Sunday, September 27, 2009

Life is One Damn Diet After Another


By EricHanson | September 27, 2009
tipsforfastweightloss.com
A common expression is that we’re “going on a diet.” The phrase suggests that, like a vacation trip, there is a beginning and an end. We dream of the day we will reach our weight goal and how wonderful it will be when we don’t have to lead a life of painful deprivation.

In the back of our minds, there is a comforting little tape playing, promising us that when our weight loss campaign is over, we’ll be able to stop counting calories, carbohydrates, or fats. We long for the day when we no longer have to clench our teeth as we refuse a favorite dish that always causes us to salivate in our sleep. We reach for the carrot and celery sticks without anticipation or enthusiasm while torturing ourselves with visions of the special treats we’ll enjoy when the diet is over.

Uh, hello?

Allowing ourselves to think of a diet as a delineated, restricted period within our total life span is a sure avenue back to tent city (that refers to what we wear, not where we live). To have any hope of attaining permanent weight control, we must approach it as a lifelong effort, watching our intake day after day, week after week, year after year.

You feel your heart sinking in your chest. You think “If I have to live like this all the time, it’s just not worth it!” That little voice promises you that you are different. You can relax because now you know how to lose weight, you can do it anytime you want. Gain five pounds and you’ll go back on your diet and be back to goal in no time at all.

But you won’t! Think back over your chequered weight history. We all believe that once our weight is down, it will be so easy to go on a short diet if we gain back a few pounds. It doesn’t work that way, though, does it? We start gaining a pound here and a pound there, but then there are some special events coming up and a diet would be so inconvenient. We don’t go back “on” our diet until we’ve gained enough weight to develop the self-disgust that warrants a new period of serious deprivation. We have become a full-fledged member of the yo-yo club, that vast majority of dieters who cannot keep the weight off for more than a few weeks.

The reasons we go “on” and “off” diets are numerous: they are boring, depressing, and very uncomfortable. They set us apart from friends, family, and coworkers who continue to snack, to feast, and to celebrate. We resent how diets make us feel and how they impact our daily lives.

Let’s look at the whole picture from a different perspective for a minute.

Instead of “a diet” envision a way of eating that involves living on a diet for the rest of your life. While the prospect may appall you, don’t say you can’t do it just yet.

First, consider another wide-spread concept many of us accept. To lose substantial weight in a relatively short time, we need to select the diet that seems to fit us and then stay with it, religiously, until we’ve reached our goal.

Let’s now take these two concepts, squish them together, and then turn them upside down.

We are not “going on a diet.” We are starting our diet-for-life. We then pick a diet, any diet at all, and make the commitment to stick with that diet for one week, and one week only. At the end of the week, we are going to pick an entirely different diet to which again we only commit for a one week period. This continues for virtually the rest of our lives with selected diets changing on a weekly basis.

What does this accomplish? A whole bunch of things:

1.

By selecting a different diet each week, it removes those common misgivings that maybe we should have gone in a different direction. We worry that we’re not getting the right nutrients or that we’re going to get sick or develop a rare disease. We read the diet ratings and panic at the warnings posted for all the popular programs. With our new approach, you don’t have to fret about if you made a good or bad choice because you’ll be making a new choice in a week.

2.

If there are particularly painful “No-Nos” in this week’s diet, resolve to try something next week that allows a currently forbidden fruit. For example, a primarily protein regimen has been found successful for many participants who often lose five or ten pounds in a week. However, they miss the vegetables and salad they enjoy. The next week could then be a vegetables and salad only routine, also successful for rapid weight loss but a bit lean on the protein you body needs for self-repair.

You may then find yourself craving some good bread so you switch to the Subway diet for a week until your craving is satisfied. Move on to something completely different – the cabbage soup diet or liquid shakes. Since there are literally thousands of diets, a few are bound to include the food you crave.

You are never more than a week away from having what you feel you absolutely must have in order to keep going. You can include spartan fad diets that move fat quickly and you can include calorie counting or Weight Watcher diets that allow almost anything so long as you adjust your intake to stay within the totals specified.

3.

The frequent changes in your eating patterns keep your body off-balance. Give the body enough time and advance notice and it will adapt to anything, turning protein into carbohydrates and storing even low calorie carbohydrates as little pockets of fat. By totally changing what you eat on a regular basis, the body gives up trying to figure out how to thwart you and spends its time efficiently processing what you give it. You are effectively using your smart little mind to outmaneuver your smart not-so-little body.

4.

The constant changes force you to buy food in smaller packages. It’s pointless and wasteful to buy those family packs of anything. That will help you with overall portion reduction, a must for any serious dieter. Your shopping goal is only to purchase items that you can consume within a week. If you see something that you particularly want but is not on your allowed list, make a mental note to find a diet for next week that can accommodate it.

5.

The need for a new diet each week requires that you read and research a lot of diets. The reading acts as reinforcement for your goals and will assure your continuing education on nutrition and fitness. When you see something that intrigues you or just makes a lot of sense, try it out. Perhaps one week will involve barely restricted eating but require a lot of exercise. Go for it – it’s only a week.

6.

You are in the happy position of having wide choices available but also the needed structure of an organized plan to follow. The regimented eating is within each week’s diet; the power of choice is operative when you decide what the next week’s program will be.

7.

Can you stay on a diet permanently? Yes, you can, because you’re not restricting yourself from anything for life, just for a week at a time. Should you stay on a diet for the rest of your life? Yes, you probably should as long as you are getting a balance of foods from an intelligent mixing of alternative diet plans. If you like one diet more than another, or if one particular program works exceptionally well for you, by all means cycle that diet into your routine on a regular basis. Just make sure you don’t use the same plan more than once a month or your body is going to be ready for it and Zap! you find it no longer works so well.

8.

Can you over-diet? We have all seen (although they seem to be harder to find these days) overly thin, cadaverous dieters with sunken cheeks and loose skin. That can be avoided by making your selected diets very diverse so you are never without needed nutrients for very long. For example, many retirement homes and assisted living co-ops produce thin seniors with pallid skin and protruding abdomens. Replace their mushy, high starch meals with any of the myriad high protein and vegetable-fruit diets and their color will improve, their energy increase, and their tummies fade.

9.

Can you ever be too thin? Visit an eating disorder facility and you will see the results of anorexia nervosa, not a pretty sight and highly dangerous from a medical standpoint. If you have a history of overweight, you may tell yourself that being too thin will never be in the cards for you. However, there are not infrequent cases of the perennial heavy who becomes anorexic through dieting too much with resulting anxiety about gaining back even an ounce of the flesh so painfully discarded. If you have a distorted body image, and reliable friends are concerned about your being too thin, get professional help.

10.

It all comes down to using your brain intelligently. When you are at your heaviest, with the most to lose, the logical choice is a rather spartan program that will get the fat moving quickly. As you lose, more moderate programs can be interspersed so that your skin and cheeks have a chance to adjust and fill in as your weight stores become redistributed. If a particular part of your body is resistant to reduction, exercise may become a more important part of your plan than simply a dietary approach. Once you are hovering at your ideal weight, simple calorie counting or support group involvement may be all you need.

