Monday, June 18, 2012 /

Friday, July 2, 2010 /

Obese Children



The number of obese children in the United States is on the rise. Parents can support obese children by working together as a family to solve obesity.

According to Michelle Obama in the February 9, 2010 CNSNews article, “First Lady Links Childhood Obesity to National Security in Launch of ‘Let’s Move’ Campaign," many parents want to do the right thing, “but they feel like the deck is stacked against them. They know their kids’ health is their responsibility but they feel like it’s out of their control.”

What is Obesity?
Obesity is often measured by Body mass index (BMI). BMI is the number measured by the height and weight that applies to the child. A BMI of less than 25 is considered underweight, 30 or greater is considered obesity. Experts claim that one out of three children in the United States is affected by obesity. First Lady Michelle Obama most recently launched her campaign "Let’s Move" that will focus on ending obesity childhood obesity.

Obesity in children usually starts between the ages of five and six and studies show that children between the ages of 10 and 13 who are obese will most likely to become obese adults.




Carrying around excess fat can lead to serious health problems for children. The extra weight can pose serious threats to a child’s health, including diabetes, high blood pressure and depression.

How Obesity Develops
Long gone are the days when children run around outside and play in front of their home. Today’s technology savvy kids have the Playstation, Xbox, computers and cell phones.

Experts claim that overeating, lack of exercise and not receiving balanced meals are the main causes of obesity. With the hectic schedules of today’s family, fitting in healthy meals daily can be a challenge.

Health professionals also consider some of the following contributing factors:


Genetics
Meals that do not include a nutritional balance can contribute to obesity
The socioeconomic status of the family
Lack of daily exercise
Tips to Handle Obesity in Children
Losing weight requires a lifestyle change that can be a challenge for children. It does not necessarily mean giving up comfort foods, but applying moderation. Here are some tips to help families begin:

Discuss the family's issue with a health professional
Incorporate foods that have nutritional value.
Learn to make healthy comfort foods
Substitute water or low calorie drinks for high calorie drinks
Limit activity with video games and television
Schedule play dates for children who are not school age
Encourage family physical exercise
Obesity can be a challenging experience for children as they grow and progress. Family support is instrumental in achieving weight loss success. Parents can lead by example and show children that they can control the foods they put in their body.

Sources:

Schurman, Aysha. What is Obesity? Life123. (Accessed June 21, 2010)

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. What is Obesity? (Accessed June 21, 2010)

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What is Hooida and is it Effective?



With the onset of the obesity epidemic, Americans are spending millions of dollars each year on diet supplements hoping to gain an edge in the battle of bulge. Many people have heard the hype but may still be unsure what hoodia is. Hoodia is a natural appetite suppressant that has been around for years but is just recently gaining popularity for its ability to curb cravings.

Hoodia is an African plant that resembles a cactus and can be found growing wild in the Kalahari Desert. It has been said that nearby tribes have used it to aid in digestion, minor skin problems and to suppress hunger and thirst during long hunts. Hoodia is considered a succulent plant, meaning it retains water and today it’s sold in the U.S. as a natural alternative to diet pills that can have harmful side effects.

Is Hoodia Effective?
This ancient plant contains an ingredient that has been proven to curb hunger pains by targeting the hypothalamus gland. This gland lets the body know when it is hungry or full. According to an unpublished study done by Phytopharm, a medical research company in London, nine volunteers who took pills containing P57, the active ingredient in hoodia, consumed fewer calories and lost more fat than those taking a placebo.



That being said, the effectiveness of the supplement remains undetermined. While some advocates state that it is necessary to consume at least three grams of hoodia per day to notice its effectiveness others believe that the effectiveness of the plant can only be felt by consuming it fresh and that P57 cannot simply be extracted and manufactured in pill form.

