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Showing posts from July, 2018

Do Diets Really Work?

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Verywell.com has some good articles about fitness and diet. I often read their posts and even reblog some of the material. This one is worth the read. From VeryWell.com Men and women have struggled for years, searching endlessly for that magic diet pill to reverse all the bad diet and lifestyle decisions they’ve made in the past. Diet pills come in all shapes, sizes, and colors with different fantasies attached to each one. They range from celebrity-endorsed campaigns to more science-based programs that guarantee success. However, the major question still persists as to whether or not all this diet talk is simply a lie. Don't Fall for Diet Myths and Illusions People are sick and tired of being sick and tired. To make matters worse, a majority of the confusion about diet myths stems from the fitness and nutrition experts, who cannot seem to agree on anything diet related. And I suppose I'm one of those. I tried for decades to lose weight and I did but I still had t

Waist Size Not Weight , May Be The Key To Your Lifespan

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Even those who aren't overweight are at risk of death if they've got a paunch, researchers report This article is awesome. It's exactly what I've been writing about. Too many people obsess over the numbers on the scale when you really should be trying to lose inches. And the most important inches are the ones around your waist. By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter That spare tire you're toting around could be increasing your risk of an early death, a new study suggests. What's more, the increased risk associated with having a larger waistline occurs even if a person's body-mass index (BMI) indicates a healthy weight, said lead researcher Emmanuel Stamataki with the University of Sydney in Australia. People who carry extra weight around the middle -- also called "central  obesity " -- but have a normal BMI have a 22 percent higher risk of death than people whose fat is stored elsewhere in their bodies, the study found. In folk

What Is Calorie Deficit ?

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When you eat fewer calories than you burn you create a calorie deficit. You must create a calorie deficit to lose weight. A calorie deficit is sometimes also called an  energy deficit  because calories are a unit of heat or energy. If your serious about losing weight you have probably heard that term several times. But you need to read because there's more to it and no one has told you the real story. Each bite of food you eat contains energy in the form of calories. You need to consume calories for your body to function properly. But most of us consume more calories than we need each day. Losing weight is simply burning more calories than you eat and that's called  "calorie deficit". Eating more calories than you burn adds fat.  This creates a calorie surplus or  calorie excess . The extra calories are stored as fat.  Sounds simple, ah? There's more to it. All calories are not equal and that's the part the diet experts don't tell you. Yes, every bit

Salt And Your Waistline

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The Connection Between Salt and Weight By  Matt McMillen  We know that food manufacturers put salt in everything and we thought it was just to add flavor, but is there a hidden reason behind the sodium push. If you read the labels companies even put sodium or salt in candy. What going on? They claim it's a preservative and they need it to give the food a longer shelf life. But why is that so important. I read on some labels that the food is good until 2025. Is that really necessary? Conventional wisdom has long held that salty foods boost our thirst and lead us to drink more  water . But can salt also lead us to eat more, as well? Researchers have begun to explore salt’s previously unknown role in  hunger  and  weight gain . Several recent studies shed light on why salt may encourage us to overeat. “Until now, we have always focused on the effect of salt on  blood pressure ,” We have to expand our conceptions of salt and diet” says Jens Titze, MD. Salt and Spa

Stop Doing those "Lose Weight Quick" Fad Diets

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All the promises from Weight Loss 'so called' experts are only sales gimmicks to get you to spend money. You don't have to spend money to lose weight. The lose weight quick plans won't reduce your body fat. And if you don't lose fat those pounds will come back just as quick as they left. Shortcuts are awesome. Who doesn’t appreciate a nice back road that slices a commute in half? I’ve been known to skip ironing because the wrinkles usually fall out in a couple of hours, anyway. Sometimes, steps can be skipped or shortened without compromising the result too much. Unfortunately for dieters, weight loss is generally not something that can be rushed along... at least, not if you want long-term success. Then you’re right back where you started. Before you buy out your local produce section’s entire stock of grapefruit, consider the following reasons why quick-fix diets are not the answer to your waistline woes: But... I always see good results with quickie die

What Is Moderate Exercise?