The secret is to be rational about it all and use that wonderful mind of yours to set the program for your not-so-intelligent body with its insatiable appetite and poundage conservation cravings. Don’t try to cheat unless you want to cheat yourself and then be honest and admit that, for whatever reason there is, you want to avoid further weight loss. When you want and need to lose fifty pounds, an ice cream and chocolate diet is not rational. When you are at ideal weight or below, a stringent fad diet makes no sense.

Will all this mixing of diets result in consistent weight loss? There is never consistency in weight loss because there are just too many factors involved: water retention, digestive inefficiencies, the amount of energy expended, and individual body quirks. Over time, you will lose steadily but there will always be some ups and downs along the way.

Once the concept of “going on a diet” has been discarded, a lifelong eating plan can be embraced, guaranteed to leave you in control of your weight for the rest of your long slender life.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Alicia Silverstone Takes it All Off for Peta


Alicia Silverstone’s Sexy Veggie PSA


A Message from Alicia
Like most people, I wasn’t always a vegetarian, but I’ve always loved animals. If you ever have a chance to meet a cow, pig, turkey, or goat, you will see that they are just as cute and funny as your dogs and cats and that they, too, want to live and feel love. They don’t like pain. Now when I see a steak, it makes me feel sad and sick because right away, I see my dog or the amazing cows I met at a sanctuary. I’ve been vegan for 10 years, and it’s the single-most important and helpful decision I have ever made. Physically, the effect has been amazing. Once I went vegan, I lost the weight I wanted to lose, my nails were stronger, and my skin was glowing. I feel great, and I look better now than I did 11 years ago.

Being vegan truly is the secret to my life’s joy and peace. I feel physically and spiritually better than I could have ever imagined knowing that I am doing everything I can to reduce animal suffering with simple lifestyle choices like being vegan, never wearing any products made from animals (like wool and leather), and buying only from companies that NEVER test their products or ingredients on animals.

Celebrity Diet Doctor Weigh in…
Provocative ad to say the least. Alicia is clearly taking an ethical stance on her decision to go vegan/vegetarian.

From a nutritional perspective we clearly need to get more unrefined fruits and veggies into our diet. However, remember there are junk vegan and vegetarian diets. Refined carb products full of sugar and white flour are technically vegan and vegetarian. A vegan diet can be a very healthy diet when it consists of unprocessed fruits and veggies, but it is deficient in B12 vitamins and the Marine form of Omega-3. While the plant form of Omega-3 has shown some health benefits, the majority of cardio-protective and neuro-protective benefits have been with the marine form.

Peta had chosen Houston to air the ad because it has the dubious distinction of having some of the most unhealthy eating habits in America. Houston was also ranked by Men’s Fitness Magazine as the 6th fattest city in America. The ad implied that a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle can give you a beautiful body, although it obviously seemed to rile up a few feathers in the Lone Star State.

controversial-peta-ad-pokes-at-fat-people


controversial-peta-ad-pokes-at-fat-people
PETA has one great marketing team; they’ve clothed Cloris Leachman in a dress made of cabbage leaves and de-clothed Alicia Silverstone for a controversial nude PETA ad. However, their latest ad campaign on a Jackonsville Florida billboard doesn’t involve any celebrities but it has meat-lovers in a frenzy. The ad implies that obese women are like whales and if they go vegetarian they will be thin. The text reads as: Save the Whales. Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian.

Scott Johnson, a local reporter with WJXT interviewed the PETA representative Ashley Byrne and she claims that the ad is a humorous way to grab people’s attention. She said,

“People are bombarded with ads for foods that make them fat and unhealthy. PETA’s ad campaign is empowering for consumers because it highlights that a vegetarian diet is the best way to battle the bulge.”

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Slendertone Flex Belt- A Simple Way to Tone


weightlossdietinformation.com
What is the Flex Belt?

The Slendertone Flex Belt is an abdominal toning device that can be used to force muscle contraction, helping you trim inches from your waist without having to do actual exercise. The Flex Belt works through a process known as electric muscle stimulation or EMS. The electronic device is placed on the stomach and electrodes in the form of gel-pads are placed directly on the skin over the muscles of the stomach. When the device is activated electrical impulses will cause the muscles to contract. In the United States EMS devices have to be cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. The Flex Belt is classified as a class II medical device and can only be marketed as a muscle toning device since it is sold over-the-counter.

What’s good about the Flex Belt

- Flex Belt is convenient, requires the user do nothing and can be used discreetly anywhere at any time.

- The device comes with a warranty, and you can return it within two months.

- The Flex Belt rechargeable battery unit can be used with the buttocks and arms, however additional equipment is required.

- The product is one of a few, EMS toning devices which have been cleared by the FDA.

Slendertone Flex Belt Cons

- It can be pretty expensive — it comes off the shelf at around $200. You’ll also need to replace the gel-pads after you use them 30 times (that’s once a month if you put the Flex Belt on everyday), and they cost an extra $15.

- The Flex Belt may not fit individuals with extremely large midsections.

Slendertone Flex Belt Warnings!

- Those who should not use the Flex Belt include: individuals with pacemakers or implanted electronic or metallic devices such as defibrillators and stents. As well as diabetics requiring insulin and individuals with cancer.

- If you’re pregnant or you just had a baby. You have to recover for at least a month and half after giving birth (twice that if you went through a Cesarean section). To be sure, see your doctor.

- Some individuals suffer mild burns from Flex Belt use.

How the Flex Belt Works

The Flex Belt electronic device contains three prepositioned gel pads strategically located to contract the abdominal and oblique muscles. You control the strength of the contraction with the option ranging from 1 to 100. As your muscle strength increases, you gradually increase the strength of the contractions. While using the device users will feel a mild pulsating sensation as their muscles contract and report that their muscles feel sore the next day. The belt is designed to be worn for 30 minutes a day, every day for 4 to 8 weeks depending on how much toning your abs need. Then the Flex Belt can be worn 2 to 3 times a week to maintain the toning.

Remember that the Flex Belt is meant to be used to tone the abdominal muscles only. It doesn’t encourage fat burn and doesn’t burn excess calories. If you’d like to accomplish these, maintain a healthy diet and get lots of regular exercise.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Study shows new jOG body motion controller makes Wii™ players take exercise | How to Defeat Childhood Obesity With Fun Activities

www.businesswire.com

What is jOG?

jOG is the ground breaking add-on for the Wii that lets you control your game character movement by jOGing on the spot. Simply plug it in, clip it to your belt and you’re ready to start playing your games in a new, exciting and active way!
jOG uses New Concept Gaming advanced movement technology to let you control the movement of your on-screen character by your own body motion. You run, your character runs. You stop, your character stops. Amazing!
jOG is compatible with all existing video games that use the Nunchuk joystick to control game character movement. Keep the joystick pushed in the direction you want to go and start jOGing to move your character in that direction. If you stand still, so does your character!
Watch trailer

Why I need a jOG

jOG is not just an accessory to the Wii, it’s a reason to get off the couch and get together with your friends and family to play the latest games. Each step that you take in the real world translates to movement in the game allowing for total gaming immersion. As an added health and fitness benefit, jOG also includes a calorie counter. An hour of using jOG can burn up to 400kcal! With this added benefit, every game you play has never been so rewarding and so much fun!

