you gain weight and body fat.
Iodine makes up less than a hundred thousandth of a percent of your body weight, but your thyroid cannot function without this trace mineral. If you have too little iodine in your diet, hypothyroidism and weight gain will occur. "I believe that an insufficient intake of organic iodine in today's modern diet has led to a serious and chronic form of low-grade hypothyroidism," writes Donald R. Yance, Jr. in Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer. Increasing your iodine level will allow your thyroid function and metabolic rate to return to normal.
You can add iodine to your diet by taking supplements, but beware: Excessive thyroid function resulting from excess iodine is just as detrimental to the human body as hypothyroidism. You should have normal, moderate amounts of iodine in your body. In Food and Healing, Anne Marie Colbin provides a caution: "Considering that we are already ingesting large qualities of this mineral because of its presence in fertilizers and table salt, the situation (your iodine level) definitely bears watching."
Because of this danger, Earl Mindell recommends kelp, which naturally contains iodine, as an alternative to iodine supplements in pill form. "Kelp has a normalizing effect on the thyroid gland. In other words, thin people with thyroid trouble can gain weight by using kelp, and obese people can lose weight with it," Mindell writes in hisVitamin Bible for the Twenty-First Century. Whichever form of iodine supplementation you choose, however, you must also be sure to get enough vitamin A in your diet. According to Goldberg, without sufficient vitamin A, your thyroid gland cannot produce thyroxin, a hormone that helps the thyroid absorb iodine.
If you believe that you have a thyroid problem, then by all means, go to a doctor or other medical professional. On the other hand, if you just haven't been exercising enough or following a healthy diet, don't put blind faith into iodine supplements as an easy and effortless way to lose weight. "Iodine itself will not help with weight loss if there is normal thyroid function," writes Dr. Elson M. Haas in Staying Healthy with Nutrition. Unless you do indeed have abnormal thyroid function, there is no substitute for exercise and a healthy diet.

Anastasia Weight Loss : Suppressing Foods To Boost Weight Loss

Anastasia Weight Loss : Suppressing Foods To Boost Weight Loss: The hunger associated with losing weight can seem daunting, and may even discourage many people from maintaining their weight loss program....

Suppressing Foods To Boost Weight Loss

The hunger associated with losing weight can seem daunting, and may even discourage many people from maintaining their weight loss program. There are many foods, however, that can suppress appetite. This makes dieting much easier, and increases the probability of weight loss success.

There are many weight loss products on the market, but there are also many natural foods that can avert hunger. Choose foods that are filling, yet contain few calories. In addition, take care to try new food combinations. Unfortunately, many people on a calorie deficit suffer from diet boredom because they fail to incorporate variety into their meal plan.

Try the following appetite suppressing foods to help boost weight loss:

Celery

According to research conducted by the Mayo Clinic, choosing foods with a low energy density can help control hunger. The energy density of a particular food refers to the number of calories contained within a given volume. So, for example, a small piece of candy may contain a large amount of calories. It is said to have a high energy density.

Celery, conversely, contains few calories for a large amount, so it has a low energy density. In fact, an entire cup of celery only provides 16 calories. These are the kinds of foods to include to suppress hunger. In addition, the subtle saltiness from the sodium content, as well as the crunchiness of celery, can provide satisfaction while dieting.

Lemon Psyllium Cocktail

Psyllium is a soluble fiber that originates from the Plantago ovata plant. Fiber adds bulk to the diet and provides a sense of fullness. Including more fiber can facilitate weight loss.

An easy way to utilize psyllium is to make a cocktail. Add a serving of psyllium powder, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a couple of drops of stevia to a large glass of cold water. Mix thoroughly and drink immediately.

Lentils

Lentils have a long list of outstanding qualities that can enhance weight loss and general health. They have a large amount of fiber, which helps dieters with satiety. Lentils boast 8 grams of fiber per serving. Much of this fiber is soluble and aids in the stabilization of blood sugar. This helps prevent spikes in blood sugar, as well as subsequent fat accumulation.

The nutritional content of lentils is remarkable. In addition to the fiber, they also have a large of amount of protein, folic acid, iron, and magnesium. Protein can suppress hunger by its slower rate of travel through the digestive system. Nine grams of healthy proteins are in every half cup serving of lentils.

Lentils come in a variety of colors, including brown, green, and red. They require no presoaking and are delicious and filling in soups, spreads, and dips.