Are Herbal Diet Supplements Safe?
From green tea to the acai berry, hoodia has a lot of competition in the herbal diet supplement market but little is known about the safety of herbal supplements. According to the article Unilever, Phytopharm May Scrap Hoodia Partnership (Update2) written by Celeste Perri in 2008, Trevor Gorin, a spokesperson for the SlimFast diet drink company Unilever, stated that the research conducted on hoodia as an appetite suppressant did not meet the safety and efficacy standards for a Unilever product. He did not further elaborate but the company has abandoned hope of manufacturing a diet drink containing the plant.

While herbal diet supplements are the safer alternative to many prescription and over-the-counter diet pills caution should be exercised when considering taking herbs for weight loss. It is necessary to read labels and research products to make sure that the ingredients do not interfere with medications and to avoid allergic reactions. Many products claiming to contain hoodia extract may have very little to no hoodia at all. People looking to curb their hunger without supplementation should increase fiber intake, drink plenty of pure water and eat small portions of healthy foods every two or three hours.

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Thursday, July 1, 2010 /

Weight Loss Diet Plans For fast and effective



A fast weight loss diet plan sounds almost too good to be true. Is it even possible to lose weight quickly, look and feel amazing without being forced
into an unsafe diet or without taking harmful drugs? Well, to lose weight successfully, you will need some sort of weight loss diet plan . You have to set some goals and go after them. And results wont come overnight so you will have to be patient. There is no such a thing as an effective and safe fast weight loss plan . You cannot simply pop a pill and burn off all the extra fat in a couple of weeks or even a couple of months. Your body just does not work that way and will either reject or shut down from abusing it with this strategy. Here is a healthy weight loss diet plan with everything you need to lose weight safely and consistently:
1. Exercise. This is nothing new really, but exercise is by far the most guaranteed way to ensure success in your goals. Exercises is the element that will make or break your success at losing weight , and you should push for no less than five thirty minute sessions of moderate exercise per week. The good news is that research shows has shown that three quick ten minute workouts give you as good results as one thirty minute workout. The goal of weight loss exercise is to burn up stored fat and calories, although exercise offers many other health benefits as well. How many calories you burn depends on how often, how long and how hard you exercise. While aerobic exercise works the best for losing fat, any extra hard physical work helps burn calories. And since your diet plan can include all parts of your daily lifestyle, you could think about ways you can bump up your physical effort such as making several trips up and down the stairs instead of always using the elevator, parking at the end of the lot to get some extra aerobic walking, and walking or riding a bike instead of taking the bus or driving when your destination is nearby.
2. Stay dedicated to becoming healthier, not on becoming thing. Many people find it easier to follow their dieting goals for long term success when their focus shifts from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your thinking to selecting the right foods that will be best for your health, than worrying about your body weight. The Food Pyramid offers basic guidelines for what foods and the amount of foods you should eat each day to get the nutrients your body needs for maximum health. Not only will you be losing weight safely, you will enjoy how much better you feel from eating the right foods and having the extra energy to exercise and workout without feeling sluggish or heavy. You will be working on fulfilling your weight loss goals from two separate but equally important perspectives: exercising throughout the day for burning excess calories and fat, and eating the right foods to look and feel healthier which will give you more energy to lose even more weight. Switching to a brand new eating style that promotes safety in your
weight loss diet plan must focus on decreasing your total caloric intake. But lowering calories doesnt mean giving up taste, satisfaction or even easy meal preparation. One way you can decrease the calories you consume is by eating more plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, like whole grain bread and oatmeal. Discover the variety in the healthy foods there are that will to help you achieve your goals while experiencing new foods you might never have knew existed!
3. If you choose to use any weight loss diet pills , stay away from those marketed as fat burners that contain Ephedra. There are herbal plant extracts out there that can stimulate caloric energy release in a process called Thermogenesis, which is accelerated when you exercise, as well as plants like Hoodia Gordonii( available in Uk at weightsolution uk) which can suppress the appetite while giving you more energy, and even fat binders which find to the fat in foods you eat and flush out that fat before it becomes absorbed in your body as new stored fat and calories. Using weight loss diet pills that are based on herbal plants will be least likely to give you any side effects you may experience with prescription drugs, and can help you feel better about eating and maintain a positive attitude toward weight loss as they help you lose weight even faster. All in all, a good attitude is crucial for your weight loss diet plan to work. A good feeling about where you want to be and how you want to look and feel can help you maintain the patience needed to see results and not try to see fast results. Fast weight loss or hurrying will only result in sacrificing safety for results that be gained back and then some. Intead of fast weight loss , opt for long term, realistic goals and take baby steps. They work wonders!

