Diet : The Slim Fast Diet

Some diets advise dieters to eat large quantities of vegetables, others try to
make people eat a single food for a whole day. The Slim Fast Diet has the shake.
It sounds pretty much like what the folks at Herbalife are pushing, although it
may be the other way around. Diets are a dime a dozen these days and it’s hard
to keep track of who came with which idea and when. So let’s discuss instead the
basic features of this diet and the usual pros and cons. This is one of the
diets that people seem either to love or hate, as some claim that it works
wonders, while others speak of it as a rip-off.

The basic idea is to replace two daily meals with Slim Fast shakes, accompanied
by two pieces of fruit and a nutrition bar, and to have a sensible dinner at the
end of the day. A sensible dinner means that you are allowed to eat whatever you
want, as long as you keep the portions average. At least this is the theory. In
practice you will soon find out that dinner is the only time you can get some
actual nutritious food, aside from the vitamins and minerals-laden shakes, which
means that your food options are limited to those that can keep you on your feet
and thinking clearly.

Aside from the shakes, dieters have to drink between 6 and 8 glasses of water
per day in order to help the weight loss process along. Dieters should also
exercise during this diet, but I’m not so sure that a 1,200 calories a day
intake can support a program of exercises. On the other hand, the added
exercises should help you shed weight faster and spend less time on the diet.
Some people complained of having to buy all those shakes and bars, but I’d say
that trading two regular meals for two shakes tends to balance out the costs.
Actually, it seems that the biggest problem dieters face is the fact that every
one is on his own. There is no outside structure, there is no support. Just a
box of shakes and your own common sense. This is a good thing for some because
it helps build self-reliance and teach people to gain control of their own
eating process not just during the diet, but for the rest of their lives.

Nevertheless, many fail without outside support and this may be a big issue with
this diet.

Diet : Diet Comparisons

Probably the most important things people want to know when they think the time
has come (again) to cut some of the daily food intake is which diet is the best.
Although we are all different beings, we all share the same goal: a diet that
can make us thin in no time at all. Some sort of miracle pill or eating plan
that makes fat go away and never ever return. That’s actually the second part of
the big wish: how to make sure that all the weight lost through dieting stays
lost through the years.

The more diets published in magazines and on the Internet, the more people are
confused about what dieting really means and about the right way of bringing
your body back in shape. The growing number of overweight people has turned
weight loss into an industry like never before and the market is growing every
year. It seems that nowadays all one needs is a fashionable idea and a flair for
marketing in order to make a lot of money or garner a lot of popularity by
proposing some sort of weird diet, despite the lack of professional expertise in
this field.

And there is a LOT of diets out there. We’re going to go here only through the
best-known diets, since a review of all the diets floating around the industry
would be beyond the scope of this article.

So let’s start with one of the latest fads of the dieting world: the Atkins
diet. Pretty much everybody’s head of the Atkins diet, largely due to the flood
of articles praising the extraordinary results, not to mention the loads of good
mail from satisfied customers. The biggest thing in favor of this diet is that
it lets you eat high fat dairy products like cheese and butter. However, the
Atkins diet has fallen from its lofty perch over suspicions of increasing the
risk of heart diseases, not to mention the proved fact that bigger number of
followers complain of diarrhea, weakness, muscle cramps and rashes. The debate
over the scientific fundamentals of this diet is still raging.

Next comes the Zone diet; another well-known eating plan. This diet is the
brainchild of Barry Sears and it’s all about eating the right mix of foods in
order to reach the proper hormonal balance. This state of balance, which is
called the “Zone”, lets the body take in calories and use them through the day
without putting anything aside as fat. Unfortunately, this diet does some
serious discrimination among foods without any scientific basis. Starchy
vegetables, whole grains and beans are banned, although these foods are not in
conflict with the principles of the diet. The American Heart Association says
the Zone diet lacks essential nutrients while promoting high-protein foods.
The Jenny Craig diet is next on the list. One of the longest running diets,
Jenny Craig started this business in the early 1980s and it’s still around. The
basic idea of this diet is a trade off: you don’t have to choose recipes, do the
shopping and the cooking, but you have to buy the Jenny Craig prepackaged food.
And that runs to some $100 per week. Plus the membership costs. Plus the
vegetables and fruits which are not included in the prepackaged food. If you can
afford it and if you can stick to it, the diet is pretty good. However, similar
low-calorie foods can be bought at the grocery store and you don’t have to
discuss this with a Jenny Craig expert that insists on your eating the
prepackaged food because he gets a percentage of the sale price.

From sunny Florida comes the South Beach diet. This one has the right idea and
wrong approach combination down pat. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of people have
managed to lose weight with this diet and it actually works. But the question
is: can you really stick to it? The first phase of the diet will eliminate most
foods containing carbohydrates from your daily consumption. Fortunately, this
phase lasts two weeks. Unfortunately, second phase focuses on a half-hearted
return of whole grains and fruits and lasts… as long as necessary. If reaching
the desired weight takes you one year, then that’s exactly how long this phase
is going to last. And if you don’t like the foods allowed by this diet then
you’re out of luck. There are no alternatives.

