Factors For Selecting The Finest Weight Loss Clinic Minnesota Can Get

By Juana Buchanan

Statistics reveal that a lot more people are facing the danger of suffering from obesity. Another considerable percentage of the population is already obese. This is attributed to the changing lifestyles and diet that people are adapting. Nevertheless, the need to slenderize is always on the rise. You will never run short on slimming advice. Below are tips for choosing the best weight loss clinic Minnesota can afford.

To begin with, you need to appreciate the fact that this task should not be taken lightly. Where our health is involved, you should be more cautious all the steps of this venture. Another fact to take cognizance of is that making the ultimate choice can be a bit tricky. There are numerous programs targeting those individuals keen on losing their weight. They are likely to confuse you while making your choice.

As a starting point, it is advisable that one seeks the opinion of their primary health care providers. This will greatly help you in making a clear choice. Although the specialty of doctors is not in healthy diet choice making, they understand and know your body well. They are thus very competent in helping you get contacts of the best nutritionists in Minnesota.

Another efficient method for getting help is by asking from those around with similar ordeals in the past or present for recommendations. Your friends, relatives or colleagues consist of this channel of network. This will help you choose the best program that will work for you by making comparisons of all your suggestions. Nothing is more convincing than a living proof of something that actually works.

Some people find it embarrassing to talk about such matters within those quarters. They tend to think that it may lower the respect they are accorded by those people. You need to be aware that if you are interested in getting suitable help for your condition, you should reach everywhere without reserving anything. Bearing in mind that doctors are there to help you, do not have any other doubts in your mind.

Shortlist all the slimming programs recommended to you. You should then plan to meet the expert in charge of the program to see if they can address your problem. It is advisable to write down some questions to help you evaluate the competence of both the physicians and their clinics. Carry a pen and paper for taking notes whenever it is necessary. You may invite someone close to you if it makes you feel comfortable.

When looking for the most effective programs to help you control your weight, there are factors you need to be keen on. At the outset, the program should target your entire health and not just your diet. Most physicians come up with programs that are simply diets.

There are many programs in Minnesota that are good and effective. You should look for one that will help you keep off the weight for good. You also need to confirm the qualifications of the person running the clinics and their experience. Only accredited and experienced physicians can offer reliable slimming programs.

About the Author:

When you are looking for information about a dependable weight loss clinic Minnesota locals should pay a visit to the web pages here today. You can see details at http://www.minnesotadiets.com now.

Can Energy Drinks Help You Lose Weight?

Energy drinks are liquid soda-style beverages that are boosted by the inclusion of 'energy boosting' ingredients including sugar, caffeine and other caffeine-like substances like ephedrine, and guarana. Some energy drinks also have vitamins, “acid stabilizers” or other nutritious-sounding ingredients, too. With all of these ingredients one might well ask whether energy drinks can help you achieve your weight loss goals by giving you the boost you need to exercise consistently.

Red Bull, Jolt, Amp and Hype are four of the more commonly known energy drinks. Energy drinks themselves are classified as "functional beverages" which means that they do not form part of the bigger nutraceutical food or dietary supplement industry. So because energy drinks are not classified as either a food or a dietary supplement, they are not regulated nor monitored by the Food and Drug Administration.

The aim of energy drinks is to boost your energy for physical activity and to improve your ability to concentrate on a specific task. Many believe these drinks can provide the energy they need to perform their exercise routine. But whatever you do, you should not confuse energy drinks with sports drinks. Sports drinks are specially formulated to help provide energy to tired muscles and to help the body absorb water and glucose (sugar) – energy drinks are not designed to do this.

While sports drinks are at their most beneficial if your workout is going to exceed an hour or so, plain water is generally a preferred option for quenching your thirst and replenishing your body fluid. Energy drinks, on the other hand, dehydrate rather than hydrate so this is why they are not designed for assistance with sports, but rather just to give you that quick energy-based pick me up.

While many people might claim that energy drinks are good for you if you are playing sports, the truth is that they are good for short bursts of activity and mental alertness only. It is vital that if you are consuming energy drinks that you know what you are drinking. Energy drinks are not necessarily bad for you, but they shouldn't be seen as natural substitutes for health supplements either. Some of the marketing for energy drinks claim that they "improve performance" and can be misleading because essentially all you are doing is over stimulating your body with caffeine.

There is not very much that is currently known about energy drinks and the effects that their consumption can have on a person’s overall health and wellbeing. The creators, manufacturers and marketers of energy drinks will tell you about the numerous health effects of their products. Their messages will tell you that these products can increase your physical endurance, improve your reaction times, boost your mental alertness and concentration, increase your overall wellbeing, stimulate and even speed up your metabolism, improve your stamina and help eliminate waste from your body.

Ideally, energy drinks should not be used by someone exercising for a sustained period of time because the combination of fluid loss from sweating and the diuretic quality of the caffeine can leave the drinker feeling severely dehydrated at a time when their body needs to be replenished with fluids.

So, what is the deal with energy drinks and why are they so popular? Well quite simply, if you manage your consumption at only one or two a day, then energy drinks won’t harm you and in fact can help you improve your day-to-day activities. Their super-concentrated stimulating ingredients will indeed wake you up and help you to improve the way that you conduct and perform simple mental tasks. There is plenty of sugar and caffeine in energy drinks though, so you should be sure that you minimize your consumption to one or two drinks a day at the most. Any more and you could well experience side effects.

Bariatric surgery & early death

Weight loss surgeries have witnessed huge popularity in recent times. The number of stomach-shrinking operations, a type of bariatric surgery meant for severely obese people has skyrocketed in recent years. Few celebrities of Hollywood have also opted for this form of surgery to curtail obesity.

But there are various risks associated with these surgeries especially for elderly people and those suffering from heart disease. At times, it can result in early death.  Patients aged 65 or older face a nearly threefold increase in the risk of early mortality according to latest findings. It has been found that men are nearly twice as likely to die following such procedures as opposed to women. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, more than 5% of men and nearly 3% of women aged 35 to 44 years were dead within a year of having the surgery and a slightly higher rate were found in patients aged between 45 to 54.

Bariatric surgery is a complicated procedure therefore a surgeon requires prior experience to perform it properly. Patients whose surgeons had performed fewer than 20 procedures were nearly five times as likely to die within 30 days after the operation as compared to others. Despite the greater risk associated with it, bariatric surgery can be a safe and effective tool for morbidly obese people, who face serious health problems if they don't lose weight.

Things you need to know about bariatric surgery
1.Bariatric surgery is not an easy option for obesity sufferers as it carries the usual pain and risks of any major gastrointestinal surgical operation. 
2.Bariatric surgery requires changes in eating habits therefore after having bariatric surgery; patients remain at a lifelong risk of nutritional deficiencies.
3.Bariatric Surgery is best suited for morbidly obese people.
4.High amount of motivation is required to make the surgery a success.
5.This procedure is costly as compared to other weight loss techniques.
Therefore, be well informed about the surgery you want to opt for as it can make weight loss an easy and safe affair for you.

to know more about weight loss
visit:http://www.bestttdiet.com

Are Your Thoughts About Your Body Holding You Back From Success?

