Weight Loss Sunglasses

This is such an interesting article by
By Glenn Mueller
eDiets Senior Writer/Editor
It doesn't seem to be mentioned in the hit song from the early '80s, but maybe the real reason Corey Hart wears his sunglasses at night is to keep his appetite under control. If you've been following the latest headlines, you'll know that a Japanese company is currently marketing a special line of sunglasses to help dieters lose weight. (As the popular humorist Dave Barry is fond of saying, "I am NOT making this up!")

The Japanese company, Yumetai, claims their magic glasses work in two ways:

Since the lenses are blue, they make food look extremely unappetizing. The company claims that the color blue suppresses the appetite sensors in the brain.
The lenses also block red light, which is said to stimulate the appetite center in the brain.
And to think, all this time I thought the secret to losing weight was to burn off more calories than you take in. I have been wasting valuable time trying to follow a healthy meal plan and get to the gym, when all I really have to do is wear blue sunglasses. Where do I sign up?! I'll wear two pairs at the same time... that way, I'll be sure to lose twice as much weight.

Oh well. In a culture obsessed with instant gratification, I guess it is not surprising that companies keep marketing absurd diet gadgets. After all, they wouldn't keep creating them unless people were buying them. As the great P.T. Barnum once said, "There's a sucker born every minute."

Now, I'm tempted to say that weight-loss sunglasses are the most ridiculous weight-loss product of all time, but I know they have stiff competition. There have been slippers, earrings, patches and even insoles for shoes that were marketed to help people lose weight. Not to mention sauna suits, soaps, stimulating electrodes and vibrating belts.

5 Ultimate Regimes for Lifetime Weight Management

1. Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise has been known as a key to effective fat burn. A fitness program with the main goal of achieving weight loss must include at least three weekly cardio workouts. This translates into 20 to 30 minutes of any physical activity that gets your heart to beat at a rate that's 60 to 90 percent of its maximum.

Cardiovascular exercise involves working the major muscles of the lower body in a continuous, rhythmic fashion. Activities such as brisk walking, jogging, riding a bicycle and jumping rope all qualify as aerobic exercise and should be incorporated into your weekly fat-burning regimen.

2. Strength Training
When you lift weights (or engage in any other type of strength training), you push your body against a challenging (but controllable) level of resistance. If done right, muscles will adapt and grow stronger as they anticipate a progressively more difficult workout.

This muscle growth will take the form of a sculpted and more toned physique, and unless taken to an extreme, will usually not materialize into big and bulky muscles(so women out there, please don't worry). But what about that layer of fat that floats over every inch of your otherwise sculpted body? An increase in lean muscle, if only slight, will result in an increased basal metabolic rate, your body's requirement for fuel at rest. You need your muscles mass to burn up the fat cells. That's the reason why everyone should perform strength training at least twice a week.

3. Flexibility Training and Yoga
Many would question the connection between stretching and fat burning. Flexibility training increases the effectiveness of the rest of your fitness program in many ways. It cuts down on injury and recovery time, reducing next day soreness, getting you back in the gym sooner. Stretching improves performance, balance and speed of motion, allowing you to perform more work in less time.

Incorporating some stretching exercises into an otherwise strength training routine keeps you moving between sets, adding to the overall caloric consumption of your workout. Yoga, with its unique blend of stretching and strengthening exercises, has gained unprecedented popularity. Many fitness enthusiasts, who at one time wouldn't be caught dead in a cat pose, now find themselves attending regular yoga classes -- and looking as lean and fit as ever. This is what I believe to. Yoga actually helps me to understand each part of my body more.

4. Sleep, Rest and Recovery
Lack of sleep or rest is the culprit behind a failed weight loss program. A fitness and weight loss plan, be sure to include adequate recovery periods between workouts. Rest at least 48 hours between full body strength training sessions and limit cardio to no more than 3 to 6 hours a week. If over-trained, your body will break down, you'll lose precious lean muscle mass and actually get fatter. I have experienced that myself when I spin 2 hours a day. I put on weight easily on my waistline.

