Nutrition Frenzy

Welcome to the September 10, 2007 edition of the Health and Fitness Forum.

The purpose of this forum is to feature well-written articles that provide easy-to-implement tips and information on health, fitness, nutrition, weight loss, beauty and overall well being. We have several great articles this week.

Please read, share and enjoy.

Diet Tips

Weight Master presents Reason why calorie-restrictive diets are unhealthy… posted at Weight Master.

Rob presents The Koda Kumi Diet; eating your way to weight-loss posted at Dusk and Dawn, saying, “This is a short article about a small change I’ve made in my life that has been having a continuous, positive effect on my health.”

Exercise Tips

EnduranceNinja presents Go for a walk. posted at The Adventures of the Enduranceninja, saying, “Beginners guide to becoming an Endurance Ninja”

Kimberly Linton presents Take Charge of Your Lunch Hour! posted at Living the Fit Life.

John Hill presents Get Bigger Biceps and Triceps for Hardgainers posted at Big-Arms.com.

John presents How to Get a Big Wide Muscular Back posted at Muscular-Fitness.

Alvaro Fernandez presents 11 Neuroscientists Debunk a Common Myth about Brain Training posted at SharpBrains, saying, “Exciting quotes on exercising our brains…”

Fitness Tips

Zoe Anderson presents Pilates as Smart Exercise - Principles and Efficiency posted at thinkpilates.com, saying, “Pilates terms to help you integrate a pilates based form of exercise into your schedule. Also included are three different ways to get started with pilates.”

General Health and Wellbeing Tips

Tiffany Washko presents Battle of the BPA Free Sippy Cups - A Review posted at Natural Family Living Blog.

Becky Gillaspy presents Common Thought Traps posted at Weight Loss without Worry

Amanda Harris presents Pajama Mommy Community posted at Pajama Mommy.

Andrew Edgington presents What is the Future for Bodybuilders? (Part 2) posted at Mick.

Healthy Eating Tips

FitBuff presents posted at FitBuff.com’s Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, “There’s nothing more deflating than ruining your diet by succumbing to the speed and convenience of fast food. It may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things, but this minor failure can lead to a downward spiral in all areas of your life.

So, do you have to avoid ALL fast food ALL the time? Not if you are informed and make the healthiest choice possible when you indulge.

That’s where this great tool comes in. It not only shows you the best option for each type of fast food, but there is also a list of nearly 30 popular fast food chains, with their complete menus and nutrition guides available for you to see.”

Wenchypoo presents How’s Your Health Been Lately? posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo’s Mental Wastebasket.

Sohail presents Sugar Beverages: Drinks of Mass Destruction? posted at The HealthBlogger, saying, “Sugar Beverages: Drinks of Mass Destruction?”

Jeremiah Reid presents Should We Eat Grains? posted at I’m an Omnivore.

Nneka presents How to Stop Eating Compulsively posted at Balanced Life Center.

Dean presents Top Ten Fast Food Meals That Make You Fat posted at Mr. Cheap Stuff, saying, “What is on your list of worst fast food meals?”

Nutrition Tips

John Hill presents Calcium Deficiency posted at Universe Of Success.

Weight Loss Tips

Shaheen Lakhan presents Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The Eating Disorder Expose posted at GNIF Brain Blogger.

Paul Heingarten presents Weight Loss Secrets Revealed ? posted at workout ebooks, saying, “It seems there is a mystery which surrounds all people on a diet: how to find the “weightloss fat burner secrets” that will end their misery, obesity, or simple desire to be thinner, ultimately without too much extra work or additional suffering.”

Alternative Health Tips

TheNourisher presents Nourishing the Liver posted at Nourished Magazine.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the health & fitness forum
using our submission form.

health and fitness tips, health and fitness forum, health and fitness, diet, exercise, healthy eating, celebrity diets

In general, I don’t recommend supplements as a way to expedite weight loss.

Instead, I have always had great success following a natural, healthy approach based on moderate exercise, unprocessed, organic, whole foods, and stress-reduction techniques (one of which is NOT binge eating).

But, there are a few natural, safe and effective dietary supplements that are key to any weight loss and overall health plan.