Zucchini

Zucchini is another useful low density food that can help suppress hunger. A cup of zucchini contains a mere 20 calories. One interesting way to use zucchini is to prepare it as a pasta substitute. It can be processed through a spiral slicer to resemble thin spaghetti noodles. Add low calorie tomato sauce or salad dressing for flavor. This quick meal also provides protein and fiber, and is very low in cholesterol, making it a highly beneficial food that can assist healthy weight loss efforts.

Anastasia Weight Loss : Fish Oil In Omega-3 Can Promote Healthy Body Weig...

Anastasia Weight Loss : Fish Oil In Omega-3 Can Promote Healthy Body Weig...: New Australian research has shown that consuming fish oil high in omega-3 fatty acids and exercising moderately can result in significan...

Fish Oil In Omega-3 Can Promote Healthy Body Weight

New Australian research has shown that consuming fish oil high in omega-3 fatty acids and exercising moderately can result in significant weight loss.A team of researchers from the University of South Australia studied 68 obese and overweight people who were at risk of cardiovascular disease and showed signs of metabolic syndrome, which often results in diabetes. The subjects were split into four groups: The first consumed fish oil and walked or ran for 45 minutes, three times a week; the second only consumed fish oil and did not exercise; the third consumed sunflower oil, which does not contain omega-3s, and exercised; and the fourth group only consumed sunflower oil and did not exercise.
The researchers found that the only group that lost any weight at all was the first group, which exercised and took fish oils, resulting in an average weight loss of 4.5 pounds over three months. The other three groups experienced no weight loss at all.
"If you take the omega-3 each day and exercise moderately, our studies show your weight will drop," says researcher Alison Hill, a PhD student. "We were very surprised to see it was so effective, especially since these people were still eating whatever they wanted."
As world levels of obesity reach epidemic levels, overweight and obese people can easily drop a few pounds by eating fish oils -- but only when combined with moderate exercise, as the oil itself doesn't automatically lead to weight loss. An added incentive to consume fish oils and exercise is the marked change in body shape and composition that the researchers noted in the successful weight loss group.
Foods rich in omega-3s include fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, halibut and tuna, as well as flaxseeds and walnuts.

Anastasia Weight Loss : Fruits And Vegetables Lead To Permanently Weight L...

Anastasia Weight Loss : Fruits And Vegetables Lead To Permanently Weight L...: Although most Americans find their waistlines expanding with each year, a few manage to stay slender and trim throughout their lives. Thes...

Fruits And Vegetables Lead To Permanently Weight Loss

Although most Americans find their waistlines expanding with each year, a few manage to stay slender and trim throughout their lives. These are the ones who capture attention and never seem to look their ages. How they do it was the subject of a recent Consumer Reports investigation that sought to determine if these people were genetically gifted, or whether they were in possession of a magic secret resembling the fountain of youth. The study found that getting a large part of nutrition from fruits and vegetables played a big part in keeping these people trim and youthful.

Eat more fruits and vegetables to reach and maintain ideal weight

Consumer Reports National Research Center asked subscribers to their magazine about their lifetime weight history and their eating, dieting, and exercising habits. A total of 21,632 readers completed the survey which identified three key groups: people who were never overweight during their lives, people who were once overweight but have kept themselves at least ten percent lighter for the last three years, and people who were overweight and would like to lose but are still close to their heaviest weight. The always thin people made up 16% of the sample, and the successful losers were 15% of the sample. Failed dieters made up 42%, with the rest not fitting into any category.

The group that had always been thin included a tiny 3% who said they never exercised and ate whatever they wanted. The rest of the always thin group was a lot like those in the successful losers group. This statistic belies the notion that people who have always been thin have some sort of hereditary advantage.

An analysis of the data revealed six key behaviors shared by the always thin and successful losers groups. These behaviors were defined by Consumer Reports as correlating highly with a healthy body mass index (BMI). Leading the list was the eating of fruits and vegetables. 49% of the always thin and successful losers groups said they ate five or more servings a day of fruits and vegetables for at least five days out of a week.

What about fruits and vegetables allows people to achieve a healthy BMI? Fruits and vegetables are low in calories, high in volume, and high in critically important nutrients. They provide the feeling of satiety that goes with fullness. When the stomach is filled with high volume foods that are not high in calories, there is less room to pack in more calorie dense foods.

