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How Can The Ornish Diet Help you Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals

In 1993, Dr. Dean Ornish came out with a book entitled Eat
More, Weigh Less. The primary focus of the book was to urge
people to boost their consumption of whole grains, fruits, and
vegetables while decreasing their consumption of fat. Ornish
subsequently made headlines by becoming a dietary consultant to
McDonald’s, helping the hamburger giant to develop the fruit and
walnut salad which now appears on the restaurant’s re-vamped
menu.

Ornish’s work began in 1977 when he was studying ways to combat
heart attacks. He hypothesized that heart disease could be
successfully treated by cutting the fat in a patient’s diet, as
well as reducing the amount of unrefined carbohydrates he or she
consumes. During his research, he noticed that his patients lost
about 25 pounds each and managed to maintain the weight loss for
five years.

Ornish offers two different diets, the Reversal Diet and the
Prevention Diet. Those who suffer from heart disease and who are
trying to decrease their risk of another heart attack would
conceivably benefit from the Reversal Diet, while the Prevention
Diet is designed for people who have high cholesterol levels,
but who have not developed heart disease. Both versions are
vegetarian, consisting of 10 percent fat, 20 percent protein,
and 70 percent carbohydrates.

If you decide to follow the Ornish diet, you will be eating a
great deal of fiber, little fat, and a great deal of vegetables.
Under the Ornish program, you can eat as many beans, fruits,
grains, and vegetables as you want. However, non-fat dairy
products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt should be eaten
sparingly. The same holds true for fat-free desserts and yogurt
bars.

Still, under the Ornish plan, you will be giving up a great
deal. For instance, you will not be permitted to eat meat of any
kind, including fish and chicken. You must also pass up oils,
avocados, olives, nuts, sugar, and anything that consists of
more than two grams of fat for each serving. The diet also
forbids the consumption of alcohol. The doctor recommends eating
a number of small meals so that you will feel hungry less often.
Following this plan, less than ten percent of your calories
should come from fat.

Ornish recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, or
an hour of exercise three times each week. He also encourages
some type of stress management, such as meditation, massage, or
yoga. Why? In his book, Ornish writes, “When your soul is fed,
you have less need to overeat. When you directly experience the
fullness of life, then you have less need to fill the void with
food.”

Supporters of the Ornish plan are enthusiastic about its effect
on the body. It can successfully combat heart disease, prevent
cancer, alleviate the symptoms of diabetes, and help stabilize
high blood pressure. In fact, one doctor has said that the
Ornish program succeeds because it has a clear scientific basis.
Also, the diet is convenient to follow because it does not
involve counting calories.

The major disadvantage of the Ornish plan is that it is highly
restrictive. This can make it difficult to stay with over the
long haul. A number of dieters may be uncomfortable eating food
that is so low-fat. The diet also represents a radical change
from the typical American meat-and-potatoes fare.

In addition, Ornish fails to recognize that some types of fats
are actually good for one’s health. For instance,
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils can protect against
heart disease. Therefore, Ornish’s prohibitions against fish and
nut consumption would seem to be counter-productive.

Is the Ornish diet worth the trouble? If you must not only
manage your weight but struggle with heart disease as well, it
might be just the diet you need. Also, if you have medical
reasons for losing weight, the program is certainly one you
should consider. However, if you have difficulty sticking with
specific menus–and you love meat–the Ornish diet may be too
hard to deal with. When you decide to undertake the Ornish diet,
you are making a commitment to vegetarianism. The diet provides
you with less protein than the typical diet, which could sap
your energy. Thus, a good rule of thumb is to discuss the plan
with your family physician to determine if it’s appropriate for
your case.

Any type of strain put on the anus or anal area may cause
hemorrhoids. Tiny veins surrounding the rectum become inflamed
and a hemorrhoid is born. By reducing the strain put on the
anus, we can reduce the possibility of getting hemorrhoids.
There are a few basic things that you can do to alter your
lifestyle slightly in order to reduce the risk of developing
painful hemorrhoids.

Change your diet to include foods that are high in fiber.
Fibrous foods create normal stools that are able pass from the
body easily. Passing stool easily creates less strain on the
anal muscles and therefore reduces the risk of hemorrhoids.

Some foods that are high in fiber include: grains, foods high in
bran, fruits and vegetables.

Processed foods may be convenient but they also cause the stool
to harden due to their lack of fiber. These foods will increase
your risk of hemorrhoids so they should be avoided.

If you feel that increasing the amount of fiber in your diet is
difficult by just changing your diet, there are fiber products
available over the counter at your local pharmacy that will
soften stool. These products usually come in powder or pill
form. If you are unsure which type would be best for you,
contact your physician or pharmacist for medical advice.

