Health for life

(Article first published as Is High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Diabetes and Abdominal Fat? on Technorati.)
As Americans continue to fight a losing battle in the war against abdominal fat, newly emerging information from the Endocrine Society implicates high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) with the metabolic disorder which leads to diabetes and storage of fat around the waist. HFCS is found in virtually every processed food and drink available on grocery store shelves because it’s inexpensive to produce, and readily available due to government subsidies.

Extensive research reveals that HFCS is metabolized much differently than regular sugar by the body. Although HFCS contains about the same amount of calories as sugar, the calories don’t register as being consumed by the brain, causing you to eat more before you feel full. Additionally, HFCS consumed from an early age affects the immature fat cells, forcing higher numbers to become mature abdominal fat cells in adult life.

HFCS promotes belly fat from early childhood, a problem with significant health implications considering the massive amounts of sweetened, processed foods and soft drinks consumed by children and teens. This research underlines the critical importance of eliminating HFCS from our diet at an early age, allowing our metabolism to release stored fat and lose weight naturally. Follow these steps to flush HFCS from your diet.

Step 1: Eliminate Soft Drinks and Fruit Juices
Americans consume nearly 45 pounds of HFCS every year, and one of the primary sources is sweetened beverages. Soft drinks and fruit juices contain between 150 and 200 calories per serving, and those calories don’t register as part of the total caloric intake for the day. This means that calories from HFCS sweetened drinks are much more likely to be stored directly as abdominal fat, making it very difficult to lose weight. Substitute water and tea which can be sweetened with the natural sweetener stevia, if necessary.

Step 2: Avoid Fast Foods and Processed Foods
Fast food is notorious for providing little nutritional value, and it’s loaded with HFCS in items you may not even suspect. In an effort to make their offerings more appealing to the taste buds, fast food makers pump high fructose corn syrup into shakes, salad dressings, chocolate milk, condiments, hamburger buns and even certain meats have been injected with the sweetener.

Virtually all processed and ined foods are laced with high amounts of the obesity sweetener. Read nutritional labels on all processed food items with a special eye on ketchup, pancake and cake mixes, luncheon meats and hot dogs. Substitute foods in their natural form which haven’t been created in a food manufacturing lab. Choose not to be a test subject in this very dangerous experiment.

Step 3: Choose 100% Organic Foods
Choose foods that remain in their most natural form which are typically found in the outer aisles in most food markets. When reading labels, look for ‘100% organic’, as this is your only guarantee no HFCS or other chemical contaminants have been added. Fill up on plenty of raw, leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and unprocessed meats to avoid the temptation from HFCS laced foods. Be caul to limit fruit consumption, as fructose is fruit sugar, and in excess can cause many of the same problems as its processed twin.

High fructose corn syrup is a metabolically active, unnatural sweetener which has been shown to alter the normal distribution of fat in the body. Humans didn’t evolve to process calories from HFCS, as it has only been in the food supply for the last 40 years. Help children and your family develop a healthy diet which is free of HFCS by reading all food labels and avoiding fast and processed foods, sugary drinks and fruit juices. Weight loss will be a welcome side effect as belly fat is naturally released and health is rapidly restored.

(Article first published as Cut Sugar, Lose Weight and Prevent Heart Disease Through Diet on Technorati.)
Heart disease ranks as the leading cause of death among Americans, yet this killer disease remains a mystery to most people who may someday suffer from its devastating grasp. The etiology of heart disease is no longer a shrouded mystery, as researchers now have a solid understanding of the factors which cause the most common form of heart disease known as coronary artery disease.

Diet plays a major role in the cascade of events which leads to the formation of arterial plaque and clots which can break away and plug the delicate arteries of the heart. Information published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who consumed diets high in sugar and ined carbohydrates were twice as likely to suffer from heart disease compared with their lower carb counterparts.

Eliminate Processed Carbs, Reduce Heart Disease Risk
Eating your favorite breakfast cereal or multi grain bread may not be a healthy choice, despite the barrage of advertisements to the contrary. Sugar transforms into triglycerides in the blood, regardless of whether it’s added as table sugar, consumed in ice cream, converted through high glycemic load carbs or swallowed in sugary soft drinks in the form of high fructose corn syrup.