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How to Lose Weight Forever?



Over half of America needs to lose some weight… however only a tiny portion of us actually know how to control our diet! Let’s go over some basic weight loss and dieting steps not to just lose weight , but to get healthier!

Step 1
First you have to understand that dieting should never be a quick and easy little trick that makes you lose weight and fat at the snap of a finger. It is more a way of life, not a one time deal. So when you decide to live healthier, not to just look better but to live a longer and fuller life, then please read on.

Step 2
Understand EATING IS NOT YOUR ENEMY! How many times have we heard from obese people: “I’ve only eaten once today… I’m on a diet.” This is THE WORST way to get healthy! You know who eats like that? Bears… tigers… lions… we are human beings, let us live like one.

Step 3
Use eating as a tool to lose weight. Do you know that eating actually makes you burn calories? Of course it does… the stomach is one of the largest organs in the body, and uses energy/calories just like your quads or brain does. Yes, most times what you eat will outweigh the calories spent on digesting the food. However, how about closing the gap between the two? Imagine eating a quarter pound of celery or a quarter pound of rocky road ice cream… both are mostly water , but I assure you, one will help you lose weight more than the other.

Step 4
Now we know WHAT to eat, the next key is, WHEN do we eat? To put it simply, you want to make your body work often for its food, and feed it when it wants it real badly. This means eating 5-6 times a day, and try to eat your largest/heaviest meal within one hour after a good workout when your body is yearning to burn some grub to rebuild itself. This is also the best time to take in some protein, like a steak or even a hamburger.

Step 5
I know what you are thinking… That is a lot of food, there is no way I am losing weight ! Well this is the problem. When I go to an average American restaurant, I see mostly fit people either order small or take a lot of food home. The obese people? I NEVER see them take a doggy bag. That is the issue… portion control. Eating 2500 calories a day in 2 meals of 1250 cals each is devastating to you as opposed to eating five 500 calorie meals every 2-3 hours. In the first case, your body works twice in the day… second case, your body works 5 times. Do the math.

Step 6
Not ALL fat is bad for you! In fact, most people quit dieting because it makes them feel miserable doing it. Who wants to eat celery 3 times a day, and then steamed fish for dinner, and just an apple for the last snack? I like apples, don’t get my wrong, but eating like that will make you feel hunger pangs ALL day, and the psychological stress will not allow you to keep that diet up. Instead, workout and EARN that steak (better make it a 4-6 oz now, careful!) and have some veggies on the side.

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3 Best Exercises For Fast Weight Loss



If you want to lose weight fast , then these are 3 of the best exercises for fast weight loss that I have listed below that will help you lose weight in record time.
Losing weight is not difficult when you have the right information, at the right time, and the right tools to put it to use. I am going to give you the right information, you have to decide the right time, and the tools, in this case, are adjustable to your needs. If you will do these exercises on a consistent basis, week in and week out, then combined with a good diet, you will lose weight fast.
3 Best Exercises For Fast Weight Loss
1. Interval running: Running has the potential to burn more calories per amount of time worked than any other exercise there is. No, I don’t mean jogging. Although you can use walking, then jogging as a way to prepare yourself to be able to run in the future. Interval running is just running with short breaks in between. For example: run for 30 seconds, then take a 30 second break then repeat.
2. Rowing: I love rowing. Rowing is a complete body workout and can be done outside on a lake, in the comfort of your own home, or at a gym. It burns a lot of calories and builds lean muscle.
3. Squat Presses: This exercise is well known to trainers and athletes alike, but not to the mainstream. It is simply taking a dumbbell or a barbell, then doing a squat. As you come to the top of your squat, you press the dumbbells (or barbell) above your head and then bring it back down and repeat. This exercise works every large muscle in the body and if done with short rest periods can be a good cardio workout (gets the heart rate up).
If you really want to lose weight, and want to do it fast, then you will have to use exercise. If you do these exercises 3-5 times per week (and be sure to mix it up), then you will reach your weight loss goals.
Not only are these exercises popular exercises for weight loss, they are the 3 best exercises for fast weight loss.