During sleep, the body's recovery processes go into high gear. Depending on activity levels and individual requirements, get 7 or 8 hours of sound, restful sleep every night. It is essential for good skin too.

5. Relaxation such as Massages are nececessary
Stress has been found to generate dangerously high levels of the naturally occurring hormone cortisol, which is produced by the adrenal glands. Cortisol has a major role in the regulation of blood pressure and cardiovascular function as well as regulation of the body's use of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. When cortisol is secreted, it causes a breakdown of muscle protein, leading to the release of amino acids into the bloodstream. This process can also raise blood sugar levels.

Massages can help us to relax as well as soothe those sore muscles. Going for massages regularly will not only ease muscles soreness, it is also beneficial for our overall well being.

Tight and Toned Abs again

NUTRITION:

This is the most important component to achieving a flat abs. First, you'll need to control blood sugar levels in order to lose body fat. This is best accomplished by consuming four to six meals per day. Don't mistake the definition of a meal for a six-course extravaganza. They are actually feedings. Each of the meals is comprised of protein, a little carbohydrate and a little fat.


RATIOS:

It's unlikely that you'll get tight abs and a flat stomach by consuming 80 percent of your calories from carbohydrates. Ratios can vary quite a bit, but consuming more than 55 percent of your calories from carbohydrate will not be optimal for fat loss.



TIMING:

I realize four to six meals sounds like a lot, but you must keep in mind that the body is always seeking to store body fat. It (the body) doesn't care if you want to lose fat. In fact, your body would prefer to keep fat in order to accomplish its number one goal of keeping you alive in case of a future famine or drought

Always consider the body from the inside out and not the other way around. In order to control blood sugar, eat every two to three hours throughout the day. When using the most effective nutrient ratios, this helps to control blood sugar (which, in turn, assists in body fat loss).



CALORIES:

Many of us are still consuming too many calories. It doesn't matter how healthy your nutrition program is if you're eating too much. It's important that you find maintenance calories first. Maintenance represents the amount of food you consume without any change in your weight. This will take some experimentation and some effort. Observation and trial and errors are what you need to do. Until then, you will not know what is the right amount of food to consume without putting on weights.


SLIGHT CALORIC DEFICIT:

After you have found maintenance, simply reduce your calories by 200. Our goal is to have you eating as much as possible and still losing fat and retaining muscle. But you must not starve yourself and thereby slowing the metabolism and losing valuable muscle tissue. The goal is to preserve muscle and make your body a metabolic inferno.


CONSISTENCY:

You'll need to be on this nutrition program six days a week with one day being somewhat of a cheat day. Unlike many, I'm not a big fan of the "cheat" day. I find that people tend to use it as an excuse to gorge themselves.

So, on Sunday for example, you're allowed to have some pizza, a bit of ice cream, etc. But nothing extreme! When you pig out, blood sugar levels can be elevated for seven hours or more. This will absolutely halt your body fat loss and actually backfire.



WEIGHT TRAIN:

At this point, you should be aware of the importance of resistance training. Just three to four workout sessions lasting no more than 35 minutes to an hour will do the trick. For every pound of muscle on your body, you'll burn 30-50 additional calories per day.

Part of your program should include abdominal exercises to strengthen and build the abs. That way, when you achieve your low body fat level, your abs will be tight.

By the way, there is one great movement to help pull the stomach inwards; however, I'll cover that in a future abdominal exercise article. I have to give you some reason to come back, right?



CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE:

Perform three to five days per week of moderate cardio exercise for approximately 30-40 minutes. During two of the days, you can exercise at a higher intensity level to accelerate fat loss -- but, only if you reach a sticking point. Do this consistently, keep adjusting calories SLIGHTLY and change your routine every three to four weeks. You will get a flatter stomach!


Extracted from an article contributed by Raphael Calzadilla.