And yet another veteran dieting program around is Weight Watchers. This is
actually one of the best diets around because it puts all the management tools
in the hands of the user. If you are really committed to losing weight, you have
all the information you need to do it. And a lot of people who are going through
the same thing are going to be there to help you. If having company during
difficult times helps your willpower, then you are probably going to lose all
that extra weight. If, on the other hand, you don’t like the idea of being
constantly under peer pressure, then this diet is not for you.

As you can see from this short review, there are a lot of diets out there,
dozens more than we’ve been able to cover here. The best thing to do when
choosing a diet is to do as much research about it as possible. See what people
who tried it have to say. Then see what doctors and dietitians have to say about
it. Between those singing praises and those trying to prove the diet wrong you
can probably get the truth yourself. Still, pay special attention to what the
doctors have to say. If they tell you a certain diet will put your body to risk
then think twice before trying it.

Diet : Low Fat Dessert

Low Fat Dessert
by Bassy

"No meal is over unless there is a dessert involved. If you are here in America,
you know that most of the desserts out there are bad for you. They are loaded
with salt, sugar and or fat. We have become a nation of junk food addicts. I do
have a theory on this. I think that when a group of people experience wealth,
their diets change. I know that this is simple and even a moron can come up with
something like this, but hear me out. When a group of people have enough money
that they have a choice of what they will eat, they will choose to go along with
the more fatty foods. I think this is because we tend to store fat to keep us
warm for the winter. In our minds if there is a bunch of food to choose from,
then we will go towards the fatty foods. Like most animals, we prepare for the
winter time. We know that it will be cold so we want a layer of fat to keep us
warm. Another aspect of it is, we are greedy. All people are greedy. We want the
best of everything. We want a nice new car, new house and all the rich food that
we can eat. In the past, a wealthy person ate different foods than someone who
is poor.

What to do? You want that little bit of joy at the end of the meal, but you
don't want to become a lard ass. Well, you can have your cake and eat it too. We
will discuss some of the more healthy desserts that you can eat. First I want to
say, don't get fooled by this low fat stuff. It isn't worth the time. You will
eat twice as much of it to fill your cravings. It is because it is missing
something, the fat. The one thing that you are craving the most. In the end you
aren't really doing yourself any favors. You are falling in the trap that all
fat people fall into. They think since it is low fat, they can eat twice as much
of it. That maybe true, but only if you don't want to loose weight.
Fresh fruit is always a good dessert. You can prepare it easily and it tastes
great. Nothing tastes better than fresh fruit that is in season. Make sure that
it is perfectly ripe and ready to eat. If it is ripe, it will be sweet and
juicy. If you eat fruit that isn't ripe it will be hard and not have all the
flavor that it can yield. You don't have to stick with the ho hum fruit salad.
You can choose a ton of different ways to eat fresh fruit. You can bake apples
for example wrapped in tin foil with a little bit of brown sugar. This is
wonderful.

One of my favorite things is bananas sliced in orange juice. The sweet tangy
flavor of the orange juice is really different compared to the banana. I could
eat a truck load of this stuff. It is also a great pick me up if you are feeling
sluggish. We have all seen those wand mixers advertised on television. Some
people call these boat motors. It is a hand held mixer/blender that you can use
for a lot of things. I love these things. If you have one of these, it is easy
to make a great low fat dessert."

Here is a simple dessert using your boat motor. Take skim milk. You need to make
sure that it is ice cold for this. Take your milk and put it in a drinking
glass. Use your boat motor to whip air into it. You will notice after awhile it
kind of looks like whipped cream. Add some bananas and strawberries and a little
pinch of sugar to make it sweet. This is very low fat and it tastes great. You
get that desire for fat taken care of that you have been craving so much. The
whipped milk really almost feels like whipped cream. You won't believe how much
it feels like the real thing.

You can also use this to add some zing to all kinds of things. You can use it to
make your low fat milkshakes. You can add your protein mix to this for a great
meal with very little fat. You will be surprised at how many things you can do
with this whipped topping. People will think that you have fallen off of your
rocker when they think you are eating a big serving of whipped cream. Before you
know it, all your buddies at the gym will want you to make them something to eat
with your boat motor. That is when you will have to tell them to get their own.
You can also eat gelatin. Make sure that you get the unflavored kind. It will
come in either envelopes or in sheets. There will be directions on the package
to tell you how to make it. You can add fruit juice or you can add fresh fruit
to your gelatin. If you have a boat motor, you can use it and add some of that
whipped topping you make from the skim milk. You will love this. You can also
eat some low fat cakes. Just because it is cake, doesn't mean that it is bad for
you. Just make sure that there isn't a whole lot of eggs or dairy involved. Also
sometimes people sneak in mayo in their cake batters. Make sure you know what is
on the cake. Also jam or jelly is great instead of frosting.

