Keep a Food Diary for Weight Loss Success

(Article first published as Food Journal is Key to New Year Weight Loss Success on Technorati.)Millions of people struggle with weight loss each year and most will be unsuccessful in their goal. With the New Year almost upon us, many will yet again make a well-intended resolution to drop weight gained during the past year and reach their ideal weight range. Making the decision to lose weight is an important first step, yet 95% of those with the desire to drop pounds will fail because they don’t have the appropriate tools to accomplish the task.Making a Plan to Lose WeightThe reason most weight loss programs don’t succeed is because there is no firm plan in place that will deliver the desired results. Many people rely on fad diets that exclude...

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Posted in: Food Journal,Weight Goal,weight loss,Weight Tracking

Mediterranean Diet Shown to Improve Health and Boost Weight Loss Results

(Article first published as Think Mediterranean to Drive Your New Year Weight Loss Goal on Technorati.)Overweight and obesity are known to dramatically increase the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia. Excess body fat fuels the flames of systemic inflammation and the release of dangerous chemical messengers or cytokines that damage the delicate inner lining of our arteries and set the stage for vascular dysfunction. As we pass age 35, there is a natural tendency to gain weight due to slowing metabolism, unchanged calorie intake and less physical activity. Following a Mediterranean style diet can help to curb weight gain, improve health and boost your weight loss efforts.Alarming Study Projects 42% Obesity Rate by...

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Posted in: Diet and Nutrition,Obesity,weight loss

Food Additives You Must Avoid

(Article first published as Top Food Additives You Really Need to Avoid on Technorati.)When was the last time you closely looked at the ingredients inside of your favorite packaged food? The vast majority of foods bought at your local grocery store are the creation of food chemists, not Mother Nature. Most include a long list of synthetic chemicals and modified food components that are designed to enhance shelf life and provide flavorings that appeal to your sense of taste for sweetness, salt and fat.The vast majorities of processed foods are packed with calories and have been stripped of any nutrients that we require to maintain optimal health. Over the course of years and decades, the lack of vitamins and minerals from natural foods slowly...

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Posted in: Artificial Sweeteners,High Fructose Corn Syrup,Nutrition Labels

Acai and Blueberries Promote Health, Protect Against Brain Aging and Heart Disease

(Article first published as Acai and the Berry Family Promote Health for the New Year on Technorati.)Each day our cells are bombarded with negatively charged ions known as free radicals that cause damage leading to accelerated aging and increased risk of heart disease, cancer and dementia. It`s estimated that each of our trillion or so cells is assaulted by up to 10,000 free radicals each day.This damage must be repaired by our body to prevent disease and slow the aging process. Free radicals are a natural part of metabolism and represent the byproducts of respiration, digestion and physical activity. Fortunately nutritional research has confirmed a host of natural compounds found in berries. Start your New Year off on a healthy note with a...

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Posted in: Acai Berry,Brain Health,Heart Disease

Weight Loss Tips to Jump Start the New Year

(Article first published as Six Tips to Jump Start Your New Year Weight Loss Resolution on Technorati.)As another year draws to a close, many people begin to think about making New Year Resolutions. As the number of overweight and obese individuals continues to skyrocket in epidemic proportions, many resolutions will evolve around the pursuit of an elusive weight loss goal. Reducing calories and exercising more are well known strategies to pursue. In addition, nutrition experts at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have compiled the top research-based weight loss tips designed to help you jump start your new journey to a slimmer waistline.Tip 1: Keep Moving Each DayResearch confirms that physical activity is essential to human health...

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Posted in: Diet and Nutrition,Exercise Benefits,Weight Goal,weight loss,Weight Tracking

Carb Restriction is the Key to Permanent Weight Loss and Health

(Article first published as Cut Carbs, Not Fat to Lose Weight and Live Longer on Technorati.)We’re having trouble changing our mindset about the best type of diet to promote health and weight loss. For decades we have been told that fat is bad and whole grain carbohydrates are good. Food manufacturers cleverly cut all the fat from many of their offerings and pumped up sugar and carbs to compensate. We merrily went along eating massive quantities of `healthy` low fat foods with the thought that we would avoid fat, get skinny and avoid the number one killer, heart disease.Unfortunately just the opposite has happened. American obesity rates are at epidemic proportions and heart disease still unnecessarily claims the lives of millions each year....

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Posted in: Blood Sugar,Low Carb Diet,weight loss

Vitamin C and Pomegranate in the Fight Against Heart Disease

Heart disease claims the lives of nearly 900,000 Americans each year, caused largely by a diet of processed junk food, excess calories, obesity and smoking. Many people are under the false impression that heart disease is inevitable and once diagnosed can only be controlled by a low fat diet and a cocktail of prescription drugs.This belief has been fostered by a medical profession that makes large profits by perpetuating patients in a never ending cycle of disease progression. Nature has provided powerful tools that can effectively prevent and treat heart disease by correcting the root cause of the affliction.Inflammation Initiates Heart DiseaseSystemic inflammation is one of the primary metabolic processes underlying heart disease as it causes...