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The Ways For Long Lasting Weight Loss




In fact, many fat people can lose weight quickly, but most of fatter cann’t get long lasting weight loss. Why we cann’t get lasting good weight? Let’s show you some tips about long lasting weight loss.
When it comes to weight loss we are taught how to eat and how to exercise but the common and vitally important component that almost always gets overlooked is learning how to think right. Yes, when it comes to creating long-term weight loss, mind over matter is where you need to focus your energy.
This is not to say that you can abandon diet and exercise and just sit in a corner and wish yourself slim. But I am saying that if you neglect to pay attention to the thoughts you are allowing in your head then you are making weight loss much more difficult then it has to be.

How do you keep your thoughts in line with your goal?

1. Identify limiting thoughts. So often we let thoughts just drift into our head like a broken record and very rarely do we stop to consider how these thoughts are affecting our behaviors. For instance, if you go on a diet yet you are constantly filling your head with thoughts such as, “I hate to diet.” “I can’t wait till this is over.” How do you think that will affect your weight loss journey? I would have to say that it will either make you struggle or it will cause you to crash and burn.

2. Once you identify a limiting thought let it go. What we don’t always understand is that our thoughts are not a physical part of us. Therefore they are free to pass in and out of us. When you hear a limiting thought pop into your head ask yourself if you could simply let it go or release it. With very little practice you will find that any thought can be easily released.

3. Focus on the positive outcome. Research has shown that those who focus on the positive expectations of their goal are much more likely to reach their goal than those who focus on the negative side of a goal pursuit. Create a mental picture of how you will feel and look when you reach your goal and constantly redirect your mind back to that positive vision.

If your goal is long-term weight loss, mind over matter is what you need to focus on. Not only will you find your results come much faster but they will also come with less effort.

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5 Useful Tips to Weight Loss Permanently



You may lose weight last week, but this week you got fat again, and then you need weight loss again and again. Anyways to weight loss permanently? What is happening? you lost your weight so are you gaining it back now? And WHY are you gaining back your weight? You did everything that the latest diet product taught you, letter by letter, you only stopped this diet a week ago, and this diet program promised you permanent weight loss! You want your money back!
I’m sure you’ve been through this scenario, if not personally, you then know somebody who has: they’ve used the latest diet program that promised them weight loss in 3 days along with a permanent weight loss to follow, only to backfire: the fat returned, and that with a vengeance, and it seems it’s here to stay.
Well, truth is a permanent weight loss needs something more than following the latest fad diet program. It needs a complete shift in perception, action, diet and life style. But you don’t need to worry: this can be achieved gradually, with a minimum of effort and definitely with fewer sacrifices than the previous heavy diet requested of you.
So if you are after a permanent weight loss, you absolutely need to follow these few easy 5 steps:
1. Reduce fats in your daily food. Reducing fats will help with your goal because high fat foods have more calories than regular food, sometimes the ratio is as much as 2:1
2. Start eating more fruits and vegetables. This one is easy. With each lunch make sure you have sitting next to it a nice plate of fresh vegetables: one cut cucumber, a tomato, a nice green fleshy pepper, maybe a half peeled carrot. If you like, pour a healthy salad dressing on it to enhance the taste. When you get hungry, start munching on an apple, or a banana, or a pear.
3. Before go grocery shopping, eat. Have a sandwich, a healthy snack, or even a regular meal. Whatever you do, don’t go shopping on an empty stomach. You tend to buy much more stuff when you’re out hungry, and the ‘more stuff’ will invariably contain a lot of things that are not healthy for you, a lot of fast food, sweets and alcohol.
4. Start exercising. A permanent weight loss requires a shift in the way you act physically. Start slow, go for a walk every second day. Go to a gym and do Aerobics, or Pilates, or even yoga 3 times a week. Take up swimming. Swimming is not only good for weight loss, but it really strengthens the muscles of your entire body and will really bring out your abs.
5. Shift your thinking. You need to start thinking ‘health’ instead of ‘diet’. When we think of diet, we associate it with pain, with struggle, with difficult choice of foods to go through. Health means looking younger, better, and enjoying life more. Once you have a healthy attitude, everything will come along just nicely.
Start with any of these 5 tips, not necessarily in order, and not even necessary to do them all now. Start small, but start somewhere and don’t give up. Start with little thing, and once your brain and your body gets accustomed to the change and accepts it, you will know. And then, make the next small change. Before you know it, you have embarked on a permanent weight loss journey, which is here to stay, permanently.