I'm sure that you can come up with your own ideas as well. Just think of what
you already like to eat and put a spin on it. Please, stay away from the low fat
stuff. All that will do is make you crave more of that than you should be
eating. In the long run, you aren't saving any calories.

Diet : Bad Food

Bad Food
by Michael Messner

"In this day and age of heart disease, we all need to be careful. Did you know
that 50% of men will die from heart disease? It is sad, but true. It is
important that you watch what you eat. Not only if you are a body builder, but
even if you aren't one. All of us should be concerned about our diet and our
health. Take some notes and make sure that you pay attention. I'm sure there
will be a few items on this list that you never dreamed were bad for you.. Solid
oils. You know what these are. Stuff like Crisco and other shortening.
I think that some people use them in place of lard and actually think it is
better for them. If you are making a pie crust or something, skip the shortening
and use the lard. Actually, the lard is better for you. People tend to use this
kind of fat because it has a long shelf life. This stuff will stay good for
ever. Personally, I hate the stuff. I can't see why anyone would like it. I
think it tastes awful and it feels awful in my mouth.

Deep fried foods. You should avoid these like the plague. It is said that when
something is deep fried, its DNA changes. I don't know how true this is. I do
know that deep fried foods have been linked to cancer.

Refined flour and store bought flour. This has been bleached and everything
under the sun done to it. When this happens, all the good stuff from it is taken
away. The reason why you are eating is, is been stolen from you. Stick with good
whole wheat. That is what is best for you.

White rice. I would piss off most of the world if I said that you should never
ever eat this stuff. Though, I have to say that brown rice is better for you.
Brown rice has all the stuff white does and more. You can mix brown with white
if you still aren't used to eating the brown rice.

Sugar. This is a no brainer really. You should try to consume as little as you
possibly have to. Also, fructose is a building block for cholesterol. Keep that
in mind when you have your next can of soda.

Canned soups. These are almost always loaded with salt. If you want to buy
these, make sure you get ones that are low in salt. If you have a craving for
soup, see if your local deli makes soup. It will be lower in salt. That will
make your heart happy.

Alfredo sauces. Don't buy items with already made Alfredo sauce. Usally they are
loaded with butter and salt. You don't want any of that.
Processed meats. These tend to be high in fat and high in salt. They are a heart
attack in a can.

Hydrogenated palm oils. Avoid anything that is made with these. These will give
you a heart attack faster than eating a bucket of lard.
Lunchables and other items like them. They are loaded with salt and fat. I can't
believe any parent would give this junk to their kids.
What comes in, must come out. That is true with the food we eat. This might
sound like a disgusting topic, but it is something that we should talk about.
You can tell if your diet is high in fat by the stool you produce. If it sinks
straight to the bottom, you are eating too much fat. You would think that fat
would float, but it doesn't when it is coming out.

Your stool should float in the toilet bowl. If it does, it is a hint that you
have a good diet. If it doesn't, then you need to change what you are eating.
To remember this, I try to make up a little rhyme like what was heard during the
final moments of the OJ trial. If it doesn't float, you need to get off of the
boat. Meaning, if it doesn't float, you need to change your diet."

Diet : 20 Food

20 Food
by Michael Messner
"The one problem that most single men have is, they never have a well stocked
pantry. This can cause major problems. If you don't have a stocked pantry, you
are more likely to fill up on snack food or even worse, fast food. You need to
make sure that you have a well stocked pantry so that you can cook healthy meals
without much effort. Don't know what kinds of things that you should always have
on hand? Well, no need to worry about it anymore. We will give you a list of 20
items that are must haves for you pantry.

1. Water his might sound silly, but always have some cold water on hand. Get
yourself a pitcher or something that you can keep water in the ice box.

2. Milk. You should always have some low fat milk on hand. Cereal in the
morning is a great way to get a good easy meal.

3. Fruit. Always have some fruit on hand. It is great for snacking. You can eat
fruit and instead of potato chips.

4. Carrots. These are great for snacking. Just add some low fat dip and you
have a snack that will rival any deep fried snacks.

5. Peanut butter. This is a great way to get some protein without having to
worry about the fat. Use it on your toast for breakfast instead of butter.

6. Eggs. You need these for baking and other specialties. Also they are great
for a protein filled breakfast.

7. Yogurt. This is great for hot summer days. You can make tons of drinks out
of this. Also, it is great with chicken. You should learn a bit about Indian
cooking for more ways to use yogurt. Indians love yogurt and eat it often.

8. Butter. You shouldn't suck on butter like you do a lollipop. But, butter is
a must for baked goods. Also, fried eggs taste great cooked in butter.

9. Lemons. These are a must if you eat a lot of seafood. Also, a cold glass of
lemonade is great after a hard days work.

10. Mayo. Don't use this stuff every day. But, you do need to use some if you
make tuna or chicken salad. It can also be great on low fat cuts of chicken and
such. It is good on items that are dry. Make sure to buy the low fat kind and to
use as little as possible.