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Posted in: Heart Disease,Supplements

Vitamin K Protects Against Cancer and Heart Disease

(Article first published as Vitamin K Necessary to Stop Cancer in its Tracks on Technorati.)The second leading cause of death in the US is a preventable disease caused by a damaging diet of processed foods and poor lifestyle choices. Many people view cancer as inevitable having seen family members and friends succumb to the disease and believe there is little they can do to protect themselves from the `Big C`.Our body is continually under assault from rogue cancer cells that are detected and controlled by our innate immune system. Eventually a diet of sugary processed foods and regular contact with household toxins wear down our natural defenses allowing cancer to proliferate. Vitamin K is a critical nutrient that has been shown effective in...

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Posted in: Cancer,Heart Disease,Supplements,Vitamin K

Diet and Exercise Key to Age-Related Weight Gain

(Article first published as Physical Activity Limits Age-Related Weight Gain, Diet and Exercise Key to Weight Loss on Technorati.)Physical activity level is an important part of a successful weight loss regimen. Physical activity duration has been shown to be predictive of weight gain over the years, and can influence critical health biomarkers that predict risk of disease. Research indicates that while regular exercise is important to weight loss and maintenance goals, it cannot be used as a sole means to avoid age-related weight gain.Study Finds Physical Activity is Part of the Weight Gain SolutionPeople naturally tend to gain weight as they age due to lowered metabolic rate without a corresponding reduction in calories. The results of a...

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Posted in: Blood Sugar,Exercise Benefits,weight loss

Resveratrol and Grape Seed Activate Longevity Genes

(Article first published as Resveratrol and Grape Extract Shown to Extend Healthy Lifespan on Technorati.)The benefits of calorie restriction have been known for the past 75 years and provide an important means to increase lifespan. Scientists continue to uncover the evolved biological mechanisms that have been shown to extend life and improve health in animals and mammals alike. Eating too much burdens our ability to properly metabolize such a large number of calories and raises the risk of disease. Excess energy from food also influences our genes that regulate aging. The good news is that you can experience the health benefits of calorie restriction by supplementing with targeted nutrients that mimic the effects of lowered calorie intake.Reducing...

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Posted in: Resveratrol,Supplements

Depression Slows Weight Loss Efforts, Fish Oil Can Help

(Article first published as Avoid Depression for Successful Weight Loss, Omega-3 Fats Can Help on Technorati.)Clinical depression rates are rising in America almost as quickly as the number of overweight and obese individuals. It makes sense that people who may be depressed are less likely to be concerned over weight issues as they become less involved with physical health issues and their external environment.While researchers are unable to say whether depression leads to excess weight or if the extra pounds contribute as an underlying cause of depression, those individuals who fall into the obese classification (BMI above 30) are 50 to 150% more likely to suffer from depression than normal weight individuals. Clearly there is a close relationship...

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Posted in: Depression,Obesity,Omega-3 Fats,weight loss

Curcumin Prevents Cancer, Heart Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease and Obesity

Curcumin is one of a small number of super nutrients which has the demonstrated ability to dramatically lower the risk from cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer`s disease while influencing the storage of body fat by altering lipid metabolism. Curcumin is a natural polyphenol which is extracted from curry powder and has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. You can experience a multitude of health benefits by eating the spice in its natural form or by supplementing with a concentrated extract of active curcuminoids.Curcumin in the Fight against CancerCurcumin has been shown to be a powerful tool in the fight against cancer as it helps to restore immune system function which begins to weaken in many people as a result of decades...

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Posted in: Cancer,Heart Disease,Supplements,weight loss

Food Visualization Can Aid Weight Loss Efforts

(Article first published as Mind Imagery May Lead to Weight Loss Success on Technorati.)It’s important not to discount the power that our mind has over our conscious efforts to lose weight, as well as our subconscious desire to control the foods we eat. Our brain exerts a powerful influence over our actions and research indicates that thinking about eating a favorite food can actually help us to consume less of that food and save the calories as a bonus.We are truly creatures of habit, and tend to eat the same foods in similar quantities on a regular basis. For most people this means we over consume calories without much conscious thought, and are unable to lose weight despite our short lived efforts at dieting. Sooner or later we slide back...

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Posted in: Lifestyle,Motivation,weight loss

Exercise Helps Prevents Disease and Aging, Assists Weight Loss

(Article first published as Regular Exercise is Key to Life Extension, Weight Loss Goals on Technorati.)Did you know that regular exercise is the most important lifestyle habit that has been shown to dramatically lower the risk from more than 20 different physical and mental health conditions? It’s likely you do know that exercise is important for health and weight loss goals, yet few people come close to exercising 150 minutes per week, as recommended by health researchers and medical experts.Exercise plays an essential role in fat metabolism that can safely help with weight loss for many people, and it can be pivotal in preventing many conditions including cancer, heart disease, dementia, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, obesity and high...

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Posted in: Aerobic Training,Exercise Benefits,weight loss