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Natural Weight Control

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Since the topic is high on nearly everyone’s list, it seems only fitting that we discuss diets and weight loss. It is very apparent in reading any magazines or newspapers that a vast majority of Americans are overweight. Studies have shown that this trend is on the rise nationwide.

A study released in October by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that the number of Americans considered obese – defined as being more than 30 percent over their ideal body weight – soared from about one in eight in 1991 to nearly one in five in 2004. Overall, the population of obese men and women in the United States increased from 12 percent in 1991 to 17.9 percent in 2004, according to the CDC survey, which said that figure might be conservative.

Gaining weight or to be more specific, gaining fat, is the result of several factors. The most important of these are diet and exercise. A diet deficient in essential nutrients, skipping meals, or just eating too much can cause the scales to tip. Likewise, a lack of exercise gives the body no way to burn the calories that you’re taking in every day.

Many people feel somewhat limited in the amount of exercise that they can do. Therefore, it is vital that they monitor and control their eating habits to avoid weight gain. Carrying extra pounds puts an incredible stress on the entire body. Every system is affected to some extent. The circulatory system must build more blood vessels to feed the extra fat. The muscles and skeletal system wear out more rapidly from supporting the extra weight. The respiratory system must work harder to bring more oxygen to a larger area. In time, the additional weight begins to cause health problems.

High blood pressure, diabetes, heart and vascular disease all have very strong connections to obesity. A change in nutritional habits at any stage in life allows the body to begin to correct the damage already done. Increasing exercise or adding any physical activity to your daily routine assists your body in fighting weight gain.

These changes do not have to be the punishment or denial that we have come to believe that they are. Dietary change doesn’t mean giving up all those foods that you love. Likewise, exercise does not mean running marathons or spending two hours at the gym every day. Moderation is the key to a healthy lifestyle.

Exercise means simply moving more than you do now. Bending, twisting, moving your arms, walking around the block — all of these activities will burn calories, help build lean muscle mass and boost your metabolism. Just adding a few minutes of movement each day will help but it is important to be consistent. Try to do some of these activities at least three times a week, preferably in the sunshine and fresh air.

Diet changes should basically focus on reducing the intake of sugar and starches. Recent studies have shown that America’s sweet tooth is one of the key culprits of obesity. The suggested amount of sugar for the daily diet is 10 teaspoons. That equals one can of soda. In addition, sugar is added to almost everything we eat. It is seen in the ingredients as sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrins and other names. It is easy to see how we can be eating far more sugar than we know.

Starches are also to blame for packing on the weight. Potatoes, pastas, white bread and white rice are all foods that are easily turned into fat when eaten in excess or in combination with dietary fats. In addition, carrots, beets and corn can also be stored as fat when eaten in combination with other fats.

All the sugars and starches are considered high glycemic foods. It is preferable to eat low glycemic foods to maintain your ideal weight. High glycemic foods cause the insulin level in your body to rise. This results in an increase in fat production. Any of the carbohydrates or fats that were eaten that are not burned as fuel for the body are then stored as fat.

This process was verified and documented by years of studies by the Glycemic Research Institute in Washington D.C. The initial research was begun to determine an acceptable diet for Type II diabetics. The Institute has tested hundreds of foods and compiled lists of the glycemic value of each. If you would like more information on low glycemic foods for weight loss, contact me through my website.

This article gives you a small portion of an eight-week coaching program that I teach through the ‘Personal Coaching’ section of my website. I hope this information leads you to positive choices for healthy lifestyle.

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Source by Jerry Ryan

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The Best Diet Plan Ever – Don’t Diet

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It’s no secret that diet plans simply don’t work. So why are they still so popular? Why is there a new one every day? Part of the answer to that question is in the title of this article – a promise of something good or better. There is only one way to permanently get rid of excess fat; and dieting ain’t it.

Because of conditioning, most Americans “hate” their body fat and think of it as an “enemy;” and, Americans are trained to go to war whenever they “perceive” a threat, or encounter what they have been taught is an “enemy.” Well, fear and war are both synonymous with “stress;” and stress is the only thing that can make you fat.

A diet is simply the food you eat; and, everyone has a diet. But diet plans are attempts to change what you see in the mirror, or on the “outside,” by dramatically altering what you put into your body. When you dramatically alter anything, you create stress; when you dramatically alter your diet, you’re probably going to end up gaining more in the end than you lose as a result of your (often painful) efforts.

