Fat Loss 4 Idiots Opinion

Monday, June 1, 2009

Calorie Shifting for Fat Loss

By Christine Querido

There is more to weight loss than just work-outs and self deprivation. Often people don't realize how complicated the function of the human body can be. A simple move here and there can trick your body into fast tracking your weight loss plan. Calorie shifting is exactly what you want to be well informed about when it comes to losing weight and fat. The concept hasn't been around that long but has proven to be an extremely effective method for shedding unwanted weight in relatively short periods of time. Are you intrigued?

Calorie Shifting: What's the Secret?

Calorie shifting is a relatively easy concept to understand. What it does is simply focus on your weekly calorie intake rather than a daily intake. By doing this you can change up your calories according to your needs that day. If you feel one day you want to eat a little more than do it and then just simply lower your intake the following day. What this does is trick your body so that it never settles into a routine of burning the same calories day and in and day out.

Fat loss: How does it happen with calorie shifting?

When you seesaw between low and high caloric intake, your body will end up burning fat. How? You see, calories are the main sources of energy. So whenever you do an activity such as exercise, you will use the calories you took in to get yourself going. When your body is low in calories, you will end up using the fat reserves to complete your task on hand. As you can see, in the days where you have low calorie supply, your body will burn your fats. With this, you will end up losing fat.

How safe is calorie shifting?

Yes, Absolutely! Our bodies all need a certain amount of fat to survive but an excess of it can lead to a plethora of problems. This is not a diet, its a way of life, it allows the body to shed unwanted fat but once youre at your desired weight you can just go back to eating a moderate diet on a daily basis. This diet is so versatile it can even be used for a great way to just maintain your weight.

What are its advantages?

Calorie shifting has more than just one advantage. For starters, its one of the safest methods you can use for losing fat effectively. One of the main reasons people seem to love this method so much is because they dont feel as limited as they do when they are on other weight loss programs. Most people seem to say that they feel like they are not even doing anything at all. It allows you to indulge when you feel the need to and to correct it the following days without feeling guilty at all because youre still losing fat!

Calorie shifting: Any disadvantages?

Simply put, this method has not disadvantages whatsoever. Because of its zero disadvantages, many have said that it can also be used for long term. - 17269

About the Author:

The Brazilian Super Food: Acai Berry

By Kari Gambale

In the Amazon forest of Brazil grows a tiny berry by the name of Acai. For hundreds of years the natives of Brazil have harvested it for their diet.

The berries must be treated properly to preserve their natural properties. Only 10% of each berry is fruit. The rest is seed and has no nutritional value. Therefore it takes a substantial amount of these little berries to create a usable puree.

The people in this country have recently discovered the amazing benefits of the Acai berry. American scientists and nutritionists have studied the value of the berries and their findings have been truly astonishing.

A perfect example of their effectiveness is found in Brazilian athletes who eat a substantial portion of Acai berry pulp prior to every match or game. They have discovered it gives them both strength and stamina allowing them to play their best and do well under pressure. Acai berries are high in antioxidants and help rid the body of free radicals that can do damage to the bodies tissue and muscles. The results are increased energy and stamina.

The Acai berry also contains carbohydrates. Carbohydrates play a major role in the human body, delivering storage and providing the transport of energy to structural components. The derivatives of the carbohydrates all work in the process of development, blood clotting, pathogenesis (structure of cells, organs and tissues), fertilization and above all taking care of our immune system. Interestingly enough, 40 to 65% of our dietary energy should come from carbohydrates.

The United Sates and other industrialized nations are susceptible to high levels of pollution, chemicals and additives that have begun to create health problems and an increase in serious disease and illness. The free radicals present in pollutants cause damage to our cells and healthy functioning of our immune system. Acai berries contain Vitamins and nutrients that have powerful antioxidant properties and help to rid the body of their negative impact.

Acai berries have been shown to lower cholesterol and help the body process nutrients. The Brazilians are one of the most energetic and healthy people in the world and are not affected by the illnesses that we have encountered. Many believe it is the Acai berry that makes them so healthy. Omega 6 and Omega 9 are powerful antioxidants that are contained in this magical berry. It is also dense in essential fatty acids, fiber, protein, iron, calcium, potassium and phosphorous, as well as, Vitamins C, E, B1, B2 and B3 all very important and essential vitamins to maintain our health.

Because of the antioxidants, amino acids, essential fatty acids, as well as phytosterols which are naturally occurring plant phytochemicals, the Acai is thought to be helpful in reducing heart attacks. The ingredients will all work together to burn fat efficiently, process your food more easily, as well as working to make your body function healthier. Thus, the Acai berry is highly suggested for you to reach a more perfect weight if you are overweight. Also, those phytosterols will reduce human cholesterol levels by up to 15%.

