Mike Serovey's Weight Loss Efforts and Results

2012-01-19T01:39:00.000-05:00

Although I have been gaining weight over the holidays and not really working out, I have managed to put up a review site and one of my pages there has some weight-loss products that are reviewed there. You can check them out at Mike Serovey Reviews Weight-Loss Products.

Mike Serovey, MA, MISM

2010-12-19T18:21:00.002-05:00

During the holidays I do a lousy job of eating properly! My weight right now is 196 pounds and I'm eating some chocolate candy while writing this! After New Year's Day I may start eating better and exercising. I'm really having trouble staying motivated.

2010-10-22T22:51:00.002-05:00

I found this article interesting and de4cided to share it here.

You've no doubt noticed that for about the last 60 years the majority of health care officials and the media have been telling you saturated fats are bad for your health and lead to a host of negative consequences, like elevated cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Meanwhile during this same 60 years the American levels of heart disease, obesity, elevated serum cholesterol and Alzheimer's have skyrocketed compared to our ancestors, and even compared to modern-day primitive societies using saturated fat as a dietary staple.

Did you know that multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60% of their total caloric intact from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease?[1]

Clearly, a lot of confusion and contradictory evidence exists on the subject of saturated fats, even among health care professionals.

But I'm going to tell you something that public health officials and the media aren't telling you.

The fact is, all saturated fats are not created equal.

The operative word here is "created", because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the man-made process called hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened oil that really only benefits processed food shelf life and corporate profits.

The medical and scientific communities are now fairly united in the opinion that hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils should be avoided.

These unsaturated fats, artificially manipulated into saturated fats, are also called trans fats, and no doubt you've heard about them lately. Some cities and states have now outlawed their use. There is no controversy anymore regarding the health dangers of these artificially saturated fats.

And guess what?

These are the same damaged trans fats that have been touted as "healthy" and "heart-friendly" for the last 60 years by the vegetable and seed oil interests!

But the truth finally came out. Trans fat was rebuked, debunked, and revealed as the true enemy to good health that it has always been, regardless of what the seed- and vegetable oil shills told the American public for the last half century.

Unfortunately, this rightful vilification of hydrogenated saturated fats has created a lot of confusion regarding naturally occurring saturated fats, including coconut oil.

If one form of saturated fat is bad for you, the argument goes, then all saturated fat must be bad.

Right?

Nothing could be further from the truth!

The Truth about Coconut Oil
The truth about coconut oil is obvious to anyone who has studied the health of those who live in traditional tropical cultures, where coconut has been a nutritious diet staple for thousands of years.

Back in the 1930's, a dentist named Dr. Weston Price traveled throughout the South Pacific, examining traditional diets and their effect on dental and overall health. He found that those eating diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim, despite the high fat concentration in their diet, and that heart disease was virtually non-existent.

Similarly, in 1981, researchers studied populations of two Polynesian atolls. Coconut was the chief source of caloric energy in both groups. The results, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,[2] demonstrated that both populations exhibited positive vascular health.

In fact, no evidence exists that the naturally occurring high saturated fat intake had any kind of harmful effect in these populations!

That's not what you expected, is it? Based on 60 years of negative public policy towards naturally occurring saturated fats, you would expect these cultures to be rife with clogged arteries, obesity and heart disease.

It may be surprising for you to realize that the naturally occurring saturated fat in coconut oil actually has some amazing health benefits, such as:

Promoting your heart health[3]
Promoting weight loss, when needed[4]
Supporting your immune system health[5]
Supporting a healthy metabolism[6]
Providing you with an immediate energy source[7]
Keeping your skin healthy and youthful looking
Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland[8]
But how is this possible?

Does coconut oil have some secret ingredients not found in other saturated fats?

The answer is a resounding "yes".

Coconut Oil's Secret Ingredient
50 percent of the fat content in coconut oil is a fat rarely found in nature called lauric acid. If you're a frequent reader of my newsletter you already know that I consider lauric acid a "miracle" ingredient because of its unique health promoting properties.

Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.[9]

Monolaurin is a monoglyceride which can actually destroy lipid coated viruses such as:

HIV, herpes
Measles
Influenza virus
Various pathogenic bacteria
Protozoa such as giardia lamblia.
Lauric acid is a powerful virus and gram-negative bacteria destroyer, and coconut oil contains the most lauric acid of any substance on earth!

Capric acid, another coconut fatty acid present in smaller amounts, has also been added to the list of coconut's antimicrobial components.

This is one of the key reasons you should consider consuming coconut oil, because there aren't many sources of monolaurin in our diet. But the health benefits of coconut oil don't stop there.

The Benefits of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids
Coconut oil is about 2/3 medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. These types of fatty acids produce a whole host of health benefits.

Coconut oil is nature's richest source of these healthy MCFAs.

By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.

Let me tell you why these long-chain fatty acids are not as healthy for you as the MCFAs found in coconut oil[10] :

LCFAs are difficult for your body to break down -- they require special enzymes for digestion.
LCFAs put more strain on your pancreas, liver and your entire digestive system.
LCFAs are predominantly stored in your body as fat.
LCFAs can be deposited within your arteries in lipid forms such as cholesterol.
In contrast to LFCAs, the MCFAs found in coconut oil have many health benefits, including the following beneficial qualities:
MCFAs are smaller. They permeate cell membranes easily, and do not require special enzymes to be utilized effectively by your body.
MCFAs are easily digested, thus putting less strain on your digestive system.
MCFAs are sent directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.
MCFAs actually help stimulate your body's metabolism, leading to weight loss.
Coconut Oil Helps Fight Diabetes
Your body sends medium-chain fatty acids directly to your liver to use as energy. This makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body, a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates.

But although coconut oil and simple carbohydrates share the ability to deliver quick energy to your body, they differ in one crucial respect.

Coconut oil does not produce an insulin spike in your bloodstream. You read that correctly, Coconut oil acts on your body like a carbohydrate, without any of the debilitating insulin-related effects associated with long-term high carbohydrate consumption!

Diabetics and those with pre-diabetes conditions (an exploding health epidemic in America), should immediately realize the benefit of a fast acting energy source that doesn't produce an insulin spike in your body. In fact, coconut oil added to the diets of diabetics and pre-diabetics has actually been shown to help stabilize weight gain, which can dramatically decrease your likelihood of getting adult onset type-2 Diabetes.[11]

Cococut Oil, the Friend to Athletes and Dieters
If you live in the United States, you have an almost 70 percent chance of being overweight.

And, by now, I'm sure you're well aware that obesity affects your quality of life and is linked to many health concerns.

One of the best benefits of coconut oil lies in its ability to help stimulate your metabolism.

Back in the 1940s, farmers found out about this effect by accident when they tried using inexpensive coconut oil to fatten their livestock.

It didn't work!

Instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active and hungry.

However, many animal and human research studies have demonstrated that replacing LCFAs with MCFAs results in both decreased body weight and reduced fat deposition.

In fact, the ability of MCFAs to be easily digested, to help stimulate the metabolism and be turned into energy has entered the sports arena. Several studies have now shown that MCFAs can enhance physical or athletic performance.[12]

Additionally, research has demonstrated that, due to its metabolic effect, coconut oil increases the activity of the thyroid. And you've probably heard that a sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight, no matter what they do.

Besides weight loss, there are other advantages to boosting your metabolic rate. Your healing process accelerates. Cell regeneration increases to replace old cells, and your immune system functions better overall.

Coconut Oil on Your Skin
Besides the mounting medical and scientific evidence that coconut oil has powerful positive health benefits when eaten, it has also been used for decades by professional massage therapists to knead away tight stressed muscles.

However, you don't have to be a professional massage therapist to gain the skin and tissue support benefits of coconut oil. Just use coconut oil as you would any lotion.

Coconut oil is actually ideal for skin care. It helps protect your skin from the aging effects of free radicals, and can help improve the appearance of skin with its anti-aging benefits.

In fact, physiologist and biochemist Ray Peat, Ph.D. considers coconut oil an antioxidant[13] , due to its stability and resistance to oxidation and free radical formation. Plus, he believes it reduces our need for the antioxidant protection of vitamin E.

Like Dr. Peat, many experts believe coconut oil may help restore more youthful-looking skin. When coconut oil is absorbed into your skin and connective tissues, it helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep your connective tissues strong and supple, and aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making your skin smoother.

Coconut Oil and Your Heart
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. And heart disease is often a silent killer. The first sign of cardiovascular disease is commonly a heart attack, and sadly, over one third of heart attacks are fatal.

And despite the propaganda, the truth is this: it is UNSATURATED fats that are primarily involved in heart disease, not the naturally occurring saturated fats, as you have been led to believe.[14]

Plus, the polyunsaturated fats in vegetable and seed oils encourage the formation of blood clots by increasing platelet stickiness. Coconut oil helps to promote normal platelet function.

Coconut Oil in Your Kitchen
I only use two oils in my food preparation.

The first, extra-virgin olive oil, is a better monounsaturated fat that works great as a salad dressing.

However, it should not be used for cooking. Due to its chemical structure, heat makes it susceptible to oxidative damage.

And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to use in cooking. These omega-6 oils are highly susceptible to heat damage because of their double bonds.

I strongly urge you to throw out those omega-6 vegetable oils in your cabinets.

Why?

Reason # 1: Most people believe that frying creates trans-fat. That is not the major problem, in my opinion. Although some are created, they are relatively minor. There are FAR more toxic chemicals produced by frying omega-6 oils thantrans-fat.

Frying destroys the antioxidants in oil and as a result oxidizes the oil. This causes cross-linking, cyclization, double-bond shifts, fragmentation and polymerization of oils that cause far more damage than trans-fat.

Reason # 2: Most of the vegetable oils are GMO. This would include over 90 percent of the soy, corn and canola oils.

Reason # 3: Vegetable oils contribute to the overabundance of damaged omega-6 fats in your diet, which creates an imbalance in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. As you know from my extensive writing on this subject, I believe that excessive consumption of damaged omega-6 fats contributes to many health concerns.

They are all highly processed and consumed in amounts that are about 100 times more than our ancestors did a century ago. This causes them to distort the sensitive omega-6/omega-3 ratio which controls many delicate biochemical pathways which results in accelerating many chronic degenerative diseases.

There is only one oil that is stable enough to resist mild heat-induced damage, while it also helps you promote heart health and even supports weight loss and thyroid function -- coconut oil.

So, whenever you need an oil to cook with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes. Even though I don't fully recommend frying foods, if you must fry, by all means use coconut oil -- it's your smartest choice.

Coconut Oil Safety
The medium-chain fats in coconut oil are considered so nutritious that they are used in baby formulas, in hospitals to feed the critically ill, those on tube feeding, and those with digestive problems. Coconut oil has even been used successfully by doctors in treating aluminum poisoning.[15]

Coconut oil is exceptionally helpful for pregnant women, nursing moms, the elderly, those concerned about digestive health, athletes (even weekend warriors), and those of you who just want to enhance your overall health.

References:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] Kaunitz H, Dayrit CS. Coconut oil consumption and coronary heart disease. Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine, 1992;30:165-171.
Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau Island studies, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1981;34:1552-1561.
[2] Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau Island studies, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1981;34:1552-1561.
[3] Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century, part 2.
[4] Assunção ML, Ferreira HS, dos Santos AF, Cabral CR Jr, Florêncio TM. Effects of dietary coconut oil on the biochemical and anthropometric profiles of women presenting abdominal obesity, Lipids, 2009 Jul;44(7):593-601. Epub 2009 May 13.
[5] Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century.
[6] Baba, N 1982. Enhanced thermogenesis and diminished deposition of fat in response to overfeeding with diet containing medium-chain triglycerides, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 35:379.
[7] Bruce Fife, ND. Coconut Oil and Medium-Chain Triglycerides.
[8] Raymond Peat Newsletter, Coconut Oil, reprinted at www.heall.com.

An Interview With Dr. Raymond Peat, A Renowned Nutritional Counselor Offers His Thoughts About Thyroid Disease,
[9] Isaacs CE, Litov RE, Marie P, Thormar H. Addition of lipases to infant formulas produces antiviral and antibacterial activity, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 1992;3:304-308.
Isaacs CE, Schneidman K. Enveloped Viruses in Human and Bovine Milk are Inactivated by Added Fatty Acids(FAs) and Monoglycerides(MGs), FASEB Journal, 1991;5: Abstract 5325, p.A1288.
Mitsuto Matsumoto, Takeru Kobayashi, Akio Takenaka and Hisao Itabashi. Defaunation Effects of Medium Chain Fatty Acids and Their Derivatives on Goat Rumen Protozoa, The Journal of General Applied Microbiology, Vol. 37, No. 5 (1991) pp.439-445.
Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century.
Hristov AN, Vander Pol M, Agle M, Zaman S, Schneider C, Ndegwa P, Vaddella VK, Johnson K, Shingfield KJ, Karnati SK. Effect of lauric acid and coconut oil on ruminal fermentation, digestion, ammonia losses from manure, and milk fatty acid composition in lactating cows, J Dairy Sci., 2009 Nov;92(11):5561-82.
[10] St-Onge MP, Jones PJ. Greater rise in fat oxidation with medium-chain triglyceride consumption relative to long-chain triglyceride is associated with lower initial body weight and greater loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue, International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 2003 Dec;27(12):1565-71.
[11] Geliebter, A 1980. Overfeeding with a diet of medium-chain triglycerides impedes accumulation of body fat, Clinical Nutrition, 28:595.
[12] Fushiki, T and Matsumoto, K Swimming endurance capacity of mice is increased by consumption of medium-chain triglycerides, Journal of Nutrition, 1995;125:531.
[13] Raymond Peat Newsletter - Unsaturated Vegetable Oils Toxic, 1996 edition, p.2-4. Daneil R. Doerge, Hebron C Chang "Inactivation of thyroid peroxidase by soy isoflavones in vitro and in vivo", Journal of Chromotography B, September 2002; 777(1,2);25:269-79. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/01/26/coconut-oil-part-eight.aspx
Nevin KG, Rajamohan T. Effect of topical application of virgin coconut oil on skin components and antioxidant status during dermal wound healing in young rats, Skin Pharmacol Physiol, 2010;23(6):290-7. Epub 2010 Jun 3.
Marina AM, Man YB, Nazimah SA, Amin I. Antioxidant capacity and phenolic acids of virgin coconut oil, Int J Food Sci Nutr, 2009;60 Suppl 2:114-23. Epub 2008 Dec 27. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19115123
[14] Barry Groves, PhD. Second Opinions: Exposing Dietary Misinformation: The Cholesterol Myth, parts 1 and 2.

Robert H Knopp and Barbara M Retzlaff, Saturated fat prevents coronary artery disease? An American paradox, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 5, 1102-1103, November 2004.
Mozaffarian D, Rimm EB, Herrington DM. Dietary fats, carbohydrate, and progression of coronary atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women, Am J Clin Nutr, 2004;80:1175-84.
[15] K. G. Nevin and T. Rajamohan, "Beneficial effects of virgin coconut oil on lipid parameters and in vitro LDL oxidation", Clinical Biochemistry, September 2004; 37(9): 830-835.

2009-04-30T14:13:00.001-05:00

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2009-04-30T14:06:00.002-05:00

I have been holding steadily around 180 pounds for the last 2 - 3 months without any exercise. Just cleaning up my diet and cutting back on how much I eat, plus some good supplements, has been doing a good job of keeping my weight under control. My gym membership has been frozen but next week I am going to go back and unfreeze it. I plan to use Turbulence Training to get my percentage of body fat down and I am considering buying the Eat Stop Eat plan. I am not sure that I can do any fasts with the medications that I take but may try it anyway. I may also use some weight training to build some muscle. One thing that I will do is vary my routine every four weeks to keep things fresh and to "shock" the muscles into new growth.

2008-12-02T16:10:00.002-05:00

I took some time off from working out but now I am back at it. My weight, wearing nothing but a towel and my contact lenses, is around 185 pounds. I seem to have ganied about 2 pounds over the past 2 weeks.

I removed my site that was located at http://www.4everyonegoodhealth.com along with the blog that was there. I wasn't earning enough oney to cover the costs of keeping the site up.

2008-07-13T17:55:00.002-05:00

A week ago today I rejoined Lifestyle Fitness. I got the matinée membership because it was the cheapest. The only catch is that I have to check in prior to 4 PM. They have a kiosk that can take several of my measurements such as blood pressure, pulse and weight. It also measures percentage of body fat. I currently weigh 192 pounds. My percentage of body fat dropped from about 23% to about 19% in less than one week! This leaves me doubting the accuracy of this particular machine! I will continue to take my measurement once a week and see what happens to the numbers. That will let me know how accurate this machine is.

2008-07-04T16:25:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I had an appointment with the dietitian at the VA hospital in Tampa. She measured my weight and I now weigh 192 pounds. I lost some weight but I can't tell if it was fat, muscle or both. She got on my case again to cut back on the sugar because my triglycerides were almost 400, and my HDL (good cholesterol) was a little low. She also wants me to exercise, which I have been too lazy to do. Tomorrow I plan to take a look at rejoining Lifestyles gym. I do not want to get locked into a contract or have to pay a huge rejoining fee, so I may not actually join. It depends on whether I can get what I want from them. If not, I will rejoin the YMCA at the end of the Summer. During the Summer the place is over run with little kids that don't behave. That is why I quit in the first place!

2008-04-11T15:40:00.004-05:00

I went to the VA hospital in Tampa yesterday for some follow up appointments. I saw the nutritionist, Renee, and found out that some of my numbers went down. My weight went down to 196 pounds. I am still taking the TriLipono but I canceled the auto ship because the results were less than what I expected. I still have some belly fat and it looks like the only way to get rid of it is to completely clean up my diet and exercise. Right now, I'm not going to do either one because of reasons that I won't go into now. My total cholesterol went down, LDL and HDL all went down. My HDL is one point below where they want it to be now. My triglycerides wet down to 180 but it still needs to come down below 150. So, my supplements are working but I still need to clean up my diet some ore and exercise to get the optimum results.

2008-01-25T18:06:00.000-05:00

Last week I went to the VA hospital in Tampa and saw my nutritionist. She measured my weight as usual, but this time I left my shoes on. I usually take them off because they add a couple of pounds to my weight. Anyway, she told me that I lost about 10 pounds since my previous visit with her. My mother has also commented a couple of times recently that I look like I lost weight. Even so, I can't tell when I look at myself in the mirror! I don't trust the scale in my bathroom because my weight seems to be going up and down too much in a few days time. I still haven't done any measuring of my waist, etc to see if anything has gone down. I do remember that even in the ninth grade, when I weighed about 114 pounds, I still couldn't see my abs! At 21 I weighed about 150 pounds and already had a slight gut. I remember talking to my roommate about my gut. I have been told that I will not see my abs until I get my body fat down below 10%. At last check I was over 20% body fat.

I have had a sinus infection for the past 3 weeks. When it finally clears up completely I plan to start with the beginners part of the Turbulence Training program that I bought some time ago. I will let you all know what happens with that.

2008-01-23T16:54:00.000-05:00

Here's how to get rid of fat & still eat like a pig!...

There's a 'New Gal' in town and her name is Dr Suzanne!

And she's done something no one has ever done before:

She's found the "REAL" way to lose FAT, be HEALTHY, and yet still eat whatever you want!

In fact, she's even had "death threats" aimed against her becausewhat she's really done has ticked off the 'Powers-That-Be'(including drug companies and weight-loss food manufacturers).

Here's how her new "T0P Secret Fat Loss Secret" works:

Dr Suzanne discovered something that a small group of other doctorsare just now catching on to.

Namely that ALL sicknesses and diseases (including Obesity) startin the intestines (your colon).

This happens because of "toxic build-up" due to your body beingunable to get rid of a small amount of what you eat in every singlemeal or snack you take in.

And over time, this little "left over bit" starts to add up - andBIGTIME!

It works basically like this:

You eat say 100 "units" of toxins in every meal or snack.

You "poop-out" most of it -- say 99 units.

Subtracting means you have 100 - 99 = 1 left over "toxic" unit.

Over 1,000 such snacks or meals you end up having 1,000 "toxic"units in 'build-up.'

Although each small meal or snack may seem meaningless to you,these built-up "stores" of toxins cause your body to equallybuild-up FAT.

Why?

To "protect" you from the poisonous "toxins."

That's right! The extra pounds are your body's way of putting a big"rubber tire" of insulation between YOU and the "bad junk."

And once you have BOTH extra "fat stores" and "toxins" you're inBIG, BIG TROUBLE!

What then happens is you fall vulnerable to every kind of'sickness' and 'disease.'

And this pattern is what's been happening now for the better partof 50 years (more so in the United States than perhaps anywhereelse on earth!)

Before 1954 in fact, people ate much fattier foods, full of greasycholesterol and oils, yet the number of people who suffereddiabetes, cancers, strokes and just about everything else, palescompared to today!

So the "guilty party" had little to nothing to do with all theso-called "bad foods" -- and pretty much went completely unnoticed.

"Unnoticed" until Dr Suzanne began studying the problem.

You see, Dr Suzanne comes from a family of "chunky" people -- yet despite this she is very lean and even "sexy!"

People who meet her think she's some kind of "aerobics trainer" orsomeone who starves themselves half to death -- but that's NOT thecase at all!

Dr Suzanne doesn't really exercise that much, and she even "eatslike a pig!" (according to one close friend and "insider").

So how is this possible?

Luck? ... Hardly!

Dr Suzanne discovered that if you simply get rid of the same amountof toxins and JUNK going in, you never end up getting the "toxicbuild-up" in the first place.

And NO toxic build-up means absolutely NO disease, and NO extra"pudge" around the middle, butt, or love handles, nor the armpitsor the backs of the legs.

Going back to our little equation above, we get:

1,000 "toxic" units - 1,000 "toxic" units = 0 "toxic" units

And when you have 0 "toxic" units, you have 0 "toxic" build-up.

And of course, when you have 0 "toxic" build-up, you have 0"disease," and 0 "extra fat!"

But what is more surprising than this discovery is the fact thateven though she (and a growing number of other newly enlighteneddoctors) has mountains of evidence supporting this, the"mainstream" medical establishment is out to get her just likeprosecutors in the notorious "Salem Witch Trials!"

Short of trying to burn her at the stake, other doctors wouldrather keep selling you "toxic" drugs -- that although eliminatingone symptom cause who only knows how many "other" very damaging andeven dangerous conditions?

Also, not surprisingly, weight-loss food companies would equallylike some "evil" to befall the lovely Dr Suzanne. "

I guess it's just a matter of economics," suggests Dr Suzanne,"after all, if people follow my advice they will never get sick in the first place, they will never get fat, and therefore they will have little need or dependency on either other doctors or special diet foods."

And this means a major loss in income to doctors and foodmanufacturers -- and in terms of BILLIONS of dollars lost to them!

So serious this has become that Dr Suzanne recently suffered death threats -- believed by at least one federal law enforcement agencyto have originated from high up in the world of big business fromthe drug empires (and I don't mean the illegal drug dealers, butthe "legal" drug dealers!)

"Officials" won't say yet who their chief suspects are -- and mostlikely the whole matter will become "hushed up" all too soon.

Hushed up because:

1. The "powerful drug companies" are certainly rich enough to pay someone to close any investigation

2. The more threats she gets, the more people everywhere will "KNOW" she's telling the truth, because if she weren't these "powerful bigwigs" wouldn't be so upset!

Dr Suzanne's "T0P Secret Fat Loss Secret" works on getting yourbody to get rid of the toxins -- NOT on trying to get you to makemajor changes in your lifestyle, few people if anyone can really muster.

I mean think about it:

99% of everyone you know that says they are doing a "new diet" onlyend up failing anyway.

The woman we all know who said five years ago that she was on some new diet to "L0SE 25 pounds" now weighs 50 pounds more (Ha!Horrible, yet a tad funny!)

Or how about the guy who joins the gym to "get back into shape" whoa year later looks even worse?

These are the people YOU and I both know.

They're all around us, and are clear "PROOF" that diets and exercise DON'T really work - and not because those things aren't good for you and me, but because something else is standing in their way!

And that's none other than "toxins!"

Get rid of "them," and get rid of "everything else!"

It's just that simple.

But you MUST know what you're doing, or else you may make a mistakeby thinking you have, when in fact you haven't!

And that's precisely what's inside Dr Suzanne's "T0P Secret FatLoss Secret!"

Now, at this point I would like you to strongly consider everything I've said here, and I hope you will even get her "Top Secret FatLoss Secret" for yourself.

Ordinarily I'd say do whatever you want as I would never try to twist anyone's arm.

However, in this particular case, I must press you.

You see, because Dr Suzanne has been the target of death threats,and because she's now taking so much heat from the so-called "goodguys" out to sell you every "legal" drug under the Sun, she may beforced to remove her "Top Secret Fat Loss Secret" out of YOUR reachvery, very soon!

And if that happens, "YOU" at least may never find out the TRUTH,and not be able to use it for yourself or those you love and wantto protect!

That's the real reason I'm writing you today:

So that you have the chance to be armed with something that if youact right away no one can ever take away from you!

So, rather than write a single sentence more, why don't I just giveyou the link so you can get it right now before it's too late:

-> http://annafan196.fatsecret.hop.clickbank.net

That's it.

Please, do what you think right now is BEST...

Just looking out for you, as always,

-Mike Serovey

PS ... Please don't overlook the seriousness concerning this, only to discover later when you really want it, it's somehow no longer available! That kind of thing hurts when you miss out ...

2008-01-17T17:42:00.000-05:00

Lady Doc Gets Death Threats for Revealing TOP SECRET Fat Loss Secret to General Public

A new breakthrough secret is all you now need in order to forever shed countless pounds, stay healthy, and add many years to your life!

A lady doctor from Arizona has blown the lid off the best-kept secret in weight loss ever discovered -- and this has the whole diet food and drug industries turned upside down and in nothing less than a torrential uproar.

Her name is Dr Suzanne Gudakunst, and she's marching to the beat of a different drum.

And no, nothing about her "secret" is difficult -- nor does it require that you do something completely out of the ordinary or anything unnatural.

Instead, the Arizonian boasts proudly "...this is something that I caught onto just before 2002 when there was so much research and exploration going around concerning the human colon and digestive system working in harmony with nutritional absorption, and I started doing independent studies just to test things at first ... but which I later expanded on after seeing some fantastic results."

This same woman medical practitioner went on to accurately determine a definitive correlation between harmful plague and parasitic infestations of the human bowel tract, and people suffering chronic obesity -- and who despite intense diet and exercise appeared to be unable to lose any weight whatsoever.

Over the course of six years the Arizona doctor developed a number of natural treatments for the removal of these same harmful, even life-threatening plaques and rapidly reproducing digestive parasites -- and when applied to even worse-case patients suffering extreme obesity (98% of which were in immediate danger of dying) she saw a 100% effectiveness and success rate.

She then borrowed from her research on the severely obese, and applied the same strategies on milder cases of overweight persons -- only to find the same effectiveness and quality results as described above (although the individual weight loss per subject wasn't nearly as much as those obese patients 100 lbs to 200 lbs or more overweight).

So powerful is her secret that she's able to reverse diabetes, rid illness altogether in people suffering from cancer (linked directly to poor diet and overweight factors), as well as an elimination of an entire spectrum of serious and otherwise life-threatening diseases.

Nearly 100% of all her case subjects were told in the alternative by "conventional doctors" that they either had just months or years to live, or they would never live a life anything resembling remotely a "normal" existence -- yet after applying Dr Suzanne's treatments saw a complete contradiction to others doctors' prognoses.

Again, nothing about her secret is unnatural or requires someone to do any major action or modification in their lives.

In fact, her entire treatment is based completely on built-into-nature 'protection agents' scattered throughout the world in the form of select herbs, extracts, and organic constituents, and which can be found in a variety of plants -- but when combined in specific combinations and carefully chosen amounts make for a solution to what is perhaps the world's worst ever plague: OBESITY (and the illnesses and diseases resulting from it -- or at least severely aggravated or exacerbated by it).

Now to everyone else's great gain, whether suffering from just a few extra pounds and inches, to those extremely fat and overweight, this brave, bold lady doctor is releasing to the general public her secret for forever destroying the tight unrelenting closed-fist of obesity's stronghold over the now more than 40% of Americans labeled obese, and others worldwide.

But she's not promising any of us for how long.

Some experts and sociologists suggest that in the bigger scheme of things, the world will never tolerate a discovery of such magnitude, any more than it would be realistic to expect a car that runs on water (even if very real) to ever become commercially available to the general public for day-to-day use.

One well-respected and famous diet & wellness author wrote years ago that if anyone ever "truly unlocked the keys to permanent fat loss, they may actually suffer the same fate as JFK."

It is currently available at:
=> Secret Fat Loss Secrets
...so you may want to head on over there now and get it and before someone or "something" gets it forever yanked out of ever getting in YOUR hand at least.

It's in a very easily readable format and is quickly and readily understood and mastered by anyone with even a 4th grade reading level.

While you're there, why not scroll down and review for yourself the huge successes others are now having with this incredible breakthrough in rapid, massive weight loss and extremely improved and enhanced health, now made freely available to the rest of us?

-Mike Serovey

2008-01-11T19:52:00.000-05:00

I have just uploaded a free ebook that contains a 4 week body weight exercise program. You can get it by visiting http://www.4everyonegoodhealth.com and clicking on the link near the bottom of the page that says 4 week body weight exercise program. If you like the report there are links within the ebook that you can click on to order more reports and to get a more comprehensive workout program.

2008-01-10T17:14:00.000-05:00

Politically Incorrect Holiday Fat Loss Tips

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

I was at a big event last week and was reminded howimportant it is to have strategies for this season of high-calorieparties and busy schedules. But I get ticked off by the tired oldsuggestions you find on the Internet or in magazines like Woman's World.

Often the suggestions are lack any substance, because the writers don't want to imply you actually have to make a sacrifice to succeed. They make fat loss sound easy, as if all you had to do was park at the far end of the parking lot and you'd burn all the calories from 5 shortbread cookies.

Well it doesn't work that way...So here are my politicallyincorrect, unique Turbulence Training strategies to help you keep off the holiday pounds.

By the way, I "borrowed" a few ideas from contestants in my Turbulence Training Transformation Contest. The Transformation is rocking with social support and success stories right now, even while the rest of the world struggles with weight gain, these TT users are losing fat over the holidays.

Click here to get started with Turbulence Training for Fat Loss:==> www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Strategy #1 - Green Tea & Almonds
One of the most common tips you'll hear is to "fill up" before you go to a party where there will be lots of goodies.

Unfortunately, most people I talk to have no luck with this tip. Most people still go to a party and eat everything in sight.

But recently TT users have told me that having a cup of Green Tea and one ounce of almonds has helped them avoid holiday cravings better than anything ever before.

The fiber from the almonds reduces appetite while the small amount of caffeine from the Green Tea seems to increase mental alertness and keep you "energized" at the party.

Hopefully that might work for you...

Strategy #2 - Don't waste your time on any fancy cardio programs

Listen, the bottom line over the holiday season is that your success depends almost entirely on your nutrition.

You can't expect to hit the cardio confessional and burn off last night's 2000 calorie smorgasboard. That's a 4-hour workout. Instead, don't get into that situation in the first place.
Here are more nutrition tips:

- Focus on portion control (and if you have no discipline, forget even trying to eat just one)- Nix all drinks mixed with calorie-containing beverages, or better yet, just stop getting drunk. Period.- Write down everything you eat to identify your problem spots. Then do whatever you need to do to eliminate your weaknesses. If you don't record your nutrition, chances are you'll miss big opportunities to change your diet and lose fat.

Strategy #3 - Take care of yourself first.

My friend Holly Rigsby (of http://www.fityummymummy.com) is always reminding busy moms to take care of themselves first, and I think that suggestion applies at this time of year to everyone.

So take a deep breath. Ask yourself as you're running around to please everyone else, "Have you set aside time for yourself"

Be selfish. Make sure you have had some exercise time, some good nutrition, and some rest before overextending yourself and doing too much for other people when you haven't taken care of yourself and your goals first.

Strategy #4 - Get on a roll

This one comes from a TT Transformation contestant who is too busy losing fat to get off track over the holidays.

Don't procrastinate till January 1st. Get started now. Dozens ofmen and women are doing their Turbulence Training Transformations right now - through the heart of the holiday season.
They aren't waiting for Jan. 1st to show up. They are takingcontrol now, and getting on a roll, and not letting anything (from work parties to peer pressure) get in their way.

Strategy #5 - Exercise in short bursts whenever you can

Don't be afraid to dance at your Christmas party. Don't worry, there is bound to be at least one worse dancer than you out on the floor. Have fun and get down!

On a more serious note, here's how to avoid falling off the fitness program during the busy holiday season.

Get your butt out of bed 15 minutes early so you can have 3 minutes to wake up and 12 minutes to do the December 2007 Turbulence Training 12-Minute Workouts.

Get this workout as part of your bonuses when you start using Turbulence Training today: www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Stay healthy and fit over the holidays,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MSAuthor, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Learn about the "Dark Side of Cardio" in the free report from Craig Ballantyne at www.TurbulenceTraining.com. Craig is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com

2008-01-01T18:50:00.000-05:00

I stepped on my bathroom scale earlier today and the scale said 195 pounds. That is the lightest that I have been in a long time! It appears that TriLipono is working even though I still can't see any changes in the mirror. I still have a gut, but no love handles or fat anywhere else that I can see. I will stay with TriLipono for the full four months of my plan and see what happens.

I just bought Craig Ballentine's Turbulence Training program. It was a little under $40 for the basic program with 5 bonuses. In a little while I will start doing the basic exercises in his plan and see what happens. I have seen that TriLipono by itself does suppress my appetite and helped with some weight loss. Now I will see what Turbulence Training can add to my fat loss.

2007-12-25T21:12:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago I started taking something called TriLipono v2. It is a tri lipid fat burner. I haven't been keeping track of my weight since I quit going to the YMCA nor have I made any other measurements. I'm not exercising, so basically, I want to see what TriLipono will do by itself. Looking in the mirror I can't say that I have seen any change, but I don't expect to for a couple of months. One thing that I have noticed is that my appetite has decreased. I get full faster that I used to. I will update this blog when I believe that I am starting to see some real results.

2007-09-29T15:24:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I got a message from Jordan at the YMCA stating that I had lifted over 5,500,000 pounds since I started using Fitlinxx to track my weight lifting efforts. Yesterday the scale in the men's locker room said that I weighed 197.2 pounds. So, my weight is slowly coming down.

I have found that over the past week or so I have been getting a little dizzy and nauseated during my workouts. Yesterday I did my half hour ride on the stationary bike and then felt so lousy that I skipped the rest of my workout.

I got a letter from the Y stating that I needed to bring in proof of income if I wanted to continue my "scholarship" at the Y. I am getting a reduced rate on my membership fee because of my low income. I have decided to cancel my membership at the Y because of various problems. They mainly boil down to little kids that don't behave. I would rather pay more to belong to a gym where the members act like adults!

2007-08-25T15:32:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday I had a fitness assessment done at the YMCA that I belong to. Basically, Joe checked my blood pressure and did the pinch test to measure body fat. My percentage of body fat dropped about 2% and is now about 24%. My goal was to get below 20% by this time, so I am a little disappointed with that. The good news is that I am making progress and I am down from the 33% I was at when I started. My weight dropped from 207 pounds to 200. Progress has been slow lately, but I am still making progress.

I am still tempted to cancel my gym membership. The gym staff is doing a really lousy job of keeping the little kids out of the adult workout area! Also, I am losing my motivation to work out. Almost every time that I go to the gym I don't feel like working out but I go anyway. Over the last two weeks my workouts have been less than strenuous and I haven't given it my all. I know that for maximum benefits I have to push myself in every workout and then get the proper rest to recover from the workout. I'm not really pushing myself anymore.

2007-08-03T19:32:00.000-05:00

Today I went to the YMCA for my usual Friday workout. Today I did a 32 minute ride on the stationary bike and upper body weight training. I got a message that said that I have been using Fitlinxx for 2 years and congratulations. That is not quite accurate. I took about 6 months off from working out, so I have only been using Fitlinxx for about 1.5 years. I also discovered that I made the top 30 list of males who earned points in Fitlinxx. I just barely made the list at number 30. Up until today I haven't been checking that list.

Today I weighed in at 203.8 pounds.

2007-07-28T17:13:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to the YMCA to do my usual Friday workout. At the end of the workout I logged out of the Fitlinxx system and was told that I just reached the Brown fitness level with 75,000 fit points. The next level is Black. About a month ago I got a message stating that I have lifted over 4,500,000 pounds. I am getting a little bit stronger each week and my weight has dropped to 204 pounds. My gut looks a little smaller than it did 8 months ago, so I have made some progress. I am still stuck at 183 pounds with the overhead shoulder press. I can get 10 reps and once I got 11, but I just cannot make it to 12 reps. I am not sure what it will take to get past this plateau. I plan on asking one of the personal trainers for advice on this.

2007-07-21T16:51:00.000-05:00

On my main health site I have some free articles on weight loss. They can be found at http://www.4everyonegoodhealth.com/weight/index.html.

The last time that I checked my weight at the gym I weighed 204.8 pounds. So, my weight is holding pretty steadily even though I am getting stronger over time. I have hit a plateau on a couple of machines, though. I am stuck at 186 pounds for the seated leg curl and 183 pounds for the overhead shoulder press. I think that part of my problem is that I am going for these long rides on the stationary bikes prior to doing any weight lifting and I just don't have the energy to get through the complete circuit. Instead of riding 20 or 30 minutes and then hitting the weights I may go back to just doing a 7 minute warm up and then the weights. The other option is simply to keep up with the long bike rides and to break my weight training into lower body and upper body days. That way, I can put more effort into the bike rides and weights and still have enough time and energy to get through the entire set for that day. Right now, my work outs are getting too long and I am running out of time or energy or both before I finish my sets.

2007-07-14T17:44:00.000-05:00

I decided to keep my membership at the YMCA for at least one more month. I know that if I were to swim laps in the pool where I live I could keep from getting fat and may even burn off some of my belly fat. However, this pool is not heated and thus I would be unable to use it when the outside temperature is colder than about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, swimming will not provide enough resistance to keep the muscle that I have and I would eventually get weaker. With the weights, I can progressively increase the resistance that I am using as I get stronger.

The little kids are still a little annoying, but not so bad that I can't deal with them. However, I am finding that I lack the energy do do my entire workout routine. I feel sluggish at the start, even after drinking an energy drink like Red Bull. I can tell you from my own experience that Red Bull does not give you any wings! After my workouts I am usually too tired to do any work. So, if I ever got a job doing my workouts prior to going to work would most likely be a mistake. I would need to do my workouts after work, but not so late in the day that the increased metabolism from the workout keeps me awake at night. I have trouble getting to sleep as it it!

2007-06-28T16:38:00.000-05:00

I am seriously considering canceling my membership at the YMCA! There are several reasons for this. One is that during the summer the place is over run with little kids. They have some kind of summer day camp going on until school starts again in the fall. I am glad that these kids have some place to go and that this program keeps them off the streets and out of trouble. However, these kids are out of control! They run in the hallways and play in the men's locker room. They yell and talk loudly in the men's locker room and that hurts my ears. I believe that no one under 12 years old should be allowed in the men's locker room without adult supervision in order to prevent them from playing in there! Then, the worst part is that someone has been pissing all over the toilet seats in the men's locker room! At first I thought that it was some little kid who was too lazy to lift the seat prior to using the toilet. However, this has been going on for a couple of weeks now. Yesterday, I went to use the toilet in the first stall and it was completely covered in piss! The toilet wasn't flushed either! I mean this was no accident. Someone had deliberately soaked the toilet seat in urine! I complained big time to the front desk about the men's locker room needing to be cleaned because of the over flowing trash can and urine soaked toilet seats. The room was cleaned shortly thereafter. However, the overflowing trash cans and urine soaked toilet seats are both becoming chronic problems. That one toilet seat has had urine on it the last 3 or 4 times in a row that I went to use it! I am tempted to buy a small can of Lysol to take with me to the gym so that I can wipe the toilet seats down and then spray them with Lysol prior to using them!

So, I can just quit going to the YMCA and get my exercise some other way. The problem is that if I don't get some kind of resistance training I will lose all of the strength that I have gained over the past 7 months. I have a pool where I live so I can get some exercise swimming on the days that the weather permits me to. However, what am I supposed to do during the winter? Other gyms will cost me at least twice as much as the Y and try to lock me into a contract. Still, those other gyms aren't over run with little kids!

Another option is to just use the Y on Saturdays when there are few people there and not enough little kids to bother me. That may allow me to maintain the muscle that I have but I won't make any real progress doing that. Then, when the kids are back in school I can start going to the Y 3 days a week like I do now.

I have until the tenth of July to decide what I want to do. If I am going to cancel my membership I need to do it by the tenth or I will be charged for that month. I probably won't make a final decision until the ninth.

2007-06-10T15:59:00.000-05:00

Recently I got a message that stated that I have lifted over 4,000,000 pounds at the YMCA that I have joined. Obviously, I didn't lift all of that weight at once! I am still at the Red fitness level and my weight is still holding around 206 pounds. It varies by a couple of pounds from one day to the next. I am still making progress on most of the machines that I use, but have backed the weight down on the seated leg curl and have maxed the weight on four of the machines that I use. So, I'm not making any progress on those 4 machines.

I have been having some pain in my left shoulder for about a week now. As a result, I have skipped the upper body exercises that I normally do and that has greatly reduced the total amount of weight that I lift per day that I work out. I have arthritis in both shoulders and heavy lifting can aggravate it.

2007-04-20T17:06:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 I got a message from the Fitlinxx system that I had reached the Red fitness level because I had over 50,000 fitness points. I found out that I get points for each exercise that I log into the system. I have passed the White and Yellow levels and the next one is Brown. I believe that the remaining levels in order are Black, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. I was told that once I reach the Bronze level I will get my picture on the wall of fame inside the gym. At the rate that I am going it will take be about 2 years to reach the Bronze level. So far, my weight is still holding around 207 pounds while I get a little bit stronger each week.

2007-03-31T16:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I got a message from one of the YMCA staff stating that I had lifted over 3,000,000 pounds since I started using Fitlinxx to keep track of my work outs. That is equivalent to about 352 elephants. All I can say is that I am glad that all of those elephants didn't show up at once! I am now using the full stack of weights on the leg press, squats, hip abduction and hip adduction machines. When I go through all 12 stations in the circuit I lift over 33,000 pounds. Because I usually work out 3 days a week that is over 90,000 pounds per week! Obviously, I could never lift all of that weight at once! However, 410 pounds 14 times is 5,740 pounds. With the heavy weights that I am now using it doesn't take long for 33,000 pounds to add up! My weight is still holding steady around 207 pounds so I still believe that I am slowly replacing fat with muscle.

2007-03-06T21:48:00.000-05:00

Today after my workout I weighed in at 206.6 pounds. My workout consists of a 7 minute warm up on a stationary bike and then the 12 FitLinx stations. I log into a kiosk with my PIN and that sets the machines up for me. It also gives me the option to put what aerobics exercises I do and this is where I record my warm up. On two of the machines I am using the entire stack of weights and doing 14 reps each. I'm not gaining strength with these machines but use them anyway to keep what I have gained. I am near to using the entire stack on a third machine. On a couple of machines I have stalled and haven't made any progress over the past week. If this continues then I am either going to have to use an additional exercise to train that muscle group or an extra set. I realize that plateaus are often reached in weight training and sometimes the entire routine needs to change in order to blast past them. I'm not ready to completely change my routine yet. I like using FitLinx because the machines are tied into a computer that keeps track of my settings for me. The computer knows where I set my seats, pads, and weights for each machine. I keeps track of the weight lifted for each machine and how many reps at that weight. It also allows me to set my targets and lets me know if i failed to reach my targets, if I reached them and if I exceeded my targets. There are other machines that I sometimes use that are not directly linked to the computer. What I have to do with these machines is to login and then manually enter how much weight I used on each machine and how many reps. The machine then stores what I did the last time and I can bring that up if needed. I think that this beats having to bring a journal to record all of this by hand! Today I skipped my warm up because all of the bikes were taken and I didn't feel like waiting for one. Once a week I do squats on a machine. I do three sets at 400 pounds each set. Last time I did 3 sets of 11 reps each. I also do seated calf raises on my squats day. In addition to my body weight and the weight of the bar I add about 180 pounds to the end of the bar and go for 3 sets of 12 reps each. Because of these exercises I have nice looking calves and thighs. I don't do like some body builders and shave my body hair, though. Maybe I will if I ever enter a competition.

2007-02-15T17:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to the local YMCA for my usual workout. I also had a fitness assessment right after finishing my workout. To my surprise, my blood pressure was normal, not elevated. My body fat dropped from about 33% to about 26%. That is pretty good for three months of exercise. Joe said that a realistic goal for me would be to aim for getting down to 20% body fat by June or July. I figure that I will have another assessment done some time in June and see how close to 20% I get. My weight yesterday was 208 pounds. On most days that I weigh myself I weigh around 206 to 208 pounds. I nearly always weigh myself in the men's locker room and I am wearing just my glasses and underpants. I think that gives me the most accurate readings. Because my weight is staying in the 205 to 210 range, my body fat percentage has dropped and I am getting stronger each week, I believe that I am replacing fat with muscle. The sad thing is that I still don't see any changes when I look into a mirror. What is odd is that the measurements for my belly and hip went down indicating that I lost fat in those areas but the measurement for my right thigh went up! I don't believe that I gained fat on my thigh but it appears that way!

2007-01-27T22:16:00.000-05:00

Over the past two months my weight has fluctuated betwwen 205 pounds and 210 pounds. I am getting stronger which suggests that I am gaining muscle. The fact that I haven't gained weight suggests that I am slowly replacing fat with muscle. However, when I look in the mirror I see a big gut and not much else! I cannot tell that I am losing fat. Sometime in February I plan to have my body fat measured by Joe at the gym again. I want to see if my percentage of body fat has dropped any since my measurement almost two months ago. I do believe that I still need to clean up my diet some, but may not be able to do so just yet. I live with my other because I cannot yet afford a place on my own. (I am working on that, though.) Anyway, my mother buys stuff that neither one of us should eat and thus undermines my efforts to lose weight. If junk food is in the house then I will be tempted to eat it. Although I do a pretty good job of avoiding temptation, I do give in at times. If the junk is NOT in the house then I can't be tempted to eat or drink it!

2006-12-31T21:28:00.000-05:00

5 Reasons Why Alcohol Will Destroy Your Muscle Gains

I receive emails every single day from aspiring muscle-builders all over the world, and one of the most common questions I’m asked is...

“Does drinking really affect the muscle growth process?”

I’m sorry to say it, but yes, too much alcohol will almost definitely have a significant negative impact on your muscle-building results. Alcohol is far more harmful than most people think, and it’s very important that you understand how this drug (yes, alcohol is a drug) is affecting your progress. This is not an anti-drug speech, but if you’re serious about achieving a truly impressive physique, you should definitely be aware of the 5 main ways that alcohol is slowing down your gains…

1) It negatively affects protein synthesis.

Protein synthesis is the process where amino acids are joined together to form complete proteins. Excessive alcohol consumption slows this process down by up to 20%, and since your muscles are made up of protein, you can see how this is a problem.

2) It lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen.

Testosterone is the most important muscle-building hormone in your body. One of the limiting factors that determines how much muscle a person can gain is their level of free-flowing testosterone.

3) It causes dehydration.

The kidneys must filter very large amounts of water in order to break down the alcohol, and this can result in severe dehydration within the body. Water plays an absolutely crucial role in the muscle-building process, and being even slightly dehydrated is a recipe for disaster. The muscles alone are comprised of 70% water.

4) It depletes the body of vitamins and minerals.

Alcohol consumption causes vitamins A, C, the B's, calcium, zinc and phosphorus to all be drained at rapid rates. Vitamins and minerals keep every little process in your body functioning properly, and many of these processes involve muscle growth and maintenance.

5) It increases fat storage.

With 7 empty calories per gram, alcohol can actually be quite fattening. Alcohol also disrupts the Kreb’s Cycle, which plays an important role in fat burning.

It’s important to have fun in life, but too much fun can lead to problems. If you’re serious about achieving significant muscle-building results, you definitely need to monitor your intake of alcohol and make sure that you are consuming it in moderation. A few drinks here and there shouldn’t be a problem, but if you find yourself drinking every weekend you can almost certainly kiss your muscle gains goodbye.

If you do decide to go out and party, make sure to drink plenty of water and to properly nourish yourself with vitamins/minerals and a protein rich meal.

I don’t recommend revolving your entire life around your muscle-building program, so don’t be afraid to go out and have a good time once in a while. Just make sure to keep your drinking nights infrequent (no more than once a month) and properly nourish yourself to lessen its effects. As long as you monitor what you’re doing you can achieve an impressive physique and have a social life at the same time.

Learn how to avoid other common, counterproductive mistakes both in and out of the gym by by clicking the link below and visiting my website...

About The Author

Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert, fitness author and writer of top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book: The Truth About Building Muscle. If you want to learn how to build the greatest amount of lean muscle mass and strength possible in the shortest period of time, visit his website: http://www.MuscleGainTruth.com/

Body Building Nutrition

2006-12-31T19:25:00.000-05:00

My Measurements

Early this morning I took my measurements so that I can tell if my arms and legs are getting bigger and if my gut is getting smaller. I measured my belly at the belly button and it is 43". My right thigh is 20 1/2", my left thigh is 20 1/8", both calves are 16 1/2", my right biceps is 15" and the left biceps is 14 1/4". I'm surprised that my right arm is almost an inch bigger than my left arm. I am right handed, but still. I want to get my belly and waist down to 32". I don't have any goals for how big I want my legs or arms to get.

2006-12-31T19:18:00.000-05:00

The Dramatic Muscle-Building Benefits Of Glutamine

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in the human body and is arguably the most important in the process of building muscle and gaining strength. It can be found naturally in food sources such as beans, poultry, fish and dairy products, but in order to consume a highly beneficial amount you should probably consider buying it in powdered form as a nutritional supplement. Most serious weightlifters and bodybuilders would consider glutamine as one of the most important supplements out there, and for good reason.

What exactly does glutamine do, and how is this beneficial to the muscle growth process?

Glutamine is best known for being an “anti-catabolic” agent. What this means is that rather than directly promoting the growth of new muscle tissue, glutamine works by preserving the muscle tissue that you have already built.

You see, muscle breakdown is occurring all the time. This naturally happens when you train intensely, when you don’t provide your body with enough protein or during the time that you are sleeping. This process is completely natural and is to be expected.

However, if you are training and eating properly, then your body is also synthesizing new muscle tissue throughout the day. Your overall muscle gains can be calculated by taking the rate of muscle growth and subtracting the rate of muscle breakdown. Glutamine helps by minimizing the rate of muscle breakdown, resulting in greater overall net gains in muscle mass.

Glutamine is also highly beneficial in the positive effect that it has on the immune system. Not only are your muscles heavily stressed from your workouts, but your entire immune system is stressed as well. Glutamine will help you to recover quicker in between your workouts and will also help to prevent you from getting sick.

I would recommend supplementing with 10 grams of glutamine daily in order to see the best results. Although glutamine will not provide any immediately noticeable results, you will definitely achieve greater muscle gains in the long term by using it.

Here are the two most important times to supplement with glutamine:

1) Within 30 minutes of completing your workout.

After an intense workout your body’s glutamine levels can drop by as much as 50%. In order to restore these levels the body will typically tap into the glutamine reservoirs within your muscle tissue. You should consume 5 grams at this time in order to keep your hard earned muscle in tact.

2) Right before bed.

Taking 5 grams of glutamine right before you decide to doze off will help to minimize muscle breakdown while you sleep and will also increase your body’s natural secretion of growth hormone, a powerful anabolic substance.

Here is a quick recap of the recommended dosages:

Workout Days: 5 grams post-workout, 5 grams before bed.
Non-Workout Days: 5 grams with an afternoon meal, 5 grams before bed.

Although glutamine will not provide any instant, dramatic muscle increases, you should be able to see by now that it is quite important in the overall muscle-building process and is a supplement that no serious weightlifter should be without.

If you're interested in learning about 4 other highly effective supplements that I would definitely recommend including in your program, click the link below to visit my website. I'll also teach you about several heavily marketed muscle-building supplements that you should steer clear of...

About The Author

Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert, fitness author and writer of top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book: The Truth About Building Muscle. If you want to learn how to build maximum lean muscle mass and strength as quickly as possible, visit his website: http://www.MuscleGainTruth.com/

Body Building Nutrition

2006-12-28T16:57:00.000-05:00

Catapult Your Muscle Gains With Proper Post-Workout Nutrition

The post-workout period is without a doubt the most critical time to take advantage of proper muscle-building nutrition. We’ll define the post workout period as the 3 hours that immediately follows an intense workout. It is during this time when the body is most primed for nutrient absorption and the muscles will literally act like a sponge, soaking up everything you present them with.

By feeding your body with the proper nutrients from both whole foods and supplements during this all-too important time frame you will greatly increase your muscle gains and improve your recovery time.

Let’s take a quick look at what needs to be accomplished after an intense workout:

1) Muscle breakdown must be minimized and the body must be put back into an anabolic, muscle-building state.

2) Blood sugar and glycogen levels must be restored.

3) Free radicals must be neutralized.

4) The muscles must be fed with proper nutrients to facilitate recovery and growth.

This can be accomplished by consuming 2 special “post-workout meals”.

The first meal should be consumed entirely in liquid form. Your body is in a high state of stress, literally starving for nutrients, and you need to replenish this imbalance in the fastest way possible. A liquid meal will be digested quicker than any other and will allow your body to start rebuilding itself immediately.

This post-workout shake should ideally contain the following:

1) 30-40 grams of whey protein.
2) 70-80 grams of simple sugar. (Dextrose is a great sugar to use)
3) 5 grams of creatine.
4) 5 grams of glutamine.

All of these ingredients should be mixed in water and consumed within half an hour of completing your workout. I would also suggest taking a high-potency multivitamin along with the shake. This simple liquid meal will go a long way in accelerating the muscle growth process and helping you to recover.

About 45 minutes to an hour after your post-workout shake, you should consume your second post-workout meal, which should come from whole foods. This meal should be rich in protein and high glycemic carbohydrates.

High glycemic carbohydrates are those that are broken down rapidly into the bloodstream. Some examples include, potatoes, white rice or rice cakes. Here are a couple of examples of what your second post-workout meal might look like:

1) 6oz steak, 1 potato, 1 glass of orange juice
2) 1 can of tuna, 100g rice cakes, 1 glass of grapefruit juice

This meal will continue to provide your starving muscles with the nutrients they require in order to synthesize new muscle tissue and restore glycogen levels. After this second meal there is still about 2 hours or so to take advantage of as best you can. Your goal in this 3-hour window is to consume as much high quality protein and high glycemic carbohydrates as you can.

Most lifters highly underestimate the value of the post-workout period and hinder their gains as a result. One of the biggest mistakes you could possibly make would be to ignore the value of this 3-hour period and to slack off on your protein and carb intake.

Treat the post-workout period with respect and prepare for a noticeable boost in your muscle size and strength gains.

There are also 3 other highly important times throughout the day to pay special attention to the foods and supplements that you consume. Visit my website by clicking the link below to find out what they are, and how to properly approach these periods for the best possible results...

About The Author

Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert, fitness author and writer of top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book: The Truth About Building Muscle. If you want to learn how to build maximum lean muscle mass and strength as quickly as possible, visit his website: http://www.MuscleGainTruth.com/

Body Building Nutrition

2006-12-27T20:03:00.000-05:00

I went to the YMCA to work out today as usual. At the end of my workout I weighed myself on the digital scale in the men's locker room there. Wearing just my underpants and glasses the scale said that I weigh 206.6 pounds. That is down from the 210 I weighed a couple of weeks ago. I am trying to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. Let's say that I have 20 pounds of fat on my body. If I were to gain 10 pounds of muscle while keeping that same 20 pounds of fat my weight would go up while my percentage of body fat would go down. My goal is to gain strength while losing weight and that seems to be happening. Gaining muscle while keeping all of the fat is no good because you would never see the muscle if I have a layer of fat covering it all! I can't have good definition if I still have 20 pounds of fat, no matter how much muscle I gain! That is why I am not using creatine or other muscle building supplements right now. My goal is not to just bulk up but to replace fat with muscle.

Here is another article by Sean Nalewanyj.

Do Bodybuilders Really Need Supplements?

To supplement or not to supplement? That is the question, and an important one at that.

Do bodybuilders really need supplements? Let's examine that question.

The first thing to look at when trying to answer the million-dollar question about supplements (with the ever-increasing revenues of the supplement industry I should more accurately call it a "billion-dollar question") is what do we define as "need"?

The question seems to be, "do we really need supplements"? But the answer to that completely depends upon what it is that we do or do not need them for. Let's examine a couple of different definitions.

"Do bodybuilders need supplements to become bigger and stronger?"

The answer to this question? No!

Regardless of what the million-dollar supplement companies would have you believe, supplementation is not mandatory in the pursuit of increased muscle mass and strength. Anyone who trains hard and focuses on consuming adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats from whole foods can and will see a significant increase in muscle size and strength.

If you want to become bigger and stronger, supplements are not mandatory. Period.

So given this fact, bodybuilders shouldn't use any supplements, right?

Wrong.

Let's examine the second definition.

"Do bodybuilders need supplements to become as big and strong as they possibly can?"

The answer to this question? Yes!

Although supplements are not mandatory to become bigger and stronger, they ARE mandatory if your goal is to become as big and strong as you possibly can. By investing in the right products and using the proper amounts, you can definitely gain an extra edge and see superior gains than a person who has chosen not to go the supplement route.

With the endless hours of hard work and dedication that you put in at the gym and at home on your quest to achieving the physique you desire, it only seems logical that a few extra bucks should be spent each month on a few reputable products in order to maximize your gains.

The question you simply have to ask yourself is, "how much are my muscle gains worth to me?" If an extra boost in strength at the gym and lean muscle tissue is worth the price of that bottle of creatine, then it makes sense to purchase it. If a minimization of muscle breakdown and increased immune system strength is worth the price of that bottle of glutamine, then it makes sense to purchase it.

"Do bodybuilders really need supplements?"

If you're serious about achieving the most significant muscle size and strength gains that you possibly can, then I definitely would recommend a basic and straightforward supplement plan to maximize your results. Here are the 5 most basic supplements that I would recommend:

1) Whey Protein
2) Creatine
3) Glutamine
4) High-Potency Multivitamin
5) Essential Fatty Acids

This is a great place to start and will go a long way in increasing your lean muscle mass, strength and fat burning capabilities. There are definitely a lot of worthless, ineffective supplements out there, but these 5 basic products have been shown time and time again to be both effective and worth the cost. If you're looking to gain an extra edge and are serious about reaching your muscle-building goals, they are definitely worth looking into.

To learn the details of these 5 supplements including proper dosages and product recommendations, visit my website using the link below. You can also access my honest and unbiased reviews of over 20 of the most popular muscle-building supplements on the market today. This could potentially save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars, so I would strongly urge you to check it out...

About The Author

Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert, fitness author and writer of top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book: The Truth About Building Muscle. If you want to learn how to build maximum lean muscle mass and strength as quickly as possible, visit his website: http://www.MuscleGainTruth.com/

Body Building Nutrition

2006-12-24T20:46:00.000-05:00

3 Reasons Why Bodybuilders Need More Fiber

Most people understand that fiber plays an important role in the overall health and wellness of the body, but this form of carbohydrate is actually quite beneficial to bodybuilders as well.

Fiber is found in the cell walls of plants and can be obtained from food sources such as fruits, vegetables, oat bran, beans, grains and psyllium. Because of its chemical structure, fiber is indigestible to humans and remains completely intact as it travels through the body. It is actually a carbohydrate, but acts differently since it cannot be broken down into its basic glucose building blocks.

If fiber can't even be digested, what could possibly make it so important to bodybuilders? Well, even though fiber is considered a "nonessential" nutrient, it still plays an important role in building muscle, gaining strength and maintaining your overall health.

Fiber is most well known for its ability to induce regular bowel movements.

Why is this so important to bodybuilders?

Well, since you are trying to build as much muscle as possible, you will probably be consuming at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. One of the main sources of this protein will come from animal meat such as chicken and beef. The problem with this is that if meat stays in the digestive tract for too long it can produce toxins that pose long-term negative health consequences. An adequate amount of fiber each day will ensure that foods are moving along smoothly through your digestive system.

Fiber is also beneficial in its effect on slowing down the rate of gastric emptying. Gastric emptying is the process where foods are moved from the stomach to the small intestine. When you consume foods containing fiber, they become "gelled" in your stomach and slow down this process. The small intestine is where most nutrients are absorbed and pumped into the bloodstream. By slowing down the transfer of food to the small intestine your body will be able to extract the nutrients much more efficiently. This "timed-release" effect will also keep your body in an anabolic state for longer and decrease the chances of muscle catabolism setting in.

Along with its digestive benefits, fiber has also been known to regulate blood sugar levels. This will result in a more gradual release of sugars into the bloodstream and will decrease the chances of unnecessary insulin spikes and unwanted fat storage. This will also allow your body to increase its natural production of this powerful anabolic hormone without having to increase the consumption of simple carbohydrates.

As you can see, fiber is a fairly important carbohydrate form to incorporate into your diet. I would highly recommend that you focus on consuming around 25-35 grams of fiber each day for maximum benefits.

To learn the complete inside scoop on proper muscle-building nutrition, go ahead and visit my website by clicking the link below. You'll learn everything you need to know to structure the most effective nutrition plan possible in order to maximize your muscle and strength gains...

About The Author

Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert, fitness author and writer of top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book: The Truth About Building Muscle. If you want to learn how to build maximum lean muscle mass and strength as quickly as possible, visit his website: http://www.MuscleGainTruth.com/

Body Building Nutrition

2006-12-23T23:07:00.000-05:00

I have decided to add some articles about nutrition here because nutrition is important for both body building and weight loss. Here is the first in a series of articles by Sean Nalewanyj.

Multivitamins: A Necessary Muscle-Building Supplement Or A Waste Of Cash?

One of the most currently debated issues in the supplement industry is in relation to the consumption of multivitamins and the role that they play in enhancing overall health both in and out of the gym.

Can bodybuilders benefit by supplementing with extra vitamins and minerals? Let's review some basic biology as well as the function of each specific vitamin in order to find the answer...

In the grand scheme of things, your body is basically one giant mass of chemical reactions. Each of these individual reactions is fueled by small proteins called enzymes, which work by lowering the amount of energy that is needed for a specific reaction to occur. Enzymes require the use of a "co-enzyme" which alters its shape and allows it to perform its job properly. Co-enzymes are also referred to as vitamins.

So when it all comes down it, vitamins are needed to fuel the thousands of chemical reactions going on within your body at all times. Not only does this play an important role in overall metabolism and body health, but it also plays a vital part in the muscle-building process.

Here is a list of the major vitamins and the ways in which they will aid you both in and out of the gym...

Vitamin A - Is crucial to the process of protein synthesis where individual amino acids are combined to form new muscle tissue. It also helps the body to produce glycogen, the stored form of carbohydrates within the body.

Vitamin B1 - Also known as "thiamine" and is heavily involved in protein metabolism as well as the production of hemoglobin which helps to carry oxygen around the body.

Vitamin B2 - Also known as "riboflavin" and aids in the fat burning process as well as helping the body to produce energy from carbohydrates.

Vitamin B3 - Also known as "niacin" and increases vasodilation within the muscle tissue, helping you to appear fuller and more vascular.

Vitamin B6 - Also known as "pyridoxine" and is very important because of its effect on protein digestion. Muscle-building diets require larger than normal amounts of protein, and this means that your body needs a higher amount of vitamin B6 than the average Joe.

Vitamin B12 - Also known as "cobalamin", vitamin b12 ensures that the brain and muscle tissue are communicating efficiently and this has a direct effect on muscle growth and coordination.
Biotin - Helps the body metabolize amino acids and produce energy during workouts.

Vitamin C - Heavily involved in amino acid metabolism and the formation of collagen. Collagen is found in your connective tissue and keeps your joints strong and healthy. Vitamin C also plays a role in the production of steroid hormones in the body and also enhances the absorption of iron. On top of all of this, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which flushes out free radicals and prevents damage to your body cells.

Vitamin D - Helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus more efficiently. Calcium is very important during muscle contractions and also helps to maintain strong bones and joints. Phosphorus is involved in the synthesis of ATP, the usable form of energy within the body.

Vitamin E - A very powerful antioxidant which helps to hunt out and neutralize free radicals. This will help to flush out many of the natural metabolic waste products your body produces and maintain the health of your cell membranes.

As you can clearly see above, vitamins play a very important role when it comes to building muscle and gaining strength. Hard training bodybuilders certainly require higher amounts of these vitamins than the average sedentary Joe, as these vitamins are depleted during intense sessions in the gym. In addition, a calorie-dense diet requires a higher intake of vitamins to aid in the digestion process. In fact, being deficient in just one vitamin can literally affect thousands of small process within the body.

So, are multivitamins necessary for bodybuilders?

Absolutely!

From protein synthesis to energy metabolism to digestion to vasodilation, multivitamins should be an important part of any effective supplementation plan.

For an honest, unbiased review of over 20 of the most popular muscle-building supplements on the market today, visit my website by clicking the link below. You'll learn which supplements are worth your money and which are no more than pure marketing hype...

About The Author

Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert, fitness author and writer of top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book: The Truth About Building Muscle. If you want to learn how to build maximum lean muscle mass and strength as quickly as possible, visit his website: http://www.MuscleGainTruth.com/

Body Building Nutrition

2006-11-18T22:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to the VA hospital in Tampa and had some blood draw after fasting for several hours. The test was for cholesterol and triglycerides. A couple of hours later I saw the dietitian who gave me the results of my tests. My LDL went from 40 to 70 (the dietitian thinks that the 40 was an error.), my HDL dropped to about 249 and my triglycerides dropped from over 1400 to over 500. So, although diet and exercise have improved my numbers I am still far from my goals. I am going to have to be more serious about cutting out the sugar and getting more fiber in my diet! I am really trying hard to NOT go on statin drugs or other medications for the cholesterol and triglycerides because I don't like the side effects of these medications and I like to use natural methods first. ONLY if natural methods fail do I like to use drugs!

cholesterol and triglycerides

2006-11-08T19:31:00.000-05:00

I went to the local YMCA today for my work out. While there I weighed myself on the scale in the men's locker room. It said that I weigh 207.4 pounds. That is about 2 pounds heavier than two weeks ago. I also had Joe do the caliper (pinch) test to determine my percentage of body fat. The results were that I am at 33.3% body fat. October of last year I had the same test done by the same guy and I was about 25% body fat then. I weighed 213 pounds then. So, I lost about 6 pounds over all but gained fat! It appears that I lost muscle and maybe water but gained at least as much weight in fat since my last pinch test. That six month lay off from working out really cost me some muscle! The test today confirmed what I suspected. Even though I was gaining weight from strength training the gain was muscle and my percentage of body fat was dropping. Dieting to lose weight has not worked for me. I have gained fat and lost muscle as a result of dieting alone.

Weight Loss

2006-10-28T16:10:00.000-05:00

I rejoined the YMCA and started working out this week. I did weight training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I plan to walk around my neighborhood on the days that I am not in the gym. I skipped my walk today because I didn't sleep well last night and don't have the energy for a walk today. I decided that I needed to use what energy that I do have to work on my websites and blogs today. On Wednesday I weighed myself at the Y and the scale there said that I weighed 204 pounds. On Friday it said that I weighed 207. It seems that I gain weight, not lose it, whenever I do strength training. I know that muscle weighs more than fat, but I doubt that I gained 3 pounds of muscle in only 3 days!

Here is an article on the Schiff Green Tea Diet.

Consider a daily workout instead of a weekly visit to the gym. Schiff Green Tea Diet provides you with the best way to workout everyday without the hassle of going to the gym!

Schiff Green Tea Diet is an all-natural diet product that helps promote thermogenesis and fat metabolism. Schiff Green Tea Diet contains no Ma Huang or Ephedra herb. Schiff Green Tea Diet is ephedrine-free so you won’t experience any jittery or nervous feelings.

Schiff Green Tea Diet has a high amount of active ingredients that have a lot of antioxidant and thermogenic benefits in store for you. The beneficial antioxidants found in Schiff Green Tea Diet are called catechin polyphenols. These substances in Schiff Green Tea Diet interact with other compounds present in order to stimulate thermogenesis and encourage fat to burn.

The most powerful catechin polyphenol found in Schiff Green Tea Diet is called EGCG or Epigallocatechin gallate. EGCG in Schiff Green Tea Diet has almost the same effect on your fats like Ephedra but minus the dangerous side effects that commonly accompany Ephedra-induced metabolism. With Schiff Green Tea Diet, you lose weight without giving up on your body’s health!

The green tea found in Schiff Green Tea Diet comes from the plant Camellia sinensis, which is a native herb of China. This plant where Schiff Green Tea Diet is extracted from is believed to have been in use for more than four thousand years.

The substances present in Schiff Green Tea Diet have been widely recognized the world over as an effective dermal protection against Ultraviolet light radiation. Schiff Green Tea Diet antioxidants can also help prevent cancers including stomach, ovarian, colon, oral, prostate, breast, and cervical cancers.

Schiff Green Tea Diet can also help in reducing harmful intestinal flora while increasing beneficial intestinal flora. This ability of Schiff Green Tea Diet is the main reason why it has curative effects on cancers. This is also the reason why Schiff Green Tea Diet can reduce oxidative stress in smokers and non-smokers and acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory substance.

A single dose of Schiff Green Tea Diet has been to known to show a dramatic improvement in antioxidant levels in the body. Schiff Green Tea Diet also helps preserve good cholesterol levels and lower down the bad cholesterol. In addition to that, Schiff Green Tea Diet has anti-bacterial properties that help prevent teeth cavities.

And if the benefits listed above are not enough, further researches were made through the years. Having green tea in a diet supplement sometimes is not enough to promote weight loss. This is why Schiff Green Tea Diet comes with standardized formulation to guarantee optimum results.

Schiff Green Tea Diet contains guaranteed levels of EGCG – 270 milligrams a day. The EGCG in Schiff Green Tea Diet is used in combination with specific amounts of caffeine – 150 milligrams a day. These two substances in Schiff Green Tea Diet make this diet product something to reckon with.

Included in each Schiff Green Tea Diet package is an easy-to-follow diet and workout plan. Schiff Green Tea Diet has also made their tablets in easy-to-swallow sizes containing 225 milligrams green tea extract, 90 milligrams EGCG, and 50 milligrams caffeine.

Losing weight has never been this easy. Use Schiff Green Tea Diet.

More articles on green tea can be found at http://www.4everyonegoodhealth.com/wordpress.
Schiff Green Tea Diet

2006-09-22T16:38:00.000-05:00

Green Tea Diet Review

Due to the popularity of recent findings, green tea has almost become synonymous with weight loss and diet. The addition of green tea diet into diet pills and weight loss supplements is perhaps spurred by reports of harmful side-effects of other drugs like Ephedra.

Why choose green tea diet?

For four thousand years, green tea diet has been used all throughout Asia as a beneficial health and medicinal drink. Green tea diet is different from all other tea diets because its liquid is extracted by steaming the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant as opposed to full oxidation. In this way, green tea diet manages to preserve a lot more antioxidants and keep them intact for the body to use.

Green tea diet is an excellent source of polycatechin polyphenols, a group of antioxidants that act on free radicals. These free radicals have harmful effects on the body since they are the major causes of diseases and aging. With green tea diet’s polycatechin polyphenols, a person has a better chance of avoiding ailments and keeping himself healthy for a much longer period of time.

Another antioxidant in green tea diet is also being studied as a potential cure for cancer. Epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG found in green tea diet has been discovered to destroy cancer cells while keeping surrounding healthy cells unharmed.

The EGCG in green tea diet also acts with another compound, caffeine (a small amount of this is found in green tea). The interaction of these two compounds causes green tea diet to promote thermogenesis in the body.

It has been noted by a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that with the consumption of green tea diet, the body’s total 24-hour energy expenditure is increased by up to four percent. This is roughly equivalent to losing more than 10 pounds of weight a month.

Green tea diet helps increase the body’s metabolic rates. With its thermogenic properties, it is only natural that green tea diet can also promote faster metabolism of fats and sugars. Excess glucose found in the body is turned into fats by the hormone insulin. Because green tea diet has an inhibiting effect on insulin, green tea diet therefore helps keep sugar from being stored as fats and instead, send them directly into the muscles for immediate use.

The downside to a green tea diet

Although green tea diet has a reputation for boosting health, scientific proofs of its health benefits are still somewhat mixed. However, in an article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, American researchers collaborated with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the beneficial effects of green tea diet on cholesterol levels.

Using 240 men and women (average age 55) who possess mild to moderately high LDL cholesterol levels, the researchers instructed them to retain their usual low-fat diet, green tea diet intake, and activity levels. After twelve weeks, it was found that those who consumed green tea diet extract with their regular meals lost more than fifteen percent of their total LDL cholesterol levels.

Although the researchers never explained how green tea diet may influence cholesterol levels, previous studies have shown that certain compounds in green tea diet play a role in reducing the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the body, increasing amount of cholesterol excreted, and thus keeping cholesterol from being stored in the liver.

Subsequent studies were made to test the findings of the first group of researchers. Their results were contradictory. They found that green tea diet has no significant effect on the cholesterol profiles of their subjects.

There is no such thing as a miracle diet. Green tea diet, like all other diets, needs a lot of work and input from those who enroll in it. Green tea diet required both discipline and heart for it to make any significant impact on your weight loss goals.

You can read more articles about green tea and weight loss at http://www.4everyonegoodhealth.com/wordpress

Green Tea Diet

2006-09-22T15:54:00.000-05:00

Green Tea Diet Plan

Eating and dieting these days do not usually involve your favorite beverages like green tea and coffee. But this is not always necessarily the case. With some bit of planning and a lot of discipline, your diet plan and weight regime can include your morning cups of coffee or green tea.

South Beach Diet Plan

An idea formulated by Dr. Agatston, the South Beach Diet plan is not low-carb, nor low-fat. According to its originator, the South Beach Diet plan “teaches you to rely on the right carbs and the right fats.”

This diet plan is comprised of three phases – Banishing your Cravings, Reintroducing Carbs, and A Diet for Life. Using artificial sweetener and low-fat milk in your coffee or green tea during all three phases is one way to go on losing weight without having to give up your brewed cup. Going decaf with your coffee might also be a good idea since the objective of this diet is maintaining even insulin levels. If you’re a green tea drinker, then there is less worries for you. Green tea contains only very few amounts of caffeine.

The Zone Diet Plan

The Zone Diet plan was developed by Barry Sears, a former biotechnology researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This diet plan is based on the maintenance and consistency of insulin levels. Because this diet plan also concerns itself with insulin control, the issues that arise are handled similarly as that with the South Beach Diet plan. Taking decaffeinated coffee and green tea is all right as long as these beverages don’t spike up your insulin. The eating program of the Zone Diet plan requires you to use artificial sweetener and low-fat milk in your coffee or green tea.

Atkins Diet Plan

Another low-carb diet plan variety, the Atkins Diet plan works best with caffeine-free coffee and green tea. For best results, artificial sweeteners in your green tea and coffee are advised to keep your carbs down.

Blood Type Diet Plan

The Blood Type Diet plan is a weight loss regimen where the foods you eat are based on your blood type. The eating program of the Blood Type Diet plan is more restricted compared to the South Beach Diet plan, the Zone Diet plan, and the Atkins Diet plan. For instance, for people with blood types A and AB, coffee is highly advised. But for those with blood types O, adding coffee to the Blood Type Diet plan should be avoided. Green teas on the other hand are acceptable for any blood types. However, adding natural sweeteners like sugar, honey, stevia, or maple syrup in green tea should be avoided in this diet plan.

Sugar Busters Diet Plan

The name of the diet plan says it all. Subscribers to this diet plan are highly cautioned against sugars. Coffee and green teas are perfectly fine but only use artificial sweeteners.

Paleolithic Diet Plan

Also called the Stone Age Diet plan, this diet plan is based on the consumption of simple, unprocessed foods that our Neanderthal ancestors would have eaten. This diet plan is perfect for green tea drinkers. Green tea is simple and 100% natural steamed dried leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant. If you’re a coffee drinker, you might be in for a tougher choice since you might have to give up coffee all together with this diet plan. Sugars in green teas are still a big no-no, especially the refined kind.

More articles on the benefits of green tea can be found at http://www.4everyonegoodhealth.com/wordpress

Green Tea
Diet Plan

2006-09-17T15:51:00.000-05:00

Mega-T Green Tea for Weight Loss

Looking to lose weight without resorting to drugs? Look no more! Mega-T Green Tea is the stuff to go for!

Just take one Mega-T Green Tea caplet twice a day in mid-mornings and mid-afternoons, swish it down with a full glass of water, and start shedding those extra twenty pounds in a flash!

You don’t believe me? Try this!

Mega-T Green Tea contains a high amount of Green Tea extract that helps curb your appetite. Green tea contains substances that act as a natural appetite-suppressant. So with Mega-T Green Tea, you no longer have to worry about those afternoon hungry pangs. And with Mega-T Green Tea, getting up in the middle of the night to binge is a thing of the past! No binge, no bulge!

Mega-T Green Tea also contains chromium. Chromium in Mega-T Green Tea is highly valued because it helps reduce fats by increasing your metabolic rates. Therefore, fat-burning happens quickly when you use Mega-T Green Tea!

Another awesome ingredient of Mega-T Green Tea is the herb Garcinia Cambogia. This herb in Mega-T Green Tea helps you overcome food cravings. This way, you never need to fret about overeating because you can always trust Mega-T Green Tea to “tell” you when your stomach has had enough! This means you’re always assured to eat just right! And remember, lesser food intake means lesser fats stored!

Now, you might think that because you’re taking fewer calories when you take Mega-T Green Tea, you have lower energy levels. This means you won’t have any energy to do those weight loss exercises you have. You’re worried. You think you’ll gain pounds.

Well, think again! Mega-T Green Tea contains Guarana, a known energy-booster. Guarana in Mega-T Green Tea will provide you with the energy you need to perform your weight loss routines. So, goodbye to your worries! And ‘ta’ to your pounds!

But if Guarana in Mega-T Green Tea is just not enough, then here’s another thing to keep you going! Mega-T Green Tea contains Siberian Ginseng that can improve your stamina for hard work! And what is weight loss but a lot of hard work? Siberian Ginseng in Mega-T Green Tea will increase your stamina! More stamina means more work done. Boost up your energy and get that fab body you’ve always wanted with Mega-T Green Tea!

Now work causes your body to sweat! Hard work, however, causes your body to sweat…a lot! The more sweat you get, the more pounds you lose! What better way to do this than to use a diuretic? Mega-T Green Tea contains Baldderwack, Fo Ti, and Gotu Kola which all have diuretic properties. Diuretics in Mega-T Green Tea helps induce sweating, causing your body to lose your excess water. Have you noticed how flabby you look and bloated you feel when you drink too much water? Well, Mega-T Green Tea will drip you down! No extra water, no extra pounds! And you’ll feel way better to boot!

Since the ancient times, green tea has been highly valued for its herbal benefits. Green tea has been known to boost the immune system and cure various ailments from cancer to headaches. The antioxidants in green tea are said to kill free radicals that are the number one cause of aging and diseases.

Mega-T Green Tea contains 300 mg green tea leaf extract. With Mega-T Green Tea, you do not only lose weight but you boost your health in the process. Mega-T Green Tea works best when used in combination of the Special Diet Plan enclosed in the box.

More articles on green tea and weight loss can be found at http://www.4everyonegoodhealth.com/wordpress

Green Tea
Mega-T

2006-08-06T22:00:00.000-05:00

Here are my recent measurements. I just got off my bathroom scale and it said that with my clothes on I weigh 211 pounds. I measured my waist yesterday at the belly button and I have a waist measurement of 43 inches. I really do need to get my weight and belly down. I saw an nutritionist at the VA hospital in Tampa on July 21, 2006 and set some goals with here. I told her the truth when I said that I have trouble staying motivated. I'm not really sticking to my diet and I still don't get much exercise. I guess that I am not completely convinced that having cholesterol over 200 and triglycerides over 1400 and blood pressure around 150/93 and a pulse rate of around 100 are all that dangerous for me. They keep telling me that I could have a heart attack or stroke if I don't get those numbers down to what they want them to be. I am currently taking Felodipine 5 MG tablets once a day to keep my blood pressure in the normal range. I also started taking potassium supplements to help bring my BP down so that I can get off the meds.

I'm thinking about rejoining the YMCA because I enjoy working out at the gym more than doing exercises at home. Also, I get to do a wider variety of exercises at the gym than I can here at home. The problem is that I get bored quite easily with an exercise routine if I do it for too long. Also, I can't weight train at home except for using my body weight. The gym has all kinds of machines and free weights that I can use.
Weight Loss

2006-06-18T17:53:00.000-05:00

I weighed myself earlier today and the scale said 204 pounds. I have not been working out or getting much exercise lately. What exercise that I do get is mostly working around the house on things that need to be repaired or cleaned. My main focus for this entire summer is finishing my websites and adding many more entries into my various blogs.

I recently changed the theme of this blog to make it look better and to allow me to add more Google AdSense ads to the template. I found out today that wordpress.com will not allow any javascript of any kind because they can cause security problems that can get entire sites shut down! Wow! Also, they don't like the idea of people making posts just to get AdSense revenue. Well, the way that I see it, I should be allowed to earn some money from all of my hard work writing and posting articles!

As stated in an earlier post, I plan to make this blog all about weight loss and make my general health blog a wordpress blog at my health site located at http://www.4everyonegoodhealth.com.

2006-05-31T00:48:00.000-05:00

All the GREAT benefits you’ll EXPERIENCE when you QUIT smoking!

© http://www.quitsmokingonline.com All Rights Reserved.

Within 20 minutes ………… you can expect……..

... your blood pressure and pulse rate to return to normal. The temperature of your hands and feet will also have returned to normal.

Within 8 hours ………… you can expect………….

......your blood oxygen levels to have increased to normal limits and carbon monoxide levels to have dropped to normal.

Within 24 hours ………… you can expect…………

...your risk of sudden heart attack to have substantially decreased

Within 48 hours ………… you can expect……..

.... nerve endings to start re-growing and your sense of smell and taste to begin returning to normal.

Within 72 hours ………… you can expect…………

......your entire body to test 100% nicotine-free with over 90% of all nicotine metabolites to have now passed through your urine. You can also expect the symptoms of chemical withdrawal to have peaked in intensity. Your bronchial tubes will begin relaxing and thus make breathing easier, and your lung capacity will also begin to increase.

Within 10 days to two weeks.....………… you can expect……..

...your body to have adjusted to the physical functioning without nicotine and the 3,500 particles and more than 500 gases present in each puff.

Within 3 weeks to 3 months ………… you can expect……….

.....your circulation to have improved substantially, for walking to have become easier, and your overall lung function to have shown an amazing increase of up to thirty percent.

Within 1 to 9 months………… you can expect……..

.......any sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath to have decreased. Cilia have regrown in your lungs thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep your lungs clean, and reduce infections. Your body's overall energy will have increased.

Within 1 year……… you can expect………………….

......your excess risk of coronary heart disease to drop to less than half that of a smoker

Within 5 year……… you can expect………………….

... your risk of stroke is reduced to that of a nonsmoker at 5-15 years after quitting.

Within 10 year……… you can expect………………….

... your risk of death from lung cancer to have decreased by almost half if you were an average smoker (one pack a day). Your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus is now half that of a smoker's.

Within 15 year……… you can expect………………….

.. your risk of coronary heart disease to now be that of a person who has never smoked. Your overall risk of death has returned to nearly that of a person who has never smoked.

Many thanks to the National Cancer Institute's "Smoking: Facts and Tips for Quitting" for their help in compiling this article.

===================================================
Is it possible to enjoy, yes ENJOY giving up smoking – and not gain ANY weight? Follow the famous 10-day free online Quit Smoking Course at www.quitsmokingonline.com and prove it for yourself.

Click here for more information

======================================================

2006-05-30T23:40:00.000-05:00

I have updated my website at http://www.4everyonegoodhealth.com. I have changed the template that I used for the site to a much simpler one that should load much faster than the old one did. I have added many new articles and have removed pages that advertised products that were not yet ready to sell. I fixed a broken order link. This site will be updated much more often than it was in the past.

2006-05-25T21:42:00.000-05:00

I didn't get the maintenance job at the YMCA, but that is OK because I may have turned it down if offered anyway. I'd rather not get into why I would have turned it down. I haven't worked out in over a month and still have lost some weight. I weighed 203 pounds when I last checked a few days ago. However, when I look into my bathroom mirror I can see that I have lost some muscle and still have a big gut! Oh, well! Right now I am giving my top priority to finishing my web sites and trying to get some money coming in!

When I first started this blog it was a weight loss blog. I later decided to turn it into a general health blog. Now, I have decided to make this blog just a weight loss blog again and to put a Word Press blog on my health site located at http://www.4everyonegoodhealth.com. I have yet to start the blog there but will make a post here when I do.

That is it for now,

Mike Serovey

2006-04-09T23:58:00.000-05:00

I have canceled my membership at the YMCA because I haven't been going there lately. It doesn't make sense to continue to pay for a membership that I am not using. However, I was interviewed for a part-time job there. If I get the job then a free membership is included as a benefit. In spite of my not working out I have lost about 10 pounds this year. I have cleaned up my diet some, but some of that weight loss may have been muscle. I'm not as strong as I was a few months ago.

That is all for now. I'll post more when I have more to say.

2005-12-15T16:45:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since my last post. I joined my local YMCA back in August and have been weight training 2 to 3 times a week ever since. Sometimes I miss a day, or even two, but I usually work out 3 times a week. Since starting in August I have gotten stronger and gained about ten pounds. I'm sure that most of the weight gain is muscle because I'm moving more weight with the same of less effort than when I started. Unfortunately, I still have a big gut!

My sister sent me somthing about a chili contest in Texas. Although no actual recipes are included I think that the story is too funny not to include somewhere. So, the story below is for your amusement.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If You pay attention to the first two judges, the reaction of the third judge is
even better. For those of you who have lived in Texas, you know how true this is. They actually have a Chili Cook Off about the time Halloween comes around. It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the San Antonio City Park. Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chili Taster named Frank, who was visiting from Springfield, IL.

Frank: "Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking for directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted."

Here are the scorecard notes from the event:

*****************************************************

CHILI # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI...

Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
Judge # 2 - Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy shit, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy.

*****************************************************

CHILI # 2 - AUSTIN'S AFTERBURNER CHILI...

Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.
Judge #2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

*****************************************************

CHILI # 3 - FRED'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI...

Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.
Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of peppers.
Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting shit-faced from all of the beer.

*****************************************************

CHILI # 4 - BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC...

Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods not much of a chili.
Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beermaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 300-LB woman is starting to look HOT, just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?

*****************************************************

CHILI # 5 LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER...

Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off. It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw those rednecks.

*****************************************************

CHILI # 6 - VERA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY...

Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers.
Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb.
Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I shit on myself when I farted and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my ass with a snow cone.

*****************************************************

CHILI # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI...

Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about Judge # 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.
Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing it's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.

*****************************************************

CHILI # 8 - BIG TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI...

Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor feller, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chili?
Judge # 3 - No Report C

2005-09-14T21:18:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted to this blog in quite a while. So far, my efforts to lose weight have actually caused me to gain weight! I decided to focus on strength training to gain muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. So, I have gained almost 10 pounds since I joined the YMCA and started working out there. I had my body fat measured with one of those devices that measure electrical impedance and was about 24% body fat. I will have my body fat measured again in a couple of weeks and see if I have lost any fat while gaining muscle. Right now, I weigh about 216 pounds. I really do need to clean up my diet to reduce body fat. I'm still drinking sodas and eating white bread and sweets from time to time.

Will Brink has a new article out on how to lose weight. You can click on this link to get the article. Here is a brief abstract of the article:

"The Whey to Weight Loss"

Quick Extract:

"Whey may be able to reduce stress and lower cortisol and
increase brain serotonin levels, improve liver function
in those suffering from certain forms of hepatitis,
reduce blood pressure, as well as other amazing recent
discoveries, such as whey's possible effects on weight
loss, which is the focus of this article..."

Here's to being mean and lean,

Mike Serovey
www.4everyonegoodhealth.com

2005-06-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

***NEW*** Cortisol, Stress And Body Fat
Author: Tom venuto
Date: Jun 17, 2005
Publisher: fitness renaissance

Straight Answers To The Top 20 Questions
About The "Stress Hormone"
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

It seems that every time science uncovers some type of association between body fat and anything, opportunistic entrepreneurs are waiting in the shadows to create a product and a marketing campaign around it. They ride the wave into the multi millions, until the buzz dies down or until the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sues and slaps a padlock on their warehouse doors. Then, it’s on to the “next big thing in weight loss,” because they know there will always be a gullible crowd eagerly waiting for the next quick fix. The most recent example is when researchers discovered a correlation between cortisol and abdominal body fat. Cortisol was then blamed as the latest culprit in the obesity problem, and cortisol-suppressing pills were touted as the “miracle solution.”

Big Claims, Little Proof

After a web search on the subject of cortisol, here are some of the claims you may find:

Stress makes you fat
Cortisol is what makes you fat
Cortisol reducing supplements control stress
Cortisol reducing supplements reduce belly fat
Cortisol reducing supplements get rid of “stress fat”
Cortisol reducing supplements balance hormone levels that cause stress
Cortisol reducing supplements increase muscle growth
Cortisol supplements suppress appetite
Cortisol supplements speed up metabolism

The advertising claims include just enough scientific fact to make even the savviest consumers say, “That makes sense, I think I’ll try that.” They also hit home emotionally by focusing on common hot buttons such as stress (who isn’t at least a little stressed in this day and age?) Brilliant marketing. Convincing. Unfortunately, most of the claims being made are completely false, with only a tiny thread of truth woven in.

Cortisol is a very important hormone that you must understand if you want to get maximum results from your training and nutrition programs, but if you don’t educate yourself, you may become one of the millions of victims to fall for this latest fad. The answers to the frequently asked questions in this article will arm you with the science-based facts, while helping you steer clear of the hype-based scams.

What is cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands. It falls into a category of hormones known as “glucocorticoids”, referring to their ability to increase blood glucose levels. Cortisol is the primary glucocorticoid.

Why does your body produce cortisol?

Cortisol is a stress hormone. Your body produces cortisol in response to stress, physical, mental or emotional. This can include extremely low calorie diets, intense training, high volume training, lack of quality sleep as well as common daily stresses such as job pressures, fights with your spouse or being caught in a traffic jam. Trauma, injury and surgery are also major stressors to the body (Note: much of the research done on cortisol and stress has been done on recovering patients, and such findings may not carry over to healthy, athletic populations).

What does cortisol do?

Cortisol is part of the fight or flight response. Faced with a “life or death” situation, cortisol increases the flow of glucose (as well as protein and fat) out of your tissues and into the bloodstream in order to increase energy and physical readiness to handle the stressful situation or threat.

How do you know whether your cortisol levels are high?

You can get your cortisol levels tested if you choose to. The most common method of testing is a blood test (blood cortisol levels). Saliva and 24 hour urine tests are also available.

What is a normal level of cortisol?

Cortisol levels are higher in adults than children and levels fluctuate throughout each 24 hour period, so tests must account for the time of day. Cortisol concentrations are highest in the early morning around 6 – 8 a.m. and they are also elevated after exercise (a normal part of your body’s response to exercise). The lowest levels are usually around midnight. According to the Medline Encyclopedia, normal levels of cortisol in the bloodstream at 8:00 a.m. are 6-23 mcg/dl.

Should you get your cortisol levels tested?

For serious competitive athletes, it may be worth the time, expense and inconvenience to have cortisol tests done on a regular basis. Some strength and conditioning coaches insist on it. For the average trainee, as long as you are aware of the factors that produce excessive cortisol and take steps to keep it in the normal, healthy range, then testing is probably not necessary.

Is cortisol related to abdominal obesity?

Yes. There is a link between high cortisol levels and storage of body fat, particularly “visceral” abdominal body fat (also known as intra-abdominal fat). Visceral fat is stored deeper in the abdominal cavity and around the internal organs, whereas “regular” fat is stored below the skin (known as subcutaneous fat). Visceral fat is particularly unhealthy because it is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes.

Does Cortisol Make you fat?

No, cortisol is not “the thing” that makes you fat. In fact, one of the effects of cortisol is to increase the breakdown of stored adipose tissue into glycerol and fatty acids where it can enter the bloodstream and then be used as energy. High levels of cortisol are merely one contributing factor to storage of abdominal fat, not the primary cause. An excess of calories from too much food and not enough exercise is what makes you fat.

If cortisol is related to abdominal obesity, then will taking a cortisol suppressing pill get rid of abdominal (belly) fat?

No. Just because there is an association between high cortisol levels and abdominal body fat doesn’t mean that a taking a cortisol-suppressing pill will remove abdominal body fat. The studies which showed a relationship between cortisol and body fat did not test whether suppressing cortisol removes fat that is already deposited on your body.

Does stress make you fat?

No. If it did, then everyone who is stressed would be gaining fat. Many people lose weight while under stress. In some studies, test subjects with the highest cortisol (and stress) levels lost the most weight. Stress, by itself, does not increase body fat. However, if stress stimulates appetite and leads to overeating, then the excess calories from “stress eating” can make you fatter.

Is cortisol is bad for you?

Cortisol is not “bad for you,” it is a hormone that is essential for life as part of our natural stress response. There are many hormones in our bodies, which in the proper amounts, maintain good health, but in excess or in deficiency, have negative effects or even contribute to health problems or diseases. Cortisol is no different. For example, Cushing’s syndrome is a disease of high cortisol levels, while Addison’s is a disease of low cortisol levels. You want to maintain a healthy, normal level of cortisol, not suppress your cortisol to nothing or allow it to remain elevated.

Chronically elevated cortisol levels may have a variety of negative effects. Cortisol is catabolic and elevated cortisol levels can cause the loss of muscle tissue by facilitating the process of converting lean tissue into glucose. An excess of cortisol can also lead to a decrease in insulin sensitivity, increased insulin resistance, reduced kidney function, hypertension, suppressed immune function, reduced growth hormone levels, and reduced connective tissue strength. Chronically elevated levels of cortisol can also decrease strength and performance in athletes.

Can suppressing cortisol improve your muscle growth and strength?

High cortisol levels can increase muscle protein breakdown and inhibit protein synthesis (building up muscle proteins), so a chronically elevated cortisol level is clearly counterproductive to building muscle. Bringing elevated cortisol levels back to normal may improve recovery, strength, hypertrophy and performance. However, there is no scientific evidence that reducing your cortisol levels below normal will have any effect on increasing strength or muscle growth.

Should you take a cortisol-suppressing supplement to help you lose weight?

In my opinion, no, absolutely not. Cortisol suppressing supplements are not a valid solution for losing weight. The FTC has filed lawsuits against the makers of Cortislim and Cortistress, charging them with making false and unsubstantiated claims that their products can cause weight loss. Lydia Parnes, acting director of the FTC’s bureau of consumer protection says, “The defendant’s claims fly in the face of reality. No pill can replace a healthy program of diet and exercise.” Reducing excessively high cortisol levels through supplement use may prove beneficial in some ways for hard training athletes. However, pills do not make you lose fat. Body fat is lost by creating a caloric deficit through exercise and nutrition.

Should you take a cortisol-suppressing supplement to help control your stress levels?

There are quite a few supplements, mostly herbs, which are reputed to have “calming,” “relaxing,” “tranquilizing,” “stress-relieving” or “anti-anxiety” effects. These include Magnolia bark, kava kava, valerian, L-theanine and too many others to mention. However, very few studies exist which have directly tested the effects of these herbs on cortisol levels. Although some people may find value in these types of products, the ideal solution is to reduce the stress or change your perception of the stress to lessen its physical effects. Treating symptoms does not remove causes. It can be dangerous to “band-aid” the effects of stress while the stress remains in place.

What should you do if you have a lot of stress in your life?

It makes sense to take steps to reduce stress in your life and lessen the impact of stressors that cannot be avoided. Trying to avoid stress completely is not possible, nor is it desirable. Stress is an important part of life because you can’t achieve positive adaptations and growth without stress to trigger them. It’s continuous stress that you want to avoid. It’s okay to expose yourself to stress, provided there is a sufficient period of rest afterwards so you can fully recover.

One of the best ways to keep cortisol in the normal range is to reduce stress and allow time for recovery and renewal. There are effective and natural means of reducing stress that don’t cost a penny, including getting out in nature, deep breathing, enhancing sleep quality, relaxation exercises, meditation and visualization-guided imagery. It's important to develop a calm mind and sense of tranquility.

What’s in those cortisol pills anyway?

The ingredients can vary in type and quantity from one brand to the next. Some ingredients are included in the formulations to have a relaxing or stress reducing effect, some are included to reduce cortisol levels, while others are aimed at insulin and blood sugar stabilization. Cortislim, for example, contains Magnolia bark, beta sitosoterol, theanine, green tea extract, bitter orange peel extract (source of synephrine), banaba leaf extract, vanadium, vitamin C, calcium and Chromium.

Other ingredients that are often used in the various product formulations include Epidemium, phytosterols, tyrosine, Branched chain amino acids, ginseng, ashwaganda, astragalus, kava kava, St. John’s wort, Melatonin, SAM-e, Valerian, Gingko Biloba, Phosphatidyl Serine (PS), Acetyl L-carnitine and Glutamine. Reviewing all of these is beyond the scope of this article.

If you decide to take a cortisol suppressing supplement what should you look for?

Before you even think about supplements (or drugs), keep in mind that unnatural suppression of cortisol may not be wise or necessary, especially if you haven’t used all the natural cortisol and stress management strategies at your disposal first. Once your nutrition, training and recovery bases are covered, there is some solid research showing that certain supplements may be beneficial, especially for athletes engaged in extremely hard training.

Carbohydrate consumed with lean protein immediately after training has a cortisol suppressing effect. High glycemic index (GI) carbs in particular, cause an insulin spike, which not only helps restore muscle glycogen, stimulates protein synthesis and kick starts the recovery process, it also helps lower the exercise-induced rise in cortisol. The research supporting this practice is substantial. (This should serve as a warning to people on low carb diets that are so strict that they don’t even allow small amounts of carbs after workouts). Rather than solid food, many athletes prefer a liquid “meal” using a commercial post workout drink containing whey protein and maltodextrin plus dextrose or glucose (fast acting protein and high GI carbs) because the rapid absorption time may speed recovery.

Vitamin C, known mainly for cold or flu protection and antioxidant properties, may decrease cortisol levels. A study by Marsit, et al showed a reduction in cortisol levels in elite weightlifters taking 1000 mg. of vitamin C per day. Other studies have reported similar findings.

Phosphatidyl serine (PS) is a phospholipid, which appears to have cortisol suppressing properties. Studies by Fahey and Monteleone have shown that daily doses of 800 mg can reduce cortisol. These studies did not conclude that PS would help you lose weight or gain more muscle.

Glutamine is an amino acid, which in some studies, has been shown to decrease cortisol and prevent a decrease in protein synthesis. Many strength athletes swear by glutamine for improved recovery, but the research is still not conclusive about efficacy or dosages for athletes or bodybuilders. Much of the research on Glutamine was performed on patients recovering from surgery, burns or traumas (severe stresses to the body).

Acetyl-L Carnitine (ALC) has been studied in Alzheimers patients as a method of improving cognitive function. One study showed that long term use of Acetyl L Carnitine lowered cortisol in the Alzheimers patients. Research on rats and mice has shown that ALC increases luteinizing hormone, which may in turn elevate testosterone. Whether these findings carry over to healthy athletes has yet to be proven, but some coaches and athletes believe that ALC lowers cortisol and elevates testosterone.

It’s important to note that the research on some of these substances is often conflicting and inconclusive. It's also important to note that many of the cortisol suppressing supplements which are marketed to athletes or to people seeking weight loss do not contain doses anywhere near the amounts that were used in the research. (Yet another way that supplement companies deceive consumers).

How can you lower your cortisol levels naturally?

You can lower cortisol naturally. In fact, if you are overtrained, unnatural cortisol suppression may be nothing more than a “band aid,” and continued overtraining can lead to adrenal exhaustion, which could take months to remedy. Sometimes the best thing you can do is take a rest or decrease your training volume and intensity rather than artificially attempt to suppress cortisol. Symptoms of overtraining include elevated resting pulse, sleep disturbances, fatigue, decreased strength and decreased performance.

Avoid very low calorie diets, especially for prolonged periods of time. Low calorie dieting is a major stress to the body. Low calorie diets increase cortisol while decreasing testosterone.

Use stress reduction techniques (stress, anger, anxiety, and fear can raise cortisol)

Avoid continuous stress. Stress is an important part of growth. It’s when you remain under constant stress without periods of recovery that you begin breaking down.

Avoid overtraining by keeping workouts intense, but brief (cortisol rises sharply after 45-60 min of strength training)

Avoid overtraining by matching your intensity, volume and duration to your recovery ability. Decrease your training frequency, and or take a layoff if necessary.

Suppress cortisol and maximize recovery after workouts with proper nutrition: Consume a carb-protein meal or drink immediately after your workout.

Get plenty of quality sleep (sleep deprivation, as a stressor, can raise cortisol).
Avoid or minimize use of stimulants; caffeine, ephedrine, synephrine, etc.
Limit alcohol (large doses of alcohol elevate cortisol).

Stay well hydrated (at least one study has suggested that dehydration may raise cortisol).

How do you spot a weight loss pill scam?

The cortisol pill is just one in a long string of bogus weight loss products, and it won’t be the last! Why? Because weight loss supplements are big business! Eight or nine figure fortunes have been made from the sales of a single product, which was later proven to be a total farce.

How do you protect yourself? Do your homework! Don’t take anything unless you know exactly what’s in the product, why it’s in the product and how much is in the product. Review the scientific research. Don’t buy a weight loss product just because a radio personality says it works! Don’t jump on the phone with your credit card in hand after watching a thirty-minute infomercial! In this day and age, you have to be smarter than that!

Conclusions

Excessive cortisol is not good. But cortisol is not inherently bad; it’s a vitally important hormone and part of your body’s natural stress response. Cortisol does not make you fat. Stress does not make you fat. Stress may lead to increased appetite… Increased appetite may lead to eating too much… Eating too much makes you gain fat. Make sense?

Cortisol suppressing agents may have some practical uses. But rather than thinking of cortisol supplements as a weight loss miracle (which they most surely are not), get yourself on a solid exercise and nutrition program and seek natural ways to enhance recovery and reduce stress. By doing this first, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you’re losing fat and gaining muscle and there isn’t a need to take supplements at all.

For more information on how to lose body fat safely, permanently and naturally without supplements or pills, check out my e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle at www.burnthefat.com

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16. Kraemer, W.J., et al, Physiological adaptations to a weight-loss dietary regimen and exercise programs in women. Journal of Applied physiology, 83, 270-279.
17. Krsmanovic, L.Z., et al., Actions of Acetyl L canitine on the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal system in female rats. Journal of Steroid Biochemical Molecular Biology, 1992. 43(4): 351-358
18. Kelley, et al, ‘energy restriction and immunocompetence in overweight women.” Nutrition Research 18.2 (18): 159-169
19. Laitinen, J., Ek, E., & Sovio, U. Stress-related eating and drinking behavior and body mass index and predictors of this behavior. Preventive Medicine, 2002, 34, 29-39
20. Marsit, J.L, et al., Effects of ascorbic acid on serum cortisol and the Testosterone:Cortisol ratio in junior elite weightlifters, Journal of Strength And Conditioning Research, 1998, 12(3), 179-184
21. Martignoni, E., et al, Acetyl L carnitne acutely administered raises beta endorphin and cortisol plasma levels in humans. Clinical Neuropharmacology, 1988. 11 (5) p. 472-47
22. Monteleone, P., et al, Effects of phosphatidyl serine on the neuroendocrine response to physical stress in humans. Neuroendocrinology, 1990, 52:243-248,
23. Monteleone, P., et al, Blunting by chronic phosphatidyl serine administration of the stress-induced activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in healthy men. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 42(4): 385-388, 1992
24. Ottosson, K Vikman-Adolfsson, S Enerback, A Elander, P Bjorntorp and S Eden, Growth hormone inhibits lipoprotein lipase activity in human adipose tissue, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2000, 80: 936-941,
25. Palermo, S., et al, The effect of L-acetyl carnitine on some reproductive functions in the oligoasthenospermic rat. Hormonal metabolism research, 1990. 22(12), 622 – 626
26. Peeke PM, Chrousos GP. Hypercortisolism and Obesity. Ann NY Acad Sci 1995, 771:665-76.
27. Rizza, et al., “Cortisol-induced insulin resistance in man. Impaired suppression of glucose production and stimulation of glucose utilization due to a post receptor defect of insulin action,” J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1992, 54: 131-138.
28. Roberts, A.C. et al, Overtraining affects male reproductive status. Fertility and Sterility, 1993, 60(4):686-692
29. Rowbottom, et al., “The emerging role of glutamine as an indicator of exercise stress and overtraining,” Sports Med 21.2 1996: 80-97.
30. Roland Rosmond, Mary F. Dallman and Per Björntorp, Stress-Related Cortisol Secretion in Men: Relationships with Abdominal Obesity and Endocrine, Metabolic and Hemodynamic Abnormalities, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1998, Vol. 83, No. 6 1853-1859
31. Simmons, et al., “Increased proteolysis: an effect of increases in plasma cortisol within the physiological range,” J Clin Invest, 1984, 73: 412-420.

Tom Venuto is an NSCA-certified personal trainer, certified strength and conditioning specialist, lifetime natural bodybuilder, and author of the #1 best-selling e-book "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle" (BFFM). Tom has written over 170 articles and has been featured in IRONMAN Magazine, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine, Olympian’s News (in Italian), Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise. For information on Tom's "Burn The Fat" e-book, click here: www.burnthefat.com. To subscribe to Tom's free monthly e-zine, visit the Fitness Renaissance website here: www.fitren.com

Check out Diet Supplements Revealed and Muscle Building Nutrition

2005-06-13T19:50:00.000-05:00

Couple Of Easiest Ways to Burn Fat Effectively
by: Chris Read

# 1) The first thing to do in the morning is to “Start Exercising “.

The first thing you should do in the morning to have some cardio work out for at least half an hour. Studies have shown that having some aerobics (high impact aerobics class, running, sex) as well as anaerobic (low impact aerobics, weight lifting, circuit training, swimming and walking) exercises in the morning, to be really effective in burning up to 4x more fat as opposed to working out at any other time during the day. Here's lies the reason:

Your body's main source of energy is the carbohydrates which you get from eating your daily meals. As you sleep at night for 6-8 hours, your body burns up all those carbohydrates as energy for various metabolic functions that go on even while you sleep. So, when you wake up in the morning, your body doesn't have any carbohydrates as energy to use as it’s already been consumed by then and it seeks another source to gain energy instead, so it starts burning body fat.

So to utilize this cycle of the body, what you need is to take exercise early in the morning. Avoid eating breakfast because that will give your body some carbohydrates as a source of energy which you don’t need at that time.

It has other advantages too. Your metabolism gets revved up immediately after your morning workout. It will keep the metabolism elevated throughout the day. An elevated metabolism throughout the day means that you'll have to burn more and more calories and thus lose more weight. If you exercise at night you may still burn fat while you workout but as soon as you go to sleep your metabolism will slow down and you'll miss out on all the extra fat that you can burn during the day. When you sleep your metabolic rate is always at its slowest. Also working out in the morning definitely reduces your level of stress throughout the day.

Tip for Naives: Want to burn fat even more? Add another workout to your daily routine 6 hours after your morning workout. If you're seriously thinking about adding another workout to your daily routine then try to do your cardio workouts in the morning because mostly of the fat calories are burned doing cardio at a moderate intensity. Build your 2nd workout of the day with weights. Mostly carbohydrate is burned doing weight-training workouts. 1lb of Muscle burns 50 calories a day or 1lb of fat every 70 days.

# 2) Having Breakfast is a stipulation.

Another way to keep your metabolism revved up all day long is to have breakfast without miss. Eating breakfast in the morning gets your metabolism started. Don't skip breakfast and wait until mid-morning or afternoon to eat, your metabolism will run slower causing you not burn any extra fat.

You can think this way-Your metabolism is a fireplace that'll burn fat for you all day long if you can operate it correctly. When you eat breakfast you are basically adding a catalyst to aggravate the burning of the Fat.

Eating breakfast will help stop those cravings you may have later on in the day and along with working out in the morning, eating breakfast will also keep you energized throughout the day.

Tip for Naives: Instead of eating only, the more general, 2 more meals during the day, i.e. lunch & dinner, try to eat 4-5 mini-meals spaced between 2-3 hours apart during the day. By eating those mini-meals you'll be throwing just the right amount of "wood" on the fireplace to keep your metabolism burning calories throughout the day.

Check list for the morning

1. Cardio workout for at least 30 min early in the morning

2. Have a healthy breakfast

Just by using those couple of tips change yourself to fit into that dress for an upcoming event like a wedding, reunion or to impress that special someone for your life and remain pink for the rest time. Whatever your fitness goal is these tips should be able to surely help you reach them.

About The Author

Chris Read, editor of Hateweight.com, is a contributing author to the Hateweight.com, & ezine articles postings. For any health related issue please feel free to visit the website hateweight.com for more information. Or write to AT editor@hateweight.com

Also be sure to check out Mike Serovey's health site at 4everyonegoodhealth.com

2005-06-04T22:03:00.000-05:00

Well, the bad news is that I STILL weigh about 200 pounds and have a big gut! I have been unable to lose the belly fat with supplements alone and have actually started to force myself to get some exercise by parking far from the door of stores I shop at. This way I have to do some walking.

The good news is that I am posting a recipe here that should be tasty and nutritious. I will be posting a link to where you can by my recipes when I get the sight selling them set up.

Bon Apatite!

Mike Serovey

Baked Mac And Cheese

1 cn (10 3/4 ounces) Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
1/2 cn Milk
1 ts Prepared Mustard
1/8 ts Pepper
2 c Hot cooked Elbow or medium shell Macaroni (1 1/2 c dry)
2 ts Margarine or Butter, melted
1 tb Dry Bread Crumbs

In 1-quart casserole, combine soup, milk, mustard and pepper. Stir in macaroni.
In a cup, combine margarine and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole.
Bake at 400 degrees F. 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
Makes 2 1/2 Cups = 2 main dish servings or 4 side dish servings.

2005-05-20T23:02:00.000-05:00

Herbal Remedies for Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Muscular Ache, Joint Pains
by AyurvedicCure.com
February 23, 2005

Arthritis is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. According to Ayurveda arthritis is primarily a vata (air) disease which is due to accumulation of toxins in the joints and is known as amavata.This can be caused by poor digestion and a weakened colon, resulting in the accumulation of undigested food and the buildup of waste matter. Poor digestion allows toxins to accumulate in the body, and problems with the colon allow the toxins to reach the joints.

Symptoms :

Fever

Immense pain & stiffness in affected muscles in case of chronic muscular rheumatism.

Pain or tenderness in a joint which is aggravated by any movement or activity, such as walking, getting up from a chair, writing, typing, holding an object, throwing a ball, turning a key.

Excruciating pain and stiffness in the joints in case of chronic articular rheumatism.

Home Remedies

The following are a few simple cures that might just help relieve you from the pain of arthritis. Try any of them to see what works for you.

Two teaspoons of lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey mixed in a cup of warm water taken twice a day is good for curing arthritis.

Two teaspoons of juice from fresh leaves of bathua, drink every day on an empty stomach for 2-3 months.

Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder with warm water helps cure arthritis.

Taking alfalfa tea twice a day makes a good cure.

Two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 teaspoons of honey dissolved in a small glass of warm water taken once or twice a day brings relief.

Rub the aching joints with hot vinegar to get some relief from pain.

Two parts pure olive oil and one part kerosene makes a wonderful liniment to bathe afflicted joints.

Add one tablespoon cod liver oil to the juice of one orange, whip and drink before sleeping.

One raw clove of garlic every day is very beneficial. This clove can be fried in ghee (clarified butter) or castor oil. Take for 2 months.

Guggulu is very helpful in curing arthritis. Eat half a teaspoon twice a day after meals with warm water.

Exercise the afflicted joints in a tub full of hot water.

Drink carrot juice, cucumber juice, eat cooked vegetables and/or vegetable soups, and drink coconut water for a healthy body & massage your joints daily to cure arthritis.

On an empty stomach eat 2-3 walnuts or some coconut.

Avoid mental tensions that lead to stress.

Lose weight, if necessary, to get close to your ideal weight. If you weigh less, there is less weight on your joints and less pain.

Effetive and Proven Results For - Arthcare Oil (Anti Inflammatory and Muscle Relaxant Herbal Massage Oil) :

Arthcare Oil is the best natural solution for your problem, manufactured under the guidance of renowned MD Ayurveda Specialist doctor. Arthcare is an anti-arthritic herbal oil which not only gives a sure relief in rheumatic arthritis but also strengthens the bone tissues, the skeletal and the neuromuscular systems, giving a comfortable movements of joints and muscles. It is a powerful antioxidant and increases the energy level. Arthcare penetrates the body tissue faster than any other ointment because of its strong anti-inflammatory action. It removes stiffness and improves mobility of limbs. It brings relief from backaches, muscular strains, rheumatic pains, joint pains etc. Body massage with Arthcare oil, relaxes an asthmatic person. Arthcare is scientifically proven Ayurvedic formulation containing the herbal combination of well known traditional herbs described above. Within few minutes of application you will feel relaxed from pain. For Best Results Take 2 Arthcare Capsules twice a day and massage the affected area with Arthcare Oil 2-3 times a day.

For more information please read at http://www.ayurvediccure.com/arthcareoil.htm.

For more information on Arthritis , please read at http://www.ayurvediccure.com/arthrtiis.htm

Herbal Remedies:

The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. The following have been used traditionally to treat rheumatoid arthritis:

Shallaki also known as boswellia (Boswellia serrata), comes from a tree that yields gum when its bark is peeled away. In clinical trials, promising results were observed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, chronic colitis, Crohn's disease. Researchers found that standardized Boswellia extract significantly reduced swelling and pain and usually reduced morning stiffness for people with rheumatoid arthritis. http://www.ayurvediccure.com/shallaki.htm

Ashvagandha (Withania somniferum) is an Asian plant of the potato family. Its roots have long been used to treat "rheumatism," high blood pressure, immune dysfunctions, erection problems and also to ease inflammation. Because of all this, it's sometimes called the "Indian ginseng." http://www.ayurvediccure.com/ashwagandha.htm

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) may be among the best-studied of the four. Research suggests ginger root inhibits production of prostaglandins and leukotrienes, which are involved in pain and inflammation. In an uncontrolled 1992 Danish study, 56 patients who had either RA, OA or muscular discomfort took powdered ginger. All of those with musculoskeletal pain and three-fourths of those with OA or RA reported varying degrees of pain relief and no side effects, even among those who took the ginger for more than two years. http://www.ayurvedivccure.com/products.htm

Herbal oils are applied to the arthritis to loosen stiff joints, restore mobility, remove pain, inflammation or swelling, nourish tissues and relieve pain. The experienced hands dipped in the pleasantly warmed oil will travel all over the body with pressure. Arthcare not only increases blood circulation but also gives a sure relief for rheumatic arthritis, spondylosis, paralysis, muscular disorder, slipped disc, asthma and tuberculosis. Brings in relief from stress, strain and tensions. It is also very good for tonning of one's muscles and nerves. Get instant relief within minutes of application of oil. For more information please read at http://www.ayurvediccure.com/arthcareoil.htm.

Advice:

Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate): Magnesium has both anti-inflammatory and anti- arthritic properties and it can be absorbed through the skin. Magnesium is one of the most important of the essential minerals in the body, and it is commonly deficient in the American diet. A New England remedy for arthritis is a hot bath of Epsom salts. The heat of the bath can increase circulation and reduce the swelling of arthritis.

Dosage and Directions: Fill a bathtub with water as hot as you can stand. Add 2 cups of Epsom salts. Bathe for thirty minutes, adding hot water as necessary to keep the temperature warm. Do this daily as often as you'd like.

--

http://www.ayurvediccure.com/arthcareoil.htm

http://www.ayurvediccure.com/arthritis.htm

AyurvedicCure.com

M/s Morpheme Remedies (P) Ltd.

AyurvedicCure.com, the portal on ayurveda is a complete Health Guide featuring natural remedies to all your health-related ailments. The portal has exclusive sections devoted to ayurveda, massage, herbs, herbal dietary supplements, home remedies, online consultation, online shop for herbal products and a lot more.

AyurvedicCure.com

http://www.ayurvediccure.com/

AyurvedicCure.com, the portal on ayurveda is a complete Health Guide featuring natural remedies to all your health-related ailments. The portal has exclusive sections devoted to ayurveda, massage, herbs, herbal dietary supplements, home remedies, online consultation, online shop for herbal products and a lot more.

queries@ayurvediccure.com

2005-05-20T22:59:00.000-05:00

A Startling Fact About Losing Dangerous Belly Fat-- Without Exercise
by David L. Kern
March 11, 2005

The story broke in the international press on October 4th, 2004. Scientists in Japan announced that laboratory rats lost large amounts of organ fat, and increased muscle strength, when a portion of their diet was replaced by a new fruit extract.

Could this new discovery be "Exercise in a Pill?"

These unexpected results left the researchers puzzled. No drug or food had ever shown the ability to target and dramatically decrease dangerous organ fat, also known as visceral, or "belly" fat. In fact, only one thing is proven to reduce it... exercise.

The New American Epidemic- Obesity.

And the unsightly bulge of stubborn belly fat isn't the only problem. Controlling this fat is important, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center, because increased levels have been associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and the alarming rise in obesity rates in the United States, where presently two out of three adults are overweight or obese. Visceral fat is located around the organs inside the belly and is deeper in the body than ordinary fat, and much harder to get rid of.

In the Japanese study, conducted at the Nippon Sport Science University graduate school, lab rats were fed a chemical extract from apples as 5% of their diet. The animals lost an average of 27% of organ fat in only 3 weeks. Even more baffling to researchers was a 16% increase in muscle strength observed in the test animals.

Proven Health Results from Apple Chemicals

Chemical extracts from apples have been extensively studied for years for their health benefits in cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Recently, apple extracts have been shown to protect the brain against nerve damage associated with Alzheimer's Disease. But this is the first evidence that these phytochemicals- termed apple polyphenols- have been shown to reduce belly fat deposits.

The Japanese researchers have now turned their attention to confirming these results in human subjects, and one Japanese company announced plans to market health drinks containing the extract in the U.S. later this year.

Too Early to Tell?

Although it will likely be some time before human weight loss trials are reported, some consumers aren't willing to wait. Since November, a small group of people in the U.S. have had access to these apple chemicals in pill form. You can track their intriguing results, which are now being reported on our web site, where you can also follow the latest news and research about apple polyphenols.

___________________________________________________

David L. Kern is a health researcher and publisher of New Health & Longevity, a newsletter devoted to the latest advances in nutritional science. Find out how to lose belly fat today at http://www.applepoly.com/bellyfat/ . You can find a link there for current medical studies and breaking news on apple phytochemicals.

2005-05-19T23:20:00.000-05:00

Here is an article by Tom Venuto on counting calories.

The Truth About Counting Calories
Author: Tom venuto
Date: Apr 13, 2005
Publisher: Fitness renasisance

Do calories matter or do you simply need to eat certain foods and that will guarantee you’ll lose weight? Should you count calories or can you just count "portions?" Is it necessary to keep a food diary? Is it unrealistic to count calories for the rest of your life or is that just part of the price you pay for a better body? You’re about to learn the answers to these questions and discover a simple solution for keeping track of your food intake without having to crunch numbers every day or become a fanatic about your food.

In many popular diet books, “Calories don’t count” is a frequently repeated theme. Other popular programs, such as Bill Phillip's "Body For Life," allude to the importance of energy intake versus energy output, but recommend that you count “portions” rather than calories…
Phillips wrote, "There aren't many people who can keep track of their calorie intake for an extended period of time. As an alternative, I recommend counting 'portions.' A portion of food is roughly equal to the size of your clenched fist or the palm of your hand. Each portion of protein or carbohydrate typically contains between 100 and 150 calories. For example, one chicken breast is approximately one portion of protein, and one medium-sized baked potato is approximately one portion of carbohydrate."

Phillips makes a good point that trying to count every single calorie - in the literal sense - can drive you crazy and is probably not realistic as a lifestyle for the long term. It's one thing to count portions instead of calories – that is at least acknowledging the importance of portion control. However, it's another altogether to deny that calories matter.

Yes, calories do count! Any diet program that tells you, "calories don't count" or you can "eat all the food you want and still lose weight" is a diet you should avoid. The truth is, that line is a bunch of baloney designed to make a diet sound easier to follow. Anything that sounds like work - such as counting calories, eating less or exercising - tends to scare away potential customers! But the law of calorie balance is an unbreakable law of physics: Energy in versus energy out dictates whether you will gain, lose or maintain your weight. Period.

I believe that it's very important to develop an understanding of and a respect for portion control and the law of calorie balance. I also believe it's an important part of nutrition education to learn how many calories are in the foods you eat on a regular basis - including (and perhaps, especially) how many calories are in the food you eat when you dine at restaurants.
The law of calorie balance says:

To maintain your weight, you must consume the same number of calories you burn. To gain weight, you must consume more calories than you burn. To lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn.

If you only count portions or if you haven't the slightest clue how many calories you're eating, it's a lot more likely that you'll eat more than you realize. (Or you might take in fewer calories than you should, which triggers your body’s "starvation mode" and causes your metabolism to shut down).

So how do you balance practicality and realistic expectations with a nutrition program that gets results? Here's a solution that’s a happy medium between strict calorie counting and just guessing:

Create a menu using an EXCEL spreadsheet or your favorite nutrition software. Crunch all the numbers including calories, protein, carbs and fats. Once you have your daily menu, print it, stick it on your refrigerator (and/or in your daily planner) and you now have an eating "goal" for the day, including a caloric target.

That is my definition of "counting calories" -- creating a menu plan you can use as a daily guide, not necessarily writing down every morsel of food you eat for the rest of your life. If you’re really ambitious, keeping a nutrition journal for at least 4-12 weeks is a great idea and an incredible learning experience, but all you really need to get started on the road to a better body is one good menu on paper. If you get bored eating the same thing every day, you can create multiple menus, or just exchange foods using your one menu as a template.

Using this method, you really only need to count calories once when you create your menus. After you've got a knack for calories from this initial discipline of menu planning, then you can estimate portions in the future and get a pretty good (and more educated) ballpark figure.
So what’s the bottom line? Is it really necessary to count every calorie to lose weight? The answer is no. But it IS necessary to eat fewer calories than you burn. Whether you count calories and eat less than you burn, or you don’t count calories and eat less than you burn, the end result is the same – you lose weight. Which would you rather do: Take a wild guess, or increase your chance for success with some simple menu planning? I think the right choice is obvious.
For more information on calories (including how to calculate exactly how many you should eat based on your age, activity and personal goals, and for even more practical, proven fat loss techniques to help you lose body fat safely, healthfully and permanently, check out my e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle at www.burnthefat.com

Tom Venuto is an NSCA-certified personal trainer, certified strength and conditioning specialist, lifetime natural bodybuilder, and author of the #1 best-selling e-book "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle" (BFFM). Tom has written over 170 articles and has been featured in IRONMAN Magazine, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine, Olympian’s News (in Italian), Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise. For information on Tom's "Burn The Fat" e-book, click here: www.burnthefat.com. To subscribe to Tom's free monthly e-zine, visit the Fitness Renaissance website here: www.fitren.com

2005-05-08T20:22:00.000-05:00

I am sad to report that I have not noticed any reduction in either the size of my gut or my weight since my last post. So far, I have tried cutting back on my junk food and doing some abdominal exercises. I have been inconsistent with both of these efforts, though. I have tried supplements such as CLA, DHEA, fish oil and Relacore. So far, I can tell that supplements alone will not reduce my body fat no matter what the advertisements say!

Since my last post I have had a physical exam at the local VA hospital. I have known for about 10 years now that I have arthritis in both shoulders and my lower back. Now, I finally got a doctor to put that into writing! This is important to me because it may be just what I need to get the raters at the Bay Pines regional office in St. Pete, FL to increase my service connected rating to what it should have been all along!

I have decided to make this blog about more than my weight loss efforts and to include recipes and other health related tips. Look forward to reading them starting in my next post. You can also subscribe to my RSS feeds by clicking on the orange buttons below. This will allow you to know instantly when I post new material to this blog.

Good luck and good health!

Mike Serovey

2005-03-29T19:36:00.000-05:00

Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better!

2005-03-24T00:35:00.000-05:00

I did my weight check yesterday in the nude and the scale went back and forth between 195 and 197 pounds. So, I'm going to average it out to 196 pounds for 22 March 2005. I didn't take my belly measurement because my back has been killing me for the past two days. The medication that I am on causes me to oversleep, about 15 hours per day. I can't get much work done when I'm out like this and I'm tired of putting chemicals into my body. There has to be a natural alternative that will control my mood swings and not have all of these nasty side effects!

2005-03-21T16:49:00.000-05:00

On 21 March, 20054 at 4:54 PM my stats are:

Weight: 199 pounds with my clothes on
Belly: 41 1/2 inches at navel

I'm starting over again with my weight loss efforts. I am taking some supplements that are supposed to reduce body fat and increase lean muscle. If they actually work I can't tell by looking in the mirror or from my weight.

My goal for this year is to get my weight down to 174 pounds and my belly down to 34 inches by December 31, 2005. Then, my goal is to bulk up on lean muscle so that I can look like Sylvester Stallone in the Rambo movies (minus the long hair).

2005-03-17T01:41:00.000-05:00

I will be adding new posts to this weight loss blog later on, after I have had some badly needed rest. What I will say for now is that this blog will be kept up to date with daily entries from today onward. I still need to find my measuring tape to get the dimensions of my waistline. I put it around my belly just at my navel to ensure consistent measurements. Weight changes will probably be slow because the best way to keep weight off my body is to lose it slowly. I'm aiming for two pounds a week. My overall goal is to get my weight down to 174 pounds by December 31, 2005. I also have set a goal to get my waist down to 32 inches by then. Then, I plan to start bulking up with lean muscle! I will start out slowly so as not to injure myself again and then increase the intensity and duration of my workouts.

If you are interested in getting getting the ebooks pictured below you can click on the links here: http://www.aboutsupplements.com/cgi/at.cgi?a=402857 and http://www.musclebuildingnutrition.com/cgi/at.cgi?a=402857

2005-03-12T23:30:00.000-05:00

Diet Supplements Revealed - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Diet Suplements by One Who Knows the Truth!

2005-03-12T23:29:00.000-05:00

Muscle Building Nutrition - Serious lean muscle gains, without the bodyfat - scientifically proven

2005-03-12T22:54:00.000-05:00

I recently realized that I still have this blog and that I haven't posted to it in quite a while. I'm a little embarrassed to say that I have gotten really out of shape and have not lost any weight since I started this blog. I have had a few illnesses and was really sick for over a month!

I have been buying nutritional supplements to help me lose fat and gain lean muscle mass. The supplements include Tonalin CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), Chromium Picolinate, Flax Oil and Fish Oil. I'm also taking other supplements to help with my energy levels and improve my immune system functions.

I also recently bought some ebooks online to include Fit Over 40 Role Models For Excellence At Any Age by Jon Benson, and Tom Venuto. I haven't read it yet but I plan to start on it shortly. I also bought Muscle Building Nutrition by Will Brink. I haven't started that one yet, either.

Some books to consider buying include: Diet Supplements Revealed and Muscle Building Nutrition by Will Brink (See last 2 posts for pictures of both.)

2003-09-11T06:32:00.000-05:00

In this blog I describe my efforts to lose weight and trim down my gut. If I can, I will post before and after pictures too.

I have found that when I exercise on a regular basis I tend to weigh less than when I don't. I kept my weight between 150 and 155 pounds for most of the time I was in the US Army and for about 3 years afterwards. When I started working for a friend that weighed about 300 pounds I also started to eat with him. That is when my weight crept up to 160, and then 170 pounds. Now that I'm 45 years old I'm having a great deal of trouble getting my weight below 180 pounds.

I have tried using the Ab Energizer to strengthen my abs and trim down my gut, but the results were poor. Also, I didn't like the accidental shocks I sometimes got from it. Then I tried HGH supplements and found that I did sleep much better, but again, no real weight loss. I tried home made body wraps and again was disappointed by the results. Now, I have Gary Shawkey's Amazon Jungle Juice in both daytime and nighttime formulas. Again, I have yet to see any real results. I also bought the Ab-Doer and used it three times before I hurt my back again. To make things worse, I gave myself a hernia trying to walk when my back was out. I have to give it time to heal before I can go back to using the Ab-Doer.

Below are the results that I have recorded so far:




Date                       Weight           Gut



8-6-03                     188 lbs          101cm

8-7-03                     190l bs          104cm

8-9-03                     190 lbs          101cm

8-10-03                    185 lbs          100cm

8-11-03                    186 lbs          101cm

8-12-03                    190 lbs          103cm

8-13-03                    191 lbs          104cm

8-14-03                    195 lbs          105cm  (started using Ab-Doer)

8-15-03                    192 lbs          104cm

8-17-03                    192 lbs          105cm

8-19-03                    189 lbs          105cm  (Ab-Doer day 2)

8-21-03                    191 lbs          103cm  (Ab-Doer day 3)

Then I stopped using Ab-Doer and recording my measurments.