Life with Yoga

1. Yoga increases flexibility.

Flexibility will increase even without anyone realising it and this is for sure with Yoga. Pictures of yogis with their legs wrapped around their heads and bodies twisted beyond recognition are images often called to mind at the mention of yoga.

Stretching connective tissues in the body makes the tissue more elastic. This elasticity is one of the most important aspect of preventing injuries to the body.. Tissues such as muscles, ligaments or that can stretch without tearing will bring benefits to everyone.


2. Yoga prevents aging.

Along with preventing injury, flexibility also keeps the body young. As a body ages, its connective tissues and organs become rigid. This rigidity is the effect of denseness without circulation. If the body is not regularly stretched out, tissues become dense and are often coated in fibroid tissue. It's difficult for the tissues to get blood through them, let alone vitamins, minerals or energy.

Keeping your muscles flexible will keep the body young, and diminish the overall effects of aging. Even facial muscles can be exercised by practising yoga. "Tiger roar or Laughing yoga" are beneficial for reducing facial wrinkles. Other than Botox of course.


3. Yoga tones the organs.

Every posture in yoga has several functions. The forward bend helps to flush the kidneys. The triangle opens up the liver. When held for the right amount of time, a yoga practice can revitalize and tone every one of the internal organs. The benefits of keeping your organs in good condition go without saying. Organs are the production house of any individuals and keeping them in good shape is really important.


4. Yoga increases healthy energy flow.

The yogis of ancient India discovered nadis, or energy pathways, that flow through the body. As we age, the nadis constrict, allowing less and less vital energy to flow through the body. The result is aging, loss of energy and eventually death.

The practice of yoga is designed to keep these energy pathways open, thereby allowing plenty of vital energy, or life force, to flow into the body. This flow not only keeps you young, it also keeps the body healthy. Lack of life force in the body can often result in depression, anger or other negative states of being. When there is plenty of life force in the body, and the nadis are open, your overall feeling will be one of bliss, peace, equanimity, love and alertness. Their teachings and believes are very similar to those who believe in Reiki, another kind of self healing.


5. Yoga focuses the mind.

As you progress with a physical yoga practice, you will find your level of concentration will increase. I realised that during the one hour of yoga practice, my mind is only on yoga and nothing else as you will find that your position or posture will be compromised if you start thinking of something else.

This ability to maintain one pointed concentration will find its way into the rest of your life, the effect of which lends itself to brilliance in everything you do. With your total concentration, every action you participate in will be that much more perfect, well thought out and of service to yourself and all of humanity.


6. Yoga gives you love.

Through the practice of yoga, one comes to realize that we are all in this together. Yoga, in its essence, means union. And this union makes itself apparent on many different levels. You will come to know yourself, to find integration in the many aspects of your life. But you will also come to know others for who they really are. Beyond the masks we wear, we are all going through life in the same way, searching for union with each other and with a higher power.

Through yogic practices, you gain the insight to see through the masks of the ego, and to look deeply into your own heart. Why are you here? What is life showing you? How are you looking at the world? To come to know yourself is to love yourself with an unconditional mother's love. And to love yourself is to love the world and all of its inhabitants.

Pear Or Apple

From a glance, people will be able to determine whether you are apple or pear shaped. The most precise way to determine your shape is by using a tape measure.

 

Get the tape measure and measure your waist and your hips, then come up with the ratio. If you are a pear, then it's your thighs, butt and hips that show the extra cushion. The more apple shaped you are the larger your waist size is going to be relative to your hips, and the much greater your health risks are when it comes to chronic inflammation, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

 

The critical difference between the two shapes lies in the type of fat you have and where it's stored. Pear-zone fat is passive and actually protects against heart disease, the smaller your waist and the bigger your hips, the smaller your risk of heart disease. Apple-zone fat, on the other hand, is harmful. Apple shaped women have visceral fat, the very active fat. This type of fat is an actual gland that releases chemicals and hormones right to the liver. If too much starts to get stored in the liver and in excess in the abdomen, then their waist size gets larger, their insulin level goes up and inflammation occurs.