Fruits and vegetables help weight loss by reducing energy density

A recent study from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University studied the relationship of energy density to dietary outcome. They found that lowering the energy density by increasing the volume without changing nutrient content can enhance satiety and reduce energy intake at a meal. Satiation was shown to be influenced by energy density when the portions of macronutrients were constant. Since people tend to eat a consistent weight of food, when the energy density of the food is reduced, energy intake is also reduced. The effects of considering energy density have been seen across broad ranges of adults as well as in children. Both population based studies and long term clinical trials have shown that reducing the energy density of the diet by the addition of fruits and vegetables was associated with substantial weight loss even when people were not told to restrict calories. 

Substituting beans and lentils for meat is a great way to lower the energy density of a meal. The calories are about the same, but beans and lentils are high in fiber. Beans and lentils are more filling than meat because a quarter pound of beans has a greater volume than a quarter pound of meat.

Anastasia Weight Loss : Tow Natural Oils Can Lower Body Fat

Anastasia Weight Loss : Tow Natural Oils Can Lower Body Fat: So what are these fat-zapping oils? They are simply safflower oil and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a compound naturally found in some...

Tow Natural Oils Can Lower Body Fat

So what are these fat-zapping oils? They are simply safflower oil and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a compound naturally found in some meat and dairy products, that has been associated with weight loss in previous studies. Both oils are "good fats" composed primarily of polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are rich sources of linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid that is important for the growth and maintenance of tissues and fat metabolism.

The women were randomly divided into two groups to determine which oil supplement they took first -- this strategy was used because the researchers wanted to see if there were different effects from different dietary oils in the same woman. So, after a 16 week supplementation with one of the oils, there was a four week washout period to allow the first oil supplement to leave the women's bodies before the next 16 week testing period with the other oil began. The oil supplements were taken as two pills four times each day, at meals and bedtime. The daily dose of either oil was about one and 2/3 teaspoons.

The research volunteers kept diet and activity records for three days in a row at four different times over the course of the study to see if their calorie intake or how much time they spent exercising was influencing the results of the trial. However, the investigators found that activity levels and calorie intake stayed about the same throughout the study.

Despite the fact there was no dieting or exercising, the study found that CLA supplementation significantly decreased the women's BMI and total body fat. Usually these effects became evident in the last eight weeks of each 16 week period. On average their total body fat decreased by 3.2 percent, reducing the weight of excess fat tissue between 2.3 pounds and 3.5 pounds.

While the safflower oil didn't change total body fat readings, in some ways this all vegetable "good fat" was the biggest star of the research. It reduced the weight of trunk fat tissue by between 2.6 pounds and 4.2 pounds -- an average of more than six percent. What's more, safflower oil increased lean tissue, or muscle, by about two to three pounds.

To add to the good news, safflower oil was found to reduce fasting blood sugar levels in these diabetic women between 11 and 19 points. "Lowering fasting glucose is important for these women. The overall effect in just 16 weeks wasn't bringing them back to normal, but safflower oil still improved it significantly," Martha Belury, professor of human nutrition at Ohio State University and senior author of the study, said in a statement to the media.

The researchers found that ingesting safflower oil increased a hormone called adiponectin. In the press statement, Dr. Belury said adiponectin might have triggered the body's ability to burn dietary fats. She plans to study this mechanism in upcoming research.

According to Dr. Belury, after menopause women are apt to lose muscle while, at the same time, body fat accumulates around their middles. Now it appears dietary oils can help fight this "spare tire", even in women who have diabetes.

"I never would have imagined such a finding. This study is the first to show that such a modest amount of a linoleic acid-rich oil may have a profound effect on body composition in women," Dr. Belury stated. "Making this subtle change in the intake of high-quality dietary fats in an effort to alter body composition is both achievable and affordable to postmenopausal women in the United States who are managing the difficult combination of obesity and diabetes."

Anastasia Weight Loss : Coconut Oil Can Promote Weight Loss

Anastasia Weight Loss : Coconut Oil Can Promote Weight Loss: With all the dangers associated with thermogenic stimulants, it's no wonder a growing number of people shy away from them. This leaves u...