In addition to adding fiber rich foods to your diet, you should
also increase your water intake. The rule of thumb is to drink
8-8oz. Glasses of water per day. Water will loosen your stools
again causing less strain on the anal muscles and decreasing
your risk of painful hemorrhoids. Change your toilet habits. Do
not wait until you feel like you really have to go. Putting off
going to the bathroom will give your stool time to harden while
waiting in your intestines to be expelled. Hard stool causes
increased pushing which in turn causes undo stress to the anus
which increases your risk of developing hemorrhoids.

The bathroom may be the only alone time that you can get.
However, reading or staying on the toilet for longer periods
then needed to take care of business can lead to the development
of hemorrhoids.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness. The French invented the bidet
for a reason.

A clean anal area decreases the chances of developing
hemorrhoids. Although cleaning with toilet paper alone is fine,
there are now flushable wipes on the market that will guarantee
a clean anus. They are safe to flush and safe to use in your
most sensitive areas.

Exercise is just good for you in general. It seems that
everything can be prevented by adding a little exercise to our
lives.

It is just common sense that if we are not exercising or leading
an active lifestyle, then we are sitting or leading a sedentary
lifestyle. Long periods of sitting cause strain to the anus. As
we know by now strain put on the anal muscles is what causes
hemorrhoids to develop.

A rule of thumb to follow is that you should stand and walk
around for at least 5 minutes every hour. Why that isn’t even
real sweat causing exercise. That’s a simple trip to the kitchen
for a glass of water!

In addition to not sitting for long periods of time, exercising
regularly increases blood flow through the veins. Increased
blood flow through the veins will reduce pressure on the veins
surrounding the anus and therefore reduce constipation.

Last year, I went to the annual IDEA Conference for fitness
professionals. At that conference, I attended an amazing seminar
about women and nutrition by Clinical Certified Nutritionist
Carol Simontacchi. If you’ve read my Q2 2003 newsletter, you can
read an interview I did with her about her great work. Today, I
thought I’d share with you the notes I took while attending her
seminar. Even if you aren’t a woman, what follows is some great
information that can help you make great food choices to better
meet your fitness goals!

1.) Processed soy (actually, ANYTHING processed) is indeed bad.
But, why soy? Three reasons: (a) contains chemicals that ‘pull
down’ the thyroid (leads to hypothyroidism); (b) contains
phyto-estrogens that block important minerals like Zinc and
Magnesium from being absorbed into the body (2 VERY important
minerals especially for women since having a deficiency in
either one can cause numerous problems due to an
estrogen/progesterone imbalance); and (c) does not contain
essential amino acids. Soy products are commonly linked to
weight gain and other hormone imbalances for these very reasons.
It’s also among the top allergens in this country, (the other
top allergens include wheat, corn, dairy, chocolate, eggs,
shellfish, and citrus). Many people have food allergies to soy
and don’t even know it.

2.) Zeno-estrogens (environmental estrogens commonly found in
heating plastics and pesticides) are very bad. Why? They create
an estrogen imbalance which leads to too many problems to list
here. The scariest include: female puberty beginning at ages 7
or 8 (or earlier), irregular menstrual cycle, impaired liver
function, fatigue, depression, weight gain, water retention,
headaches, loss of sex drive, mood swings, inability to handle
stress, irritability, low metabolism, symptoms of hypothyroidism
(with even normal T3 and T4 levels), unstable blood sugar,
cravings for caffeine, sweets, and carbs. And that’s just
scraping the surface.

3.) Excess Caffeine. Why? Leads to decreases in bone density,
unstable blood sugar levels, causes the hypocalmus to produce
higher levels of cortisol (the ’stress hormone’ which leads to A
LOT of other issues), adversely affects the hypothalmus’s
ability to stimulate the thyroid, and causes us to ignore
healthy sleep patterns which also leads to the hypocalmus
producing higher levels of cortisol. Excessive levels of
caffeine have also been noted for bringing on more severe PMS.

4.) Zinc deficiencies and copper toxicity is common and leads to
severe mood swings. The body needs 8 times more zinc than
copper, however, most of us have the exact opposite in our body
due to the high amounts of copper found in our environment
(pesticides, pipes, chemicals in pool water, etc.) and the low
levels of zinc in our diets.

5.) Mg deficiencies lead to carb carvings. Most women are Mg
deficient, which is why a lot of women crave carbs, particularly
around menses (sweets to be exact).

6.) Women are most likely to gain weight late in their menses,
since their metabolic rate jumps during the luteal phase and the
body wants more energy (i.e. women eat more food later in their
cycle). Also, the body becomes more deficient in Mg and Iron due
to the blood lost (for why that’s bad, see #5 above).