The antioxidants and the essential fatty acids in Acai berries work together to lower LDL or bad cholesterol and raise HDL or good cholesterol in the body. The essentials acids boost the bodys absorption of the valuable vitamins A, E, D and K.

Antioxidants, known as anthocyanins, as found in the Acai berry, are also thought to work as both an anti-viral and anti-bacterial agent in the body. Not only are these anthocyanins capable of accomplishing that particular task, but also they are proficient in helping maintain good eyesight. They also fight a range of other eye related eye diseases such as macular degeneration and even glaucoma.

Aiding the digestion, Acai berry has vital enzymes that aid the digestion process. If you suffer from digestive problems such as acid reflux, irritable bowel or the like, an Acai product may help cure this problem for you.

Acai berry pulp also contains elements such as Vitamin B the helps regulate the body's level of dopamine and serotonin, the very things that help you sleep well and restore and relax your muscles. A good nights sleep on a regular basis is essential to good health.

The Acai berry and all of its fantastic properties is now readily available in this country and certainly worth a try. - 17269

About the Author:

Do you ever think that you may have gout?

By Paul Mahon

Gout is uniquely known in the medical world as one of the most regularly recorded medical disease throughout history. It is frequently related to hereditary abnormality in the ability of a person's body to excrete uric acid.

Your kidneys work very hard removing items from your body that can cause illness and even poison your body from the inside. If you don't take care of your kidneys by doing things such as drinking 8 glasses of water a day to help flush toxins from your body then there is always the chance that they won't be able to remove as much uric acid from your system as they should.

Not everyone with increased levels of uric acid in their blood stream will develop gout, but if you find your blood contains eleveated levels then it is a good reason to start taking precautions to reduce it. At it's worst increased uric acid can lead to kidney stones and even kidney failure, as well as gout.

Gout attacks are partly caused by your body trying to protect itself, it sees the uric acid crystals as an invader and white blood cells are sent out to put a safety envelope around the crystals. This is when the pain starts.

Gout usually attacks men over the age of 21, this may be partly due to the increased alcohol intake that starts after than age. Although middle age and later is when most men will start to suffer with gout, most likely due to the increase in obesity and the fact that people tend to stop watching what they eat after a certain age.

Elevated uric acid in your blood doesn't automatically equal gout attacks, in fact Dr's have not been able to link the two unequivocably, it is howver definitely a warning point. If you have pains in your toe joints, inflamation and swelling and then a blood test finds elevated uric acid then it is safe to say that you probably have gout. - 17269

About the Author:

iPod Video Revolutionizes Personal Training Industry in Bucks County

By Kareem F Samhouri, DPT, CSCS, HFI

New horizons have been reached in the personal training industry through the inclusion of the iPod Video and iPhone as new tools for training long-distance clients. Long-distance personal training has been a growing trend for years. For some fitness professionals, this may seem a bit disconcerting, as a portable demonstration of exercise can sometimes be more effective than a single, live demo. With a constantly increasing level of self-awareness and health provisions, it's no wonder that people are finding a solution that reaches further than one can drive.

In fact, some fitness professionals have even managed to create video courses, simulating public speaking environments with Powerpoint format and video voice over in order to offer people an even greater value through their subscription to iPod workouts. It is actually possible now to enjoy many forms of multimedia through an iPod video or an iPhone, not just music.

One example of the "portable personal trainer" that is taking place involves an email delivery service, where you receive a couple of workouts for the week. You can then download the corresponding videos to your iPod, from which you can carry the exercises to the gym. Previously, the large majority of online fitness training stemmed from home workouts and/or e-books. Through the use of video, that is accessible on an iPod, new horizons have been reached and new levels of long-distance fitness coaching are available.

As a fitness professional, it's important to remind readers that you should not hire a personal trainer because of convenience. Instead, it's more important to evaluate them for their skill set and educational background, regardless of price or environment. Remember, this is your body. Be sure to choose wisely when asking someone to help you take care of it.

Technological advances, such as the iPod Video, are causing many fields to improve. For example, portable exercise video has allowed, for the first time, the ability to hear and see exercise at the same time while at the gym. It's important to acknowledge that advances in technology have allowed barriers between long-distance fitness coaches and clients to be broken. - 17269

About the Author:

Food Allergy Or Food Intolerance?

By Jonathan Rigby

Food allergies effect such a large number of people that it seems most people know at least someone with a food allergy. These allergies can be difficult to live with and even worse they send thousands of people to the emergency room each year; they are also the cause of a few deaths each year.