-The study by John Moores University in Liverpool revealed that one hour using jOG to play a typical Wii game involves taking 6,000-10,000 steps. 10,000 steps is the number the government recommends adults take each day to stay healthy. jOG more than tripled energy expenditure, and increased heart rate by 40% compared to seated game play, in the young adults who participated in the tests.
Launched earlier this year, the jOG is an add-on controller for the Wii that detects body motion. When the player takes a step, so does the game character on screen. Players become immersed in the game and are compelled to take light exercise. The jOG works with many existing Wii games and is a small device connected between the Nunchuk and Wii Remote that clips onto the player’s belt or waistband.

Already widely acclaimed, the jOG has been named the Gadget Show’s number one product from the UK Toy Fair 2009. It has also been rated ‘Essential Gadget’ by The Sun and featured on Jo Whiley’s show on BBC Radio 1.
Brendan Ludden, Managing Director of NCG said: “We’re really proud that we’ve achieved what we set out to do – to produce a unique accessory that adds to the sense of immersion as you play your favourite games, that is great fun and contributes to your daily recommended exercise.”
With childhood obesity on the rise and video games among the causes, the new jOG
body motion controller could be the answer. An independent study shows that
using the jOG increases energy expenditure and heart rate.
One of the best strategies to combat excess weight in your child is to improve the diet and exercise levels for the entire family. Here are some simple exercise activities that can be completed by children, in 30 minutes or less, using a mini trampoline
 

Things You'll Need:

  • mini trampoline
  • hand weights or weighted gloves
  • Jumpsnap jump rope

  1. Step 1
    Standing: Depending on the weight of your child, the first step it is to simply stand on a mini tramp. They will be working on balance and coordination - just standing on it!


  2. Step 2
    Bounce or Jog in Place: Once you are comfortable with balancing, graduate to a bounce or jogging in place. If children are interested in using hand weights, I suggest sticking with 1 or 2 lb weights only! That is enough to increase the heart rate and burn extra calories!


  3. Step 3
    Jumping Jacks: Jumping jacks can be dangerous if not done correctly. Work on separating you feet slightly, while you lift and lower your arms, until you get the hang of it. This requires much more coordination than simply bouncing or jogging.


  4. Step 4
    JUMPSNAP EQUIPTMENT
    JUMPSNAP EQUIPTMENT
    Jump Rope: While bouncing, rotate your arms as if you were jumping rope. They say 10 minutes of jumping rope is comparable to 20-30 minutes of jogging and with the help if a mini tramp you've just added the fun! I suggest you purchase the following items if you are interested in this activity: Google JUMPSNAP and check out a new a creative way to jump without the rope.


  5. Step 5
    Jumping while catching and passing a lightweight kick ball: Once your child becomes a superstar on the mini trampoline, he/she can work on jumping/bouncing while working on eye-hand coordination. Try bouncing a ball or throwing a ball back and forth and join in the fun. As a matter of fact the entire family can get involved in this activity.
    resource: ehow.com

Diet for Your Blood Type


healthnews.com
After a recent doctor appointment and being advised to get blood drawn, a phlebotomist (blood technician) friend of mine asked if the blood type diet would be a good idea for me to try. With some investigation as to exactly what “eating for my blood type” meant, the results were interesting enough to share.

Even if you are not having health problems, knowing your blood type and being able to decipher the best health plan for your diet are good things to know. A doctor by the name of Peter J. D’Adamo was brought up by his father to learn that people have different blood types and based on those blood types specific diet patterns work better with certain types of blood. In 1996, Dr. D’Adamo published a book called Eat Right 4 Your Type (ER4YT) that won awards in the health sector including being named one of the "10 Most Important Health Books Ever Written." After the success with ER4YT, Dr. D’Adamo followed up his book in 2007 with a new diet called The GenoType Diet, aimed at further investigation of diets based on your blood type and genotype according to your specific genes.

Dr. D’Adamo recommends a unique blend of food for each of the main blood types: A, B, AB, and O. Studies have been outstanding and one in particular shows that three out of every four people reported a vast improvement in their health. A lot of the recorded improvements have been weight loss along with better digestion, less stress, more energy, and clearer mental stability out of the 6,500 individuals who tracked their blood type diet over the course of at least one month.

People with type A blood are asked to follow a lower fat, vegetarian-based diet full of fruits and vegetables because they have thicker blood, sensitive immunity, and a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, cancer, or diabetes.

Recommendations for Type B blood include an omnivorous diet consisting of a balance between plants and meats because they have the best chance of avoiding serious diseases.

Type AB should follow a strict vegetarian program.

Type O—the most universal blood type—should consume a larger percentage of proteins, meats, vegetables, etc. and a smaller percentage of carbohydrates like pasta and breads. Type O blood should stay away from wheat, dairy, and nut products as people carrying this blood are more prone to hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) and acidic conditions like stomach ulcers.

Although critics cite lack of scientific evidence for the reason why this program isn’t sweeping the nation, it seems that followers of the blood type diet love the idea of not having to track points, calories, fat grams, or carbs while sticking to a food and drink regimen perfect for the blood circulating throughout his or her system. Allergies, diet changes according to age, and other restrictions based on medical problems also have no basis on this diet because the rules do not apply.

However, this does not mean that Dr. D’Adamo is wrong in his hypothesis but it does mean that along with any other diet adding subtle healthy changes will most likely have positive benefits. The downside to only being able to have one type of diet is that because it is based on a specific unchanging variable (your blood) the diet cannot be changed which could cause problems such as iron or protein deficiencies down the line. I have yet to take my friend’s advice and check out the blood type diet on my own, but now I know that a primarily vegetarian diet and low-resistance exercise are suggested for my Type A blood.

Just like you, I agree that nutrition advice has become overwhelmingly confusing. One best-selling book says no carbs, another book says no fat. This expert says to skip the protein and the other expert says to ignore that advice.

Maybe I should eat according to my ancestors or my blood type? Maybe I should go with the instinct diet? That one sounds interesting…

It’s at the point now that every single food is on some guru’s “bad list.”

If I followed all of their advice, my plate would be empty every meal!

Bottom line, it’s impossible to escape the confusion, especially since every diet promises to be better than the last.