 

While apple-shaped women need to be very careful and alert about the many health risks associated with their body shape, they are not alone. Pear-shaped women also face serious concerns of their own. Osteoporosis, eating disorders, varicose veins and cellulite are all great health concerns for pears. Although pear-zone fat is actually healthy, once it's there it's extremely hard to get rid of. The good news for apples is their fat comes off much faster and easier.

 

Whether you are an apple or pear the best solution to taking control of your health is to follow a nutritious diet, exercise and minimize large amounts of stress.

 

Women need to throw away the scales and use the tape measure to measure their health. The key is to think about long-term health. This means eating healthy foods. These foods will protect you from heart disease, diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis and that's what you want."

Sleep Away your FATS

Two new studies show a striking connection between amount of sleep and levels of appetite-regulating hormones in the body. The findings suggest that chronic sleep deprivation could be making you fat.
The sleep-deprived had higher levels of ghrelin in their blood. Ghrelin is a hormone produced in the stomach that sends out hunger signals to the brain, which then commands you to be interested in food.
The sleep-deprived had lower levels of leptin. Leptin, is another appetite-regulating hormone; it's produced by fat cells and delivers satiation signals to the brain. The particular hormonal ratio of high ghrelin/low leptin was likely encouraging the group to load up on unnecessary calories.
Therefore, remember to sleep away your FATS!!!!

By Carlin Flora
eDiets Contributor

Battling with Bulges

FAT!!!! This is one of my most fearful issue throughout my adult life.

I started work at the age of 21 years old, 11 years ago. My first salary receipt had gone to the revenues of one of the top self proclaimed slimming centre in Asia. And my fat/ bulge fighting experience goes through a really long and expensive way cum non successful weight plus inch reduction till now, where I understand and fully understand that keeping the weights off is a long life time process.

How Do I know if your Weight is Healthy?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a common measurement to check if you are overweight.

BMI = Weight (kg)/ Height (m) x Height (m)

Proposed Asian BMI Guidelines

Category            BMI(kg/m2)

Underweight            <18.5

Normal Weight        18.5-22.9

Overweight            23-24.9

Obese                >25

 

Another way to check if you are overweight is by measuring your waist circumference.

A waist measurement greater than 80cm (31.5") for women and 90cm (35.5") for men increases the risk of health problems even though you might be within the healthy BMI range group.

 

Reasons for weight gain:

• Overeating. Calories output is less than calories input.
  
• Lack of physical activities.
  
• Snacking non-stop out of boredom or stress like me.....
  
• Excessive exercise which cause a surge in stress hormone that is cortisol.
  
• Many many more.... you can keep be posted though....
  

Easy ways to cut calories daily

1. Read the fine print (on labels or menu cards!) When you're dining out or eating prepared food from chips to some delicacies, you can lose pounds or still keep a flat tummy after a meal choosing a "light" alternative, such as grilled chicken and salad and will be better if you can find someone to share the dish with you. I find that you will eat lesser and healthier if you can share your portion and at the same time add varieties to your choice.
2. The sweet tooth solution! Eat two to three pieces of dark chocolate or a teaspoon of peanut butter when your crave hit you rather that indulge yourself in an ice cream cone/ stick.
3. Set your alarm every morning and/ or evening! Even a quick and modest kind of activity like walking on a treadmill or cross trainer will burns calories. Make it a regime everyday if possible.
4. Walk or cycle while you prattle talk or watch TV! Next time you're chatting on the phone, get on your bike or take a walk. Two in one task will benefit you in the long run.
5. Beware the burger bun! Throw away the bun or bread the next time you ordered a burger. Or at least eat only one side of the burger or bun. This will reduce the amount of carbohydrates consumed.
6. Cooking with spray/ little oil! Substitute a vegetable oil spray for one tablespoon of peanut or corn oil.
7. Join the healthy and satisfying snack committee! Healthful snacks make an incredible difference. Swapping a serving of fruit for the usual super cookie or bronwie each week will save you at last 500 calories. And you'll probably save 1,000 calories since few of us stop at one cookie!
8. The ‘YAM CHA’ or hanging up trap! Ensure your ‘YAM CHA’ activity will replace one of your sit down meals and ensure you do include your calories consumed during the ‘YAM CHA’ as part of your daily meal’s planning.
9. The secret is always have some healthy snacks with you all the time! When healthy snacks are made available anytime, the tendency of indulging in unhealthy and calories laidden food is reduced. You will fill yourself up with your quick and healthy snacks and take your time to look for good food and to eat them slowly in order not to overeat.
10. Said ‘No’ politely to food/ drinks you do not want or enjoy! Like me, I am one of the people who does not enjoy any kinda of liqueur. While my friends are having a great time drinking away during festive seasons or gatherings, they do respect my choice of just having a juice, sodas, or even coffee.