7.) Aspartame destroys cells in the hypothalmus (and that’s bad
because it’s the hypothalmus that’s responsible for controlling
hunger). So, avoid artificial sweeteners or artificial anything,
as they cause numerous problems for the body.

Female hormones can influence weight management tremendously.
Imbalances between estrogen and progesterone causes numerous
challenges: 1. Estrogen dominance leads to sodium retention,
leading to water retention, particularly in the week prior to
onset of menses, and in menopausal women this can be an issue
throughout the monthly cycle.

2. Loss of magnesium the week prior to the onset of menses often
leads to carb cravings (particularly chocolate and/or other
sweet cravings) and mood disorder.

3. Loss of iron during the week of menses often leads to
cravings for other foods.

4. Increased fat deposition can be due to the influence of LPL
enzyme, an enzyme triggered by estrogen dominance.

5. Estrogen dominance causes weight gain in the hips and thigh
area (the ‘pear-shaped’ women).

6. PMS influences weight gain —

a.) Depression often accompanies certain types of PMS, leading
to eating behaviors (often triggered by B complex deficiency
and/or magnesium deficiency, or zinc/copper imbalance). Also
causes deficiency in several other nutrients that trigger
emotional and mental symptoms, particularly an increased
zinc/copper ratio that causes severe depression or other mood
disorders.

b.) Water retention the week prior to onset of menses may be due
to Niacin/Potassium imbalance (caused by estrogen dominance).

So, can we fix it? Yes! — feeding the female system adequately
is critical to maintaining hormone balance.

1. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are critically important because
they are used in the production of the body’s natural steroid
hormones. Fats are good!

2. Are we providing our bodies with an appropriate balance of
all essential amino acids (aminos that the body can’t make on
its own)? This is what’s wrong with vegan and vegetarian diets.
Are we eating enough protein to satisfy the energy demands of
the body?

3. Unrefined carbs (particularly fresh fruits and vegetables)
are critically important for maintaining cellular energy. Grains
are problematic for many people, particularly people struggling
with Syndrome X or food allergies (wheat is no longer natural in
our foods and is now the top allergen in the world).

4. Micronutrients are particularly important, especially to
‘dieters’ since they are notoriously deficient in many vitamins
and minerals. Deficiencies are one of the primary causes of
inappropriate cravings for foods, or for loss of dietary
‘compliance.’

5. Drink water and very little else! Americans consume, on
average, 50 gallons of coffee per year. Teenage girls drink, on
average, 46 oz. of soda per day! Osteoporosis will be an
epidemic in 20 years.

6. Include 35+ grams of fiber daily. Fiber helps remove excess
estrogens from the colon before they can be re-absorbed (leading
to estrogen dominance).

7. Be sure to nourish the adrenal gland (through sleeping,
napping, Siberian Ginseng, Holy Basil, etc.), as cortisol
production (through stress) is a problem for female hormone
balance!

8. Other lifestyle issues: get plenty of sleep and rest! Stop
trying to be superwomen (superwoman is dead!). Exercise
frequently, vigorously, and efficiently — but don’t over do it.
Excessive exercise can cause endocrine disruption and increased
fatigue. Never exercise beyond the body’s ability to sustain.

Exercise tends to be more difficult for women than for men, due
to lower levels of testosterone and human growth hormone.

‘Difficulty’ here means the inability to stick with a program
over the long term and, more importantly, the ability to lose
weight quickly and keep it off. And, it certainly has nothing to
do with laziness or ‘inferiority’. It’s strictly physiological.

Reasons:

a.) When testosterone levels drop (because of insufficient
adrenal output) energy is decreased and it is more difficult for
women to lay down lean muscle tissue.

b.) Human growth hormone (hGH) levels are more difficult for
women to maintain, particularly as they approach menopause. As
hGH levels drop, energy plummets because lean tissue slowly
decreases. Loss of hGH therefore leads to lowered metabolic rate
as metabolically active muscle decreases.

Factors that diminish hGH include the following:

i. Increased fatty acids in the blood (triglycerides). ii. REM
sleep (lack thereof). iii. Emotional deprivation. iv.
Hypothyroidism. v. hGH itself (through negative feedback loop).

Symptoms of low hGH include the following:

i. Fatigue ii. Increased weight and abdominal obesity iii.
Decreased lean body mass and decreased muscle mass iv. Poor
sleep v. Impaired sense of well-being vi. Decreased exercise
capacity and physical performance vii. Reduced cardiac
performance

Factors that stimulate the production of hGH include the
following:

i. Low blood sugar ii. Decreased fatty acides in the blood iii.
Deep sleep (stages 3 and 4 of NREM sleep) - which is why naps
are so important; also decreases cortisol iv. Increased activity
of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system v.
Vigorous physical activity

So, as you can see, there’s a lot of control we can have over
our hormones as it relates to weight management without the need
for drugs or other artificial means. It’s simply a matter of
educating yourself and then practicing self care consistently.