Aren’t you dreaming of the day you can stroll into a grocery store and not be terrified or torture yourself with guilt, no matter what you eat?
Fact: More than ANYTHING else, you’re diet is holding you back and here is what you can do to fix it, once and for all…want to know more? Download more information here

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Aspartame in Diet Soda is Making You Sick



Aspartame a substitute sweetener used in diet drinks or any sugar free foods has been linked to cause illnesses such as leukemia, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, diabetes, epilepsy, birth defects, Parkinson’s and many other diseases and disorders. Aspartame is the scientific name for brands like NutraSweet, Equal and Spoonful. Chemist G.D. Searle accidently discovered Aspartame in 1965 and tried to get FDA approval, but it wasn’t until 1981 when it was allowed for dry goods and in 1983 for carbonated sodas.
How and why did Aspartame get approved by the FDA? Do you know Donald Rumsfeld? Yes, the very same retired defense attorney that help start the Iraq war during the Bush administration, he was the CEO of G.D. Searle Company at the time. He was adamant about ensuring that Aspartame would get the FDA approval even after they said no. G.D. Searle was even taken to court for concealing facts and making false statements in regards to animal studies conducted proving that Aspartame was and is by far the most dangerous product on the market.
If you experience any of these symptoms when you drink diet soda…STOP! It is known to cause migraines, heart palpitations, insomnia, seizures, breathing difficulties, memory loss, vertigo, joint pain and nausea. These symptoms can lead to many diseases and disorders that I stated above. Airline pilots are not allowed to consume products with Aspartame because of these risks and luckily for us they do not.
Today they are thinking of taxing soda because it causes obesity which in turn increases our health insurance costs. Do you think Aspartame keeps us from gaining weight? NO, it contains a chemical that make us crave carbohydrates and as a result makes us eat more.
Aspartame is big business; just look at all the marketing campaigns with the skinny good looking models. We as consumers are ignorant to the fact that Aspartame is contributing to our health care cost and paying for it with our family’s health while Rumsfeld and his companies Searle and NutraSweet get richer and richer.
Instead of taxing non-diet sodas we should tax diet soda and any product that uses Aspartame (thus prompting the consumer to drink and/or eat less) along with the companies that make them. Spread the word.
PS. If we are worried about obesity with sugar enriched sodas especially with our children...take the soda out of the vending machines and lunch program at the schools. It’s not the consumption of sugary beverages…it’s the over consumption that makes us obese and that has to do with anything that makes us fat….white flour, dairy products, sweets, carbohydrates and soda.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Rush Limbaugh: How Gov't Will Control Our Diet

 rushlimbaugh.com
RUSH: Now, from the dietitians at the op-ed page of the New York Times: "How Government Will Control Our Diet," and this was published yesterday. Now, I want you to listen to me on this. "Big Food vs. Big Insurance," New York Times op-ed column here: "To listen to President Obama's speech on Wednesday night, or to just about anyone else in the health care debate, you would think that the biggest problem with health care in America is the system itself -- perverse incentives, inefficiencies, unnecessary tests and procedures, lack of competition, and greed. No one disputes that the $2.3 trillion we devote to the health care industry is often spent unwisely, but the fact that the United States spends twice as much per person as most European countries on health care can be substantially explained, as a study released last month says, by our being fatter. Even the most efficient health care system that the administration could hope to devise would still confront a rising tide of chronic disease linked to diet. That's why our success in bringing health care costs under control ultimately depends on whether Washington can summon the political will to take on and reform a second, even more powerful industry: the food industry." The political will to take on the food industry? What the hell do they think has been happening? New York City trans fats, now they're going to have a tax on soda?

"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, three-quarters of health care spending now goes to treat 'preventable chronic diseases.' Not all of these diseases are linked to diet -- there's smoking, for instance -- but many, if not most, of them are. We're spending $147 billion to treat obesity, $116 billion to treat diabetes, and hundreds of billions more to treat cardiovascular disease." I found a website the other day, I should have printed it out, maybe I can find it in my website history. Two guys independently of each other, two doctors dealing with diabetes back in 1961 both came to the same conclusion to control type two diabetics, an all-meat diet. Now, this was before all the warnings about cholesterol and high fat and all of the animal rights people had come along, and they just said all-meat diet, nothing but meat, long before the nation ever heard of Robert Atkins.

An all-meat diet lowered cholesterol, lowered blood sugar, people lost weight. You could no more recommend that today and stay credible in your field than anything else you could do, and this is 1961. There might have been five years separation between these two guys, but they never knew, and they were researching other things. They were not studying how to lower diabetes, erectile dysfunction, they were studying high blood pressure, and they found out that all the test subjects were having this weird thing happen to them. It was a total accident. The same thing with these two guys, were studying something else entirely, and they found that with an all-meat diet, diabetes lowered, blood sugar lowered, weight lowered, cholesterol, all these things. And so here come these clowns -- this is Michael Pollan, by the way, writing this, basically this piece is, "We gotta control the food industry. We gotta get Washington to control the food industry." Yeah, community service. Picket Big Food, picket Big Retail food, picket grocery stores, pick the slaughter houses, picket manufacturers.

The American way of eating has become the elephant in the room in the debate over health care. The president has made a few notable allusions to it, and, by planting her vegetable garden on the South Lawn, Michelle Obama has tried to focus our attention on it." Make me gag! "Just last month, Mr. Obama talked about putting a farmers' market in front of the White House, and building new distribution networks to connect local farmers to public schools so that student lunches might offer more fresh produce and fewer Tater Tots. He's even floated the idea of taxing soda. … To put it more bluntly, the government is putting itself in the uncomfortable position of subsidizing both the costs of treating Type 2 diabetes and the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup. Why the disconnect? Probably because reforming the food system is politically even more difficult than reforming the health care system." Now, the people that read the New York Times end up buying the stuff just like these skulls full of mush at these Ivy League schools.
So now Big Food is the reason the health care costs are so high. Big Food! And we need Washington to control it. Reforming the food system? It goes on and on and on. Michael Pollan, by the way, is a contributing writer for the Times magazine, a professor of journalism at the University of California Berkeley. "All of which suggests that passing a health care reform bill, no matter how ambitious, is only the first step in solving our health care crisis. To keep from bankrupting ourselves, we will then have to get to work on improving our health -- which means going to work on the American way of eating." Mr. Pollan, it's none of your business. It's none of Obama's business how anybody eats. It's not my business when he grabs a quick trip to some burger joint. I don't know what he eats in the White House. Well, I do know, he's eating $100-a-pound Kobe beef.

But then there's a companion story here from Newsweek called: "The Real Cause of Obesity. It's not gluttony. It's genetics. Why our moralizing misses the point. Despite receiving a MacArthur genius award for her work in Alabama 'forging an inspiring model of compassionate and effective medical care in one of the most underserved regions of the United States,' Regina Benjamin's qualifications to be surgeon general have been questioned. Why? She is overweight. 'It tends to undermine her credibility,' Dr. Marcia Angell, former editor of The New England Journal of Medicine, said in an interview with ABC News. 'I do think at a time when a lot of public-health concern is about the national epidemic of obesity, having a surgeon general who is noticeably overweight raises questions in people's minds.' It is not enough, it seems, that the obese must suffer the medical consequences of their weight, consequences that include diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, and that cause nearly 300,000 deaths in the United States each year."