When someone joins my personal coaching program, one of the first things I ask them to do is to describe exactly what their body is going to look like once I help them reach their goal weight. I ask them to do this in writing – not over the phone, and here’s why…

Deeply imbedded negative thoughts are what cause us to have difficulties in any weight loss or health enhancement program – in fact, our past failures can almost always be traced back to negative thoughts that we didn’t even realize we had.

Most of our negative thinking comes out when we write things down on paper (or on the computer).

I challenge you to write out 10 brief descriptions about how your body will look in 30 days if you were coached by someone like me – someone who knows exactly how to transform the human body no matter what stage of the game you’re currently at.

Go ahead, take a moment and write out what your face would look like, what your arms would look like, what your legs and your butt would look like – would your skin look different, would your muscles be tighter, would you be leaner – detail everything, then come right back.

Did you do it?

Make your list now before reading any further – I want you to walk away with some profound knowledge of yourself when you’re done reading this article.
OK, now that you have your list, let me show you something that you can use to judge whether or not you’ve been causing yourself to fail in your attempts to lose weight and keep it off.

Here are some examples of statements that a good friend of mine used to have before he and I began working together – statements that were literally holding him back from success:

Face–more chiseled features, no double chin, no doughy jowls or puffy cheeks, no bags under the eyes.

Other than improved facial shape, I really have no complaints at all about my face, hair, eyes, nose, ears.

Neck–no double chin or “wattle”

Chest–no gynecomastia (womanly breasts), muscular instead. Look, ma, I can see my ribcage and pectoral muscles instead of a soft mattress of flab.

Arms–hard sinewy curves instead of soft breadsticks. Seeing veins and muscles instead of smooth fat.

Abdomen–are there really abs hiding in there? They’ve never made an appearance in 50 years! It’d be nice to have a tight waist not uncomfortably sliced by too-tight underwear.

Legs–less of a conical shape, more elongated and solid. Although my calves have always been rather large and firm–my best body part, next to my brain.

Buttocks–less sag, more form
Back–could be a lot less hairy, would be nice to see a “V” shape instead of a truncated pyramid.

Can you see why he might have had a few troubles in the past reaching his goal?

But I’ll let you in on a little secret – this guy is in great shape now and enjoying life more than ever, and he’s a pleasure to speak with each week in our coaching calls.

Now here’s a list from a woman who recently completed one of my coaching programs – this list was written out after our first session together – watch how positive every statement is:

WHAT MY BODY IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE
———————————–
my face will be thinner, more defined
my posture will be great all of the time
my legs will be free of cellulite and extra fat
my butt will be sculpted and defined
my abs will be tight and defined
my arms will be cut and defined and strong and sexy!
my chest will be lifted and shapely
my back will show definition and be sexy!
I will feel the urge to walk around naked all the time! (around my house and my husband, of course)
I will walk confidently knowing that I look great!
I will compliment my awesome body with cool clothes that show it off
I will wear a bikini from now on!!! No shorts over the bottom!
I will wear those short shorts I have sitting in my closet
my skin will be clear
I will be unbelievably beautiful and sexy!!!

When making your list, make sure to avoid using any negatives, and have fun with this exercise – the short time you take out of your day to make your list will save you tons of time and frustration in the near future.

A Pleasuarble Dieting And Weightloss Experience

Tired of the same old do's and don't when it comes to dieting and weight loss? If you're one of the many women trekking the hard path to weight loss, you've probably come across programs that tell you to avoid certain kinds of food. There are those that recommend vigorous exercises to rev up your metabolism but only allows you to eat a third of your usual intake. Chances are, you feel deprived. And this deprivation will probably cause you to binge later or have mood swings. It could even affect your work and family life. But did you know that you could diet and lose weight without sacrificing the things you want? This is the game plan for the slow and conscious eating diet.

Recent studies concluded that diets which are low-fat or low-calorie can only do so much to your body. Dieting and weight loss through this may not event prevent heart diseases. Moreover, another research show that our bodies utilize and absorb more nutrients from foods that we like. This means that scarfing down plate after plate of brussels sprouts or brocolli won't do you much good than you expect if you don't like veggies. This is because if we are presented with something that we like, say, roasted chicken with lemon butter sauce, our brain, upon recognizing the smells and sight will send signals to the stomach to release more digestive juice. The result? A better metabolized and digested protein than servings of tofu that will just go to waste simply because our brain protested against it. But don't binge yet, certain precautions must be considered to avoid going into a pleasure eating overdrive.

First, the food must have nutritional content. This means that chips and chocolate diets are out. Vegetables, fruits, proteins, and whole grains are preferred. Smother them in sauce and prepare them the way you like. Fry, steam, grill, or bake, it's up to you. The key to this method of dieting and weight loss is proper nutrition and yummy food. Second, assess why you need to eat. Are you really hungry? Is it just for socializing? Or is the desire to eat an emotional thing? In short, have the right attitude when it comes to food. Eat substantial portions are enough for sustenance, a small amount if you're just in for the chat, and control your indulgence when eating for emotional needs. This brings us to our third consideration, the method of eating or your eating habits. You may have to tweak your eating habits a few times to control eating for pleasure. Make like the French and chew your food slowly. Savor every flavor and texture. It is important to prolong delight in eating your meal. Without realizing it, you'll feel fuller and more satiated sooner with smaller portions. The result? Easy dieting and weight loss with minimal effort on your part.

30-Minute Weight Loss Exercise Proves Most Effective

JUST A LITTLE BIT IS BETTER THAN NOTHING; STILL, A WEE BIT MORE IS SO MUCH MORE ADMIRABLE!

If you're “averagely overweight,” that is, not doctor-diagnosed with extreme obesity, or if you just want to feel better by losing or shedding a few pounds, there’s good news for you – from ACCREDITED, reliable, trusted experts who also care about your well-being. [See: ACE; ACSM; AHA; or AHA.]

Truth: Ten minutes of daily exercise is admirable because it’s far better than zero minutes of productive energy expenditure. However, exercise physiology and weight loss science point to 30 minutes per day, at least three times per week, as part of your best body fat improvement scenario.

Why Does 30 Minutes Prove So Beneficial, And What’s The Other Part of An Effective Weight Loss Scenario?

Your body has only three possible energy systems. Two of them are oxygen-INDEPENDENT. Yet, in order to metabolize fat, your body demands that oxygen be present. Long-story-short: brief, especially “quick” exercise bouts look for quick energy sources. These reside in blood and in muscle. It takes more than a few minutes to significantly tap into your fat stores, and especially, to burn enough of it for a long enough time to lose some substantial body weight.

This is almost the exact opposite of muscle tissue, where you can see and feel virtually immediate results. Burning fat requires patience. You simply have to allow yourself TIME to let exercise effects occur.

Reach Your Aerobic Threshold

Generally, exercise begins with a warm-up phase, at least 1-3 minutes. Provided your intensity remains within your target heart rate training zone, (about 120 heart beats per minute – an estimated average for most non health-impaired adults) you’ll spend the next 7-10 minutes reaching your aerobic threshold. Staying near-to, but right below the point where your muscles burn (from a too-highly-intense performance causing lactic acid build-up) will bring you to a virtually perfect “fat-burn.” Yet, THIS very special meeting only occurs at medium-to-low intensities, which takes longer periods of time.