11. Mustard. I like to use this instead of mayo on sandwiches. It is a great way
to knock out the fat.

12. Cheese. This is a must have. Don't eat too much of it. But, cheese is the
beauty of life. It can make a dull dish come alive.
13. Drinks. Always have some drinks on hand. Have some fruit juice, beer and
sodas in the ice box. Don't go over board with them, but have a beer from time
to time as a treat.

14. Fresh ginger. This will keep for a long time in your ice box. Don't cover
it or anything like that. Keep it whole in your ice box for best keeping.

15. Bread. You should always have some bread on hand. Don't go hog wild here on
the carbs. A good sandwich is great from time to time. I would suggest that you
find a local bakery and buy your bread there. Don't buy that awful white stuff
that has been sitting on the shelf for who knows how long.

16. Canned veggies and fruits. When in a pinch, canned is better than none at
all. Even though I suggest that you always eat fresh fruits and veggies, you
should have some canned ones on hand. How do you know when you will have a
craving for corn and not have any fresh on hand? Canned food can last a very
long time, so you don't have to eat it right away.

17. Pasta. Want a meal in a minute? Pasta is the way to go. It cooks quickly
and easily.

18. Rice. Same as pasta.

19. Spices and herbs. Always keep some of these on hand. Go to a place where
you can buy them in bulk. Don't buy those little containers in the store. Not
only are they too expensive, but you don't know how long they have been sitting
there. When you buy from a place that sells bulk, you know that you will be
getting fresh items.

20. Cereal. Great for that last minute breakfast. Have some of this on hand so
you don't have to wait in line at the fast food joint to get your heart attack
on a muffin."

Diet : How to Lose Unwanted Weight

With social and career success being firmly rooted in modern life, physical
appearance is more important than ever. The popular image of a successful person
seems to be built around fitness in both the physical and moral aspects, a sort
of a physical and moral correctness. Therefore many people are interested in
keeping themselves in shape, especially after a winter of eating heavier food at
the expense of fresh vegetables at fruits.

The first thing to do when trying to get rid of the unwanted excess kilograms is
to take a look at your diet. This is the first step on your journey. Are you
relying heavily on chips, soda and fast food to make it through the day? Are you
eating enough vegetables and fruits? While hamburgers, fries and soda is a tasty
and satisfying combination, it is also a deadly proposition to your health. If
you want to stay fit, you must quit eating high-powered food that provides too
much energy.
Your body doesn’t like to waste things it can use later on and energy is one of
the most important things that can be stored. Eating hamburgers and chips while
leading a largely sedentary lifestyle gives your body much more energy than it
normally uses. This energy is not thrown away, but converted to fat and put into
storage. Therefore, you must cut down on this type of food and turn to the
humbler fruits and vegetables to keep hunger in check without putting your
health at risk.

The second part of the system is exercising. While a sound diet makes sure your
body doesn’t get more energy than it needs, exercising is here to help use up
energy already stored. Taking brisk walks after meals is OK, exercising half an
hour per day is good, going to a gym for an hour or so five days a week is
perfect. There’s no need to starve or exhaust yourself. Diet and exercising can
be fun with a bit of thinking and a positive attitude.

Diet : Where diets go wrong

The first reaction of most people who discover that they’ve put some weight on
is to eat less food. It sounds simple enough and reasonable. Since food is what
got us into trouble it follows that eating less of it will make everything right
again. Nearly every diet or eating plan in the magazines or on the Internet says
pretty much the same thing: eat less food. Therefore the answer to this problem
is very simple and handy. Sure, going with less food than usual is a challenge,
but it also carries with it a sort of expiation feeling.

Unfortunately for those who hope that lowering the food intake would help them
lose weight, this doesn’t work. Over the thousands of years of evolution the
human body had to face starvation many times and had to find ways of surviving.
We are the offsprings of those who managed to survive periods of starvation by
coping with the lack of food. Therefore, a simple decrease in the volume of food
is not going to make a big difference because the body will simply compensate
for it by lowering the amount of energy produced and limiting the capacity for
effort.

The best way to reach your weight loss goal is to work around this defense
system by eating smart instead of eating less. Overweight people and thin people
eat roughly the same number of calories per day because they share the same
required amount of food. However, overweight people eat far more fat than thin
people, who seem to prefer complex carbohydrates that are easily broken down and
metabolized by the body. This is the biggest difference between the two groups
and the best point to start when considering what and how to change in your
eating patterns.

Good dieting always takes time. The excess weight was not accumulated over night
and will never go away in a single day. Every year hundreds of thousands of
people are searching the Internet and reading magazines in order to get dieting
tips and to find the modern Holy Grail: a pill that can make fat disappear in an
instant. Well, maybe this is an exaggeration, but you get the idea. You have
probably encountered by now a lot of advertisements promising such amazing
results with the help of some quasi magic ingredient or other. And you probably
know that losing weight doesn’t work like that.

The only way to lose weight for good is to avoid eating foods that are rich in
fat and to exercises on a regular basis. Dieting without exercising is pointless
because all the weight lost by eating less food will come right back in the
following months. The sedentary lifestyle most of us lead is one of the causes
behind the recent increase in the number of overweight people around the world.
Cars, office jobs and foods rich in fat have brought us an unforeseen problem
because the easy modern life has a price tag, just like everything else.