Avoid Blood Sugar Spikes and Drop Weight
Cut back, or even eliminate sugar in its many forms to drop risk of heart disease and a potentially fatal heart attack. Excess sugar and carbohydrates are the primary reason so many people are unable to lose weight, as it wreaks havoc on your metabolism causing sharp spikes in blood sugar.

This results in excess residual blood sugar which is eventually converted to triglycerides for storage as fat. Break the sugar rush cycle, and your body will begin to function properly by releasing excess fat, with weight loss as a natural result.

Use Sugar Substitutes
The first step to removing sugar from your diet is to replace sugars added to food and drink with low-calorie substitutes. While there’s some controversy about using artificial sweeteners, the benefits far outweigh the poorly documented risks, especially when considering the significant health hazard posed by sugar. The two best options are sucralose (Splenda brand) and the all natural sweetener, stevia. Avoid using any product containing aspartame, as it has been linked to brain cell excitation and neurologic disorders.

Swap Fruit for Sweets
Your ultimate goal is to eliminate sugar in all its different disguises entirely from your diet. This is best done slowly through a caully planned series of substitutions. Fruit works well as it has the same sweet taste as sugar, yet for most people doesn’t promote the rapid blood sugar surge due to its fiber content. Grab an apple instead of cake for dessert, or have a healthy bowl of mixed fruit and berries instead of your favorite breakfast cereal. Include a protein source to further level the blood sugar response.

Research is shining a bright light on how sugar leads to heart disease, and causes metabolic alterations which promote the storage of fat. In order to drop our risk from this number one killer, and naturally lose weight, we must slowly cut back and remove sugar in all forms from our diet. We consume sugar from many sources, including table sugar, baked goods, breads, and drinks. A plan which methodically eliminates sugar entirely will have a positive impact on our overall health and assist in natural weight loss.

Home Remedies lose Weight fast

Losing weight is not a miracle that can happen overnight. Prior to every effort that you plan to put in your weight loss regime comes your commitment and discipline towards your aim.
It is usually not as easy as stated by various weight loss program and at the same time it is as easy as making simple changes in your daily routine and eating habits.
Market is flooding with weight loss gadgets and diet pills but still we are not happy with the results we get after using such products. This is because of the blind dependancy to get instatnt results on such lose weight fast products. Although there are good herbal products also that can help u reduce weight but its difficult to differentiate them from scammers.

The secret of weight loss lies in making simple and easy alterations in your diet and life style and not in theses gadgets and diet pills.


How to start an effective weight loss program 


To make any weight loss regime successfull their are certain rules to follow:

1. Move around.

Dont keep your body passive. Doing so will increase the amount of calorie that you need to burn out in order to lose weight.

• Walk up and down the stair cases. Avoid using elevators.
• Go for a morning walk, go to work walking if there is no time for morning walk.

Watch out your meals


Dont fall in the temptation of second serving. Stop eating when you feel you are full and satisfied. There is no need to stuff you tummy.

Take healthy food in your diet

• Consume eatable which are rich in fibre and have low fat in them.
• Avoid taking crash diet, it may be helpful in instant weight loss but you are more likely to gain the weight back after some time.
• Increase the intake of fluid and green vegetables in your diet.

Home Remedies for losing weight fast

Losing weight naturally is not impossible but it requires patience and dedication and requires that you strictly follow your weight loss regime.
Can I lose weight without exercise?
Yes you can lose weight without exercise also by following simple weight loss tips mentioned below. However it is always recommended to do exercise at least thrice a week to lose weight fast.

• Lemon is the most common ingredient of weight loss diet and it is exceptionally effective too. Squeeze half a lemon in one bottle of water drink this water whenever you feel thirsty.

• Cabbage Juice Diet: This can work wonders if used properly. Drink cabbage juice it is less in calories and rich in vitamins. You will see the results within a week. 

• Bottle Gourd has got good amount of fibre in it. Take it in salad or drink its juice both are equally benificial. It has all essential minerals, irons and proteins.

• Replace junk food with organic food in your daily diet.

• Limit the intake of sugar. Avoid eating chocolates (im sorry gals) and candies.

• Depression and stress are also culprits for weight gain. So live stress free.