Lipids (a simplified word for “non-water-soluble-fats” within your system) have to move from the outside of a cell, through the cytosol, mix with pyruvate, plus oxygen… then proceed to your “furnace” (mitochondria). This is where you break fat down into your “rewarding and much-wanted” by-products – energy (the work you’ve achieved); H2O (sweat); and carbon dioxide (a lot of continuous “exhaling”).

So, if you quit at the 10-minute mark, you deny yourself approximately an additional 10 calories or more per minute of weight lost, primarily from fat stores. Stopping this process at 10 minutes is much like going all the way to the door of your favorite party but never stepping inside…for the “real” action.

Reasons Why You Should Work Out More Than Ten Minutes

With all of that said, there’s an even more monumentally powerful yet scientific reason why you should work out for more than only ten minutes. In fact, at least 30-minute exercise sessions prove most beneficial for effective weight loss and improved endurance. You’ll get three fundamental benefits from this:

First, you preserve your LEAN body mass (which you need because it burns fat far better than fat can burn itself).

Second, you get to expend MAXIMUM calories (the true key to losing weight – maximizing caloric expenditure, which is a time-consuming venture).

Third, your extended physical activity makes you change the way your body USES food internally or metabolically (for example, getting three-fold increase in calories expended, compared to person remaining sedentary.).

To Summarize, Experts Now Agree

The bottom line is that essentially all experts in diabetic science, obesity control, dietetics & nutrition, exercise science & personal training, and exercise physiology agree that extended, low-to-moderate-intensity physical activity is yet the most significant and flexible factor in energy expenditure for losing weight.

Mix that with practicality, reasonability, and utilize the following tip: Base your safe, effective weight loss goals around the fundamental principle that you need to alter your energy balance in the NEGATIVE direction by expending about 500 calories per day from smartly manipulating both EXERCISE AND DIET. You’ll find that it's barely even possible to accomplish this feat by altering food alone. With exercise, however, you can obtain your weight loss objectives much more comfortably and conveniently, plus safely, too, for results that are long-lasting and health enhancing.

Information And Advice To Help People To Lose Weight

If you are looking into ways of how you can become fitter or how you can lose weight, this article may be of interest to you. It gives information and advice to help people to successfully lose weight and more importantly to keep this weight off in the long term.

I have had many issues with my own weight and have tried many different weight loss programs and diets. I have lost weight but then after only a short period of time, I would put all of the weight back on again.

A few years ago, I decided to try to reduce the amount I weighed yet again, but was determined that this time the fat would stay off. I had read many books on the subject of fitness and dieting and decided to follow some of the advice which I had learnt.

I wrote down all of the reasons I was trying to lose the excess fat. This is very important as it would be a constant reminder of what I am attempting to achieve and also about why I am attempting to achieve it. It would give me a huge motivation to stick to my weight loss plan. I would advise anybody who is also looking to lose weight to write a similar list as it proved to be very beneficial to me.

On my list I wrote about how I wanted to look and feel stronger and fitter. This I believed would help my self-confidence and self-esteem which were always fairly low. I had had enough of feeling ashamed of my weight and fat belly. I wanted to walk down the street feeling proud and assured.

I wanted to lose weight to avoid all the health problems that being obese can cause, as people become older. I am not sure about you but I rarely see a fat person who is in their seventies or eighties. I am hoping to live until a ripe old age and enjoy my retirement.

Next on my list was about the clothes I wear. Basically I am not able to buy the clothes I really want to as they do not really suit a person of my build. I often look at other people and am impressed with their clothes but then realise that they are a lot of thinner than I am. The clothes may look impressive on them but would not look the same if I wore them.

I also wanted to lose weight in order for me to look more attractive to members of the opposite sex. Being overweight I am sure has a bearing as to why I have not exactly been a stud in my life, well it is my excuse anyway.

The last reason on my list was about my general level of fitness. I love playing football and was a regular in the school football team. That was years ago, when ever I had played recently before writing this list, I had been out of breath after only about fifteen minutes. This was quite a shock for me and made playing the game far less fun and enjoyable. I wrote about how I would love to regain my fitness so that I could participate in this and other sports.

Once I had written my list, I would then read it on regular occasions and it would help me to keep motivated. I am not saying it was an easy road, however I eventually managed to obtain a weight that I was happy with. I am pleased to let you know that I have also been successful in keeping the weight off this time around.

In conclusion, if you are thinking about or hoping to lose some weight, I would recommend you to write a list of reasons why you are doing it. Keep these ideas in mind and if you start to be tempted by that fatty food, quickly read your list to remind you why you should ignore your temptations. Good luck.

Geeting Started With A Weight Loss Program Is Easy

A lot of people want to lose weight. The impression we have is that we have to really get geared up mentally to start. We plan, we set a date, we worry and we fuss over the upcoming start and trauma of a pending diet.

Relax! Beginning a weight loss program should be easy and simple and stress free.

First, start small. Do something different but something that will not make a huge, traumatic impact on your life. Try skipping dessert. Eat one less cookie a day. Instead of a handful of candy have one piece.

If you're interested in losing weight, you're objective is to create a daily calorie deficit. For example, by consuming 1700 calories per day, and expending 2000 calories per day, your caloric deficit is 300 calories. 300 Calories is roughly 1 candy bar.

If you understand that to increase your daily calorie deficit, there are two options you have, eat fewer calories or increase calorie expenditure via exercise and other physical activity, it even becomes easier.

Take a walk each evening. Take the stairs instead of an elevator at work. By exercising for 30 minutes, three days per week, you can substantially increase your calorie expenditure and in addition, improve your metabolism.

Below is a quick list to help you easily create a calorie deficit without the stress of a diet:

1. Make aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, or swimming part of your daily life. Walk each evening. Make it fun. Walk with music or a good friend.

2. Be an early riser and exercise in the morning.

3. Stay off the scales. Don't weigh yourself every day. Focus on how you feel not how much you weigh.

4. Develop a desire and focus on being healthy.

5. Avoid fad diets and learn to understand that healthy weight loss takes time.

With a focus on feeling good your negative calorie deficit will not only be see but will give you more enegry and vibrance and be permanent. It becomes a new way of life.

Fast Weight Loss for Special Occasions

You have all been through it before, the family wedding is coming up next month and you can’t seem to fit into that suit or dress because you have put on too much weight. So you must lose at least ten or more pounds quickly.

Losing weight quickly is not advisable as most of the loss will be muscle tissue and water; you put on the weight slowly (usually over years) so normally you should take it off slowly and then you will know that the majority of the loss will be body fat.

But you have a problem here and the clock is ticking so you will have to diet pretty hard to meet your target weight loss.  Let’s look at that first, you all know that diets don’t work; they send the body into starvation mode, a survival mechanism from long age when humans faced periods of famine.

Going too low in calories causes the body to lower its metabolic rate, which reduces its ability to burn fat. At the same time, hunger signals increase and you quickly start to crave high-energy foods loaded with fats and sugar, the same foods you are trying to do without.

Research shows repeated dieting actually makes it harder to lose weight and easier to put it on because when you dump the diet and return to normal eating habits the drop in metabolic rate caused by the diet means that your old habits actually represent an excess in calories.  Not only do you regain the fat stores just lost, but also you may even gain an extra bit. 