Whether you are looking to reshape your body or working to maintain an already lean physique for a lifetime, one supplement worth investigating and investing in is Conjugated Linoleic Acid.

What Is Conjugated Linoleic Acid?

CLA is a fatty acid that is found in meat and dairy products. Evidence compiled over the last decade shows that besides being a powerful anti-oxidant CLA offers numerous health and weight loss benefits.

Benefits of CLA Include

- Increases metabolic rate

- Decreases abdominal fat

- Enhances muscle growth

- Lowers Cholesterol and triglycerides

- Lowers insulin resistance

- Reduces food-induced allergies

- Enhances immune function

- Effective in helping people with thyroid conditions lose weight without interfering with thyroid medications

Sorry, A Cheeseburger in Paradise Doesn’t Offer CLA Benefits

Unfortunately, milk shakes and burgers duo won’t supply sufficient CLA to be of any benefit- there simply is not enough CLA present in these sources. Supplements, however, are concentrated sources of CLA which allow you an affordable way to get an effective dose of CLA.

Where Do I Find Quality CLA?

Health food stores, GNC and online outlets like Drugstore.com carry CLA. I suggest using a patented brand to ensure that your supplement contains sufficient CLA to be effective.

I suggest “Tonalin” brand, it is the most researched, highest quality CLA. Look for “Tonalin” in 1,000mg capsule form.

How Much CLA Do I Need To Receive Benefits?

Studies show that to be effective 3.4g or 3400mg per day of CLA must be taken. So, if for example, you were to use the “Tonalin” capsules you’d need to take 4 capsules a day with meals.

Is CLA Safe?

Yes!
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supplements, weight loss

In a recent post I told you about the adaptogenic health benefits from the supplemental herb Rhodiola Rosea.

Turns out Rhodiola can enhance sexual performance as well!

About the same time I wrote the Rhodiola post, my darling and virile husband started taking two hundred mg of Rhodeola Rosea (of Russian origin). The Hubs is a super-stressed out, Type-A, complete workaholic. Taking an adaptogenic tonifier like Rhodiola was intended to help his system cope with the mental and physical drain that sleep deprivation, travel and long hours at the office, can cause.

Within a few weeks of taking rhodiola (it can take about 2 months for benefits to be felt), he reported feeling more energetic throughout the day and I noticed he was no longer a boring, exhausted blob when he finally got home to see me. Seriously, it was great to have my fun-loving, energetic man back in the crib!

But then, this past weekend it was like, HEL-LO! An additional benefit of Rhodiola seemed to have um, arisen.

Rhodiola Enhances Libido:

It’s true! All the literature I have read has noted that Rhodiola Rosea can restore or increase libido in both men and women. For women Rhodiola can help out when libido is reduced due to menopause and hormone fluctuations.

It’s Not Viagra:

The Rhodiola Riser is not the same as the Viagra perm- erection (to me a four hour stint isn’t appealing anyhow) and it doesn’t just cause a sudden erection out of the blue. Instead, Rhodiola can actually stimulate desire and libido which leads to well, you can take it from there.

Be Careful What You Wish For:

I should have known Hub was enjoying additional feelings of friskiness when he actually ASKED me to buy more Rhodiola when he ran out. Usually, I am the one who is totally in charge of monitoring the “healthy stuff” in our household.

For example, at breakfast I will ask, “Are you still working on that bottle of 60 multi-vitamin capsules I got for you fifteen months ago?”

“Yes, I take one every morning!”, is the guaranteed reply.

But This! He LOVES this stuff! Strutting around, pinching my booty, he is so proud, so enamored with his amped up sexual prowess. I am in deep trouble. I have created my very own, live-in, horny monster.

Lucky for me I adore my man. Seeing him act like a spring chicken just brings a smile to my face. I am not sure if the extra energy Rhodiola affords him is simply restoring his energy in general, so that he has more to uh, “give” or, if the Rhodiola is in fact working directly on the old libido.

Either way, Rhodiola is a safe, effective way to add a little spring to your step and perhaps some other things as well.

sexual performance, Rhodiola, Libido, Viagra

Stress is a killer. Literally.