Do you realize -- this is another thing, what is our goal here? Have zero deaths a year? You know, life happens. Life happens. People live their lives, they have free will. They live their lives. But, no, no, no, we're not going to be doing that anymore, we're going to be living ordered lives. "In our society perhaps no group is more stigmatized than the obese." Well, I don't know. You ought to try being a fat conservative if you want to find out what being stigmatized is, but nevertheless. "Genetic studies have shown that the particular set of weight-regulating genes that a person has is by far the most important factor in determining how much that person will weigh. The heritability of obesity -- a measure of how much obesity is due to genes versus other factors -- is about the same as the heritability of height. It's even greater than that for many conditions that people accept as having a genetic basis, including heart disease, breast cancer, and schizophrenia. As nutrition has improved over the past 200 years --" Wait a minute. The New York Times just said it's gone to hell and we need to have Washington to control it. "-- Americans have gotten much taller on average, but it is still the genes that determine who is tall or short today. The same is true for weight. Although our high-calorie, sedentary lifestyle contributes to the approximately 10-pound average weight gain of Americans compared to the recent past, some people are more severely affected by this lifestyle than others. That's because they have inherited genes that increase their predisposition for accumulating body fat."

Now, this could all be BS, a piece written just to give cover to the obese surgeon general, who knows with this State-Controlled Media these days. But the bottom line, he concludes, obesity is not a personal choice. The obese are so primarily as a result of their genes. Never mind. We have to have food control. We have to have Washington control and reform the food industry, agribusiness. And this is not new. The left has been trying to get rid of the meat industry for who knows how long.

By the way, is this the economy Obama says he saved? "The US poverty rate hit its highest level in 11 years in 2008." That doesn't even include the last nine months, then. We got the highest level of poverty in 11 years in 2008 and that doesn't even factor this disastrous administration. "The government defines poverty as an annual income of $22,025 for a family of four, $17,163 for a family of three and $14,051 for a family of two." US poverty rate hits 11-year high as recession bites. CNNmoney.com: "'Word on the Street: No Job Prospects' -- The economic picture has started to improve, but those out of work see no recovery in sight." Next story, Geithner, town hall meeting on CNBC said unemployment will absolutely be lower one year from today, even though the word on the street from CNN is that there's no way. There's no sign that the employment picture will improve any time soon.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: I just got an e-mail from a friend who's reading Michael Pollan's book. He's the guy who wrote the op-ed in the New York Times that I just shared with you about reforming the food industry, and the name of his book is In Defense of Food. And my friend who's reading the book tells me that Pollan makes, in the book, a very, very strong case that the reason the food system is so bad is because of government and that there's a food movement out there called "nutritionism," which he says is not about nutrition but is an ideology. And he says that anthropologists have, over hundreds of years, found that an extraordinary range of diets are adaptable to humans: Meat, veggies, rice, lots of grain, no grain. All humans could adapt to these diets but he says in this book only the Western diet causes all the illnesses. Even in other countries our diet has ill effects. And he says that this is all due to processed food and the food is processed mostly due to government intervention and laws. Now, I don't know. That's a brief summary of what he's saying in the book. When I read his piece in the New York Times, I did not pick up any of that, but regardless. Just to be fair.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Warning: Ads may cause anxiety, other symptoms


12:00 AM CDT on Friday, September 11, 2009


DARLA ATLAS

Confession: I've come to a point in my life when I can no longer understand TV commercials.

There's one in particular, for the uniquely named medication Yaz, that messes with my head. A woman with a hypnotic stare and voice – who's attending some party on a rooftop – tells us that we may have seen some other Yaz commercials "that were not clear."

She attempts to rectify this. She fails.

"Yaz contains DRSP, a different kind of hormone," the woman says in her rapid-fire way, "that for some reason may increase potassium too much – so you shouldn't take Yaz if you have kidney, liver or adrenal disease because this could cause serious heart and health problems."

OK, a lot to take in. But the sentence in most need of a diagram is this one:

"Serious risks include blood clots, stroke and heart attack, so women – especially over 35? – shouldn't smoke, because it increases those risks."

Wait. Slow down, lady! I suspect that adding smoking into the equation is designed to throw off us simpletons. And it succeeds. I rewound this commercial three times just to figure out all the words she was throwing at me.

But hey, drug companies have to be thorough these days. It's the law. Which is why the commercial for sleep aid Ambien includes this nonchalant warning: "Sleepwalking, eating and driving while not fully awake with amnesia for the event have been reported."

"Driving while not fully awake," stated another way, is "driving while sleeping." The voiceover guy quickly moved on to other side effects, but I couldn't get past the horror of potential sleepdriving.

One more. Brooke Shields is now promoting Latisse, an eyelash-growing potion. But the voiceover lady warns that it "may cause eyelid skin darkening, which may be reversible. And there is potential for increased brown iris pigmentation, which is likely permanent."

Again, I'm stopped in my TV-watching tracks. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm leery of products that permanently alter the ol' eyeballs. Besides, they do have that thing called mascara.

There was a time, of course, when ads were much less frightening. Life was simpler, so product hawking was simpler. Information was provided on a need-to-know basis.

Take the following ad in my 1963 Family Circle.

"Donna's DOWN," the copy reads, showing a down-looking Donna. "Periodic Pain." But Midol's unnamed ingredients relieve headache, backache and "CALM JUMPY NERVES." (No need to shout. I'm already jumpy.) It also contains "a special, mood-brightening medication that CHASES 'BLUES.' "

Soon, voila! "Donna's UP with MIDOL."

Another variation of the ad features Betty. "Betty's BLUE. Periodic pain." But later, "Betty's GAY with MIDOL."

Hey, don't look at me. That's what the ad says.

Other ads were just downright lies. My 1939 Good Housekeeping includes the headline, "New Type Tomato Juice Thrills Nation." The folks at Welch's urged all to buy it "from your dealer today." (Wow, it must be good if you have to score it off the streets.)

But olden-times TV commercials were even more basic than print ads. "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should," says one that's now posted on the Internet. That's it. No mention of any, you know, side effects. From SMOKING.

Another one went to this extreme: "Surveys show more doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette. Smoke Camels – the cigarette so many doctors enjoy."

Times, they have a'changed. We've gone from "just don't tell people anything" to "OK, fine, tell them too much. That way they won't know what to think."

Sure, knowledge is power. But if I could spend one day in a place where tomato juice could thrill a nation, I'd take it.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

How Will You Die?

Assess your risk of death from accidents and disease.

In Greek mythology, Cassandra is granted the gift of prophecy after Apollo, mesmerized by her beauty, falls in love with her. But the gift turns to a curse when she doesn’t return his affection. Doomed to suffer in frustration and misery when her dire warnings of future catastrophes are ignored, Cassandra ultimately foresees her own death. For most of us, how and when our lives will end is a question we’re happy to leave unanswered. But for those who want a clue into what might do them in, a new Web site created by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University can help.