Knowing this, you really don’t want to put yourselves through this rigorous process, but for this special occasion you will. First though, you will have to boost the metabolism that has been lowered by the dieting.  To do this you will have to perform a "Strength Train" workout to generate that initial spike in your metabolism. By increasing the lean muscle on your body by using Strength Training, your metabolism will increase, burning fat along the way.

The strength training technique I use requires just twenty to thirty mins per week. Gone are the days of the five-day a week program with 6 to 12 sets per body part that, method has never worked.  One short intense strength-training workout a week will elevate your metabolism more than you ever thought possible.

While the calories expended doing exercise are important, the increase in metabolism especially after strength training continues long after the exercise is finished, burning calories at the same time. 

The two main components of this technique are the intensity of the exercise and the recovery after the exercise. Infrequent, short, high intensity weight training sessions, followed by the required amount of time to recover and become stronger is what is needed to increase functional lean muscle and lose body fat.

The way to lose body fat and maintain muscle is to have a food program for life. Quality food and more energy output are the basics you’ll need to go for. Bulk foods that fill you up and don’t fill you out, foods that are low in fat and sugar which aren’t refined should be the ideal.

Small frequent meals should be consumed during the day each containing a little protein to maintain muscle mass and energy levels. A high quality broad spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement should also be taken on a daily basis.

As before get the calories from high quality food but if you can’t, utilize a blender to make concoctions from skim milk with whatever additives you want to use, just as long as you keep count of the calories for your daily total.

Now use these blender mixtures and solid food for your daily feedings. Spread it out over many small meals a day instead of the traditional three meals a day. The way to keep track of weight loss is to buy a calorie counter and record your daily calorie intake for a week.

Now average out how many calories you consume a day with the use of a seven-day eating plan and calorie counter, once you have this figure subtract 1000 calories and this will be the target number of calories you will be aiming for.

Remembering that one-pound of fat contains 3500cals, losing 1000 calories a day will total 7000 for the week, which equals two pounds lost by dietary means alone. Another technique for low calorie eating is to watch your fat intake as this has the most calories.

Incidental activity is also very important if you want to lose this amount of weight in this short period of time, by increasing incidental activity you can burn at least another pound a week The best exercise for the purpose of fat-loss is fast walking either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors.

Walk until you are mildly puffing and hold that rate until the allotted time. If your aerobic activities leave you panting or breathless, your going too hard, your energy is coming from your carbohydrate reserves and not from your fat stores. Try fast walking for one hour a day every day of the week.

Well there you have it, as an experienced trainer I wouldn’t recommend this type of program to my clients. The weight loss is just too quick and the program would be very hard to maintain owing to the very low caloric intake.

I advise my clients to decrease their calories by just 500 per day (and no more) below their maintenance levels and they will be losing 1 – 2 pounds of body fat every week, safely, without craving and without too much disruption to their lifestyle.

Remember, think long term here and that’s between 30 and 50 pounds of fat lost in six months. Any faster and all you will be losing is water and precious muscle tissue.

Boost Metabolism And Lose Weight By Eating Well

We've all known for some time that breakfast is an integral part of the day. Now research has shown that, regardless of physical activity, eating high fibre cereal in the morning at least three times a week leads to having a lower body mass index. This study followed 2,300 teenage girls over ten years, and was conducted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in the US.

One reason people skip breakfast is because they are trying to reduce their overall calorie intake. Whilst its important not to eat too many excess calories, having breakfast, even if its a simple smoothie, or a couple of pieces of fruit, will reduce the urge to snack on chocolate or other unhealthy options, as well as improving your performance at work and reducing fatigue. Sometimes its not just the overall calorie intake, but the types of foods we eat as well. Grab a couple of carrots instead of some toast - not only will you be getting fiber, but the phytochemicals such as carotene and other vitamins will help you get the most out of your body and your day. And if you're a bit disorganized with buying fruit and vegetables, visit the local fruit street vendor on the way to your local coffee shop before work. It beats a muffin nutritionally.

And for the final word on going overboard with calorie restriction, recent research found that even though mice will live up to 50% longer by eating less, humans don't. The most having a low calorie diet over your life would do is extend your time span on this earth by 7%.

Physiologically, having breakfast will in fact boost your metabolism. And its certainly a cheaper way to do that than investing in a bottle of diet pills.

A couple of weight loss tips for parents and expecting mothers. Early research has suggested that those mothers who eat excessively (think Britney Spears) have children who are more prone to being overweight by the time they are toddlers. This sets up food difficulties from a young age. And beware of  teenagers or children who develop poor eating habits, combined with sedentary activities like playing playstation or xbox games too much, and watching television at the expense of even non-athletic activities like having a job or joining school clubs. These kids will have a greater tendency of growing into overweight or obese adults.

One key to integrating changes in your diet, whether with the goal of losing weight, or simply being more healthy, is to add variety. Its easy to get into a food rut, stuck for something tasty to eat that is also going to support our goals. Planning ahead, and doing a little research, can be one way of mitigating those moments when the urge to grab something unhealthy is driven by both hunger and unappetizing dishes.

Following are three breakfast recipes that will add a little variety to that all important meal, as well as supplying essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fiber.


<b>Delicious Tropical Muesli</b>
Serves 2 to 4. Preparation time - 10 minutes.

Ingredients
<ul><li>Muesli - 100gm
<li>Wheat flakes- 50gm
<li>Apple - peeled and grated - 1no
<li>Low Fat or Skim Fruit Yogurt- 500gm
<li>Mango - peeled and cut into strips - 1no
<li>Passion fruit - pulp of 2
<li>Flaked almonds, toasted - 11/2 tsp</ul>

Preparation
Mix together muesli, wheat, apple and half the yogurt in a bowl and refrigerate covered overnight. Divide it into four serving bowls.  Top evenly with remaining yogurt, mango, passion fruit pulp and flaked almonds and serve.

Choose plain low-fat yogurt for the fewest calories. Fruit and flavored products have extra calories. Nonfat yogurt sweetened with artificial sweetener is an option for dieters. Plain yogurt is the best choice for cooking.


<b>Terrific Mango</b>
Serves 2. Preparation time - 10 minutes.

Ingredients
<ul><li>Mango- peeled and chopped -125 gram
<li>Chopped pineapple - 1 no
<li>Papaya- peeled and chopped- 125 gram
<li>Kiwi fruits - chopped- 2 no
<li>Tropical fruit juice - 150 ml
<li>Honey- 2 tablespoon</ul>

Preparation

Mix all the fruit pieces together and pour the fruit juice and honey on top. This is an excellent dish to start your day.



<b>Summer Special Salad</b>
Serves 4. Preparation time - 20 minutes.

Ingredients
<ul><li>Water melon - 1 no (medium size)
<li>Tomato - ½ kg
<li>Celery - 20 gram
<li>Orange -4 no
<li>Grapes -100 gram
<li>Pineapple (chopped) - 1 cup
<li>Raisins - 12 no
<li>Salt and pepper - to taste</ul>

Salad Dressing
<ul><li>Salad oil - 6 tsp
<li>Mustard -2tsp
<li>Chopped onion - 2 no
<li>Pepper - 2tsp
<li>Sugar -1 tsp</ul>

Blend all the ingredients for the salad dressing in a mixer.

