Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Health Benefits vs Warnings of Coconut Oil

There is some debate over the healthiness of coconut oil and whether the types of fats found in this oil are dangerous or healthy.
  1. Saturated Fat

    • Coconut oil contains 92 percent saturated fat, the most dangerous kind of fat in the diet and the kind linked to heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. However, the saturated fat in coconut oil is made of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which proponents of this oil say are easier on the body.

    Lauric Acids

    • Lauric acids, a disease-fighting compound that may also lower bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol, is prevalent in coconut oil.

    Hydrogenation

    • There is a difference between virgin coconut oil and partially hydrogenated coconut oil, found in many prepackaged foods. Hydrogenation causes dangerous trans-fats to form, so this type of coconut oil is always considered unhealthy.

    High Smoke Point

    • Coconut oil has one of the highest smoke points of any cooking oil, which means it will not burn over high heat. Heating oil too hot is thought to produce toxic chemicals that can damage health, making coconut oil possibly safer than oils with low smoke points.

    Warning

    • Doctors, scientists and organizations on both sides of this issue agree any oil can be unhealthy if used in excess.
 More information regarding the health benefits of coconut see:  Coconut Water Health Benefits Sleep
resource: eHow.com

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Sugarcane in fatty diet can help reduce body fat?



Washington: It sounds counter-intuitive - add sugarcane extract to a fatty diet and it will help reduce body fat. But that could be the way of the future if trials by scientists, including an Indian-origin researcher, pan out.


Dr Ankur Desai from Horizon Science, a Melbourne-based food biotechnology firm, and colleagues at La Trobe University claim their findings show sugarcane molasses in high-fat diets can encourage calorie excretion and increase metabolism.


In their research, published in the 'Nutrition Horizon' journal, the scientists investigated the impact of adding an extract of molasses to the food of mice raised on a high fat diet.


Molasses usually end up as a waste-product of sugar refining. However, they are rich in polyphenols – chemicals found in plants known for their antioxidant properties, said lead scientist Richard Weisinger.


The results of the La Trobe experiments may provide a completely new approach for weight management in humans, say the scientists who have presented their findings at a meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behaviour in the US.


The scientists supplemented the high-fat diet of a group of laboratory mice with molasses for 12 weeks. They found that these mice had lower body weight, reduced body fat and decreased blood levels of leptin - a hormone involved in energy regulation, appetite and metabolism - than others.


Further analyses revealed that molasses supplements led to increased energy excretion, ie, more calories were lost in feces. The scientists found increased gene expression for several liver and fat cell biomarkers of energy metabolism.


"The addition of molasses extract to a high-fat diet appears to reduce body weight and body fat levels, primarily through reduced caloric absorption.
"Supplementing food with molasses extract might therefore be a way of tackling the worldwide increase of obesity and metabolic syndrome which has huge costs for our health systems," said Weisinger.
Clinical trials are scheduled to begin next year to evaluate the molasses extract for weight control in humans.

resource- Trends News - IBNLive

Monday, June 6, 2011

Meet the Fat Whisperer: A-list weightloss guru 'persuades' fat cells to leave the body

It would take a lot more than a few stern words to get rid of most women’s potbellies.

But it is just this approach that Mary Ascension Saulnier - dubbed The Fat Whisperer  – adopts to banish her clients’ love handles and thunder thighs.

The weight loss guru – who has achieved cult status in West Hollywood where she is based – uses power of persuasion to encourage fat cells to leave the body.
Weight loss success story: Kim Kardashian has been seen leaving the salon of Mary Ascension Saulnier
Fat fighters? Paris Hilton has been spotted leaving the studio of fat whisperer Mary Ascension Saulnier
Fat fighters? Kim Kardashian, left, and Paris Hilton have been spotted leaving the studio of cult 'Fat Whisperer' Mary Ascension Saulnier

It may sound like hokum, but clients claim to have lost pounds using her unusual approach (that’s lbs, not £s), and Saulnier has become the go-to woman for A-listers preparing for a red carpet event - 70 per cent of her client list is now celebrity-based. 