FITNESS AND EXERCISE : How to Avoid Becoming a Fat Thin Person

Whether your goal is to lose weight or just "tone up," your objective should be the same:
to lose fat without sacrificing muscle. Otherwise, you'll just end up as a fat thin person. In
past issues of ETR, we've told you exactly how to do this: Base all your meals around a
healthy source of protein and add resistance exercise to your workout routine. Recent
research published in the Journal of Nutrition confirms this approach.

Researchers at the University of Illinois divided 48 obese women into two groups. One
group was put on a higher-protein diet, while the other group consumed more
carbohydrates. (Both diets contained the same number of calories.) All of the women
walked several times a week, but the "high-protein" group added two sessions of
resistance exercise.

When the study concluded, the high-protein group had lost an average of 22 pounds -
almost all of it from fat. The women on the high-carbohydrate diet lost only 15 pounds,
and more than two pounds of that was muscle. In other words, 15% of their weight loss
was from muscle!

Dr. Donald Layman, the author of the study, summed it up this way:
"Both diets work because, when you restrict calories, you lose weight. But the people on
the higher-protein diet lost more weight. There's an additive, interactive effect when a
protein-rich diet is combined with exercise. The two work together to correct body
composition; dieters lose more weight, and they lose fat, not muscle."

To maximize your fat loss while maintaining or building muscle, cut back on carbs, base
all your meals around a healthy source of protein, and combine interval training with
resistance exercise. You won't believe how quickly your body will respond.

FITNESS AND EXERCISE : Who Doesn’t Have Time to Exercise Now?

What if you could get the same results with six minutes of cardio exercise each week, as
opposed to six hours? Well, if recent research is any indication, you can.
In a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, 23 reasonably fit men and
women were timed to see how fast they could cycle 18 miles. They were then divided
into three groups. One group cycled two hours a day at a moderate pace. Another group
biked 10 minutes a day in one-minute bursts. The third group biked for a total of two
minutes a day - an all-out sprint for 30 seconds, followed by several minutes of rest
(repeated four times).

After two weeks, the subjects repeated the 18-mile test - and all of their times improved
to virtually the same degree. Additional tests showed that their muscle enzymes (essentialfor preventing diabetes) and the ability of their muscles to absorb oxygen also improved
to the same degree.

Granted, this is a small study. But it does show that you can reduce your workout time
(and get the same or better results) if you're willing to endure some discomfort.

FITNESS AND EXERCISE : Fitness Tips for Travelers

A few ideas that I've gathered from reading, from fellow travelers, and from trial and
error:

• Other than a glass of wine or beer with dinner, don't drink on the plane. It will
dehydrate you, which may give you a headache. (And besides, only obnoxious,
loud people drink heavily on planes.

• Force yourself to exercise while you're away from home. Although I exercise like
crazy when I'm in my regular routine, I find it very difficult to exercise when
traveling. I've gotten better recently by making it easier. My new routine is 10
minutes of yoga movements in the morning (before showering), and 10 minutes
of Hindu squats and push ups in the early evening (before dressing for dinner). By
asking less of myself, I've been able to do more.

• Eating well is another challenge when traveling. Between the rush, the junk food
that's being pushed at you during meetings, and the tendency to have breakfast,
lunch, and dinner meetings, I tend to put on weight. The only solution I've found
is to stick to a zero-carb diet until dinner. It doesn't work all the time (it's tough to
keep saying no to those cookies), but when I fail I don't worry about it. I know I'll
take the extra pounds off right away when I get back.

• Get some sunshine. It's easy to get into a routine where you are out of the sun for a
week when traveling for business. That's not good for you. Schedule some time to get
out and walk in the sun every day.

FITNESS AND EXERCISE : The Cardio Myth

Most fitness books and magazines will tell you that the way to shed fat is to increase the
time and distance that you exercise. While endurance exercise does burn a lot of calories,
it is not the best way to decrease body fat.

During moderate-intensity exercise, the body burns fat for energy. And by engaging in
that type of activity over and over, you are effectively telling your body that you need
that fat. So, to prepare for the next time it is called on to repeat the activity, your body
will store more fat.

Conversely, when you engage in short bursts of high-intensity exercise, your body uses
glycogen stored in the muscle tissues for energy. Over time, this conditions your body to
store energy in the muscles - rather than as fat. Exercising this way will also cause you to
burn more fat during your recovery period, as the glycogen in the muscles is restored.
Consider this study performed by the University of Quebec. One group of exercisers
cycled for 45 minutes without stopping. Another group exercised for short bursts lasting
from 15 seconds to over a minute, with rests in between. The long-duration exercisers
burned more calories, but the short-duration exercisers lost more fat. In fact, nine times
more fat for every calorie burned.

This is why many endurance athletes have body fat percentages ranging from 10% to
20%, while sprinters have a well-muscled physique and usually carry only 4% to 8%
body fat.