Then, you’ll be on your way to being Female, Forty, Lean, and
Happy!

Copyright 2005 MHG Consulting

The old saying, if you don’t do it now it will catch up with you
later”. Okay, I just made that up :o) But truer words were never
uttered than about our lack of exercise and a fitness program.
It is really a life or death situation. What if a trusted friend
were to tell you about an investment where you could not
possibly go wrong…what would be your reaction? And what if
there was a virtual mountain of credible information that
supported the investment claims…wouldn’t you be inclined to
take advantage of the opportunity and not miss out on the
rewards? Although the answer to these questions seems apparent,
when it comes to investing in our health and quality of life we
often choose to ignore what obviously works. Take for example,
exercise…

Physical fitness may be the ultimate investment opportunity.
Think of it this way. If you are willing to make the commitment
(investment), you will feel and look healthier, have an
abundance of energy, be more self-confident, more productive and
discover a more joyous and fulfilling life. These are rewards
that money cannot buy and the substance of high quality living.
And, the investment of exercise becomes even more attractive
when you consider that there is absolutely no down-side risk.
You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. How much better
can it get? How many times can you remember ever having a better
offer? The honest answer is probably never, and yet many of us
fail to act on this extraordinary opportunity. We simply choose
to procrastinate or ignore the proven benefits of exercise!

Here are a few reasons that sometimes inhibit our willingness to
“step out” and make a change or take a chance:

- Sometimes our vision gets clouded. We lose tract of what is
really important. Forget about the less important activities
that tend to clutter our daily routine and focus on exactly what
needs to be accomplished to reach your goal.

- Looking at the “big” picture can seem overwhelming. And the
bigger the task, the more overwhelming it can seem. Break the
task apart into smaller pieces. If you want to lose 50 pounds
try losing 10 pounds and repeat the process five times! Need to
start an exercise program? Begin with short, simple exercises
and then slowly expand your routine. Don’t exercise too hard
when first starting-out or you will become stiff, tired,
disillusioned and soon quit.

- Have you ever not wanted to start something for fear of
failure? Take the first step, acknowledge the fear and the next
step will come easier. Once fears are acknowledged, they usually
quiet down.

- Sometimes we start to think that a task is unpleasant or
boring. Just like any other activity, this can also be true for
exercise. There are days when we just plain lack the enthusiasm
and motivation to continue. It’s part of human nature. On days
like these focus on ‘why’ you are doing it. Think about all the
people you care about and who may need and rely on you. What
would happen if you became ill or disabled and was unable to
work for a period of time, or worse, if you were out of the
picture completely. How would things change? If something
happened tomorrow, how would your family or business manage
without you? What do you want your life to be like in the
future? There are many tasks or chores we do, that we may not
like, but are necessary to live a happen and productive life.
Focus on the bigger picture.

- Indecision can be defeating, but doing “anything” is better
than doing nothing. There are no wrong choices and very few
choices that can’t be undone or done again. Can’t decide on a
particular exercise program or routine? Pick a few exercises and
start with something simple. If you don’t like it, go on to the
next exercise.

- When you lack the confidence to start something new, take a
deep breath and try to figure out why. Are you hesitating
because you really lack the skill or is it just imagined? If
it’s real, try to find out where to gain the skills you need or
find someone with the right skills who can help. In the case of
exercise, finding a qualified personal fitness trainer can
sometimes do the trick, but be wary…some PFT’s are overzealous
and tend to start newcomers on programs that are too strenuous.

- Life just seems too busy to find time for some activities.
Large, uninterrupted chunks of time are very hard to come by.
And if we’re honest, when they do come, we’d rather do something
totally pleasurable! Exercise has to become part of your
routine. It can’t be an option. Make it a high priority just the
same as your career, and other areas of interest. You will be
surprised at how easy exercise becomes when approached this way!

- Have you ever subconsciously (or otherwise) invited
distractions so that you have a “good” reason not to get
something done? Sometimes it’s the simple things like answering
the phone or sitting down to watch that “one” TV program, that
distract us. When you find yourself doing this, take control of
the situation and make a conscious decision to do what you are
avoiding.

To reap the benefits of exercise, or any other health related
endeavor, you must agree to become a willing participant. This
will require due diligence on your part. And remember, as you
embark on your mission you are investing in something near and
dear to your own heart…your life and a future of healthy
living.