Diet foods, and diet drinks, are great ways to pollute your body and actually gain weight. Sugar has its own costs associated with it; but chemicals that just happen to taste sweet have a much higher price as they are often turned into highly toxic compounds by your body. The toxic chemicals in practically all “diet” foods create stress in your body; and, as you probably know by now, stress is the real problem. Also, it is also believed that your body actually produces fat to protect certain internal structures from the harmful effects of the chemicals in diet foods. Fat is one of your body’s primary protective mechanisms, by the way; it isn’t really the enemy we have made it out to be.

Eat things you enjoy; and don’t torture yourself. When you feel like you are starving or suffering, you’re in stress; the negative feelings are the result of the inner struggle going on – a struggle that will resolve itself if you can just let go. This is what people find when they fast; which shouldn’t be confused with dieting.

I don’t recommend fasting as a way to lose weight; although you are likely to lose a few pounds during a fast. When you fast for three-days, or more, you don’t eat diet food; you don’t eat any food at all. Fasting is not a diet-experience; it is an “explore-your-inner-world” experience. During a fast, you will find the reasons you eat; and you will face the emotions you have been “drowning-out” with food.

Observation and acceptance will lead you to release and freedom; you won’t find that with a mouthful of Cheetos or ice cream. Again, I don’t recommend fasting as a diet plan; but, if you really want to know why you eat, fasting will reveal the reasons to you. Surprisingly, we don’t eat because we need to; we really don’t need that much food. In fact, most of the time people eat it is simply because they misinterpreted their own “thirst” signal.

Drink plenty of water, plenty of Sun light, and breathe as often, fully, and deeply as you can. That’s it. Soon, the extra energy you develop will empower you to do something physical; but don’t exercise. Spend the time between now and then imagining yourself fit and having fun; then, when your positive focus is adequate, and you have “recharged your batteries” with energy from the Sun, water, and adequate breathing, you will naturally be inspired to move your body – doing something you love.

Diets are things people do because they don’t like themselves or some part of their bodies, and because they either want to punish themselves, or they simply don’t know what else to do. Diets are almost always used, in other words, for negative reasons, or to get rid of something “bad.” Shift your focus to one that isn’t based on fear and negativity; focus on what you want – and do what you love. That’s the best diet plan ever; and I lost over 50-pounds doing exactly that.

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Source by Pete Koerner

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Diet Pills and Oprah

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Over the weekend, on one of those debate shows, a group of three gave opinions concerning Oprah’s affect on Americans. The makers, advertisers and web site designers of practically every hoodia gordonii diet pill on the market, mention the hoodia / Oprah connection.

Why does America value Oprah’s opinion so highly? Books mentioned by Oprah become best sellers. Products mentioned by Oprah disappear from shelves. The Oprah hoodia connection is no exception. Hoodia gordonii is an amazing plant, appears to be a powerful appetite suppressant and is helping people lose weight, but why the American public believes it when they hear it from Oprah is an interesting question.

The hoodia Oprah connection was formed in July of 2005, when an article in “O” magazine called “Diet Pills, The Next Generation” mentioned hoodia gordonii. Hoodia is world famous today because of Oprah Winfrey and reporters from 60 minutes and the BBC. Not too many people have anything bad to say about hoodia gordonii. There are cautions concerning buying authentic or genuine hoodia. There are concerns about completion of clinical research, but people who listen to Oprah don’t care.

There are rumors about an “Oprah hoodia” diet pill. There does not appear to be any such product. People have said that Oprah is using hoodia herself. This does not appear to be true either. Oprah has had consistent problems with her weight for as long as the American public can remember. First she is really overweight, and then she slims down. She appears to be on that see-saw or roller coaster that many Americans ride when it comes to controlling their weight. Many of us have lost the same 10 or 20 pounds over and over again throughout our lives. There is nothing amazing about the fact that we continuously search for a miracle weight loss pill. About hoodia, Oprah’s opinions may be right. Research thus far and customer’s testimonials seem to indicate that hoodia works for many people. Like any product, it does not work for everyone, but most people who comment about being dissatisfied with results, find satisfactory results with another product.

The Oprah hoodia article did not support or recommend any product currently on the market. It was a general article, as were the television reports about the effectiveness of hoodia as an appetite suppressant. It is doubtful that any of the reporters or writers who investigated hoodia gordonii would have thought that their comments would prove to be the basis for a nationwide advertising campaign, but at least they gave hope to overweight people everywhere.

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Source by Patsy Hamilton