• Cook food in vegetable oil instead of butter and ghee.(especially for us Indians)

• Replace you milk tea with green tea, ginger tea or lemon tea.

• make a regular habit of eating 1-2 ripe tomatoes daily. This also helps in losing weight.

• The most common home remedy for loosing weight is mixing 2 tsp of honey and juice of one lemon in a glass full of lukewam water. This remedy cannot do any wonder alone but if accompanies with healthy and balanced diet and physically active life style it really works.

• If you are fond of non-veg per chicken and fish over red meat. Go for baked and roasted dishes instead of deep fried recipe.

• Limit the intake of salty food like bacon and potato chips.

• Make a habit of eating Salad daily. Include mint leaves, beetroot and tomatoes in your salad.

• Eat an apple in the morning and also before meals it will make you feel full and will curb down your desire to eat more.. apple is a good source of fiber, minerals and vitamin. Thus it keeps you healthy and good health is always a key factor in successful completion of any weight loss program.

Say no to these

• Soda drinks
• Junk food.
• Refined food
• Bunking Meals
• Stress.

(Article first published as Tips to Help Eliminate Sugar From Your Diet on Technorati.)
Infants, children and adults alike have evolved to desire the taste of sugar. Natural sugar from fruits provides a healthy source of calories which was an advantage during our evolution, and fruit is packed with antioxidants that help fight disease and cellular damage. There’s even some evidence that sugar can be addictive, as it stimulates dopamine receptors in the brain.

Excess Sugar Converts to Stored Body Fat
The results of a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association show that people who eat the most sugar, regardless of the source, have the highest blood triglycerides combined with the lowest protective HDL cholesterol levels. This is bad news because triglycerides (a dangerous form of fat in the blood) can significantly increase the risk of heart disease. Further, excess triglycerides cause metabolic imbalance, leading to diabetes and triggering the dangerous conversion of sugar to body fat.

People trying to lose weight and improve their health need to make a concentrated effort to drastically limit sugar in their diet. While this may seem a daunting task, there are useful tips you can follow to purge sugar consumption, while improving blood lipids and the release of fat from storage in the body.

Sugar Busting Tip 1: Dump Sweetened Beverages
Sugar from sweetened drinks and fruit juices accounts for nearly half the sugar consumed each day for many people. Of primary concern is the fact that much of this sugar is from high fructose corn syrup, a super-charged synthetic form of sugar linked to increased risk of diabetes and pancreatic cancer. Opt instead for water or tea, and sweeten with stevia which is a natural sugar alternative.

Sugar Busting Tip 2: Drop Refined Carbs
Sugar comes in many forms, including the obvious – candy, baked goods, ice cream and cakes, to the hidden sugars tucked away in breads, pastas, potatoes and most grains. All have the same blood sugar disturbing effect on your metabolism, pushing your body toward fat storage, weight gain and disease.
Learn to read nutritional labels, paying close attention to total carbohydrates and sugars. Always fill yourself up first with fresh vegetable and meat sources so you’re less likely to splurge on those sugary treats which pack on the pounds.

Sugar Busting Tip 3: Look for Hidden Sugar
Most people know how to identify the most common high sugar culprits, but sugar can be hiding in places you’d never think to look. Be caul with gum, cough syrup, mints, ketchup, tomato sauce, baked beans and lunch meats, as these all pack a sugar punch. Be mindful that sugar can slide through under many different aliases such as sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, cane juice, glucose and honey. All will derail your weight loss journey.

Extensive research points to the incontrovertible fact that sugar should not be part of your diet. Glucose feeds cancer cells, and a high sugar intake can promote tumor growth. Sugar disrupts your metabolism causing blood sugar swings and ultimately metabolic disorder and excess body fat, and this process starts in our children from a young age. Bust sugar from your life and benefit from lowered disease risk, improved health and naturally mediated weight loss.

(Article first published as Eat Fat, Lose Weight With These Top Foods on Technorati.)
Over the past half century, we have become a fat-phobic nation. This has led to the low-fat diet mentality which is prescribed by the overwhelming majority of medical and dietary professionals. The problem is this diet is the direct cause of heart disease, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome.