Females working harder to remain Slim and Trim

Female Fat is Different from Male Fat

Men and women do not live in an equal world when it comes to our bodies -- our specifically body fat. Men are taller with larger muscles and bones and a faster metabolism. At puberty, girls put on fat and boys put on muscle.
Fat StorageWomen are both blessed and cursed with the ability to store excess body fat. Fat serves an important biological purpose by helping to insulate the body, pad the internal organs and provide energy. And nature has also cleverly designed women’s bodies to carry almost double the amount of body fat as men because we bear and nourish babies. Fat is the primary energy source our bodies use to support fetal development. Therefore, to keep it available for the developing fetus, our bodies tend to store extra fat in the abs, hips, butt and thighs.
Unfortunately, we don’t have control over where our fat cells decide to swell and shrink, but we can make great strides in helping the cells release fat by exercising. For fat to be metabolized, it must be released from the fat cell and be transported by the bloodstream, where it is shunted to the liver and other active tissues to be used as fuel.

Unfortunately, blood flow to fatty tissues is poor compared to the circulation in muscles and organs. So, fat regions tend to remain fat partially due to poor blood circulation.
The less circulation-stimulating exercise we perform, the more our bodies are inclined to accumulate fat, although more blame tends to lie with greater food intake.

Hormones

Estrogen is a hormone responsible for secondary female sex characteristics and can influence the body’s enzymes to store fat in the lower body, while suppressing the storage of fat in the upper body. Women may have noticed that when they diet, the first place they see lost inches is in your bust area.
During pregnancy and the menstrual cycle, hormones encourage the fat cells to retain water. The water retention slows circulation and makes it more difficult to mobilize fat. The good news is that exercise can help to regulate hormone responses and ultimately become fat-releasing machines.

The other main hormone women produce is progesterone. Progesterone affects appetite and mood. It makes you hungrier during the second half of your menstrual cycle and is responsible for your ravenous appetite during pregnancy. Progesterone can also make you feel sluggish, sleepy and therefore less inclined to exercise. Women who take birth control pills gain on average 3 to 5 pounds as a side effect.

Pregnancy

Throughout pregnancy, fat cells not only expand, but can multiply in number. When pregnancy is over, those fat cells remain and are always ready to expand in size whenever your intake of calories surpasses the energy you use.
With each pregnancy, the weight-loss dilemma is compounded further. The thyroid gland, which also drives the metabolism, notoriously becomes sluggish during pregnancy to help the body hold on to fat.
The average age of natural menopause for women in the United States is 51. During peri-menopause (the 10 years prior to menopause), we begin producing less estrogen, which is a protective hormone. We also tend to sleep less and our appetite becomes stimulated. Before we reach that pre-menopausal stage, women typically deposit fat on the hips and thighs. As peri-menopause begins, we begin to deposit more fat around the waist and chest.

Genetics

Many generations ago, lean people tended to die younger, so natural selection favored those who were fatter. Over the centuries, a genetic predisposition for fat has been built into our genes. If you take a look at your mother, mother’s sisters and female cousins, you may notice a strong resemblance in body types. Some families seem more predisposed to “cellulite” than others.
Unfortunately we cannot change our genetics, but we can choose to express the positive genes. Some women are gifted to naturally look like athletes or models, and others can do all of the dieting and training in the world and still have trouble spots.