Paris Hilton and Kate Hudson have both been seen leaving her studio – though it would have been a challenge to find any fat to chat to on their bodies – as has weight loss success story Kim Kardashian, and Saulnier is now so successful that she has achieved her own star status in the lucrative weight loss market - worth a staggering £2 billion in the UK alone.
Swish: The Hollywood clinic where Mary performs her 'fat whispering' sessions
Swish: The Hollywood clinic where Mary performs her 'fat whispering' sessions
Of course, it’s not just the gift of the gab that 53-year-old Saulnier - also a Pilates instructor and raw food chef - uses to fight flab. She has an artillery of hi-tech equipment at her disposal too. 

She uses a combination of detoxifying masks, teas and wraps, heated inflatable suits and an ultrasound machine that pelts stubborn zones with sonic waves – which all work their magic while Saulnier orders the clients’ recalcitrant fatty bits to leave the body.

‘I command you to get out!’, she is said to whisper to the fat cells in an effort to banish them.
Miracles? Mary Ascension Saulnier has been dubbed The Fat Whisperer by her satisfied clients
Miracles? Mary Ascension Saulnier has been dubbed The Fat Whisperer by her satisfied clients
Saulnier, who studied at Santa Fe Academy of Natural Healing, claims her technique allows her to get to the emotional heart of the client’s over-eating or drinking issues.
'I listen to what emotion is in the cell membrane, then I talk to it,' Saulnier tells Elle magazine.
'I tell the cell which way to move out of the body.'
She combines these treatments with a diet of her own devising, that allows 500, 700 and 1,000 calories to be eaten on alternate days. 

You could go up to 1,500, she says, but celebrities 'don't feel comfortable eating that much'. 
And this ultra-low calorie diet might, it transpires, be at the heart of Saulnier's success. Most of Saulnier's clients are vegetarian or vegan, live on six small meals a day, avoid meat, dairy, carbonated drinks and alcohol.

They sound like a disciplined bunch, with or without the input of the Fat Whisperer. Saulnier operates in a parallel universe, where women for whom 'bread' is a dirty word go to bed hungry every night. Being thin is their trade: their commitment to maintaining what we would deem a too-skinny figure is lifelong, and must come at whatever cost. 

In a way, it's a comfort to know that these devotees of Saulnier aren't simply lying around waiting for their fat to jump ship. 

They work at it - only they have more willpower - and money - than most 'normal' women. The Fat Whisperer simply helps them stay on track, and to become aware of why they over-eat, drink or yo-yo diet.
Saulnier's sessions cost up to £140 a time (that’s a lot of money to be ‘persuaded’ out of women’s purses - perhaps The Wallet Whisperer would be a more apt name?) but it is unfair to judge too harshly.
After all, most women would sell their grannies for a miracle weight loss remedy, and Saulnier simply provides a service that they say works for them - in fact, salon owner Kate Somerville says she lost 20lbs using Saulnier's technique - that is why she invited her to practise at her salon.

Without a Fat Whisperer at our disposal though, it's a simple fact that the good old fashioned ‘eat less, move more’ technique is the best way to lose weight long-term. Anything marketed as an immediate fix that doesn't involve some form of surgery is likely to reduce water retention, but not fat.

Still, if it means that dress that hasn't zipped up for years will finally fit - even if it's just for one night - then a session with Saulnier might just be worth it. Fat Whisperer: here we come! resource: Mail Online

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Zone Diet

Are you a food lover? And you want to be lose your weight too? Well many people have a wrong perception that, to lose one’s weight, one has to cut down his or her diet and one has to embrace many embargos in food choice. From now on, this worry of yours’ is finished. We are presenting you with such a technique in which you can eat everything and do diet side by side. The “Zone diet” is a high protein, low carbohydrate diet based on the concept that if one eats an ideal balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in every meal and snack, one will achieve hormonal balance. This will control insulin levels and result in weight loss and health benefits.