Responsibility:

What you may ask, does responsibility have in common with
fitness, weight loss, and nutrition?

Everything, it all starts with personal responsibility.

We have somehow become a society that is not responsible for
ourselves. Numerous examples from the past few years abound:

Ø Someone drives away with a cup of coffee, spills it; it’s the
restaurant’s fault. Ø Over 60% of us are overweight; it’s the
fast food industry’s fault. Ø Prescription drugs have moved up
to the number 4 killer in the United States, it’s the drug
industries fault. (although we take them) Ø Most recently a
doctor tells an obese person to lose weight or die He’s
insensitive.

The list goes on and on. What we seem to have lost sight of is,
it really doesn’t matter who is at fault, if we are overweight,
unhealthy, and die prematurely, we lose no matter who caused it.

We have simply got to become more aware of our environment, what
is causing the obesity issues today, and take personal
responsibility to resolve those issues on a personal level.

The diet and drug industries are counting on you doing just the
opposite. They are selling over $35 Billion per year in diet
supplements, diet drugs, diet foods, and numerous other
products. They obviously aren’t working because obesity in
America has increased 20% in the last decade.

The stuff doesn’t work but it is profitable.

There really is no secret pill. You need to understand the
body’s caloric requirement at your current fitness level to
maintain your current weight. You then eat less and exercise
more to burn calories to reduce weight. Any calories we take in
that are not burned are stored as fat.

It doesn’t matter what pill you take, what you inject into your
body, or how much expensive prepared food you eat, sooner or
later it comes down to logic and numbers.

The body was not designed to run on a single kind of fuel, be it
fat, carbs whatever. We need a varied diet to regenerate our
bodies and remain healthy.

We simply refuse to accept that fact. In my books “Living to be
Younger” and “Living Better”, I cover these subjects in detail.
There are no false claims and wild promises. You learn exactly
why losing 30 pounds in 30 days is not only nonsense it’s
unhealthy.

Stop wasting time and money chasing a magic bullet solution. If
there was one, we’d all be the ideal weight.

Take responsibility for your health and wellness and become an
Educated consumer. Learn what your body needs, how to provide it
properly and naturally and take charge of your life.

When our bodies first came into the world from the original
designer do you Think they were meant to need diet pills, shots,
or expensive processed foods?

Of course not they need a varied diet of fresh fruits and
vegetables, and we need to Move them around some.

For more information and no nonsense facts, visit our websites
at Living to be Younger or Fitness One Stop Fitness and weight
loss are easy with the right information.

A treadmill reader rack is a generic term for the basket which holds the varying amounts of instruments that the modern day treadmill offers the consumer as part of accessory pack that comes with your treadmill.

Bearing in mind the cost of a new treadmill, the quality of the machine itself should not surpass the quality needed, and expected, of the read out equipment that will come with it. In addition to the durability that one expects from a treadmill, the reader rack should be easy to use and give you the information that you require to complete your work out with the optimum effect. You really don’t want to be worrying about the onboard computers when you are doing a 20k run on your treadmill!

The treadmill reader rack should offer good ergonomic designs, as well as an ease of use. They should supply the information that you require on a wide range of relevant statistics, such as calories used up, speed, miles (or kilometres) run and heart rate amongst other things.

In addition to statistics on your own personal well being during your work out, a treadmill should also offer lots of practical functionality. By that I mean the means to control the type of workout that you are experiencing, by altering the speed at which you can run, or the incline of the slope. In an ideal world, a good treadmill should also let you vary both of these factors during the course of a workout, to give you precisely the type of exercise that you are looking for.

Some treadmills are specially designed for the rehabilitation of either the athlete or the patient, but, in either case, the machine should give you all the information that you require. If you are a sports person or just someone in the recovery room, the right information must be delivered in order to fulfil the criteria of the treadmill that you are using to give you the maximum benefit.

Some machines actually go a stage further and go beyond the functional to what could only be described as luxury. What else could you call magazine racks and space for your MP3?

The onboard computers of some treadmills also allow you to program and save custom routines that you might have entered yourself.

Either way, a treadmill should give you what you need - you should not compromise on quality, nor functionality.

The article was written by Charlie Cory, who owns Home Fitness Online. Get fitter, feel better, live longer. Attain higher levels of fitness from the comfort of your own home.

Visit his website about a treadmill reader rack.

Anyone who has been in a grocery store recently knows that food
companies are tripping over themselves in the rush to introduce
“low carb” versions of everything from bread to candy to soda to
cereal. Do not think for a minute that these companies are
motivated by the health interests of consumers. The reality is
that they are mainly concerned with the wallets of consumers and
will market anything that they think a gullible public will buy.
Low carb junk food is still junk food.