If you want to increase the health and strength of your heart, you don't need to spend
hours on a treadmill or run for miles and miles. In fact, doing that can be
counterproductive.

Endurance exercise actually makes the heart, lungs, and muscles smaller, so they can
perform longer with less energy. But what you gain in efficiency, you lose in reserve
capacity. In other words, while you might be able to handle an hour-long jog, you
compromise your ability to produce bursts of energy. In your later years, it is this reserve
capacity that provides protection from heart attacks.

So if you want to improve the health and strength of your heart, focus on short intervals
of intense exercise punctuated by brief periods of recovery.

FITNESS AND EXERCISE : The Sedentary Lifestyle of Today's Youth

Football in the backyard ... kickball in the street ... sweaty games of "capture the flag"
with every kid in the neighborhood taking part. These are all memories of my youth.
When school was out, the last place we wanted to be was inside. But today, with
computers and TV replacing outdoor activities, a majority of today's kids are already on
the road to developing weight issues and degenerative disease.

British researchers at the London Sports Institute recently monitored the activity levels of
4,500 11-year-olds. The children were outfitted with sophisticated motion sensors to
monitor their activity. The study found that nine out of 10 of these children are not doing
enough exercise to ensure that they grow into healthy adults.

FITNESS AND EXERCISE : What Every Man (and Woman) Should Be Able to Do in an Emergency

Most people who exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet do it because they want to
enjoy a long life, they want to improve their appearance, and, in the case of exercise,
relieve stress. But there's another important reason to keep yourself in peak physical
condition. In a recent issue of his daily e-zine, Matt Furey (see Ed. Note, below) quoted
fitness pioneer Earle Liederman, who wrote:
"Every man should be able to save his own life. He should be able to swim far enough,
and run fast and long enough to save his life in case of emergency and necessity."
How do you know if you have enough functional strength and endurance to save yourself
(or someone else) in an emergency? According to Liederman, you should be able to:
• swim at least half a mile
• run at top speed at least 200 yards
• jump over obstacles higher than your waist
• pull your body upward by the strength of your arms 15 to 20 times.

Diet : Drink Diet Drinks… and Gain Weight!

During the past two decades, the number of people who use artificial, no-calorie
sweeteners has more than doubled. At the same time, the prevalence of people who are
overweight and obese has also increased dramatically.
Here's even more evidence that diet drinks can make you fat:
The International Journal of Obesity published a study showing that when a group of rats
drank an artificially sweetened liquid, they consumed three times more calories than
another group of rats that did not get the sweetened liquid. Both groups had the same
access to food.

Diet : Eat More to Lose More (Weight, that is)

If your goal is to lose weight this year - whether 5 pounds or 50 - you should NOT go on
a diet. Dieting fails for more than 9 out of 10 people - for two very simple reasons.
First, most "diets" focus on restricting the amount of food you eat. And unless you enjoy
being in a perpetual state of hunger, you won't stick with it. Plus, by restricting calories,
you send a signal to your body that you are starving. This sets off a survival mechanism
that slows down your metabolism and causes your body to hoard what you eat and store it
as fat. With a decreased metabolism, you're bound to regain the weight - and then some -
when you begin to eat normally.

If you want to lose weight - and keep it off for life - you should eat smaller meals more
frequently. And you should focus on eating more of the right foods. This will raise your
metabolism naturally. It will send a signal to your body that there is no emergency - that
it is okay to release fat.

So ditch the foods that add to your belly and detract from your health, and keep your
kitchen (and your workplace) well stocked with nutritious foods and snacks. I make it a
point to always keep fruit, yogurt (unsweetened ... I just add a little stevia and berries),
almonds, sardines, peanut butter, and celery around. I also spend some time every few
weeks to make healthy meals that I can freeze in individual portions. That way, when I
don't have time to prepare a meal, I always have a healthy lunch or dinner ready to go.

If one of your New Year's resolutions is to lose weight, don't plan to do it by dieting. Stop
starving yourself ... and lose the weight forever by eating more of the foods that Mother
Nature intended for you to eat.

Diet : Want to Lose Weight? Add Some Almonds to Your Diet

You may have heard that nuts are fattening. But in fact, nuts can be a great weight-loss
food. For one thing, they digest slowly and therefore satisfy your hunger longer. Not only
that, nuts are a source of monounsaturated fats - and most nutrition experts believe that
these fats (which are found in olive oil and almonds) actually help people lose fat,
improve insulin resistance, reduce cholesterol, and lower blood pressure.

Researchers in California conducted a study of overweight and obese subjects. Half of the
participants consumed 84 grams of almonds each day, and the other half did not. Both
groups consumed the same amount of calories. The result? Those in the group that ate
almonds achieved substantial decreases in weight, fat mass, body water, and blood
pressure, as compared to those who did not eat almonds.