Every time our bodies are subjected to stress - whether it comes from dealing with an A-hole boss, road rage or even a demanding workout regime, stress causes inflammation in our cells that leads directly to disease and premature aging.

So, what can you do to stay young, hip and gorgeous forever? How do ensure you’ll have the kind of looks that will get you carded even when you fifty?

The answer may lie in a unique group of herbal supplements called “adaptogens”, of which Rhodiola Rosea is a frontrunner.

WHAT CAN AN ADAPTOGEN SUPPLEMENT DO FOR ME???

-Increase availability of energy during the day

-Reduce feelings of stress that lead to premature aging

-Accelerate the healing process

-Increase endurance

-Generate greater mental alertness

-Support deeper, more restful sleep

-Improve sports performance and resistance to muscle strain

WHAT IS RHODIOLA ROSEA???

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stress, premature aging, herbal supplements, Rhodiola

Borage (Boar aj) Oil is one supplement every beauty bitch should be taking.

I especially like it because next to no one knows about it.

I mean, after receiving a compliment on our spectacular complexions don’t we all like to be all, “oh, I really don’t do much, just wash with a bar of Dove soap . . . . hmmm, too bad that doesn’t work for you.”

The big dogs like Dr. Perricone of The Perricone Promise fame, recommend it and even more importantly, the Hot Sundae is telling you this stuff works.

Borage is a concentrated source of GLA (Gamma Linoleic Acid). Gamma linoleic acid helps the body utilize the healthy fats you ingest (think olive oil, almonds, and avocado — NOT the Cinnabon you inhaled at the mall).

Fatty fish like salmon also contain GLA, which is why fish is touted as a premier way to get a healthy glow and lustrous locks. For those of you who find fish stinky and revolting, a borage oil supplement is a wonderful, mercury-free way to reap many of the same rewards offered by fish.

Even for a fish lover like me, taking 1,000 mg of borage oil daily is still a good idea since whipping up a sardine frittata for breakfast can sometimes, or never actually happen. Be sure the bottle says “cold-pressed.” As with olive oil, cold pressed means the integrity of the borage oil is intact.

A final note - be sure not to pass this tip along to your girlfriends. After all, you’re the one who took the time to read this damn article, so why should she get to look as hot as you?

Alright, now scoot along and get that borage oil already. Oh, and don’t forget to pick up a few bars of Dove.

Borage, Perricone

Unlock a wealth of health and beauty benefits with Acai (ah-sigh-ee).

This small, deep purple Amazonian berry is being hailed by health and beauty gurus such as Dr. Nicholas Perricone as a premier source of anti-aging antioxidants - more potent than other conventional fruits, such as blueberries and even the mighty pomegranate.

While you won’t find the berry sold at your local grocery store, you can pick up a jar of Sambazon Pure Acai powder at Whole Foods Market.

At only 19 calories a scoop, acai also contains a healthy dose of Omega 3, 6 and 9 plus amino acids and fiber. And, unlike blueberries, grapes or pomegranates, a serving of acai has 0 grams of sugar. Add a scoop to smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt.

Taste? There really is none to speak of, maybe just a hint of chocolate flavor (never a bad thing).

Or, give Sambazon “pulp packs” a try. In the frozen foods section (again, at the glorious Whole Foods), these individually portioned packs are perfect for slipping into a blender. Add milk, and some protein powder, hit blend and voila, a perfect breakfast or post-workout delight.

Do beware that lurking in close vicinity to the 100% acai pulpy packs are Sambazon and other acai products that have been blended with other juices. While these products still contain antioxidants, they have a higher sugar content and less of the coveted acai.

If you are among the truly nutritionally lazy (no shame, no shame) go for Sambazon’s Powercapsule. Your daily dose of the Amazon in an easy to swallow capsule.

People, there is a reason those Brazilians look so damn good in those teeny bikinis. Acai??? Maybe . . . But what I do know, is that Acai can help you look and feel your best, and that makes it one supplement that is truly hot.