I know some of you reading this may already be raising your
defenses because you have lost weight by cutting your carb
consumption. Let me first congratulate you on your weight loss,
and secondly say that this is not an anti-Atkins or anti-South
Beach piece. This article is simply meant to educate readers on
the reality of carbohydrates, “good” carb choices vs. “bad” carb
choices, what they do, why your body needs them, and how to make
better nutrition choices than food company marketing efforts
want you to.

The first thing to understand is that carbohydrates provide the
body with its main source of fuel, glucose (blood sugar), which
is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. Any muscle
contraction, whether during exercise, getting out of bed, or
blinking an eye, is fueled primarily by glycogen. So, for those
of you engaging in resistance training, this should immediately
point out the fact that you need carbs for fuel in order to
maximize your efforts in your resistance program. The next fact
to understand is that your brain (which burns more calories than
any organ in the body) and nervous system can only use glucose
for energy. This is why, especially in the early or induction
phases of carb restricted diets, dieters often feel sluggish and
less alert than normal. By cutting out carbs, you are cutting
off your brain’s main source of fuel.

Some of you are probably thinking, “That’s exactly what I want,
because now my body will need to burn fat for energy!” Yes and
no. Yes, your body will burn some fat for energy; however it
will also generate glucose by breaking down protein stores in
the muscles, organs and other tissues. This will severely
compromise tissue growth, repair, and maintenance, and as
discussed in previous articles, slow down your metabolism.
Certainly, that is not the result you are looking for. As I
said, this is not an anti-(insert your favorite low-carb guru
here) piece. But, the truth is, carbohydrates are a nutrient,
and a nutrient is defined as a “substance that an organism must
obtain from its surroundings for growth and the sustainment of
life”. So, does it make sense to follow a program that calls for
the wholesale abandonment of vital nutrient? Of course not. What
is needed is an understanding of the difference between
supportive, quality carbohydrates that provide essential
nutrients and fuel, and overly processed and refined
carbohydrates that provide empty calories and support fat
storage.

What do I mean by overly processed and refined carbs? Think
about white bread, donuts, muffins, pastries, white rice, candy,
sugary breakfast cereals, white pasta, potato chips, crackers,
soda. Foods like these digest very quickly and give your body a
rapid spike in blood sugar, which, when fat loss is the goal, is
something we want to avoid. After your body takes the blood
sugar it needs to replenish muscle glycogen, whatever is left
over from that spike will get stored as fat.

What makes supportive, quality carbs different? They digest more
slowly, producing a more gradual rise in blood sugar and
providing a more even source of fuel. Look for breads and
cereals made from whole grains, pasta made from whole wheat
flour, brown rice instead of white rice, sweet potatoes instead
of white potatoes, fruits in moderation and vegetables in
abundance. Whole grain carbs will keep you feeling satisfied
longer, and not looking to devour a bag of chips within an hour
of eating your plain bagel.

So, the lesson is to not get taken over by carb phobia and fill
your shopping cart up with all of the new low carb products.
Just like in the early 80’s when the food manufacturers were
frantically trying to come up with low fat versions of every
product under the sun, they are doing the same now in order to
sell more products, not because they are concerned with your
health. Back then, consumers were tanking up on SnackWell
cookies. They are low fat, so they must be okay right? Well,
since the low fat boom of the 80’s, the obesity rate in this
country has skyrocketed. That is not because the true culprit is
now carbs. No, the reason is because junk food, whether low fat,
low carb, or low whatever, is still junk food.

With all of the conflicting studies and fuzzy interpretation of
information, it’s no wonder that confusion reigns when it comes
to the value and safety of low-carb diets. It seems like heated
debates are raging everywhere!

Whether it’s Atkins, the South Beach or some other low-carb
plan, as many as 30 million Americans are following a low-carb
diet.

Advocates contend that the high amount of carbohydrates in our
diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and
other health problems. Critics, on the other hand, attribute
obesity and related health problems to over-consumption of
calories from any source, and lack of physical activity. Critics
also express concern that the lack of grains, fruits, and
vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of
some key nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and
several minerals.

Any diet, weather low or high in carbohydrate, can produce
significant weight loss during the initial stages of the diet.
But remember, the key to successful dieting is in being able to
lose the weight permanently. Put another way, what does the
scale show a year after going off the diet?

Let’s see if we can debunk some of the mystery about low-carb
diets. Below, is a listing of some relevant points taken from
recent studies and scientific literature. Please note there may
be insufficient information available to answer all questions.

- Differences Between Low-Carb Diets

There are many popular diets designed to lower carbohydrate
consumption. Reducing total carbohydrate in the diet means that
protein and fat will represent a proportionately greater amount
of the total caloric intake.