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Weight Loss Methods That Fat Person Should Do



Stop drinking anything that has calories
I’ll give you one exception - protein drinks. If that sounds difficult, I’m going to show you how to do it.
I used to love drinking Coke and Mountain Dew. But I changed all that in a matter of days by doing one simple thing. And this little step continues to save me thousands of calories every week.
And this is how I did it.
I started adding a couple of Stevia packets to the water I drink. Stevia is a natural substitute for sugar. This is not to be confused with all the other sugar substitutes that are unnatural man-made chemicals. And the water tastes exceptionally sweet. My cravings for Coke and Mountain Dew were gone in about three days.
It was that easy.
Make sure to eat breakfast everyday - and make sure it contains plenty of fiber and protein
Beyond a doubt, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It sets the tone for the rest of the day. A great ideal breakfast is half a can of black beans with scrambled eggs. That’ll get you going. They completely satisfy your hunger and rev your metabolism for the rest of the day.
After eating a nutritious breakfast, you’ll notice that you don’t crave junk foods as much throughout the remainder of the day. A scoop of protein powder added to rolled oatmeal is also a great breakfast if scrambled eggs and black beans aren’t your favorites.
This is the ideal fat person weight loss method to put into play.

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The 20 best weight loss foods



Looking for an easy way to lose a few pounds? We've got the program. It's simple, and it works. So get with it.

By Amelia Jay, M.S., R.D.


MUNCHIES

Everybody has a snack attack at one time or another, and there's no reason to fight it. Research shows that those who snack when hungry eat less later and control their weight better. Just be sure you eat healthy, low-fat snacks such as the ones that follow.





Frozen grapes, blueberries, and/or bananas
Description: Frozen cold sweet fruits are refreshing, satisfying, nutritious, and taste "smooth" or even creamy like many fat-filled desserts. They're easy to store in your freezer, whether store bought or picked-by-you-and-your-family and then frozen. Because of their texture, temperature, and consistency, they taste sweet, and alert your body to stop eating before you've overdone it.
You'll Save: 80 calories when you compare a whole 12-ounce bag of frozen blueberries to a small serving of TCBY frozen yogurt, and 200 calories and 14 grams of fat when you compare a frozen banana with a 1/2 cup of Ben and Jerry's.

Dried papaya, mango, and/or dates
Description: For a sweet taste that mimics a piece of candy, try a dried-fruit snack. Raisins are the most popular, but these papayas, mangos, and dates will provide your daily dose of vitamin C, plus some vitamin A and iron. They require more chewing time than raisins, and will satisfy most people in a smaller quantity than raisins, which are easy to overeat.
You'll Save: 100 to 150 calories for 4 to 6 pieces when compared with a handful of raisins or other dense, sugary foods and candies.