Coconut Oil Can Promote Weight Loss

With all the dangers associated with thermogenic stimulants, it's no wonder a growing number of people shy away from them. This leaves us to wonder if there is a way to boost the metabolism naturally without resorting to popping pills full of chemicals and caffeine. The secret to a healthy metabolism and a wealth of energy is no fad stimulant: it's pure extra virgin coconut oil.

Coconut oil primarily consists of medium-chain fatty acids. These triglycerides can speed up the metabolism because they are so easily digested and converted into energy. Long-chain fatty acids, like those in polyunsaturated oils, are more difficult for the body to break down and use for energy. Instead, long-chain fatty acids are usually stored as fat in the body.Several scientific studies have exhibited these principles.

One study examined the effect of medium-chain fatty acids on metabolism. Participants' metabolism was evaluated before and after a meal rich in these fats. On average, metabolism increased by 48 percent. In obese individuals, the increase was as high as an astounding 65 percent. Studies have shown this thermogenic effect can last for 24 hours.

fatty acids were three times more effective at raising the metabolism than long-chain fatty acids. Researchers concluded that replacing long-chain fatty acids with medium-chain fatty acids was an effective method for weight loss. Another study from the same journal showed that eating medium-chain fatty acids increases metabolism and also helps burn off stored fat.

Coconut oil can support a healthy weight in other ways as well:

- Coconut oil slows down the digestion of food, which helps you feel fuller after a meal. Many people notice that after adding coconut oil to their diet, they are less prone to snacking.

- Because it slows digestion, coconut oil also helps prevent blood sugar fluctuations after a meal by slowing the rate carbohydrates are broken down into blood glucose.

- The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil destroy candida, a condition of yeast overgrowth in the body which triggers symptoms of weight gain, carbohydrate cravings, fatigue and many others. Eliminating candida is an important part of achieving permanent weight loss.

- Coconut oil is excellent for detoxification. It cleanses the body of many infirmities, balances the digestive tract and nourishes all cells in the body. These benefits restore your health and pave the way for natural weight loss.

Tips for Using Coconut Oil to Increase Metabolism:

- Start small. If you've never taken coconut oil before, start with one teaspoon a day and slowly work up to 3-6 tablespoons per day. This will help your body adjust to the beneficial effects of coconut oil.
- The kind of coconut oil you choose is very important. Organic, unrefined extra virgin coconut oil is the best choice since it preserves all the natural goodness of the oil.

Anastasia Weight Loss : Weight Loss Surgery

Anastasia Weight Loss : Weight Loss Surgery: The desire to lose weight has led many overweight people to undergo risky procedures in order to shed pounds quickly. Rather than altering ...

Weight Loss Surgery

The desire to lose weight has led many overweight people to undergo risky procedures in order to shed pounds quickly. Rather than altering their diets and exercising more, a growing segment of the extremely obese population is choosing weight loss surgery instead, a decision that for some ends up costing them their lives.

Bariatric surgery, a procedure that involves the removal of a portion of the stomach in order to reduce appetite and eliminate weight, is becoming increasingly popular as more and more people become obese. Over the past 20 years, the obesity rate among children and teenagers has tripled. Since 2007, the number of people who opt for bariatric surgery to deal with their obesity has more than doubled. 

Dr. Anoop Misra, Director of the Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases at Fortis Hospital in Delhi, India, notes that the risks associated with bariatric surgerycan be reduced if proper guidelines are followed. However doctors are increasingly prescribing the surgery to people who do not meet the criteria, he says, which puts those people in danger.

In India, several people have died in the last few years after receiving bariatric surgery. One girl died of a heart attack just a week after her surgery while several others died a couple months after theirs. Dr. Misra believes that both prospective patients and their doctors are failing to properly ascertain the risks involved with the surgery, leading to needless deaths.

The New York University Medical Center describes bariatric surgery as a last resort option when all other options have been tried. According to experts at the Center, gastric bypass surgery has a one percent mortality rate in those who choose to undergo it. The Center recommends investigating alternative procedures if lifestyle changes do not work, strongly urging those who ultimately decide to go with weight loss surgery to make sure they have considered the high risk nature of the procedure first. In other words, the procedure is extremely risky and patients must choose to receive it at their own risk.

Many of the people who look into getting weight loss surgery are merely looking for an easier way to lose weight. While some people have achieved such behemoth proportions that surgery may be their only route, many moderately obese people see surgery as a quick shortcut to shrinking their waistlines. For most people, changing their dietary habits and exercising regularly is still the best way to lose weight and maintain vibrant health.