Individuals are instructed that every meal should consist of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fats. This produces the ideal ratio of protein to carbohydrate. The protein to carbohydrate ratio of .75, allows the body to function at optimal level. The amount of carbohydrates and fats allowed on the diet derives from the calculation of protein needs. The result is an everyday diet that usually ranges from 1,100 to 1,700 calories. Dietitians believe this to be a low calorie diet.

Foods are either “good” or “bad” On the Zone diet:

“Good” foods that are allowed include: proteins: lean chicken and other poultry, seafood, egg whites, and low-fat/non-fat dairy products. Carbohydrates: fruit, non-starchy vegetables and barley.

“Bad” foods that are forbidden include: fruits and vegetables: carrots, corn, bananas, papaya, mango, most fruit juices and many fruits bread, cereal, rice, bagels, most baked goods potatoes whole milk dairy products, alcohol diet soft drinks. If one chooses to drink, stay away from hard liquor and prefer the occasional beer, or a glass of red wine with a nice meal.

Zone diet is planned to promote fat loss and weight loss, but its developer also claims that the diet brings about substantial health benefits. Being in the Zone claims to boosts energy, delays signs of aging, help prevent chronic diseases and allows the body to function at peak physical and mental levels.
Penned by Raymond Young from your P90X Workout shop. In order to snap up Tony Horton's Most recent routine visit p90x workout .

Friday, February 18, 2011

7 foods that will boost your weight loss



CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) - If you're one of the many people attempting to lose weight, you may feel like you're facing an impossible goal. But enjoying certain foods can actually speed up the process of losing weight by speeding up your metabolism. Here are 7 super foods that can speed up your weight loss, according to Self Magazine:
1. Cheese
According to a recent medical study, women who ate one ounce of full-fat cheese every day gained fewer pounds than those who did not. The study explains that the linoleic acid in cheese boosts metabolism. The health benefits are even greater if you choose a cheese that is also low in calories and sodium, like ricotta cheese.
2. Almonds
Almonds come in second on the list, because they are a great source of Vitamin E and one of the highest nuts for protein. They burn fat, are great for your immune system, and are good for calming your hunger between meals.
3. Coffee
Go ahead and drink that extra cup of coffee in the morning, it can boost your metabolism by up to 15%. However, you should skip the milk and sugar because they cancel out the fat-burning effect.
4. Green Tea
Drinking three cups of green tea every day can help you lose an extra 30 calories a day. Although it seems small, that translates to about three pounds each year. If you don't like the taste, you can try different flavors like ginger peach or honey ginseng.
5. Peppers
The compound in chili peppers which gives them their kick can also activate fat-burning signals in your brain. If you don't like spicy foods, you can eat milder poblano peppers and get the same metabolism-boosting effect.
6. Eggs
The amino acids in egg whites help to build lean muscle, and lean muscle helps your body burn fat. One study shows that if you partner eggs with cheese in the morning, you'll burn more fat than you would with a high-carb breakfast. It also could help you to continue to burn fat all day long.
7. Portobello Mushrooms
These members of the mushroom family are rich in copper and pantothenic acid, which are both great for kick-starting your metabolism. Additionally, the potassium in portobellos help rid your body of extra salt.

resource: FOX19.com

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Portion Size Vital to Weight Loss

 This is what helped me lose 20lbs over a six month period. 
Portion control is the primary weapon against unwanted weight.
Portion-wise eating means having your cake and eating it too. Everything can be enjoyed -in moderation.
But this advice is more difficult to follow than ever. Oversized food portions and drinks are everywhere. We're enticed to "save" money by getting the next size up. Gone are the days of feasting when food is available, not knowing when famine will hit. We have 24hour access to food everywhere.
Most of us eat at least three times a day and if weight loss is the goal smaller meals with healthy snacks in between is advised. We don't have to approach any given meal or snack like it's the last chance ever to eat. Even if it's a special occasion, keep in mind there will be others.
When working on weight loss, remember the tennis ball tip.
Read rest of article here: Portion size vital to weight loss