by Judy Turner

Lets face it, we all want to be healthy and fit but getting there isn’t always easy. The idea of endless diet and exercise seems so daunting and an almost unattainable goal. Getting there may be a battle but if you can concentrate on just one goal for better health then think about reducing belly fat.

That bulge around your midsection carries many negative aspects that can lead to other potential health risks. Although numerous studies on belly fat have been done, it is unknown why this is so. Belly fat or fat around the middle of your body can lead to such risks such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and possibly even some forms of cancer. All of these risks can lead to an early death so we must take action to remedy this in our lives.

What the health experts and all these studies have told us is that our fat cells help to control our metabolic functioning. It is believed that the belly fat cells can release a great deal of fatty acids, which in turn can play a part in the metabolism of the insulin role and your blood sugar levels. The insulin in our bodies helps us to burn energy and people who carry too much excess weight around their midsection it causes a disturbance in our insulin. When our insulin levels do not work efficiently, we release more of it and our system reacts by becoming out of sorts.

With this being said we are more apt to have such problems as metabolic syndrome and thus other complications. Metabolic syndrome affects approximately 50 million people today.

The belly fat is actually visceral fat, which is the layer of fat inside your abdomen and causes intrusion into your organs. Liposuction will not fix the health difficulties. For women belly fat is even more of an issue after menopause. The weight tends to gravitate there causing a lumpy midsection. Although not impossible trimming this area is a challenge especially for women as women have less muscle than a men. A womans metabolism is not as efficient as a mans as a result of this.

Plain and simply stated, diet and exercise are key. There is no simple solution or quick fix, but setting your sights on the end results will help to motivate you. If you want to prevent belly fat exercise and eating in limited amounts without excessive overeating is key. If you already are a victim of the dreaded bulging belly complete with love handles you need to work even harder, but banishing the extra bulges can be done.

Any exercise that gets you moving is beneficial. Strength training is also helpful for increasing your metabolism. If you are new to exercise check out the variety of fitness dvds available (rent one or check your local library to try before you buy). As for your eating habits, a well-balanced diet is important. Find out how many calories you need to eat for your height and weight to achieve weight loss. There are a number of great tools to determine this on the internet or you can ask your physician for his or her advice on this. Once you have done this and checked with your primary care physician about beginning an exercise program you can get started. As for diet I have found sticking to a healthy diet and counting calories very effective but whatever works best for you, as long as it is healthy should be put into action. You might even consider a referral to a dietitian from your Dr.

Try to stay motivated and understand that you will reach plateaus in your efforts which is normal. Try to stay focused and disciplined in your efforts. Above all, try not to become discouraged if you do have any set backs. You did not gain the weight overnight so you will not lose it overnight. Through hard work and discipline you can achieve a decrease in belly fat and be on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

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Posted by Judy Turner, filed under Atkins Diet. Date: September 28, 2008, 1:23 am | Comments Off

by Gail M. Davis

“Man boobs” is a rather crude, but common term used to describe a condition known as gynecomastia. This condition affects up to 40% of all adolescent males during puberty, but the vast majority grows out of it and requires no special treatment. Technically, gynecomastia refers to the presence of actual breast tissue and can be a serious condition, requiring medical care. Pseudogynecomastia is the more common condition and refers to fatty tissue that can be addressed through diet and exercise.

There are simple steps that one can take to help eliminate pseudogynecomastia, or “man boobs.” The process isn’t a quick one, but with diligence and consistency, success can be achieved. We’ll discuss a few of the steps here.

There is no substitute for eating healthy foods in healthy amounts! Make it a priority to learn about food pyramid recommendations, nutrition fact labels, and proper portion sizes. Study this information, commit it to memory, and practice it on a daily basis.

Eliminating sweets from the diet is another important step. This would especially include sweet drinks and drinks containing artificial sweeteners. Water should be your main beverage of choice. Skim milk and unsweetened tea are acceptable as well. At the same time, severely limit sweet foods. They provide nothing of value to the diet.

By far the most important step in the elimination of “man boobs” is the cardio workout! A minimum of thirty minutes each day should be spent on an activity that makes you sweat while huffing and puffing. Jumping rope, biking, swimming laps, playing basketball, running, and power walking all aid in the burning of major calories. Weight training and target exercises are important components also, and should be a part of the daily regime.

There are other easy steps that can be taken to deal with this condition, but these are by far the most important ones. Patience is necessary as it takes several months for the body to display the benefits of a new program. By following these steps, pseudogynecomastia can be eliminated or greatly reduced.

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Posted by Gail M. Davis, filed under Low Carb Foods. Date: September 23, 2008, 5:02 pm | Comments Off

by Jessica A. Andersen

The Atkins Diet was designed to be lifestyle diet by Dr. Robert Atkins in the 1970s. Dr. Atkins is proponent of Dr. Atkins is a proponent of ketogenic fat burning, which is achieved by eating fewer than 40 grams of carbohydrate each day. He also recommends the use of dietary supplements to help balance nutrition and the bodies systems.

The Atkins Diet has 4 stages: the Induction Diet, the Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) Diet, the Pre-Maintenance Diet, and lastly the Lifetime Maintenance Diet.

The Induction Diet Stage severely limits carb intake, only 20 grams are allowed for 14 days. The recommended source of carbs is low starch vegetables. Following this stage is the OWL diet.

The OWL Diet Phase is more forgiving. At this point, participants can consume 40 grams of carbs per day. This phase lasts until dieters reach their ideal weight. Once this goal is accomplished, dieters move to the pre-maintenance diet phase. Now the participant must establish how many carbs they can consume without gaining weight. This is known as finding their carb tolerance level.

At this point, where dieters know how carbs affect them individually they have reached Lifetime Maintenance. They will now continually (read forever) avoid sugar, hydrogenated oils and fats, processed foods, and worst of all white flour!

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Posted by Jessica A. Andersen, filed under Atkins Diet. Date: September 17, 2008, 1:51 pm | Comments Off

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