Preparation
Chop all the fruits and vegetables. Take the pulp out of the watermelon and put all the chopped fruits and tomatoes into the outer covering of the watermelon. Pour the salad dressing on top. Garnish with raisins.
Serve chilled.

Eating fruit and vegetables raw gives you many of their vitamins undiminished by cooking processes. It also means you get enzymes which are great for helping the digestive process. Watermelon is rich in vitamin C and is also one of the few sources of lycopene, others being tomatoes, red grapefruit and guava. Lycopene is a particularly effective antioxidant.

Five Habits That Can Contribute To Being Overweight

Is your lifestyle contributing to your weight gain? For healthy people – weight gain is caused by simply consuming more calories than you burn. Unfortunately for most of us, our healthy lifestyle education comes in the form of a blaring commercial that is trying to convince us that eating this "lite" food or using that "miracle exercise machine" will lead to a healthy, fun, lean lifestyle! A healthy, lean lifestyle takes effort and education. Hopefully these five steps will get you started on a path to meet your weight loss goals.

• Skipping meals and then overeating when you make time to eat. Skipping meals leads to blood sugar fluctuations, moodiness, and can even lead to overeating. Eat healthy meals and snacks at regular intervals.

• Not moving your body. The body is designed to move. Period. Exercise can brighten your mood and lighten your body.

• Drinking cola or sugar drinks when you are thirsty. When your body is thirsty it is asking for water.

• Snacking on empty calories. Being fat free or low carb does not make it healthy. Empty calories (calories void of nutritional value) do nothing for your body.

• Watching an abundance of TV. A recent article stated that you use less energy while watching TV than while sitting still!

Most of us do these habits and are totally unaware of how unhealthy and destructive they can be. Of course this article is not telling you to never watch TV, or never snack – it is merely trying to raise your level of awareness of some things you may be doing that may be sabotaging your diet efforts. Observe your habits and ask yourself if they are contributing to a healthy lifestyle and an ideal weight or are they contributing to an unhealthy lifestyle and being overweight. Arm yourself with knowledge and achieve your ideal weight.

I wish for you the best of health,

Effective Weight Loss

Overview:

Obesity is the widespread accretion of excessive fat in the body. Overweight refers to being ten percent above the expected body weight, given the height and build. Obese refers to being twenty percent over the desired target. The unmistakable fact is that Americans are getting fatter. According to statistics from the National Institutes of Health, over sixty-five percent of American adults are considered overweight or obese. That means close to a hundred million adults in the United States are ineffective at managing their weight. The most widely accepted statistical estimate used by healthcare professionals to screen for obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI), computed by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height in meters squared; the equation therefore is kg/m2.

Alternatively, to calculate your BMI, simply multiply your weight in pounds by 704.5, divide the result by your height in inches; then again divide that result by your height in inches a second time. The Belgian statistician, Adolphe Quetelet, created the BMI in the 19th century. The medical definition of being overweight is having a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9. If your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, you are within the normal or ideal weight range. But if your BMI is higher than 29.9 you are considered to be obese. Obesity carries enormous health risks and economic costs. It is recognized as a major catalyst for developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and other debilitating conditions.

People who are obese or overweight are more likely to develop heart disease, strokes, hypertension, diabetes, and certain cancers, which are the leading causes of death. Estimates of the number of deaths attributable to obesity in the United States alone reach up to 350,000 per year. According to National Institutes of Health, adults aged over 18, having a BMI greater than 25, are at risk of premature death and disabilities, as a result of being overweight or obese. Usually interventions such as permanent weight loss and medications are prescribed to diminish the risk of developing diseases. Permanent, effective weight loss is the process of intentionally making and accomplishing a plan to reduce total body weight. This typically involves the lessening of total body fat. Ideally, you should go on a strict diet, by consuming nutritionally balanced low-calorie foods and increasing physical activity.

Remember, effective weight loss is a premeditated, calculated attempt to lose body weight. Even though there are several permanent weight loss programs, the only proven - long-standing and harmless technique is to burn more calories than are ingested. Permanent and effectual weight loss can be achieved either by decreasing the caloric intake by eating less or healthier food and by increasing the energy outflow by doing more physical exercises like aerobics, brisk walking, swimming and bicycling. One pound of fat contains around 3500 calories, so to lose one pound a week; a person should consume approximately 3500 lesser calories per week. This can be easily achieved by reducing the daily intake by 500 calories per day, thereby providing the deficit of 3500 calories in a week. Thus, by regularly following this weight loss method, you can lose one pound a week!

Summary:

"Beauty lies in Simplicity". To end with, the key to weight management and enduring weight loss is to simply increase your daily activity. Small things like taking the stairs (instead of elevators) or brisk walking (rather than driving) make the real difference in successful weight loss. A slow, but persistent weight loss of one or two pounds a week; will eventually attain the ideal body weight.

Don’t Fall For These Weight Loss Gimmicks!

Have you heard about the new weight loss patch? You wear it behind your ear, and it speeds up your metabolism and helps you control your appetite. It sounds pretty reasonable, doesn't it? After all, if someone had told you five years ago that you could quit smoking by sticking a circle of fabric on your skin would you have believed them?
 
Unfortunately, this one isn't true. According to Dr. Michael Myers, who maintains the popular web site weight.com, it's just another of the hoaxes that clever promoters are using to bilk you out of your money. Weight loss is a gold mine, and unscrupulous operators will use any gimmick to convince you that their product is the magic cure that will melt away your pounds without any effort on your part.
 
Here are a few of the current weight loss gimmicks and the truth about them.
 
The Diet Patch

Transdermal delivery of medication is a reality, and there are certain medications that are absorbed readily through the skin. However, the most common active ingredient used in diet patches on the market is 'fucus vesiculosus', a seaweed that is a major source of iodine. Iodine was once a recommended treatment for obesity, because it helps promote healthy thyroid function. It was abandoned because of side effects and the untoward effects when treatment with iodine ceases. In other words, it's an outdated medication being revived for delivery in a new way.
 
Wash your fat away with slimming soap!

The claim is that this is an ancient Chinese soap that contains a unique blend of ingredients derived from seaweed which will 'emulsify' the fat. Further, it comes in several different versions, including one that is specifically meant to give you 'beautiful thighs'. In all truth, the ingredients sound like they'd do a lovely job of softening and toning your skin, but there's not an ounce of research quoted anywhere that can be checked for the results. Until I see the proof, I'll just figure that any weight loss resulted from vigorous scrubbing - not the ingredients!
 
Magnetic Weight Loss... earrings

Yes, earrings. According to the press, it's another ancient Chinese Secret that has to do with balancing the magnetism in the body. By wearing a magnet near the ear, you can suppress hunger, increase metabolism, speed up the healing process and reduce pain.  Again, though there's mention of 'studies', none are cited, and I couldn't find any in any medical journals. It won't kill you, at least, and the earrings are pretty, but I wouldn't put much stock in their weight loss properties.
 
All of these new weight loss discoveries should be filed in the “Yeah right” file, right next to sauna wraps, copper bracelets, and electro-slimming belts. If it sounds too good to be true, remember, it probably is. The only gimmick to weight loss is to eat less and move more!