The Death Risk Rankings site allows users to sort death data by sex, race, geographical location, cause of death and age. There are many, many ways to organize the data, but just a simple search on age and sex reveals some interesting trends. For example, accidents are the leading cause of death (32.3 percent) for women 20-29, but cancer takes the top spot (22.1 percent) for women 30-39. The risk of dying from circulatory diseases nearly doubles for the older age group, as well. If getting older has a silver lining, it’s that a woman’s chance of being murdered drops by more than half from the 20-29 age range (8.7 percent) to 30-39 (4 percent).

Cancer strikes men and women about equally, but men have it worse when it comes to being murdered or dying in accidents. Overall, the numbers reflect what we already know: Old people die from heart attacks and disease; young people die in accidents.

Now that you know how to determine your risk of dying from various causes, you can also find out when you’re likely to die. Simply type “when will I die?” into Bing search to find numerous calculators. But be careful—as Cassandra found out, there’s such a thing as too much information.

My When Will I Die Quiz results:

I have 33 years left to live.
I will die in 2042 at age 86.
I am beating the average lifespan for someone my age by 3 years.
To put it another way, I have the health of a 50 year old woman.
I have lived 62% of my life already.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Get Michelle Obama's Toned Arms

What's her secret ?  Well first of all Michelle Obama has what is known as a Mesomorph body type , same as me . A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique . They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong . Michelle Obama's body type affords her the luxury of not having to spend too much time in the gym before the results start showing up in the mirror . The down side of that is that unlike Ectomorphs , Mesomorphs gain weight at the drop of a hat if there not careful . A classic example is former Guess model Anna Nicole . I bet Michelle Obama  reads the tabloids and some of the nasty press sometimes before a work out  for a little motivation .  
Michelle Obama's arms are sexy  and they seem to be getting better all the time .


Since where on the subject of sexy arms why don't we discuss what makes a sexy arm ? To me it's in the curvature and the balance between muscle and fat , long lines and deap slopes  . You need a little fat in their to get that plump , curvy  vivacious look , it talks to a man's inner instincts , it tells a man that a woman's healthy and would make a good mate . I never was attracted as  much to  the overly sinewy look that celebrities like Madonna are known for .
Bottom line : First lady Michelle Obama  has the sexiest arms of any first lady in history , it's not even close , can we agree on that ?  On a scale of 1-10 I would give them a 9.5  


lifescripts.com
Want to know what the sexiest and most discreet part of a woman’s body is? Her arms! Here's the biggest benefit of having (Michelle Obama) toned arms: You can flaunt them in almost every outfit and in any social setting, from seductive strapless dresses to staid work blouses.
 
Building your triceps, which run along the back of your upper arm, will allow you to better extend your arms and will stabilize shoulders. Toned triceps also will minimize the appearance of saggy underarm fat. Try this exercise called the “skull crusher.” Let’s begin!
Step 1: Hold a pair of dumbbells and lie on the ball so that your head and neck are supported. Elevate your hips slightly, and keep your abs tight. Extend the dumbbells straight up with your palms facing each other.

Step 2:
Tilt your arms behind your head slightly. Breathe slowly and rhythmically as you bend your elbows and lower the weights through a count of 10 seconds.

Step 3:
Hold at the maximum tension point, about an inch above your forehead, for 2 seconds.

Step 4:
Raise dumbbells to the starting point through a count of 10 seconds.

Step 5:
Repeat three times without resting.

Three Simple Things We Can Do Now While We Wait for Health Care Reform

huffingtonpost.com
The Obama administration and the 111th Congress have chosen to tackle Health Care Reform as their top domestic priority -- and rightly so. Costs are out of control, millions of people are uninsured or under-insured and too many Americans are receiving sub-standard health care. We are the greatest country on earth. In health care we can and must do better.

The administration has said that its dual goal of reducing health care costs and making quality health care accessible to all is an economic and moral imperative. As many previous presidents and Congresses have found out, effective health care reform, while clearly needed, is tremendously complex and politically challenging to attain.

I am not a politician, nor am I a policy expert, but I do know a thing or two about promoting health and fitness having been a pioneer of the personal training industry, a successful fitness entrepreneur, and for the last four years, Chairman of the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. In each of my endeavors I have successfully encouraged people to take ownership over their own problems and break down their health and fitness goals into small, simple steps.
Take a look in the mirror America. As a country, we're overweight and out of shape and regardless of whatever health care reform package we end up with, we will not be able to effectively reduce overall health care costs if we don't exercise more and eat better.
So, while we wait for our political leaders to finalize an effective health care reform package that extends access to quality health care to all Americans, I suggest three simple things we can do to help reduce overall health care costs NOW:

1. Doctors and other health care providers - Prescribe exercise to patients who would benefit from being more physically active.

Research proves that exercise has a role in the treatment and prevention of more than 40 chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, obesity and hypertension. People who exercise regularly are less likely to develop these chronic diseases and less likely to burden our health care system with unnecessary costs. The American College of Sports Medicine with support from the American Medical Association has developed an initiative called Exercise is Medicine that encourages doctors and other health care providers to prescribe exercise to their patients. Doctors participating in this program report that patients feel better and are being prescribed less medication as a result. Every medical professional in the country should take this pledge and begin immediately prescribing exercise to patients who would benefit from being more physically active.

2. Principals, teachers and other educational leaders -- Consider it part of your mission to encourage your students to be physically active inside and outside of school.

Childhood obesity has risen at an alarming rate over the last 30 years and is causing too many of our children to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and other health problems, which in turn burdens our health care system with skyrocketing medical costs. In California, our Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports initiated the Governor's Fitness Challenge four years ago to encourage California children to be physically active for at least 30-60 minutes a day, at least three days a week in addition to regularly scheduled physical education. Over the last four years participation in our Governor's Challenge has grown from 10,000 participants in year one to over 339,000 participants last year. Some educators shied away from this challenge because they thought spending time promoting health and fitness would jeopardize their students' academic growth. Turns out, the schools that recorded the highest levels of physical activity per student in the Governor's Challenge not only made a positive impact on student health, they also had rates of academic improvement that surpassed the rest of the state. Given our experience in California and the growing body of evidence across the country showing that academics and fitness do go hand in hand, it would serve our children and our country well if educators at all levels would aspire to developing our children's minds and bodies to their full potential.