Anastasia Weight Loss : Almonds Aid Weight Loss And Cholesterol

Anastasia Weight Loss : Almonds Aid Weight Loss And Cholesterol: If you want to steer clear of the devastating side effects of statin drugs and still get your cholesterol numbers looking good, eating almo...

Almonds Aid Weight Loss And Cholesterol

If you want to steer clear of the devastating side effects of statin drugs and still get your cholesterol numbers looking good, eating almonds may be just the right choice. Studies have shown that eating a nutritious diet that includes almonds sends LDL numbers plummeting. And there's more. Eating almonds provides super strength protection against diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and even weight gain and obesity.

Almonds are stars of cholesterol research

subjects were divided into three groups. The control group ate a low saturated fat diet based on milled whole-wheat cereals and low-fat dairy foods. The second group ate the same diet and also took the statin drug lovastatin. The third group ate a diet high in almonds plus plant sterols, non-meat protein and fiber. LDL cholesterol decreased by 8 percent in the control group, 30 percent in the statin group, and 28 percent in the almond group.

Another study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that heart disease risk correlates not only with cholesterol levels, but also with inflammation of blood vessels. Following a diet that includes almonds effectively lowers not only LDL cholesterol levels but also C-reactive protein levels, a key marker of inflammation. Inflammation is hard on the heart because it increases the development of atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) and causes the heart to have to pump faster and harder to get its job done.

In this study, 34 people followed a dietary plan, called the Portfolio Eating Plan, which included almonds. In this group, C-reactive protein levels fell 24 percent from baseline, an amount similar to the reduction achieved by taking a statin drug, only without the life draining side effects of taking the drug.
compared to first-generation statin drugs, the Portfolio Eating Plan diet with its emphasis on almonds is just as effective in lowering LDL cholesterol below the recommended range for heart disease prevention.

Five large human epidemiological studies, including the Nurses Health Study, all found that nut consumption is linked to lower risk for heart disease. Researchers studying data from the Nurses study found that substituting nuts for an equivalent amount of carbohydrate in an average diet resulted in a 30 percent reduction in heart disease risk. They found a 45 percent reduction when fat from nuts was substituted for saturated fats.

Almonds protect against cardiovascular disease and diabetes

Almond's ability to reduce heart disease risk may also be due to the huge amounts of the antioxidant vitamin E found in these nuts, and the LDL lowering effect of the monounsaturated fats they contain. When almonds are substituted for more traditional fats in human feeding trials, LDL cholesterol is reduced from 8 to 12 percent.

A quarter cup of almonds contains 99 mg of magnesium and 257 mg of potassium. Magnesium is a natural channel blocker. When magnesium levels are high, veins and arteries relax, lessening resistance and allowing increased flow of oxygen and nutrient rich blood. Potassium is involved in nerve transmission and contraction of all muscles including the heart. It is another mineral essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Almonds help stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent free radical producing insulin spikes.

The Journal of Nutrition reports a study of 15 healthy people who ate 5 meals with comparable amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat. Two meals consisted of bread only. Three meals consisted of almonds, bread, parboiled rice, and instant mashed potatoes. Blood samples taken after each meal showed levels of blood sugar and insulin were lower following the almond meal, and levels of protective antioxidants increased. This study demonstrates the powerful anti-aging effect of almonds as well as their ability to ward off diabetes.

The more almonds eaten as part of a meal, the lower will be the glycemic index of that meal, and the smaller the rise in blood sugar levels produced by that meal. The benefit of eating almonds is dose dependent.

Healthy fats in almonds aid in weight loss

Nuts contain lots of fat, and many people still operate under the idea that fat makes you fat, so nuts are often sunned. However, review of the data from the Nurses' Health Study shows that frequent nut eaters are thinner on average than those who almost never consume nuts.

One reason nuts help with weight loss is their nutrient density. A body that is well nourished no longer craves food. The traditional American diet is so depleted of the nutrients needed by the body that the body continues to send hunger signals. In response to these signals, more nutrient deficient food is eaten and more hunger signals are sent. It is a vicious circle that leads to steady weight gain as the years go by. Eating nutrient rich almonds and other nuts breaks this vicious circle allowing for the feelings of fullness and satiety to set in.