Are Your Thoughts About Your Body Holding You Back From Success?

When someone joins my personal coaching program, one of the first things I ask them to do is to describe exactly what their body is going to look like once I help them reach their goal weight. I ask them to do this in writing – not over the phone, and here’s why…

Deeply imbedded negative thoughts are what cause us to have difficulties in any weight loss or health enhancement program – in fact, our past failures can almost always be traced back to negative thoughts that we didn’t even realize we had.

Most of our negative thinking comes out when we write things down on paper (or on the computer).

I challenge you to write out 10 brief descriptions about how your body will look in 30 days if you were coached by someone like me – someone who knows exactly how to transform the human body no matter what stage of the game you’re currently at.

Go ahead, take a moment and write out what your face would look like, what your arms would look like, what your legs and your butt would look like – would your skin look different, would your muscles be tighter, would you be leaner – detail everything, then come right back.

Did you do it?

Make your list now before reading any further – I want you to walk away with some profound knowledge of yourself when you’re done reading this article.
OK, now that you have your list, let me show you something that you can use to judge whether or not you’ve been causing yourself to fail in your attempts to lose weight and keep it off.

Here are some examples of statements that a good friend of mine used to have before he and I began working together – statements that were literally holding him back from success:

Face–more chiseled features, no double chin, no doughy jowls or puffy cheeks, no bags under the eyes.

Other than improved facial shape, I really have no complaints at all about my face, hair, eyes, nose, ears.

Neck–no double chin or “wattle”

Chest–no gynecomastia (womanly breasts), muscular instead. Look, ma, I can see my ribcage and pectoral muscles instead of a soft mattress of flab.

Arms–hard sinewy curves instead of soft breadsticks. Seeing veins and muscles instead of smooth fat.

Abdomen–are there really abs hiding in there? They’ve never made an appearance in 50 years! It’d be nice to have a tight waist not uncomfortably sliced by too-tight underwear.

Legs–less of a conical shape, more elongated and solid. Although my calves have always been rather large and firm–my best body part, next to my brain.

Buttocks–less sag, more form
Back–could be a lot less hairy, would be nice to see a “V” shape instead of a truncated pyramid.

Can you see why he might have had a few troubles in the past reaching his goal?

But I’ll let you in on a little secret – this guy is in great shape now and enjoying life more than ever, and he’s a pleasure to speak with each week in our coaching calls.

Now here’s a list from a woman who recently completed one of my coaching programs – this list was written out after our first session together – watch how positive every statement is:

WHAT MY BODY IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE
———————————–
my face will be thinner, more defined
my posture will be great all of the time
my legs will be free of cellulite and extra fat
my butt will be sculpted and defined
my abs will be tight and defined
my arms will be cut and defined and strong and sexy!
my chest will be lifted and shapely
my back will show definition and be sexy!
I will feel the urge to walk around naked all the time! (around my house and my husband, of course)
I will walk confidently knowing that I look great!
I will compliment my awesome body with cool clothes that show it off
I will wear a bikini from now on!!! No shorts over the bottom!
I will wear those short shorts I have sitting in my closet
my skin will be clear
I will be unbelievably beautiful and sexy!!!

When making your list, make sure to avoid using any negatives, and have fun with this exercise – the short time you take out of your day to make your list will save you tons of time and frustration in the near future.

Are Diet Pills The Answer?

There has been a lot of flak with how USA has been flirting with health problems because of obesity. More and more people are getting drowned in the onslaught of fast food and junk foods. Remember the movie "Upsize Me"? It played a parody on how Americans are stuffing themselves silly with fatty foods. Over sixty percent of American citizens are considered obese or bordering into it. Many would like to deny this, but deep down inside, most of them would like to change their eating lifestyle.

The fitness and health industry of America is a multibillion business that are resting on the obesity fears of the citizens. Many know the consequences of being fat and would like to change. From aerobics, to exercise machines, to instructional videos, food supplement, diet pills and lots more. Many have embarked on the loss-fat voyage hoping to conquer their binges but no one truly wants to work hard for it. The options provided by the industry keeps their hopes alive in looking and feeling better without breaking a sweat.

So when the emergence of diet pills in popularity came, with promises like, "melt away pounds easily." "Look better in not time at all." Look and Feel great without exercising," and lots more, many people were excited about that concept and jumped into the frenzy. So many questions have cropped up though, is it really that good? Would it really work? Does it have any side effects? Can they really deliver on those promises? Recent studies have shown that some do really work, the problem is, many have been documented to suffer from health setbacks. Heart related problems have arisen and many deaths have been linked to such diet pills.

So how do you know which diet pill would be good for you? Well, only a doctor can truly say. It would be best to subject yourself to a thorough physical first to see the risks that could be involved in taking diet pills.

There is a plethora of diet pills flooding in the market and these are categorized into three types. OTC's or Over the Counter, these are diet pills that can be bought in drug store without the need for doctor's prescriptions. They usually contain little chemicals that can affect the human system much. They are considered less dangerous but is also subjected to FDA testing first before sold to the market. Another form of diet pills is the Herbal supplements. They are not usually labeled as drugs and can also be bought without a prescription. They claim to be all-natural but are still subjected to FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) scrutiny. Then there are the prescription diet pills. They are only sold with doctors' prescriptions and are tightly regulated by the FDA. Doctors also conduct close monitoring on their patients who take this form of diet pills for any damage or risk to their health.

With so many forms, varieties and types, these diet pills don't usually work for everyone since they have different chemical composition as well as the patients have different reactions. Diet pills can have inadvertent effect on each individual. Common side effects are, uncomfortable cramping, gas and diarrhea. This is due to the fact that the drug is taking away important vitamin supplements to the body. That is why some people are advised to take vitamin supplements as well. Some experience a raise in heart palpitation and blood pressure, with this comes along the increase in the risk of a stroke or a heart attack.

When it comes to losing fat, nothing still beats good old hard work and discipline. Even the so called natural diet pills and herbal diet pill products have effects on some people, bad ones. Working up a sweat and following a natural balanced diet is still the best way to go. Get yourself a buddy to guide you and assist you in your weight loss program. Diet pills can be bad, don't get me wrong. You will have to exercise and watch what you eat. In no time at all you'll meet the fitter, healthier more confident you.

Simple tips for a long term Weight loss Goal

Simple tips for a long term Weight loss Goal 

Weight loss plan is not a one day effort to perfect health. With weight loss methods like Atkins diet or South beach, the process of losing weight can be gradual. With diet pills like Phentermine or Adipex, the rate of weight loss can be rapid. Where as with bariatric surgeries, the patient recovers quickly from the hands of obesity. Whether you are obese or overweight, for a patient undergoing obesity treatment or taking up a diet pill plan, it’s so vital that you follow certain tips to attain the best results in curbing obesity.