By purging every possible gram of fat from our diet in favor of carbohydrates, we have eliminated one of the most important nutrients required for our health. For decades, saturated fat has been maligned as the most villainous fat of all, purportedly being deposited inside our arteries almost instantly after eating.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, saturated fat is not associated with an increased risk from coronary heart disease or stroke.

Fat is Required for Good Health
Many people still shun all types of fat, in favor of the ‘healthy’ low-fat substitutes. And those same people are still developing heart disease, diabetes and many forms of cancer which result from eliminating this important food nutrient. Certain fat containing foods are not only essential to good health, but contribute to a healthy weight loss lifestyle. It’s important to combine fat and protein food groups with each meal, and minimize highly ined low-fat carbohydrate offerings to achieve the best weight loss and fitness results.

1. Nuts and Seeds Fuel Weight Loss
Raw nuts (almonds, walnuts and pecans) and seeds (flax, pumpkin and sunflower) have been shown to aid in appetite suppression and weight loss goals. Although nuts are relatively high in calories, those calories are conserved and metabolized differently than the same amount of calories from low-fat carbs. This is due to the perfect distribution of healthy monounsaturated and saturated fats, as well as the low glycemic index of nuts and seeds which prevents blood sugar spikes. Researchers found that eating one ounce of nuts five days a week reduced the incidence of diabetes by 27%.

2. Meats: Turkey, Chicken, Beef and Pork in Moderation
We have evolved over the last 150,000 years to eat meat as part of a healthy diet, and we can use meat as part of a sensible weight loss diet, as well as an important source of Vitamin B-12. Much of the problem associated with most meat is the way it is raised, and equally important, the feeding practices and living conditions of the animals.

Our early ancestors did not eat corn fed beef, which were not permitted to roam freely, and neither should we. Try to find free-range, organic products whenever possible, avoid overcooking the meat, and limit total calories from meat to no more than 20% of your daily total.

3. Fish and Fish Oils Help Burn Fat
The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of fish each week for heart health benefits. The Journal of Nutrition reports that fish, and specifically the DHA component found in fish oil helps weight loss by preventing fat cells from maturing. Many people have trouble eating fish, but the same benefit can be obtained from 1200 mg of fish oil supplemented daily.

The evidence now indicates that saturated fat is not the cause of heart disease, but the real devil is in trans fats. These artificial fats should be avoided as they increase the incidence of a heart attack by 25%.

Enjoy a balanced diet including different fat containing food groups, but be sure your fat intake is part of a reduced calorie diet full of raw leafy greens and vegetables. Eliminate low-fat and ined carbs and add healthy fats to your diet, as you watch your health improve and ultimately attain your weight loss goal.

(Article first published as Cut Fat, Lose Weight and Prevent Cancer on Technorati.)
There’s now yet another compelling reason to lose weight and cut consumption of unhealthy Omega-6 fats from vegetable sources. Research released from the Institute of Food Technologists indicates that as many as 1 in 3 cancer deaths could be prevented by reducing consumption of corn and vegetable oils and cutting calories.

It’s important to understand that fat itself is not the enemy, as it’s an essential nutrient required for normal cellular function. The problem arises when the balance of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fats are disproportional in our diet.

Humans have evolved with a 1:1 ratio of the two fat sources, yet our modern diet is closer to 20:1 in favor of Omega-6 fats. This causes a hormonal imbalance in the body which leads to inflammation, weight gain and increased risk of heart attack and many cancers. Monitoring Omega fat intake is an important first step which will assist with weight loss efforts and lead to reduced risk from many diseases.

Evolution Controls Our Diet
More than 750,000 people die from cancer annually, and the results from this study indicate that a quarter million lives could be spared with a concerted effort to control calories and Omega-6 fat consumption. Our genes are the product of thousands of years of evolution during times when Omega-3 fat sources such as fish and many nuts and seeds were plentiful. Every cell in our body relies on the critical Omega-3 components, EPA and DHA for replication and cell wall construction.

It’s only been during the past half century that Omega-6 fats from corn and vegetable sources have become an ever increasing part of our diet, and have now distorted the natural evolutionary ratio we require for optimal health. Omega-6 fats are very stable, allowing food to sit on store shelves for extended periods, and are present in virtually all processed foods.