Glenny's Apple Cinnamon Low-Fat Soy Crisps
Description: Available in two-serving bags, these crunchy cinnamon treats will satisfy your sweet tooth while setting you back just 150 calories for 28 crisps. Also available in lightly salted and onion flavor, each bag contains 10 grams of soy protein (The American Heart Association recommends 25 to 50 grams of soy protein each day for heart health) plus 200 percent of your daily vitamin C need, 20 percent of your iron need, and 10 percent of your calcium need.
You'll Save: 150 calories and 15 grams of fat compared with graham-cracker snack treats.
DINNER

A satisfying dinner will help you avoid a late-night pigout. The best dinners are high in complex carbohydrates, and low in fat. The carbohydrates will help you sleep better, and also fuel your morning workout.

Spaghetti squash
Description: When prepared, the spaghetti squash actually resembles a plate of spaghetti, so you can add all your favorite sauces and toppings. Rich in fluids (about 92.3 percent water), carbohydrates, fiber, potassium, Vitamin C, and pantothenic acid (a B vitamin), spaghetti squash makes an ideal, low-calorie entre that's still filling. (Note: This is not, however, the best way to carbo-load for a marathon, or resupply your leg muscles after a hard workout. For that, you'll want a traditional plate of pasta, heavy on the spaghetti, and light on the sauces.)
You'll Save: 200 calories compared with 2 cups of wheat spaghetti.

Papadini, hi-protein, pure-lentil bean pasta
Description: This delicious, wheat- and gluten-free pasta has a unique, appealing taste, and shouldn't trouble runners whose stomachs are sensitive to regular pastas. It also has 5 more grams of protein per serving than traditional pasta, and is richer in iron, folic acid, and other B-vitamins necessary for metabolizing carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for energy. When you prepare Papadini pasta as a vegetable primavera, tossed with peas, beans carrots, tomatoes, and corn, you get as much protein as a chicken or steak dinner without the excess fat, cholesterol, and calories.
You'll Save: 20 calories per 2-ounce serving compared with traditional wheat pastas.

Idaho Supreme potato pasta
Description: Here's another wheat- and gluten-free alternative to the real McCoy. Potato-based pasta is a delightful, high-complex-carbohydrate, high-fiber wheat alternative. The Idaho Supreme pasta is made from organic potatoes to help preserve the Vitamin C, calcium, and iron necessary for strong, healthy running.
You'll Save: 20 calories per 2-ounce serving compared with traditional pastas.

Advantage\10 pizza
Description: This delicious pizza alternative featuring grilled vegetables was designed by low-fat health guru Dean Ornish. You can practically eat the whole pie for the same number of calories you get from one or two slices at your local pizzeria.
You'll Save: 250 calories and more than 20 grams of fat compared with most restaurant or supermarket pizzas.

Barbara's Mashed Potatoes
Description: They're not a full meal, of course, but these easy-to-prepare mashed potatoes in a box make a great, high-carbohydrate, low-fat "comfort" dish to go with your meal. Prepare them with nonfat milk, water, a little salt, and nonfat margarine.
You'll Save: 50 calories and 6 grams of fat compared with a 1-cup serving of traditional mashed potatoes.
DESSERT

It's normal and natural to want something sweet after dinner. Especially if you've been training hard. Since chocolate has recently been shown to contain powerful antioxidants, why not indulge a little?

Haagen-Dazs chocolate sorbet
Description: Who ever thought Haagen-Dazs would make it into this article? But it does. This richly chocolate frozen treat manages to taste creamy without containing any fat at all. Sure, it's sugary, but at least you're getting some protein and fiber as well.
You'll Save: 100 calories and 15 grams of fat per serving compared with HD's chocolate fudge ice cream.

Chocolate Dreams cookies
Description: A meringue-type version of the traditional chocolate chip cookie, this one lets you gobble down 5 cookies for under 30 calories and no fat. Bonus: You get two grams of protein as well.
You'll Save: At least 150 calories and 9 grams of fat compared with just 3 regular chocolate chip cookies.

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