Useful weight loss tips for a lifetime

•    Your day should begin with water. drink lots of it, there is no such efficient purifier like water
•    Don’t skip any of your meals especially your breakfast. People often ignore breakfasts as part of their dieting habits. It’s stupid and is a weight gaining phenomenon
•    Snack your day with lovely salads and nutrient rich fruits. If you don’t like apples, try oranges or melons
•    No sodas, coffees and such beverages on a daily basis as they can encourage obesity
•    Take your meals on time. Discipline regularizes your digestive system and help you to be more health friendly
•    Eat all that you like in limited quantities. ‘In Moderation’ is the key word in a patient’s dictionary
•    Keep one day for eating what you like in order to bring down the craving in you
•    Keep walking, don’t stop that habit for it’s so good for health
•    Learn more about health concepts, obesity and health related diseases so that you are aware of the obesity syndrome and get keen to look after yourself better

Positive Imaging for Weight Loss

Visualization can play an important part in losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle that keeps it off. Losing weight can be difficult for many people who use fad diets and pills to achieve their weight loss goals without letting their mind help in the process.

Visualization is a powerful technique that can help you make lasting lifestyle changes. Just by "day dreaming", you can significantly improve your chances in achieving your goals.

Visualization is a great weight loss tool and its as simple as visualizing your body as you want your body to look like. This mental image of yourself is then transferred to your subconscious mind, which in turn starts to work on your body, shaping it in accordance with your mental image thus reducing your weight.

This means that if you program your subconscious with a mental image of yourself as a slimmer person, through persistence your mind will accept this and aid your body to conform to this mental image.

Once your mind is programmed with the proper mental images, it will start to work in assisting you to losing weight.  I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to believe in your visualization goals.  You have to let go of past dieting failures and refuse to entertain any negative images that come into your mind.

If you can visualize your body at its perfect weight and proportions, the subconscious mind will work to make it become a reality. It will then begin to positively reinforce your body into aiding the metabolism and eating habits. Programming your mind into believing that you can lose weight, and to visualize yourself at your ideal weight is of the greatest importance.

Try to think of a different image of yourself, then let your subconscious do the work for you. If you think of your own body fat and being out of shape all the time, then the subconscious mind will find ways to make it so.

The subconscious looks after all of all your vital functions, it is the cause of all your good and bad habits, and also regulates muscle (the muscles are controlled by the subconscious) and body-fat composition on the body, and the latter is the one we are most interested in.

So please try to visualize your body as lean as you would like, and your mind will work on that image. The mind can be a great partner in losing weight.

                        
Getting Rid of Bad Nutritional Habits

A bad habit is like second nature and is acquired over a long period of time. Bad habits are programmed into the subconscious and “will power” alone will not get rid of it.  Many try using all sorts of different ways to break it but without success.

Obesity is the result of bad nutritional habits and some of the causes are boredom, stress, tension and different complexes. Food becomes the substitution for these causes and before too long, obesity sets in. Most people become concerned that they’re obese, eat more and a vicious cycle is established.

The only way for lasting permanent weight loss is to break these bad habits and replace them with positive new ones, and the only way to do this is with visualization. Visualization puts you in charge of your subconscious where all these bad programs are stored.

All the will power in the world is not going to break these bad habits unless one has the help of their subconscious.


Relaxation

Relaxation the best way to reach the sub-conscious and will slow down the mind, turn off the exterior world so as to tune in to one’s inner self. The best times for these sessions are in the morning and late at night right, just before going to sleep.

Try performing two sessions, one in the afternoon (primary) and the other before going to sleep (secondary) but once a day is quite sufficient. Sessions usually last 20 minutes, which isn’t time consuming especially when taking in the benefits received.

It has been stated that one of these sessions is equivalent to 2 hours of deep sleep and upon waking you will feel revitalized and full of energy. Believe me instead of worrying about time constraints; you will be looking forward to the next session.

When you begin your relaxation sessions, make sure you won’t be disturbed - lock the door, take the phone off the hook and loosen all clothing. Now find a comfortable position, whether it is lying down or sitting in a comfortable chair.

Sitting may be preferable as you may fall asleep if you become too comfortable. You want to be conscious and not asleep in order to tap into your sub-conscious mind.

Try to exhale all the air from your lungs completely and then breathing in through the nose.  Take ten seconds to fill the lungs with air (not to capacity, but comfortable) hold for ten seconds and then exhale slowly through the nose for another ten seconds. 

Each one of these breathing cycles should last for 30 seconds, complete five cycles and after each cycle you will be feeling more and more relaxed. 

If you are sitting, open your eyes and look straight ahead.  If you are lying down, open your eyes and stare at the ceiling. After a few minutes, slowly close your eyes.

Having reaching this calm relaxed state start your visualizations.  Put together images that power your emotions. Make them alive and colourful. Make the scenes as real as possible and imagine yourself as slim and toned the way you will look after successful weight loss.

Picture yourself ten weeks from now on the beach, walking briskly and confidently to your favourite spot, your breathing is normal and relaxed. You smile to yourself; you could keep walking like this for miles without feeling fatigued.

You lay your towel out and begin to take your clothes off revealing a firm, toned, well conditioned body. You have just bought a brand new swimming suit which just weeks before would have been lying in your closet waiting to be used.

Glancing around you notice the beach is busy, you catch the eye of someone of the opposite sex, they smile at you and you smile back. You walk confidently to the water and swim a couple of hundred yards with no problem or fatigue.

Or try this:

Visualize your family and friends complimenting you about how good your body looks and how slim you look. Try to view the scene as it is happening this instant - in the present, not in the future.

Using these visualizations you can construct in your mind any scene that desire. See yourself exercising, socializing, in the company of friends. Try and hear people complimenting you about your slim new body, and watch their admiring glances. Make the mental image as real as possible.

&#61623; Remember set a goal for your ideal weight

&#61623; You must want to lose weight

&#61623; Visualize yourself at your ideal weight

&#61623; Use positive images at every opportunity

Practice these sessions on a daily basis and over a period of ten weeks you’ll be on your way to become more fulfilled, happier and leaner

Need A Weight Loss Plan Strategy?

These days, it seems that you can't open a newspaper without seeing an article about one medical study or other that warns about all of the potentially harmful consequences associated with being overweight. For example, overweight people have higher risks of heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and diabetes. If you ask me, those are some pretty compelling reasons to make a commitment to shed some pounds now. But perhaps you're a bit cynical about the whole dieting process because of failed attempts in the past.

With the number of weight loss plans, the key is most likely to find the best one that suits you and your body. One of the big ones on the market today is the South Beach diet. I swear everywhere I turn; I bump into a new meal from South Beach Diet. You really can't get any simpler than that. The meals are already prepared for you. A microwave is all you need. While great weight loss plans such as Weight Watchers offer a plethora of products to suit anyone's needs, we have to remember the other part of the weight loss equation. Regardless of what weight loss plans you've tested out, exercise is always a factor. It remains imperative that in order to drop pounds and stay in good shape, we all need to have a good fitness regime along with our healthy diets.

Many of us look too hard for the easy way out. This is not a plausible solution by any means. Jump online and sort through the deluge of weight loss plans and you will surely come across one that suits your lifestyle. With the vast spectrum of information at our fingertips, there is no reason why we should have any difficulty locating that perfect diet and workout routine. The key to successful weight loss plans is tenacity. Follow the diet accordingly and strive to exercise on a regular basis and you will certainly fit into those tight jeans again.

People are constantly looking for ways to improve the results when they have made the decision to lose a few pounds. We all know the traditional advice to watch what you eat and to get more exercise. Just remember that there are no magic weight loss products out there. The foundation of any effective diet is a combination of healthy eating habits and exercise. If you do just one or the other, you're not likely going to see any noticeable long-term results.