While genetics does influence where we store body fat, non genetic influences such as lifestyle, environmental and cultural factors are shown to be more important. You can overcome any weaknesses and trouble spots to a certain degree with balanced strength, cardiovascular and flexibility training -- along with making nutritious food choices. You have the ability to transform your body regardless of your inherited traits. Focus on being the best you can be.
Why Men Have It EasierCompared to women, men are generally quicker to lose weight as a result of regular exercise. They tend to carry their fat in the upper body, and those cells are more prone to release fat than the fat cells in the lower body, where women tend to store extra weight. Women are also more likely to increase their total fat cell count, both at puberty and during pregnancy, which men don’t have to deal with. One of the reasons for this difference between the sexes is that testosterone, the male hormone, stimulates bone and muscle growth. Men don’t lose testosterone at the rate that women lose estrogen. As a result, men retain more muscle and more bone minerals as they age, giving them higher metabolisms and making them less likely to develop osteoporosis.

Bulking Up

A woman is not engineered to develop huge bulging muscles like men. Women have low levels of testosterone in their bodies, about one tenth of what men have, and testosterone is the primary stimulus for muscular growth. So, even when women strength train, they will not be able to raise their metabolisms to the rate of a man’s.

Happy Marriage

Just two years after marriage, women start gaining 2 to 5 pounds of fat a year. The reason is that they begin to pick up the habits of their husbands who naturally eat 35 percent more than them to maintain their speedy metabolisms. Women also traditionally do the cooking and tend to eat as they cook, during the meal and during the clean up.

The great news is that with the right fitness program and healthful eating plan, a lean, feminine, firm and fit body can be yours. Exercise is the very best fountain of youth and even better, the results are guaranteed!

By Kelli Calabrese MS,
CSCSeDiets Contributor

Energy Boosting Food without adding to your inches

1. A Good, Tasty , Healthy and Satisfying Breakfast/ Brunch
I always believe in a good, happy and therefore tasty, healthy and satisfying (wholesome) breakfast. For Malaysians, we are always faced with a trade off of tasty but not very healthy food with boring but healthy home prepared kinda breakfast. For example, roti canai, nasi lemak, fried noodles versus healthy versions like whole grain cereals, bread with peanut butter spread etc.
But the trick is like this. Reward yourself during the start of the day. Like me having a set of kaya toast with 2 half boiled eggs and a cup of ‘old fashioned’ coffee will kick start my weekdays. Usually this type of breakfast will bring me to lunch without being hungry or deprived. At mid noon, I might have a protein bar (around 170 to 210 calories) and a cup of coffee. Then around 5 or 6 pm, I will have a chocolate drink to keep my energy high for my evening exercises. Then of course, around 8pm, I will usually have a healthy breakfast with not much carbohydrates. So remember, Eat Breakfast like a Queen/ King.
On weekends, I will have my brunch instead and therefore, huge but not too healthy breakfast like our Malaysian delicacies come into the picture. However, since my weekends are usually very passive, that is, sitting in front of the idiot box (now screen), I don’t feel hungry so early and easily.

2. Nuts and beans. Roasted peanuts, almonds, green beans and fava beans are good pick me up snacks. However, if possible, when trying to snack them in between meals, drink a lot of water or chinese tea to fill you up.

3. Coffee/ Chocolate Drink. No sugar added if possible. A cup of hot coffee/ chocolate drink will satisfy your cravings for sugar or sugary food. However, limit your intake to one or two cups (200 ml) a day. Can consume it as a pre workout beverage.

4. Dark Chocolate. Makes you feel satisfied. Contains 54% and more of cocoa.

REMINDER: Whatever you eat and consume, remember moderation is the key. Do not deprieve your self of your favourite food. Reward yourself every now and then but burn it off by exercising for life. There is not short cut to it.