Atkins and Protein Power diets restrict carbohydrate to a point
where the body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like the
Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like
Sugar Busters claim to eliminate only sugars and foods that
elevate blood sugar levels excessively.

- What We Know about Low-Carb Diets

Almost all of the studies to date have been small with a wide
variety of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric intake,
diet duration and participant characteristics varied greatly.
Most of the studies to date have two things in common: None of
the studies had participants with a mean age over 53 and none of
the controlled studies lasted longer than 90 days.

Information on older adults and long-term results are scarce.
Many diet studies fail to monitor the amount of exercise, and
therefore caloric expenditure, while participants are dieting.
This helps to explain discrepancies between studies.

The weight loss on low-carb diets is a function of caloric
restriction and diet duration, and not with reduced carbohydrate
intake. This finding suggests that if you want to lose weight,
you should eat fewer calories and do so over a long time period.

Little evidence exists on the long-range safety of low-carb
diets. Despite the medical community concerns, no short-term
adverse effects have been found on cholesterol, glucose, insulin
and blood-pressure levels among participants on the diets. But,
adverse effects may not show up because of the short period of
the studies. Researchers note that losing weight typically leads
to an improvement in these levels anyway, and this may offset an
increase caused by a high fat diet. The long range weight change
for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.

Most low-carb diets cause ketosis. Some of the potential
consequences are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and
confusion. During the initial phase of low-carb dieting some
fatigue and constipation may be encountered. Generally, these
symptoms dissipate quickly. Ketosis may also give the breath a
fruity odor, somewhat like nail-polish remover (acetone).

Low-carb diets do not enable the consumption of more calories
than other kinds of diets, as has been often reported. A calorie
is a calorie and it doesn’t matter weather they come from
carbohydrates or fat. Study discrepancies are likely the result
of uncontrolled circumstances; i.e. diet participants that cheat
on calorie consumption, calories burned during exercise, or any
number of other factors. The drop-out rate for strict (i.e. less
than 40 grams of CHO/day) low-carb diets is relatively high.

What Should You Do? - There are 3 important points I would like
to re-emphasize:

- The long-range success rate for low-carb and other types of
diets is similar.

- Despite their popularity, little information exists on the
long-term efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets.

- Strict low-carb diets are usually not sustainable as a normal
way of eating. Boredom usually overcomes willpower.

It is obvious after reviewing the topic, that more,
well-designed and controlled studies are needed. There just
isn’t a lot of good information available, especially concerning
long-range effects. Strict low-carb diets produce ketosis which
is an abnormal and potentially stressful metabolic state. Under
some circumstances this might cause health related complications.

The diet you choose should be a blueprint for a lifetime of
better eating, not just a quick weight loss plan to reach your
weight goal. If you can’t see yourself eating the prescribed
foods longer than a few days or a week, then chances are it’s
not the right diet. To this end, following a moderately low fat
diet with a healthy balance of fat, protein, carbohydrate and
other nutrients is beneficial.

If you do decide to follow a low-carb plan, remember that
certain dietary fats are associated with reduction of disease.
Foods high in unsaturated fats that are free of trans-fatty
acids such as olive oil, fish, flaxseeds, and nuts are preferred
to fats from animal origins.

Even promoters of the Atkins diet now say people on their plan
should limit the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat.
Atkins representatives are telling health professionals that
only 20 percent of a dieter’s calories should come from
saturated fat (i.e. meat, cheese, butter). This change comes as
Atkins faces competition from other popular low-carb diets that
call for less saturated fat, such as the South Beach diet plan.
Low-carb dieting should not be considered as a license to gorge
on red meat!

Another alternative to “strict” low-carb dieting would be to
give up some of the bad carbohydrate foods but not “throw out
the baby with the bath water”. In other words, foods high in
processed sugar, snacks, and white bread would be avoided, but
foods high in complex carbohydrates such as fruit, potatoes and
whole grains, retained.

www.fitness-vip.com

There are a lot of vegetarians amongst us, some by circumstance
and some by choice. Those that are vegetarians by choice can be
divided into two general groups, those that do not eat meat,
poultry or fish, but do consume dairy products as – in theory –
the animals are not harmed or killed by the gathering of those
products. Vegans, however, use no animal products whatsoever.

There are many health benefits to a planned vegetarian diet, as
opposed to the unplanned vegetarian diets that result from
poverty and a lack of food availability. However, there are also
some special precautions that need to be taken to safeguard
nutrition, as adequate amounts of some of the most important
nutrients can be more difficult to obtain. This is especially
true for those following the more restrictive vegan diet.

