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Why Booze and Soda Make Us Fat

By Craig Ballantyne

When you drink beverages that contain sugar - including high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and alcohol - your body processes the sugar differently than when it is in solid foods. It's almost as if your body doesn't recognize that you've consumed those liquid calories. And because the drinks don't help fill you up, you tend to overeat... and gain weight.

Researchers now believe genetics are to blame. They think that because humans evolved consuming only breast milk and water, we didn't develop the ability to adapt to new forms of liquid calories (from sodas to juices to booze).

But instead of blaming your genes and giving up, you can take action to keep yourself from getting fat.

You must eliminate calorie-containing drinks from your diet if you want to lose body fat. Switch from sodas to green tea to quench your thirst. Mix your booze with calorie-free beverages. And drink water with your meals to help keep your calorie intake at the right level.

[Ed. Note: Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne is the creator of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss system. For a free online source of information, motivation, and social support to help you improve your health, lose weight, and get fit, sign up for ETR's free natural health e-letter.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success ezine. For a complimentary subscription, visit

http://www.earlytorise.com

5 Weight Loss Rules

By Craig Ballantyne

There's a saying in the fitness industry: "You can't out-train a bad diet." And that holds true almost 100 percent of the time (especially as you get older). I truly believe that nutrition is the biggest component of a good fat-loss program... by far. I also believe that good nutrition for fat loss is very simple...

1. Take a look at how much you are eating now.

2. If you are not losing weight, eat less.

3. Eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, and protein sources. Don't eat junk from a bag or a box.

4. Give yourself one treat meal per week to look forward to. Not a treat day, just a treat meal.

5. Plan ahead. Spend one to two hours on the weekend getting your meals and meal plan ready for the week.

That's it.

It's simple. Most people do pretty well on Steps 1 through 3. Where they mess up is on Step 4. They stick to their plan all day long, but then, while making dinner or watching TV, they snack on upward of 500 calories in processed carbohydrates that are lying around the house.

This can be avoided by following Step 5.

Combine my five simple rules with three short workouts per week (resistance and interval training), and you have a very manageable fat-loss plan.

[Ed. Note: Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne is the creator of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss system. For a free online source of information, motivation, and social support to help you improve your health, lose weight, and get fit, sign up for ETR's free natural health e-letter.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success ezine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com

The Truth About the Latest Diet Pill

By Craig Ballantyne

How much money have you wasted on fat-burning supplements? Whatever the dollar amount, I assure you that you wasted every penny. Whether it is calcium, CLA, HCA, or some pill loaded with caffeine, no supplement can help you lose inches.

Researchers from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA looked at the latest weight-loss pill to come on the market - a combination of rhubarb, ginger, astragulus, red sage, and turmeric. Sounds exotic, doesn't it? Well, the results were not impressive.

Twenty-four women followed a low-calorie diet and took either the supplement or a placebo for eight weeks. Both groups lost a little weight, but the placebo group lost more. Clearly, the supplement had no impact on the diet.

But you don't have to wait around for a "real" miracle pill to come along. You can start changing your lifestyle today to lose fat and improve your health.

Here are three quick-start tips:

1. Set aside one to two hours on the weekend to plan, shop, and prepare your meals for the week ahead. This will help you eat right and avoid junk food.

2. Eliminate all sources of liquid calories. Drink water or unsweetened green tea.

3. Schedule three 45-minute exercise sessions per week. Start with 20 minutes of strength training (you can even use bodyweight exercises only) and finish with 20 minutes of interval training and five minutes of stretching.

Consistency, not pills, will help you lose the weight.

[Ed. Note: Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne is the creator of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss system. For a free online source of information, motivation, and social support to help you improve your health, lose weight, and get fit, sign up for ETR's free natural health e-letter.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success ezine. For a complimentary subscription, visit

http://www.earlytorise.com

The Most Effective Diet for Weight Loss and Appetite Control

By Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS

When it comes to losing weight and curbing appetite, one diet smokes the competition. That's a diet high in protein and low in carbs.

Researchers at the Rowett Research Institute in Britain gave 17 healthy but obese men one of two diets for four weeks. Both diets were considered "high-protein" (with 30 percent of the calories coming from protein). But the amount of carbohydrate and fat varied. In the "low-carbohydrate" diet, only four percent of calories came from carbs, with the rest from fat. In the "moderate-carbohydrate" diet, 35 percent of calories came from carbs, with the rest from fat.