Diet : A Realistic Approach to Weight Loss

Sally has an ambitious weight-loss goal for 2005. She is planning on losing 40 pounds. In
breaking it down to monthly goals, she said she figured she'd lose four pounds a month
for 10 months and then celebrate in October. If she fell behind a little bit, she'd have two
months to catch up.

That is good thinking, but I suggested the following adjustment. Rather than an even four
pounds per month, she should plan to lose weight more realistically. For example, she
could shoot for six pounds in the first three months, five pounds for the next three, three
pounds for the next two, and the final pound in the ninth month.

That kind of approach corresponds better to how your body actually works. You'll take
off more weight in the beginning -- when your new eating and exercise programs are
having the greatest impact -- and then give yourself more time to settle into a stable
routine for the rest of your life.

Diet : Want to Lose Weight? Eat Your Breakfast

The majority of people who are successful at losing weight and keeping it off eat
breakfast every day. Researchers at the National Weight Control Registry analyzed data
on nearly 3,000 people who had lost an average of 70 pounds and kept the weight off for
a year or more. 85% of the subjects said they eat breakfast at least six or seven days a
week. Only 4% said they never eat breakfast.

Diet : Cut the Carbs and Decrease Your Cancer Risk

Until recently, most studies of low-carb diets have examined the effects on heart disease
and cholesterol levels. But a new joint report from Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Salud
Publica and the Harvard Medical School shows a significant relationship between diet
and your chances of getting cancer.

Women who ate large amounts of carbohydrates were more than twice as likely to get
breast cancer as those who ate less starch and sugar, the CDC-funded report announced.
The results were published in the August 2004 issue of "Cancer Epidemiology (see
"Word to the Wise," below), Biomarkers & Prevention."

Diet : For Maximum Health, Pay Attention to Two Things

I read something yesterday that I thought you might appreciate. It's a way of thinking
about health -- a two-pronged approach to staying healthy that comes from naturopathy, a
healing system postulating that disease occurs when one of the body's basic functions
breaks down.

Two of the body's most basic functions are digestion and elimination -- eating and, well,
you know.

The basic idea is this: If you give your body what it really needs and help it eliminate
toxins, you will be and stay healthy. You will increase your vitality, reduce your chances
of getting sick, and rid yourself of any physical problems you currently have.
It's hard to disagree with this in theory. After all, what could affect a natural organism
more than what that organism takes into itself for fuel? And who wouldn't want to rid his
body of poisons?

How good are you at following this simple, two-part program?
What about your input? Do you consume good stuff or are you filling yourself full of
toxic crap? From what I've read, I believe that sugar is the single greatest "input" problem
modern eaters have. Refined sugar is omnipresent. It's in cakes, cookies, and candies, of
course, but it's also in fruits, fruit juices, canned goods (including, sometimes, vegetables
and meats), packaged goods, medicines, etc.

Starches -- and particularly refined carbohydrates -- are also poison. Yet government and
medical health professionals recommend we eat this junk four or five times a day.
Chemicals and chemically infused animal products are also ubiquitous and harmful. Yet
they are hardly talked about in the health media.

I asked Dr. Al Sears (the chairman of the advisory board for Early to Rise’s sister
publication, Total Health Breakthroughs) for some tips for better digestion and
elimination. Here's what he said:

1. Chew your food well before swallowing. Chewing is the first step in digestion. When
you gulp your food, you unnecessarily reduce the efficiency of digestion.

2. Minimize your intake of refined, processed foods. These man-made concoctions are
alien to your digestive system. The human body is remarkably adaptable and will often
find a way to derive energy. But, over time, the adaptation itself can have untoward
consequences. Many processed foods also have preservatives. The problem is that the
same substances that retard spoiling retard digestion as well.

3. For elimination, the most important thing you can do is exercise regularly. Exercise is
nature's most powerful cathartic.

4. Try an occasional fast. A one- to three-day juice or water-only fast can give your
digestive system a break and help eliminate toxins.

5. Herbs can help. For aiding digestion, my favorite is cascara sagrada. It is made from
the bark of a tree that grows in the Northwest. One ounce of fluid extract in a glass of
pineapple juice after dinner is an excellent treatment for chronic constipation, dyspepsia,
and indigestion. For aiding elimination, my choice is a weedlike herb called milk thistle.
One 300-mg capsule taken three times a day for a week can detoxify and rejuvenate the
liver.

6. Practice "contemplative eating." Try to break the habit of eating while watching
television or reading. Think about eating while you eat. Not only will you better enjoy
one of life's greatest pleasures, but focusing your attention also aids in initiating the
process of digestion.

Diet : How to Eat like a Frenchman and Stay Lean

How to Eat like a Frenchman and Stay Lean
• for Pierre's breakfast, nothing but coffee
• for his lunch, a little salad and meat and a small glass of red wine
• for his dinner, meat, poultry, or fish covered in some rich sauce, fresh vegetables,
potatoes or pasta, unbuttered bread, a glass of wine, and dessert
• absolutely nothing but water or coffee (and plenty of cigarettes) between meals
Pierre says the single glass of red wine twice a day is critical. And he may be right. A
recent study by a team of Spanish researchers found that people who drink two glasses of
wine a day are 50% less likely to exhibit cold symptoms than are nondrinkers. The study,
reported earlier this year in the American Journal of Epidemiology, looked at 4,272
people, ages 21 to 69 years old, for a year.