7 Weight Loss Tips for Kids and Their Families

Here is a sure-fire list of diet dos and don'ts to help your family triumph over obesity:

1. Be a ‘healthy’ role model. The number one thing that parents can do is to be a good role model for their children, Parents so often unknowingly set their kids up for failure.  If there are chips, cookies and Twinkies and no fruit or vegetables when your kids look for snacks, how can they succeed?  Line your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits, nuts, low-fat cheese, easy things for kids to snack on besides ‘junk food’.

In a 2000 survey conducted by the CDC, close to 80% of adults reported eating fewer than the recommended five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily -- not good role-model behavior.

2. Be positive. Don’t tell your child to ‘lose weight’ say, 'Let's be healthy and start taking care of our bodies’. Focus on the foods you can eat, not the ones that you should limit eating. Say, 'Let's go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad,' not 'Don't eat this or that.' Instead of saying, 'We have to exercise,' say, 'Lets go to the park.' Use positive words and phrases when talking with your kid.

3. Make healthy eating a family affair.  Create family meals together and for the entire family. Do not single out an overweight family member with special diet food.  Your entire family can benefit form healthy eating regardless of weight.

A family that eats together, eats better, according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. The study showed children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don't.

4. Avoid portion distortion. When serving food you must use portion control, buffet-type or family-style situations tends to promote overeating.  Fill up on salads and cooked vegetables  at meals and always wait 10-15 minutes before having a second helping.  Second helpings should only be taken if truly hungry.

5. Start the day off right with a good breakfast. A bowl of low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt with a granola or breakfast bar, or an English muffin with peanut butter, rather than a doughnut or muffin. A healthy breakfast will put your family on the healthy track for the rest of the day.

6. Make time for physical activity. Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer, go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it, enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.

7. Try again.  Weight loss and healthy eating is not easy.  There will be times when you and your family will struggle with this new lifestyle.  It is important to keep trying.  Failure is certain if you are not trying.

Water and Your Health

Here's a question you've heard many times before:

How many glasses of water do you drink each day?

Two, three, four... more? You've heard it so often because it's a very important question, prompting you to think about the amount of water you consume, urging you to drink more...

Get the basics right, like eating a balanced diet, regular moderate exercise, rest and relaxation, fun and laughter, and life can be free of illness and poor health. Water consumption is one of these essential basics. If you want long-term good health, read on, we're going to give you all the evidence you need to encourage you to drink water, as recommended by the experts: 6-8 large glasses a day!

Why you need a fresh daily supply

At any one time, between 55 and 75% of your body weight is water. Your body's need for water is second only to it's need for oxygen! Take a look at why you need so much of this life-giving liquid:

It assists the digestion, absorption and elimination of the food you eat

It assists the excretion of waste from your bowel and kidneys

It regulates your body temperature 24/7

It lubricates your joints and membranes

Blood is your body's transport system, constantly distributing nutrients around the body

Your blood is made up of approximately 92% water

Body secretions and digestive juices are almost entirely water (your digestive system produces approximately 1.7 litres of saliva each day) 

Because of these many important tasks, in normal conditions your body needs between 1 and a half to 2 litres of water daily, in order to function optimally. This daily amount is also affected by your size, diet, how active your lifestyle is and even the weather conditions! The list below shows how your body loses water:

Through exhaling, perspiring and elimination (urine, faeces) your body lose 1.7 litres daily

In hot weather, perspiration increases so more water is needed to help regulate body temperature and keep you feeling cool

During cold weather, additional moisture is lost through breathing

For each hour of physical activity, you need and extra 1-3 glasses of water

Central heating has a drying effect, so you need to drink more, or turn down the heat

DID YOU KNOW?

Water is a natural appetite suppressant. Lack of water can lead to over eating, this is because your brain doesn't differentiate between hunger and thirst, so when you think you are feeling hungry, chances are, your body really needs water, so drink a large glass of water before you eat. In most cases, you will probably find this will satisfy what you thought were hunger pains. 

Are you Dehydrated?

You can probably appreciate by now that many, many people are walking around in a constant state of dehydration! So is your body gasping for water? How would you know? You can check for yourself below - we've started with the most common symptoms, right through to the more severe symptoms:

Headaches A major function of water is to flush toxins from the body. Your brain is 75% water, so even being slightly dehydrated can cause headaches.

Poor Concentration/Fatigue If your body is overloaded with toxins and not enough water to flush them out, you will feel less energetic while your body struggles with the toxins.

Constipation Water speeds the process of elimination adding bulk to the stool, so drinking adequate fluid assist the flow and regularity.

Reduced urine Output/Dark Urine The kidneys filter waste products out of the blood. Amazingly, approximately 180 litres of water is recycled by the kidneys daily! This process relies on an adequate fresh supply, without it, output of urine is reduced, waste products become more concentrated, resulting in darker urine.

Furry tongue/bad breath If not enough fluid is passing through the mouth to wash away food particles, bacteria builds up in the throat and mouth, and on the tongue as a white film of fur.

Dry Mouth Saliva lubricates the mouth, dehydration reduces the amount available.

In More Severe Dehydration

Muscle Cramps This happens when not enough oxygen is getting to the muscles via the blood stream because of insufficient water in the body.

Skin If there is not enough water to feed the skin, it loses elasticity. Test by pulling the skin on the back of your hand, it should snap back instantly.

Eyes Sunken eyes and dark skin around/under the eyes are a sign of severe dehydration.

Get Into a Life-Long Water Habit

Your aim is to drink water consistently throughout the day. Avoid drinking too much water at once, or too fast, because it will pass through you with little benefit to your body. For  the first few days you may experience more frequent trips to the toilet, this is because your body isn't used to being so well hydrated and needs time to adjust. You should also begin to notice a reduction in weight and centimetres, as your body's water stores become redundant and gradually release their cargo!

TIP If you don't have a water cooler/dispenser at work, take a two litre bottle with you each day - it will also help you monitor your water intake.

Water is your body's life force, without it, you would literally dry up!

WATER RETENTION

Don't overlook water retention... The less water you drink, the more the body will try to store water for later use. This will result in water retention as the body cells swell with their precious water stores, giving the appearance of 'extra weight'

TAKE ACTION NOW

Choose your Source Wisely

Some fluids work against hydration

COFFEE - TEA

Coffee and traditional teas contain caffeine, which produces increased urine output and is therefore a dehydrating agent. The more you drink, the quicker water will pass through your body.

DIET DRINKS

Diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners in place of sugar. These sweeteners send confusing messages to the brain that food (energy) is on the way to the stomach, but because sweeteners contain no calories, no energy arrives, so the brain sends out hunger messages until food finally arrives. People who drink diet sodas on a regular basis therefore tend to eat to much.

FRUIT JUICES

We generally think of fruit juices as being good for us, but in reality, they are sugar water. fruit is always far healthier when eaten in it's whole, fibre and nutrient-rich form. if you do drink fruit juice, dilute 50/50 with water to reduce the sugar content. Beware of fruit cordials/squashes, which are usually sugar-saturated or contain artificial sweeteners - check the labels.