Bodyweight was measured daily, and the subjects were asked about their hunger and appetite. They were allowed to eat all they wanted, provided the proportions of carbs/ fat/ protein were consistent and according to the design of the study.

The conclusion was clear. The lower-carb diet produced less spontaneous eating, more weight loss, and significantly lower levels of hunger. "Our volunteers found both diets to be equally palatable," said Dr. Alex Johnstone, the weight-loss expert who led the study, "but they felt less hungry on the high-protein low-carbohydrate diet."

The best sources of protein are grass-fed meats, free-range chicken and eggs, and wild salmon. Any fresh fish will do. (Sardines are especially good.) If you buy processed meats from the deli, look for those without nitrates. And go for the real yogurt with live cultures, not the stuff with fruit on the bottom.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Jonny Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition, and health. He's the author of the new book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth.  For more information, go to www.jonnybowden.com. To read more of his articles on healthy living in ETR's natural health e-letter, click here.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success ezine. For a complimentary subscription, visit

http://www.earlytorise.com

3 Ways to Keep Track of Fat Loss

By Craig Ballantyne

If you think you've hit a plateau in your fitness program, don't quit. First check to see if you really have stopped making progress.

Most people get hung up on scale weight only. But the scale is affected by many hidden factors (such as water intake, sodium intake, etc.). And while you may not be getting lighter, you could still be losing inches. Here are three good ways to judge how well your fat-loss plan is working:

1. Grab a tape measure once a week and measure your chest, your upper arms, around your belly button, and at your waist. Keep a written record of the measurements over time.

2. Have your body fat tested at a gym or with a body-fat scale on a regular basis.

3. Just look in the mirror! (After all, isn't looking better what you're really going for?)

[Ed. Note: Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne is the creator of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss system. For a free online source of information, motivation, and social support to help you improve your health, lose weight, and get fit, sign up for ETR's free natural health e-letter.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success ezine. For a complimentary subscription, visit

http://www.earlytorise.com

A Fruity Way to Lose Weight

By Kelley Herring

Want to drop a few pounds? It may sound counterintuitive, but there's a before-meal snack that can give your weight-loss efforts a boost.

A recent study published in the journal Nutrition divided women into two groups. One group got an apple or a pear before meals, while the other group got an oat cookie. Aside from that, both groups were on the same reduced-calorie diet for 12 weeks.

At the end of the 12 weeks, the fruit eaters had lost an average of more than 2.6 pounds, while the cookie crunchers had insignificant weight loss. What's more, the fruit eaters had a greater decrease in blood sugar levels.

Researchers believe the weight-loss secret of apples and pears lies in their high-water, high-fiber, yet low-calorie composition.

Shape up your health with organic apples and pears. But make sure you're conscious of your sugar intake. A medium apple has 14 grams of sugar (72 calories, 19 carbs, 3 grams of fiber). A medium pear has 16 grams of sugar (96 calories, 26 carbs, 5 grams of fiber).

[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the founder and CEO of Healing Gourmet (www.healinggourmet.com), and is editor-in-chief of the Healing Gourmet book series. Learn more about how simple lifestyle choices can improve your health by reading ETR's free natural health e-letter.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success ezine. For a complimentary subscription, visit

http://www.earlytorise.com

You Can Lose Weight and Still Have Sugar

There are many myths about sugar.  But panels of experts have found that sugar does not cause Diabetes, Obesity, Hyperactivity or other vitamin deficiencies.

·        Myth – Sugar Makes You Put On Weight

It’s not eating sugar that makes you fat but eating too much food does.  Food is broken down into Calories and Calories = 1 Unit of Energy. With a teaspoon of Sugar having only 15 Calories, so 15 Calories is 15 Calories.  It doesn’t matter what food the Calories come from.

Your Weight Loss Programme will only succeed if you take in fewer Calories than you use.

After a 5-year study in 2002 The National Academy of Sciences concluded “There is no clear and consistent association between increased intakes of added sugars and BMI. BMI = (Body Mass Index) is an indicator of body weight and Obesity.

·        Myth – Sugar Can Give You Diabetes

Diabetes is not caused by having too much sugar. Just like eating Carbohydrates eg Potatoes, Bread, Cakes and Pastries, may if eaten in excess, make you put on weight but it is not what causes Diabetes.