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You've probably heard the U.S. National Institutes of Health's recommendation for most adults to get 30 minutes of "moderate exercise" on most days to stay fit. But what exactly is moderate? And how do you know if you're working hard or hardly working? All good questions, and because "moderate exercise" is what is always suggested for losing weight, I'm reblogging something from MedicineNet.com. One of the easiest ways to measure the intensity of your workout is with the "talk test." If you're working in the moderate range, you can talk without too much difficulty. But if you can sing, pick up the exercise pace, according to the American College of Cardiology. And if you're doing vigorous activity, you'll be able to say just a few words before pausing for a breath. Another way to figure out how hard you're working is to monitor your heart rate. To do this, first figure out your maximum heart rate. Subtract your

Am I Obese? Here's How The Experts Define It

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I like this post from VeryWell.com. It explains a little about being overweight, but more  important what the healthcare industry thinks about being overweight and why your insurance premiums may be going up or your taxes. All health care costs are not directly paid by the insured, some are paid in taxes. On average the American Tax payer will pay about 26% of his income for health care either directly or indirectly. By Amanda MacMillan Obesity means having far too much body fat. It's about much more than your clothing size or how you look. It can seriously affect your health. Your whole body feels it, from your joints to your heart, blood pressure, blood sugar, and other systems. The extra fat cells produce inflammation and various hormones, which boosts your odds of chronic medical conditions. If it seems like those odds are stacked against you, remember that it's possible to beat them. The first step is to know where you stand. Are You Obese? You step on t

Are All Processed Foods Unhealthy?

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This article was first published in VeryWell.com. The author wants the consumer to know how dangerous processed foods can be. I'll add a few comments between paragraphs. By  Shereen Lehman, MS   97/E+/Getty Images Processed foods have a bad reputation and many people think they'll ruin your health. In fact, you've probably heard that it's bad to eat processed foods. It's true that some of these foods deserve that bad rep, but not all of them. In fact, some processed foods are good for you. We will cover all this below.  The author is right, all processed foods may not necessarily be bad for you and some might even have some nutritional value but many of these manufactured foods have the nutrition stripped out during the processing so if the haven't been fortified with some artificial form of nutrition then they have very little and are just something to fill you up. What Are Processed Foods? Processed foods have been altered from their natural

Get Fit And Live A Better, Healthier Life

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Getting Fit For Life You know it's important to keep moving, no matter how old you are. Exercise keeps your body and your brain healthy. But why do you need to move? And what's the best way to do it? Why Exercise Matters There are many reasons you should stay physically active, especially if you want to live a long life. It can help: Keep your bones, muscles, and joints healthy Lower your chances of things like diabetes, colon cancer, and osteoporosis Lower blood pressure Manage stress and improve your mood Ease symptoms of anxiety and depression Lower your risk of heart disease Manage chronic conditions like arthritis or diabetes, by improving symptoms like stamina, joint swelling, pain, and muscle strength With balance, so you're less likely to fall and fracture bones How Much Exercise? Sometimes as you get older, you may be a bit fearful of exercise. Maybe you think you might hurt yourself. You may believe you have to join a gym. Or you ma

Reasons To Take The Stairs

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“In order for man to succeed in life, God provided two means, education and physical activity. Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise can save it and preserve it.”  --Plato, 400 B.C. Need a good reason to take the stairs? Here are six of them. This post was first published on HealthDay. 1. Stair Climbing Burns More Calories Than Jogging Yes, it’s true: studies have shown that stair climbing, which is considered vigorous-intensity physical activity, burns more calories per minute than jogging. One company, StepJockey, which is funded by the United Kingdom Department of Health and has as its sole mission the goal of getting everyone to take the stairs whenever and wherever possible, notes that stair climbing uses 8 to 9 times more energy than sitting and about 7 times more energy than taking the elevator. As an added bonus, you burn calories not only on the way up but also while going down the stairs!