3. Moms, dads, kids and all Americans - when it comes to exercise, do something fun, do something simple and Don't Quit!

We all know that exercising is good for us. Still, too many of us don't exercise regularly because we can't find the time, we don't have the energy, and we treat exercise as a chore. Don't get caught up in what so called "experts" say you have to do -- whether you hike, bike, swim, surf, play lacrosse or do yoga, the most important thing is that you find something you like and that you get active and stay active. By choosing something you enjoy, you're more likely to find the time to do it. And if you're ever tempted to quit, remember that by being active you're not only building your health, confidence and self-esteem, you're reducing unnecessary medical costs thereby improving the health of our overall economy. After all, what John F. Kennedy said nearly 40 years ago rings true for health care today, "ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country."
There are a thousand other things that we can do, the three I've listed above are just a start.
I know that health care costs have been spiraling out of control for decades and that despite the best efforts of politicians on both sides of the aisle we have been unable to contain them. However, I also know we are the greatest country on earth because we do not shrink from our challenges and we do not give up until we get things right.
I leave you with the ending line of the poem called "Don't Quit" that has inspired me for the better part of the last 40 years:
"Stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, it's when things seem worst that you must not quit."
Don't quit on you, don't quit on your health, and don't quit on this great country!

Jake Steinfeld is the Chairman of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting physical activity and fitness for all Californians especially children and youth and is one of the fitness industry's reigning icons, responsible for creating the personal fitness training industry over 30 years ago.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Health News : Genes Related to Alzheimers and Liver Damage for Alli Users


ksby.com
NEW GENES DISCOVERED FOR ALZHEIMER

Scientists make what many health experts say is the biggest genetic discovery in Alzheimer's disease in more than 15 years.

A team of scientists has discovered two new genes related to the most common form of Alzheimer's disease. The researchers pooled DNA samples from more than 16,000 people.

Up until now, only one gene had been identified as a risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's.

They also pinpointed 13 other variants which might be related.

A separate study discovered a third gene.

The findings could lead to new treatments for the disease. They're published in Nature Genetics.

ALLI WARNING

There's a new health warning about the popular over-the-counter weight loss drug, Alli.

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating more than 30 reports of liver damage of people taking Alli, and the prescription version, Xenical.

Six of those cases resulted in liver failure.

But for now, the FDA recommends patients continue taking the drug as directed.

To be fair, Alli and Xenical's maker says more than 30,000 patients were studied in 100 clinical studies and it has found no evidence the drug causes liver injury.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Prevention is best cure for dreaded swine flu


By Nancy Jerominski federalwaynews.net
September 2, 2009

While in Lacey a couple of weekends ago I heard my partner's mother comment on the "Swine Flu Ready to Explode" headlines in the Olympian.
We all should be "bracing for a second wave of Swine Flu infections that could sicken millions of people and contribute to the hospitalization and deaths of thousands, including many children and young adults."
That article is one taken from Washington Post Staff Writer Rob Stein's 8-10-09 column. It shrieked dire warnings about what "could" happen with this new flu pandemic.
According to Marc Lipsitch, there will "fairly" be "tens of millions of illnesses and hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and tens of thousands of deaths. That's not atypical. It just depends on how many tens of thousands."
I immediately thought, as is typical, "'They're' fanning the fires of panic again." The authorities urge us all to get the Tamiflu anti-viral drug, which "generally appears to continue to be effective."
"Generally appears"?! These immunizations have mercury and aluminum in them! Why on earth is it OK to put these two highly toxic heavy metals into our bodies if they "generally appear to be effective?"
Who's making lots of money fanning the fires of panic in an already sick and tired America?
Check the CDC numbers; the reality is that this flu has only "played a role in at least 1154 deaths" globally! "436 have died in the U.S."
Here's the critical thinking part: 750,000 people die in this country every single year (and that number is rising) from chronic "common diseases" like cancer, diabetes and heart disease! Those numbers are a lot higher than this flu has taken so far worldwide.
Buried in the hysteria of this Washington Post article is this jaw-dropping snippet:
"'This epidemic will transmit faster than usual, because the population is more susceptible,' said Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health... 'Most of those who have developed serious illness and died have had other health problems. But those include many common conditions, such as diabetes, asthma and obesity. '"
There is nothing common about diabetes, asthma and obesity in the amazing history of human evolution and survival! These are serious chronic conditions arising from the nutrition-less glut of food we eat and the mind boggling amount of chemicals and pesticides we're exposed to daily that were not around 200 years ago.
My partner brought home this bulletin from Seattle Children's Hospital for the employees to prevent getting the flu: "First and most important, wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids (this ought to say "water", otherwise, as is typical American, folks will drink sodas, teas, etc.) and eat nutritious food."
Imagine...illness prevention by living healthy lifestyles to keep us from getting really sick.
Robust health is our best prevention for a "possible" flu pandemic. If we're vital and strong and get the flu, we'll be sick but likely won't die.
America's grocery carts are packed with cereals, sodas, cookies, ice cream, diet foods and chips, which is why there are so many of us with "common" diseases that will ultimately make most of us highly susceptible to serious consequences of this flu.
Those dire headlines really ought to read: "Fast Food Poised to Kill 1 Million Americans."
If 750,000 of us are dying every year because we eat cheap food, why aren't we stampeding away from The Golden Arches and the Colonel's buckets in a panic?
We've become accustomed to mounds of cheap food. It is the ultimate illusion.
And what's the vaccine for that ultimate illusion? Taking the personal responsibility to stop eating SAD CRAP, hydrate with clean water and exercise.
The old adage, "Prevention is the best cure" couldn't ring more true. But who makes money off of that kind of vaccine?
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in this column are for information only and not intended to replace your current medical protocols. Always consult your health practitioner before undertaking any dietary changes or exercise programs.

Nancy is a CHEK Institute Holistic Lifestyle and Exercise coach and an ACE certified, IDEA awarded Master personal fitness trainer.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Did You Know That We Use Insects To Color Our Food ?


Toxins that the typical American is eating and drinking are the leading cause of the epidemic of an overweight population. Our bodies cannot handle the large amount of toxins we consume on a daily basis. A good way to eliminate these toxins is to do the Lemonade Diet cleanse or a detox for the body. Think processed foods are toxin-free? In the article “Why McDonald’s Fries Taste So Good” (The Atlantic Monthly, January 2001), the author, says About 90 percent of the money that Americans now spend on food goes to buy processed food. He reports that the flavor is replaced with chemicals to add flavor. To illustrate, there are approximately 350 different chemicals in high quality artificial strawberry flavor.

One of the most widely used color additives, cochineal [pronounced koash-a-neil] extract is made from the bodies of [a small] female … insect harvested mainly in Peru and the Canary Islands. The bug feeds on red cactus berries, and color from the berries accumulates in the females and their unhatched. The insects are collected, dried, and ground into a pigment. It takes about 70,000 of them to produce a pound of carmine, which is used to make processed foods look pink, red, or purple. Dannon strawberry yogurt gets its color from carmine, and so do many frozen fruit bars, candies, and fruit fillings, and Ocean Spray pink-grapefruit juice drink.”

Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, also sold as NutraSweet, Equal, Equal Measure, and Spoonful, is another good example of the toxic effects common ingredients can have on humans. The Food and Drug Administration has a system that permits people to report bad health reactions to food and drugs. According to David Rietz’s website, in February of 1994, Aspartame was responsible for more than 75% of all bad reactions reported!