There are two types of Diabetes:

1.                 Diabetes Type 1

2.                 Diabetes Type 2

Type 1 is usually Insulin dependent. The people have to inject Insulin into themselves every day.  This is because the Pancreas does not produce enough Insulin.  Insulin is a Hormone.  And this Hormone is needed for converting the sugar into energy.

Type 2 is usually found in people of 50+.  It is also called ‘Age Onset Diabetes.  In this kind of Diabetes, the body produces Insulin but something goes wrong and the body can’t use it properly.

The American Diabetic Association advises Diabetics that they may take sugar as long as it is counted as part of their daily Carbohydrate Allowance.

·        Myth -Sugar Has A High Glycemic Index (GI)

The body must convert Sugars and Starches we get from our food, into Blood Glucose (Blood Sugar) to enable the body to function properly.

Glycemic Index is a description of how fast the body breaks down Starches and Sugars to make them into Blood Glucose.

Blood Glucose levels are dependent on how much Protein or Fat is eaten with the Carbohydrate.

·        Myth – Sugar Stops Other Nutrients Being Absorbed

In recent years, sugar has been accused of stopping Vitamins and Minerals from doing their job.

In the US, several diet surveys have shown that the consumption of sugar actually has little influence on Vitamin and Mineral intakes.

The body in order to function properly needs a varied diet of Nutritious food.  Sugar should be part of the daily intake.

·        Myth – Sugar Makes Kids Hyperactive

Sugar does not make a child Hyperactive.  Hyperactivity is caused by something in the brain not functioning properly.  So a ‘normal’ child cannot become Hyperactive if they have sugar in their daily diet.

Children are naturally enthusiastic, prone to showing excitement and they like to be on the go all the time.  It can be more of a worry, if a child sits around doing nothing all day. Usually means they are sickening for something.

·        Myth – Sugar Makes Bad Teeth

In the mouth Bacteria breaks down all Carbohydrates (both Sugar and Starches).  This is a normal process that produces Acids and it is this Acid that attacks the enamel on the teeth, causing the Acid to take Mineral from the enamel.  And this is what causes cavities.

Eating sticky snacks that linger on the teeth prolongs acid production.  Some of the culprits are Dried Fruit, Cereals and Potato Chips.

Dentists advise cutting out in between meal snacks and limiting sweet and sticky foods to mealtimes.

The answer is to clean the teeth with a good toothpaste.  Preferably after every meal.  And visit the dentist regularly.

·        Myth – You Can Become Addicted To Sugar

Oh dear!  If we all belonged to the SA (Sugar Anonymous) we would be kept so busy supporting our friends we’d have no time to do anything else.

Seriously, addiction is a Compulsive Behaviour with medically identifiable emotional, mental or physiological symptoms.

People like sweet tasty foods, but liking them is not the same as being addicted.

WEIGHT LOSS – WHAT IS IT?

This was a chat I had with a man whose Doctor had told him to lose weight. The questions may seem a little naïve, but to someone who really doesn’t know – they can be a worry.

So I have written these questions and answers – just in case someone else out there has been too embarrassed to ask.

Q 1    What exactly is weight loss?

Q 3    What is a Calorie?

A 4       That’s easy. Food manufacturers have to by law give a breakdown of what is in the packet or can. As well as stating the number of Calories, the label must give the ingredients and their Nutritional Values. Nutritional Values = Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats and also if there are any Vitamins or Minerals in the food.

Q 5    How many Calories should I eat?

A 5    That depends on:

Q 6    Right, do I have to work out how many Calories I eat for each meal?

A 6    Not unless you want to do things the hard way. You can go on a diet.  Your doctor should be able to give you a Diet Sheet. This will give you a Daily Menu of what you should be eating for each meal.

A 7    You have to be sure that the food you do eat has all the Nutrients in it that your body needs. Also each meal should be well balanced.

Q 8    What are these Nutrients and what is a well Balanced Meal?

Q 15  Can I overdose on these Multi Vitamins?

A 16  You can go to a Pharmacy / Chemist or as you call them in the USA, Drug Stores.  But for more personal and informed advice you need to contact a Herbalife Distributor.

Q 18  How will I know which Products are best for me?