The diet I follow to lose weight -- the Carb Addicts diet -- is remarkably similar to the
way the Pierre eats. Fish and above-ground veggies are best … then some meat and a
little starch … wine twice a day (but only a glass each time) … and plenty of
supplements. Refined carbs (starches) are clearly the worst. And though some people can
apparently eat some of them, I can't stay lean if I eat starch more than once a day.
Instead of a cup of coffee for breakfast, I have a single boiled egg. For lunch, I eat salad
or veggies plus a small piece of fish or meat. For dinner, I consume as much as I want of
anything, including wine and dessert, but it must all be eaten within a 60-minute period.
The Italians -- also generally thin -- eat in a very similar way.

If you've had trouble keeping thin, you might want to give this eating approach a try.

Diet : The Most Dangerous Fat of All

Modern food processing has created unnatural kinds of fats called "trans" fats, which are
made when unsaturated oils are artificially hydrogenated in order to increase stability and
shelf life. Virtually all packaged foods, including cake mixes, crackers, breakfast cereals,
and mayonnaise, are made with artificially hydrogenated fats. Trans fats are also created
when unsaturated fats are heated to high temperatures, as in deep-fat frying.

Although they are technically unsaturated fats, trans fats behave like saturated fats by
clogging arteries and increasing the susceptibility of cholesterol to oxidize. When the
American Heart Association advised Americans to give up butter in favor of "hearthealthy"
margarine, it was sadly guiding people out of the frying pan right into the fire.
The hydrogenated fats in most margarines have now been shown to be far more
damaging to the heart and arteries than the naturally saturated fats in butter.

Your best bet? Read labels closely. If you see the words "hydrogenated" or "partially
hydrogenated," you can be sure the product contains trans fats.

Diet : What You Need to Know About “Good” and “Bad” Fat

Although many health experts are telling us that we have too much fat in our diet, the
truth is that that most people are actually deficient in essential fatty acids (EFAs),
especially omega-3 fatty acids.

By increasing your consumption of these vitamin-type fats, you can lower your chance of
getting heart disease, reduce inflammation in your joints, enhance your immune response
against cancer, and promote healthy brain function.

The point is that the types of fat you eat make a big difference in your risk of developing
or dying of heart disease. Despite what you've probably been led to believe, it's not
necessary to reduce fat consumption in order to reduce your risks. It is important,
however, to change the KINDS of fats you eat.

In a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers
concluded that replacing unhealthy fats like margarine and shortening with healthy
sources of fats -- such as olive oil, avocados, nuts, and cold-water fish -- was more
effective in preventing coronary disease than reducing total fat intake.
Here's an easy way to remember which fats are good and which are bad, plus the best
way to get the important fats you need.

* Saturated fats are those that are solid at room temperature. They are found in meat,
dairy products, palm and palm-kernel oils, cocoa butter, and coconut oil. Numerous
epidemiological analyses have observed that increased consumption of saturated fat is
linked to increased incidences of heart disease and cancer. While some scientists
(including Dr. Robert Atkins) have argued that saturated fats have been unfairly maligned
for their role in the development of heart disease, most nutritionists advise that saturated
fat be kept to 10 percent or less of your total daily calories.

* Monounsaturated oils are those that are liquid at room temperature but become cloudy
or solid when refrigerated. They include olive oil and canola oil and are present in
avocados. Studies have shown that cultures that get the majority of their fat calories from
monounsaturated fats have a lower incidence of all types of cardiovascular disease and
many kinds of cancer. Health and nutrition experts now recommend that the majority of
your dietary fat intake should be from monounsaturated oils.

* Polyunsaturated oils remain liquid even when chilled. They are important because they
supply the essential fatty acids. The most commonly used vegetable oils, such as those
made from corn, peanuts, and soybeans, are high in omega-6 EFAs. Sources of omega-3
fats include deep-sea (cold-water) fish like salmon, herring, cod, mackerel, and sardines,
as well as flaxseed (also known as linseed).

Most of us get adequate omega-6 from our diet. But unless you are eating cold-water fish
four or five times a week or chewing a tablespoon of raw flaxseed daily, you will most
likely benefit from an additional omega-3 EFA supplement.

In the past, most people took fish-oil and flaxseed-oil supplements. Unfortunately, both
of these can have digestive side effects, ranging from an unpleasant taste to noxious
burping, nausea, and diarrhea. The Health Sciences Institute has recently reported,
however, on a better alternative: perilla oil. We've found that perilla oil appears to be the
most inexpensive and best-tolerated source of these valuable compounds. It delivers all of
the benefits of omega-3 EFAs and in some cases appears to be even more powerful than
fish or flaxseed oil. Most importantly, it's free of the digestive side effects that many
people suffer with the traditional sources of omega-3 fatty acids.