The body is a complex and delicate system, and the foundation of
all of its functioning is chemical and electrical actions,
interactions and reactions. The operation of this system rests
firmly upon the balance of these chemicals. The majority of the
chemicals in these essential physical processes come from the
food that we eat, from the nutrients that come from its
consumption. Thus, nutrition has a deep influence of the health
of the body and the quality of its functioning.

Because the brain, like the body, functions on chemical
reactions and electrical impulses, the processes of cognition,
emotion, and so on, are also affected by nutrition. In fact,
deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals can result in
mental illness and retardation, as well as cognitive dysfunction
and difficulties and emotional instability.

The Vitamin B complex offers a perfect example of how
vegetarians must pay special attention to their diets to ensure
peak performance of body and mind. The Vitamin B complex is
involved with every major system in the body and has a role in
almost every important bodily process. It is essential to mental
health and functioning, and essential to life itself. However,
there are certain Vitamin B complex vitamins that need special
attention by vegetarians, as vegetarians do not consume the
richest sources of these vitamins.

The richest sources of Vitamin B2 are milk and organ meats. It
is available in enriched breads and cereals, but care must be
taken to consume the right amount daily. Niacin and Vitamin B6
are other B complex vitamins in which the richest sources are
meats and, again, are available in smaller concentrations in
enriched breads and cereals. Vitamin B12 is only found in animal
products. It is important to note that vitamin B12, in addition
to being important to the production of red blood cells, is
essential for the normal growth of children.

Nutritional supplements can serve to enhance the health benefits
of the vegetarian lifestyle. Indeed, they can serve to prevent
the serious health consequences that vitamin deficiency can
cause. Nutrition is especially essential for children, as their
minds and bodies are growing and developing. If you are
vegetarian or vegan, you may want to consider the complete, safe
and reliable nutrition that dietary supplements can provide.

Candida overgrowth has been found to be a frequent complication
or even a causative factor in many of today’s illnesses.
Treatment is available but diagnosis has to come first. Yeast is
normally found in the mouth, throat, intestines and
genitourinary tract. Its presence in the body is not normally
problematic and is balanced by a well-functioning immune system
and friendly bacteria. If the immune system ceases to function
properly, or the level of friendly bacteria in the body becomes
too low - as can happen when too many antibiotics are introduced
to the body, when steroids are used, when everyday stress
becomes overwhelming or with poor diet choices - then Candida
overgrowth may occur.

Someone with an overgrowth of yeast can experience any number of
unpleasant symptoms such as a genital yeast infection, thrush in
the mouth, fatigue, skin rash, depression and anxiety. The
symptoms of Candida overgrowth are frequently treated with
anti-fungal remedies. Even with these remedies, however, if your
diet is not changed to create an environment within the body to
prohibit the overgrowth of Candida, relief is sure to be
temporary, and problem symptoms will return.

As Candida is a normal component of the body’s natural flora,
using conventional laboratory testing to determine the need for
treatment isn’t always helpful, and generally can only help to
diagnose the late stages of a yeast infection. Current
methodologies for testing include checking for the presence of
yeast cells in the urine, saliva and stool, or the gut
fermentation test which involves testing the blood for alcohol,
dosing the patient with sugar and testing their blood again - if
alcohol shows up in their blood it is assumed it has occurred
from fermentation from the yeast in their gut.

It is also difficult to diagnose Candida overgrowth for a number
of reasons. It shares symptoms with other conditions such as
gluten intolerance and hypothyroid - and any combination of
these can be present simultaneously, adding to the difficulty of
diagnosis.

Another factor is that available tests are able to recognize
only a few of the 150 known strains of Candida and the cells in
the specimen may die while waiting for analysis resulting in a
false “normal” result. Along with the test, then, other factors
have to be considered before a diagnosis can be made. The doctor
must consider if the patient has a history of factors that are
known to result in Candida infections and establish that there
are symptoms present associated with it. Additionally, the
knowledgeable physician will experiment with dietary and
antifungal therapy to see if the there are reactions consistent
with Candida overgrowth. HREF=http://www.candidarelief.com/candidatest/ rel="nofollow">http://www.candida
relief.com/candidatest/

Both herbal remedies and prescribed medications can be helpful
in treating a yeast infection along with dietary and lifestyle
changes. Check with your herbalist as to dose, mode of use and
formulations. For antifungal remedies not available over the
counter check with your doctor about side effects, costs and
availability.

Researchers are working on discovering better testing protocols
to establish earlier the need for treatment.

Keeping your immune system, “friendly” bacteria, and Candida in
proper balance is possible with a combination of proactive
changes; by altering your current diet, and with the responsible
use of medicinal or herbal treatments you can maintain a healthy
body.