On 27 June 1996, without public notice, the FDA removed all restrictions from Aspartame allowing it to be used in everything, including all heated and baked goods. A Lemonade Diet or cleanse would be an effective way to remove these kinds of toxins in the body. In the magazine, Plane and Pilot (January 1990) on food additives explained that diet soft drinks are sweetened artificially by Aspartame (called NutraSweet or Equal). Aspartame contains 10% methanol, a poison, that is released at temperatures above 86 or if left on the shelf for a long time. It is interesting to know that methanol gradually destroys the brain. Immediate effects can either be severe (epileptic seizures, blindness, or chest palpitations) or less noticeable (blurred vision, bright flashes, tunnel vision, ringing or buzzing in ears, migraine headaches, dizziness, loss of equilibrium, or lip and mouth reactions). The article goes on to give an account of an Air Force pilot who directly traced the patterns of tremors and seizures he suffered for two years to his consumption of NutraSweet through beverages. When he quit drinking NutraSweet, his medical problems ceased.

Sodium fluoride is more toxic than what is in our water but, it was/is used for a century as a pesticide and rat poison until it was banned by the EPA in September 2005. It is the reason all fluoride toothpaste tubes carry warnings: Keep out of the reach of children under 6 years of age. If more than used for brushing [a pea-sized amount] is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or call a Poison Control Center right away. Sodium fluoride is slightly more toxic than stannous fluoride, which resulted in the death of 3-year old William Kennerly in Brooklyn, NY as a result of swallowing and not spitting out a routine fluoride treatment If sodium fluoride is not added to municipal water supplies, it has to be disposed of by taking it to a Class 1 Hazardous Waste landfill which would charge approximately $7000 for a truckload. It is used to fluoridate approximately 10% of municipal water supplies. .

In regards to the water we drink, a self-governing, impartial study of fluoridation by a blue ribbon panel of scientists from Natick, Massachusetts examined both sides of the question and recommended quite steadfastly not to fluoridate. They based their recommendations on many creditable studies showing increased tooth discoloration and malformation, increased hip fractures among the elderly, increased bone cancer among young males, reduced thyroid function, reduced kidney function, reduced IQ, increased chance of mongoloid birth, decreased fertility, and an increased cancer rate in general.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Diet Myth: Eating at Night Causes Weight Gain

theexaminer.com

Many diet programs will often instruct participants to avoid eating after 8 p.m. because of the theory that food eaten late at night will be stored as fat due to inactivity during sleep.

A study conducted at the Oregon Health and Science University studied this advice and found that even when up to 65% of calories are eaten at large evening meal, subjects were no more likely to store the food as body fat than those who had eaten their biggest meal earlier in the day. Another study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found “the average interval between the time of last episode of eating and time to bed…were not significantly associated statistically with the risk of obesity.”

What is true is that people who skip meals or severely restrict calories during the day in an effort to lose weight tend to over-reach their calorie limits by gorging at a night meal or by snacking on high-fat, high-calorie foods. These people are more likely to be overweight than those who space their calorie intake more evenly throughout the day and balance it with enough activity to burn off excess.

Calories are stored as fat when energy intake exceeds the amount needed for normal metabolism and physical activity. While your body may store excess as fat during periods of inactivity and rest, fat stores are in constant mobilization during activity and waking hours. Continual overindulgence over a long period of time is the cause of weight gain, not the time of day the calories are consumed.

Another cause of excess nighttime eating is also known as "mindless eating". Eating while watching television is known to cause a person to take in more calories than they need or are even aware of. Yale University studied children ages 7-11 and found that those who watched television containing food commercials ate 45% more while watching the show than children who watched the same cartoon without commercials. The study found the same phenomenon in adults, leading to the statement “Food advertising triggers automatic eating, regardless of hunger, and is a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic.”

Tips for Night-Eaters:

  • Calculate the total number of calories you need to maintain or lose weight. Divide these into meal/snack goals evenly spaced throughout the day. Remember to include provision for an evening snack, if that is what you enjoy. Feelings of deprivation are a primary cause of diet failure. A diet journal is a very helpful tool in tracking calorie intake.
  • Your evening meal should include a balanced variety of protein and slow-digesting/high-fiber carbs, such as vegetables and whole grains. Refined carbohydrates such as white bread and sugary foods are digested first and do not stay in the stomach long, leading to decreased satiety (feeling full) and a tendency to eat more calories than the body needs.
  • You will almost always eat too much if you have a large bowl of popcorn in your lap while watching your favorite evening show. Have a designated place to eat (not in front of the television) and portion out your servings before sitting down.
  • When snacking at night, strive for a healthier option than ice cream or cookies. Or, if you have reached your calorie limit for the day, try a non-calorie alternative such as decaf herbal tea. Another option is to distract yourself from the craving with a walk or a good book.
  • If late-night snacking is a problem area, put distance between yourself and your favorite comfort food. Don’t purchase the junk food that will call your name from the refrigerator or pantry, and you will be less likely to grab it in the throes of a craving.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Wii Fit Plus Debut October 4, 2009 for $99.99


Wii Fit Plus is on its way and will be replacing the current Wii Fit configuration in favor of the new Plus-ness. The bundle will be out on October 4th for $99.99 and will include new exercises, new yoga activities and new games. Players will also be able to customize their routines, so they can focus on just specific areas of their body.

Wii Fit™ attracted millions of new players to the world of video games. Now Wii Fit Plus offers a range of new features and enhancements to help players reinvigorate their workouts, along with exercises and balance games designed to keep them fun. Players will find a new dimension to the Wii Fit experience as they easily set their own customized workout routines or choose 20-, 30- or 40-minute workouts based on how much time they have available. Users will also be able to choose from specialized workout routines that focus on an individual’s personal fitness goals or certain target areas. And with the addition of activities like Skateboarding and Rhythm Kung Fu, players will be using the Wii Balance Board™ accessory in a variety of new and fun ways.

  • Workouts combine the original Wii Fit activities and selections from 15 new balance games and six new strength training and yoga activities.
  • Users can input the amount of time they want to spend on their workouts or select an area for personal improvement, and Wii Fit Plus will suggest a number of diverse activities for them.
  • For the first time, users can mix and match which strength and yoga activities they prefer on a given day. The seamless exercise flows make it easier than ever for users to maintain their daily workout routines.
  • Users might be asked to run an obstacle course across a series of platforms, zoom across a beach on a Segway® x2 Personal Transporter or flap their arms to help their hilarious chicken-suited characters aim for targets.
  • The range of games and customization options will make players want to play every day. They’ll be having so much fun that their workouts will seem to fly by in no time at all.
  • Players also can see estimates of calories burned and can even activate a feature that lets them weigh their dogs or cats.
  • Wii Fit Plus comes packaged with the Wii Balance Board accessory. For people who already own Wii Fit, the Wii Fit Plus disc will be available for purchase separately.
resource: www.nintendo.com