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.

Anastasia Weight Loss : Sea Weed For Natural Weight Loss

Anastasia Weight Loss : Sea Weed For Natural Weight Loss: Scientists at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom have discovered a substance that reduces fat uptake in the body by more than 75...

Sea Weed For Natural Weight Loss

Scientists at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom have discovered a substance that reduces fat uptake in the body by more than 75 percent. This potential obesity fighter isn't a drug but a natural substance found in seaweed.

The research team, headed by Dr. Iain Brownlee and Professor Jeff Pearson, tested more than 60 different fibers in the laboratory to see how effective they were in absorbing fat. The results? The scientists found that alginate, a natural fiber in sea kelp, blocks the body from absorbing fat far more effectively than anti-obesity treatments currently sold over the counter.

"There are countless claims about miracle cures for weight loss but only a few cases offer any sound scientific evidence to back up these claims," Dr Brownlee said in a press statement. "The aim of this study was to put these products to the test and our initial findings are that alginates significantly reduce fat digestion."

The Newcastle University findings were presented March 22 at the American Chemical Society Spring meeting in San Francisco. Dr. Brownlee announced that he and his colleagues now plan to recruit volunteers and study whether the effects they have found in the lab can be reproduced in real people. They also want to see if they can come up with tasty, healthy foods that incorporate the seafood ingredient.

"This suggests that if we can add the natural fiber to products commonly eaten daily -- such as bread, biscuits and yogurts -- up to three quarters of the fat contained in that meal could simply pass through the body," Dr. Brownlee stated. "We have already added the alginate to bread and initial taste tests have been extremely encouraging. Now the next step is to carry out clinical trials to find out how effective they are when eaten as part of a normal diet."

Alginates from seaweed are already commonly used in very small amounts in many foods as thickeners and stabilizers. When the seafood extract was added to bread as part of a blind taste test, Dr Brownlee said the alginate bread actually scored higher for texture and richness than a standard white loaf.

"Obesity is an ever-growing problem and many people find it difficult to stick to diet and exercise plans in order to lose weight," Dr Brownlee said in the press statement. "Alginates not only have great potential for weight management -- adding them to food also has the added advantage of boosting overall fiber content."

This is important because foods high in fiber have been shown in numerous studies not only to help in weight control, but also to reduce the risk for colon cancer and to lower levels of the "bad" cholesterol that is linked to heart disease.