Lower Omega-6 Fats by Cutting Processed and Fast Foods
Omega-6 fats are present in virtually every processed food on store shelves, with up to 90% of fat calories in our diet coming from this health endangering source. Take a two step approach to reduce Omega-6 calories and improve the ratio with Omega-3 fats.

Eliminate or drastically reduce foods which are packed with Omega-6 fats, including all commercially baked products, fast foods and vegetable based cooking oils. Be especially mindful to cut any foods listing hydrogenated trans fats, as these increase the risk of heart disease by 25%.

Increase Omega-3 Fat Sources to Lower Inflammation
Replace Omega-6 laden foods with Omega-3 healthy options. The best Omega-3 source is fish, as it provides the perfect balance of DHA and EPA, the two primary Omega-3 fats. Fish Oil supplements are a good choice for people who don’t enjoy fish.

Nuts and seeds also have smaller amounts of Omega-3 fats, with walnuts, flax and chia seeds rising to the top of the list. It’s important to remember that food from any fat source still contains 9 calories per gram, so be caul when substituting and track your daily calories with nutritional software.

Research is beginning to uncover the hidden dangers in the unnatural processed foods which make up a large portion of the Western diet. We are continually reminded that the foods we eat have a direct and immediate impact on our future health and body weight.

Monitor your food choices caully, paying close attention to the Omega fat ratios and switch to a reduced calorie lifestyle. You’ll enjoy the healthy benefits of dramatically lowered risk of cancer and many illnesses while you naturally maintain a healthy weight.

• reduce the amount of calories intake
• increase your levels of physical activity.

1) Ask for your BMR (basal metabolic rate). 

(Article first published as Eat Slow, Lose Weight Faster on Technorati.)
Many people race through the day, eating as though they were on a dietary rollercoaster. Eating on the run may be hazardous to your health as food choices will be limited to high calorie, processed foods which work against your natural hormone balancing system to regulate appetite. Your brain doesn’t have enough time to react to the calorie load in the food you just ate, and you overeat.

Eating is Evolutionary
The body has evolved a very intricate hormonal balancing system which signals when to eat and when you’ve had enough. Eating too quickly, especially when consuming a calorically packed junk food diet, dampens the signal to stop eating. According to a study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, the digestive hormone leptin signals the brain when it’s time to put down the knife and fork, but only if the meal lasts for at least 30 minutes.

Eat in Accordance With Your Hormones
Meals today are typically eaten in a matter of minutes, rarely coming close to the half hour needed to benefit from your natural leptin signal. People who are naturally thin take much longer to eat a meal than their overweight or obese counterparts. It’s more than likely that they stretch out the time it takes to complete a meal without a second thought.

Take Control of Your Hunger Hormones
Naturally thin people also tend to eat healthier and exercise more. They stay away from fast foods and highly refined, processed fare, and are more active in their lifestyle. This is evolved behavior, and researchers have noticed that it tends to run in families.

As more is learned about these powerful dietary hormones, we know leptin supply isn’t the problem, but rather it becomes dysfunctional and doesn’t transmit the satiety signal to the brain properly. Fortunately, it’s possible to reverse leptin resistance and allow for natural fat release and weight loss.

Make Gradual Changes, Eat Slower
When you’re continually on the run, it becomes second nature to eat quickly, and your food choices are usually limited to drive thru foods making the problem even worse. You must resolve to make modifications to both your diet, and the amount of time allocated to eating. You’ve likely developed your current dietary lifestyle over many years, so you’ll need to make changes slowly.

Begin by substituting a healthy salad for a fast food meal 1 or 2 days a week, and be certain to carve out enough time to allow leptin to signal the brain. If you haven’t finished eating in the time allotted, or you feel full, you’ll know it’s time to stop. Extend your new eating style gradually to include 3 or 4 days per week. Not only will you begin to work in concert with your dietary hormones, but you’ll see progress toward your weight loss goal with minimal effort.

Eating is a behavior which is learned from childhood, but is actually controlled by a sophisticated hormone balance system through our evolutionary past. Eating poorly balanced meals too quickly causes systemic communication problems, leading to weight gain. It’s possible to regain proper balance by eating healthy foods at a slow pace, and naturally tip the scales toward healthy weight loss.