Acai, Nicholas Perricone, anti-aging, antioxidants, Sambazon

Think you you really need meat to look and feel your best? If so, take a look at Ms. Carrie Underwood, who was recently voted World’s Sexiest Vegetarian.

Regardless of whether you’re ready to join Ms. Underwood on the vegetarian bandwagon, all of us could use more vegetables in our diets. Jam-packed with anti-oxidants and a great source of fiber, vegetables are a primo diet and weight loss tool.

But there are two major stumbling blocks to eating 5-9 daily servings:

First problem is not so many of us live on an organic farm. Ideally, we could just skip out back, collect a variety of salad greens in our apron and make a fresh salad for lunch and again for dinner. But most days, the best any of us can manage is grabbing a drive-through salad of iceburg lettuce speckled with a few wet tomato lips.

Obstacle deux is that you may think vegetables taste like Ka Ka. Take my husband, the Neanderthal - left to his own revolting eating habits the only vegetable he’d consume would be the corn in his taco shells. Lucky for him, I have a vested interest in his vigor and vitality. This would be the fact that I look forward to retiring on the Cote d’Azur with a Black Amex Card.

Because he abhors the green guys, I have become something of a culinary deviant. My success, however, has been limited.

Like me, I am sure you have read countless magazine articles suggesting simple ways to sneak in those villainous veggies. Have you seen the ones that get really excited about adding spinach to pizza toppings? It goes like this, “Stringy, nasty spinach is completely camouflaged by cheese and pepperoni, they’ll never know its in there!” Ok, well, he knew.

My man rooted out that spinach every damn time. I’m sure if you have little kids you’ve found the same dissect and remove techniques go on at your dinner table.
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anti-oxidants, vegetables, diet, weight loss

Just a sprinkle of flaxseed, a nutty-tasting nutritional powerhouse, can make a huge impact on your life!

Why’s Flax So Fab?

Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Flax is known as the richest source of essentials fatty acids such as Omega 6 and Omega 3 which are essential to cell membrane formation, active brain tissues and in controlling cholesterol. These fatty acids MUST be consumed through diet, our bodies have no way of producing them.

Fight Cholesterol: As part of a daily diet, flax has been shown to reduce total cholesterol by reducing LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides.

Defeat Diabetes: Eat flax daily to help lower blood sugar levels. In a recent study by the University of Toronto , test subjects who ate bread made with flax seed had blood sugar levels 28% lower than their counterparts who ate whole wheat flour bread.

Cream Cancer: Flax has a high lignan content (up to 800% more than any other tested plant food), alpha-linoleic acid and fiber which combine to provides natural cancer-protective compounds. Flax is an especially potent fighter of breast and colon cancer.

Combat Constipation: Firing cannon balls into the potty? Or just straining to fire off anything at all? Flax to the rescue! High in both soluble and insoluble fiber, one ounce of flax provides 32% of the USDA’S recommendation for daily fiber intake.

Address Arthritis: Do you suffer from an inflammatory disorder including rheumatoid arthritis? Push too hard in your workout? Flax can help. The bounty of Omega 3’s in flax eases joint pain and stiffness .
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As you chomp down on your morning doughnut, ask if yourself if you really know what you’re eating and if you’ll be happier and healthier for having eaten it . . . .

We all know that sugar is a significant cause of weight gain and aging, but the taste of sweetness remains a powerful seductress that often gets the best of us. It’s true that by cutting refined sugar out of your diet you can curb sugar and carbohydrate cravings. But the fact is, a little bit of sweetness in our lives produces endorphins that make us happy, and happiness is important!

Let me introduce you to a product that can change your life. Seriously, I may pee my pants, I’m so excited . . . . STEVIA!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT IS STEVIA???

Stevia Rebaudiana is a naturally sweet herb from the Chrysanthemum family. Europeans first learned of the Stevia plant in the 16th century, but the compounds were not studied, documented and finally revealed until 1931.

-All Natural: No artificial anything
-No Calories (you thought there’d be some but your’re wroooong)
-No Carbs (For those of you still stuck in Atkins- land)
-No Sodium
-10x sweeter than sugar

HOW COME I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THIS? WHAT’S THE CATCH?
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weight gain, STEVIA