Many people suffer from a food intolerance, which shouldn't be confused with a food allergy. They are two distinct and different conditions that result in different consequences.

A food intolerance, sometimes called a food sensitivity, results in a delayed reaction to a food or food additive. A food allergy on the other hand can cause a reaction within minutes of consuming the triggering food. An intolerance occurs because the food isn't being digested properly due to things like a lack of enzymes, but an allergy is an immune response.

A food allergy is the body's reaction to a substance that it views as possibly harmful. The immune system works to constantly protect our bodies from these things it deems harmful. The allergen is seen by the body as one of these substances so the immune system goes to work trying to protect the body by releasing protective chemicals. One of the chemicals released is histamine, which can affect the nose, eyes, throat, skin or GI tract.

Symptoms of an allergy reaction can show within seconds or take up to an hour. These symptoms can include swelling or tingling of the mouth, lips, throat or tongue; wheezing or difficulty breathing; diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal pain; or hives. If the reaction progresses it can result in anaphylactic shock which can involve a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness and in some cases death.

Food allergies seem to be more prevalent every day but the majority of allergies are caused by just eight foods -- eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, shellfish, wheat and soy. In the United States these eight are responsible for over ninety percent of food allergies. While allergens may vary to some degree from country to country these eight are generally the most common.

Of course the most effective way to treat allergies is to avoid the allergen. With airborne allergies this is difficult, but you might think it would be easy with a food allergy -- that's not always the case. Processed foods can often contain hidden allergens. To help with this problem the United States has required that companies label foods containing any of the eight common allergens.

The labeling has been a big help, but unfortunately it doesn't assure the food is completely free of allergens. They can also slip into the food system through cross-contamination. This can be a problem when a plant products multiple foods, some of which contain common allergens. The machines are cleaned before processing a new food, but traces of the allergen can remain and be passed to the next food that's processed.

Luckily most labels now have an allergy section where they list what other types of foods are processed in the same facility, but there are other things food allergy sufferers will need to look for as well. Ingredients that contain allergens can be listed under different names, for example casein and whey are forms of milk protein. Those with a dairy allergy will need to avoid these ingredients.

It's important for allergy sufferers to know the signs of an allergic reaction, and to know how to treat themselves. A common treatment method is the use of an EpiPen. It's also a good idea to carry a medical alert bracelet or card noting the allergy. - 17269

About the Author:

Obesity - One of the Effects of Overeating

By Jen Smith

One of the effects of overeating can be obesity. Obesity is a medical condition where a person has a body mass index of 30 and above. Over the years, the percentage of people who are obese has been rising. All over the world obesity is the most prevalent nutritional disorder among children and adolescents. In this article we will tackle the different effects of being obese. These effects are not true for everyone. They are just examples of what might happen to an obese person.

Low self-esteem is the first effect. It is common in individuals who are suffering from obesity. They feel that people will not accept them because of their physical appearance. Because of people scrutinizing them, they gradually develop different moods. There are times that they just want be alone and hide from the world.

Some obese people experience having a hard time looking for the right clothing size. They will be able to find clothes but fat an extra cost. Besides, not all store have large sizes in stock. Some people are embarrassed to go to a certain store to ask for the largest size they have because they feel that they be will laugh at.

Obesity is often associated with chronic fatigue syndrome. The vitality of someone with this syndrome is lowered, and this affects their ability to move. It may also affect their mental alertness. When they exercise, they feel tired and exhausted even if they only did a little bit.

Some obese people suffer from chronic conditions that may require medical treatment. Back problems are experience by obese people and they tend to endure it rather that talking to their doctor. They are afraid and embarrassed that they will be lectured not on the back problem but with their diet and daily activities.

Some individuals think that fat is a sign of being healthy, but that is not true. They eventually develop medical problems that can be a threat to their life. The most common disease that is associated with obesity is diabetes which makes them prone to heart disease too. They can also acquire liver disease when they take medications for additional health problems they develop.

Obesity may affect a woman's fertility and pregnancy. It reduces ovulation and lowers the response to fertility treatment. When an obese woman is pregnant, she has some health risks like birth defects, pregnancy and hypertension. An obese woman can experience post-pregnancy complications such as urinary tract infections and the healing from birth will take a long time.

As you see, obesity reduces the overall quality of life in addition to posing a major risk for all kinds of illnesses. It can be life-threatening because of the health problems that will develop and will require medical attention. Obesity also affects one's happiness because they are not able to do things that require a lot of action. Just like the other effects of overeating, obesity is just no fun! - 17269

About the Author: