September 29, 2005

10 Easy ways to Cut Calories

1. Read labels before you buy

You'll be astounded at how many calories some foods contain. Don't just check out the amount per 1oz or per 100g but the amount the whole package contains and think about how much of it you would normally eat. Then decide whether to leave it on the shelves or take it home to add to your waistline.

2. Use low fat dairy foods

Choosing low fat does not always reduce calories. Many foods are pumped with sugar or thickeners to make up for the lack of fat. However, low fat dairy products do usually offer substantial calorie reduction over their full-fat counterparts and, with most, there is little difference in taste or texture. This was not always the case. If it's a while since you tried low fat cheese for example you'll find it much improved!

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September 25, 2005

Protein Diet And Exercise Help In Weight Loss

Women who follow a high-protein and low-carbohydrate diet lose more weight and body fat when they exercise regularly.

Researchers from the University of Illinois, USA, found that a protein-rich diet, restricting carbohydrates is a good way to lose weight and enhances the benefits of exercise. High-protein, or a high-carbohydrate diet, is effective for women who want to reduce their cholesterol and improve their lipid profile.

A recent research stressed the benefits of low-calorie diets, which are low in carbohydrates and high in protein. Regular exercise is also a necessary component for an effective weight loss strategy and its maintenance.

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Early Periods Not Linked To Obesity

Girls who reach puberty early do not have an increased likelihood of becoming overweight or obese in adulthood. Rather, overweight girls tend to get their periods early and they are likely to continue to be heavy as adults. The timing of puberty is a consequence of childhood overweight, not a cause.

The following study stresses on the importance of not letting children become overweight. The focus should be on annual weight screening, clinical management if overweight, and prevention for children of healthy weight and those at risk of being overweight.

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Dairy Products Do Not Help Lose Weight

To investigate whether a dairy-rich diet might help people drop pounds faster, the researchers compared three different reduced-calorie diets in 72 obese adults. One group followed a standard diet including two servings of dairy items each day, the second ate a similar diet but included four servings of dairy items daily and the third group ate a high-fibre.

Media has hyped dairy food as a dieting aid, but high levels of calcium do not appear to boost weight loss beyond the effects of calorie restriction.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota found that more data is necessary before high-dairy, high-calcium diets can be relied on to cause weight loss.

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A Healthy Diet Check Up...From The Neck Up

If you have tried every so-called healthy diet plan on the planet and every exercise program from the latest fitness guru and repeatedly failed to achieve your weight loss goals, you probably need a "healthy diet check up...from the neck up."

There's no such thing as a healthy, fast, weight loss diet plan. Successful weight loss doesn't just happen. It took more than a few days to reach the point where you are at right now. Give yourself a break and expect it to take awhile before you see measurable results. Take a leap of faith and follow some basic principles in your diet plan.

Begin with your "self talk." This is the conversation that runs through your brain continuously. What kind of conversation do you have with your self talk? What type of negative self talk has kept you from reaching your weight loss goals in the past?

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September 10, 2005

Three Ways Music Can Help You To Lose Weight

Music is the key to the soul. It can lift you up and put a smile on your face or alternatively it can bring you down and reduce you to tears. Music is powerful and fortunately you can use it to help with your weight loss.

The interesting thing about music is that the same track or song can induce different emotions in different people. If you met the love of your life during a particular song, then you probably enjoy it and feel happy when you hear it played on the radio. Another person may have been cruelly dumped by their boyfriend during that same song, played at the same time somewhere else in the world, chances are this song brings back all that pain and hurt the breakup caused.

Have you ever played upbeat music loudly when working out or been to a nightclub and found yourself dancing all night because the music was so good?

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Losing Weight Reduces Breast Cancer Risk

The findings suggest that weight loss in early adult life (and not weight per se) decreases the risk of BRCA-associated breast cancer diagnosed at an early age. The period between the age of 18 to 30 years appears to be a critical when weight gain should be avoided in mutation carriers.

Losing weight in young adult life can reduce the risk of early-onset breast cancers associated with BRCA1/2 mutations.

Researchers from the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada found that breast cancer prevention starts early in life. Probably this is a critical period for the hormones involved to be interacting with the breast tissue.

The researchers investigated whether changes in body weight were associated with the risk of breast cancer in 1,073 women who carried BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.

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September 08, 2005

Taking Control Of Your Cellulite

Cellulite happens to us for many reasons. Some reasons-- like genetics or hormones -- you can do very little about. But cellulite is also related to a number of other factors that you CAN work with and improve.

Cellulite affects 90% of women and a much smaller percentage of men. The condition is such a complex one that no real cure is considered to be available. Some products, therapies and procedures do claim to be cures but the jury is still very much out on the subject of getting rid of cellulite.

The unsightly symptoms are found on the soft, fleshy parts of women's thighs, buttocks, stomachs and upper arms. Though it is often associated with sedentary people, who are also overweight, the condition can make itself at home on the fit thighs and buttocks of marathon runners.

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Body Wrapping And Weight Loss – Slim Down or Slim Scam?

One particularly enticing aspect of low-carbohydrate dieting is that you can lose weight. The down side of it is, unless you are careful, you can end up gaining it all back – plus more. While low-carbohydrate diets do help you to lose weight, it’s worth mentioning that it also takes some discipline to follow the daily program and keep the weight off.

Unfortunately, many low-carb diet programs fail to include instructions for the necessary lifestyle changes that must be put into place for long-term success. Additionally, low-carb diets can literally rob the body of certain nutrients which are beneficial in the overall reduction of other potential health problems.

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