Fat Loss, Fat Burning

Claims and gems of one weight loss study

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:57:00 +0000

by Brad Pilon
Eat Stop Eat

CLAIM 1: When you diet your level of non-exercise physical activity
(NEAT) drops spontaneously, even if you don't realize it's happening.

FACT: In the 20 week study there were actually 3 groups of women,

1) The first group cut their calories by 400 Calories per day.

2) The Second group cut their calories by only 350 Calories per
day, and increased the amount they exercised to make up the 50
calories by doing low intensity exercise

3) The Third group only cut their calories by 350 Calories per day,
and increased the amount they exercised to make up the 50 calories
by doing High intensity exercise

What the study found was that a CALORIE DEFICIT (whether by diet or
exercise) was associated with a slight decrease in non exercise physical
activity (the average was about 160 calories worth of activity per
day, about the amount of calories expended in a 20 minute brisk
walk for these woman).

More importantly, the study found that there was no difference
between the group who was dieting and the groups that were
exercising in ANY MEASURE.

This includes:

Total weight loss

Lean mass loss

Fat mass loss

V02 Max (surprisingly)

Resting metabolic rate

Physical activity induced energy expenditure

So when it comes to weight loss, it is the CALORIE DEFECIT that
matters, not the way the deficit was created, however it is true
that a being in a calorie deficit for 20 weeks seemed to cause
these woman to reduce their non-exercise activity levels.

CLAIM 2: The drop in physical activity during the diet was directly
related to the weight regain after the diet.

FACT: In this study people lost an average of 27 pounds during the
20-week weight loss period. 1 year later the average weight regain
was 11.5 pounds. Not bad, but not great either.

It is very important to remember that the purpose of this trial was
to investigate whether or not things that occurred DURING a weight
loss protocol could be ASSOCIATED with results 1 year later.

So they weren't looking for the absolute, definitive,
you-bet-your-house-on-it cause for weight regain, they were just
searching to see if they could find any associations.

In other words, they did not measure diet during that one-year time
frame.

So while there was a slight relationship between the reduction in
non exercise physical activity during the study period and weight
regain one year later (for my fellow stats geeks we are only
talking about a p of -0.4 for the pooled groups) It was simply an
association, showing that the people who tended to move around the
least while they were dieting also were the ones who tended to put
the most weight back on a year later.

CLAIM 3: There is a difference between losing weight from dieting,
versus losing fat with dieting and exercise.

FACT: Not according to this study. The three groups saw almost
IDENTICAL weight loss results. And, they saw almost identical
weight REGAIN results.

CLAIM 4: if you want to maximize your fat loss and keep fat off
permanently it is best to follow a reduced calorie diet and make a
conscious effort to make sure your activity level does not drop as
you lose weight.

FACT: I could not agree more. Exercise and staying active is still
an important part of ANY weight loss program. However when it
comes to weight loss, I think the benefits of resistance training
FAR OUTWEIGH the benefits of cardio or endurance style training (as
I'm sure the author of the newsletter in question would agree).
-----

So, there really wasn't that much of a contradiction. Our
interpretations of the research are drastically different but our
conclusions are the same.

The bottom line is (and always will be) that the best way to lose
weight is to find a the easiest and simplest way to reduce the
amount of calories you consume, and to follow a weight training
routine.

While most people think of Eat Stop Eat as only flexible
intermittent fasting, the truth is that the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle
is the COMBINATION of flexible intermittent fasting and weight
training. And, the weight training is very important!

You don't have to be a gym addict to get great results, but
resistance training does have to be a part of your lifestyle for
best results.

Now, lets take a closer look at this trial, as there were some
'gems' hidden in all of its data:

GEM #1- the people in this study were women in their late 50's and
who were obese (almost 200 pounds) at the start of the study. By
the end of the study they lost 27 pounds in 20 weeks, proving that
no matter your age...weight loss IS possible!

GEM #2- Even one year later, with no diet counseling, they were
able to keep more than half of their weight loss. Like a said
earlier - not great, but not bad either.

GEM #3, There was no difference in weight loss between the woman who
only dieted and those who dieted and exercised. Another example of
classic "cardio" style exercise not being any better than simply
dieting.

GEM #4, all groups lost Lean Body Mass, pointing to the importance
of resistance training in a proper weight loss program (which they
didn't do in this study).

GEM #5, RESTING METABOLIC RATE RELATIVE TO LEAN MASS

REMAINED UNCHANGED! Again, so much for starvation mode!

So in my opinion this was a great study showing that creating a
calorie deficit can help you lose weight, and that it really does
not matter whether or not you get that deficit from a combination
of diet and exercise, or from diet alone.

Brad

Eat Stop Eat

PS- As this research shows, when it comes to losing weight, it is
all about creating a calorie deficit, and in my opinion the
simplest, easiest way to accomplish this is with the Eat Stop Eat
lifestyle, which includes the added benefit of preventing you from
losing lean body mass!

ECA Stack

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:59:00 +0000

Ephedrine in the ECA Stack
by Tanya Zilberter, PhD

Ephedrine is a great pretender. It mimics effects of the stress hormone adrenaline (epinephrine) which is released by adrenal glands into the bloodstream. Naturally, this is the body's response Tao danger: it triggers the "fight or flight" syndrome and targets many tissues of the body, including those of heart, muscles and fat mobilizing them to face and manage the danger. Ephedrine elicits pretty much the same set of bodily reactions, causing an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, heat production and fatburning.

One positive thing about ephedrine is that the body can adapt to its negative effects while continuing or even enhancing the fat-burning response. Because of its stimulating effect on muscle tissue, ephedrine also helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss on a calorie-restricted diet.

Since Ephedrine is so good a stress-mimicking drug (yes, drug!), people are trying to use it to heighten the metabolism. They are doing it for thousands of years, they did it even before knowing they were dealing with Ephedrine in the form of a herb. So it does work, isn't it? Yes it does. It does increase the metabolism. However, let us go through the facts step by step.

Ephedrine and ephedrine plus caffeine increase energy expenditure by increasing the amount of heat released after a meal. However, aspirin does not further increase this effect of ephedrine and caffeine. (2)

Is It Safe?

Manufacturers of herbal phen-fen, ma huang and other ephedra supplements claim their wares as "clinically proven fat burners" that will "increase your calorie-burning energy level." This may be true, but consumers need to keep in mind:

1. that herbal drugs are not subject to stringent FDA standards;
2. it's very difficult to control the exact dose of an herbal preparation in a non-standardized formula; and
3. increased dosages can lead to serious health problems, including heart attack, psychosis (3) and stroke. (The usual scenario is that after trying and failing on the recommended doses, people increase the intake up to dangerous, sometimes deadly ones.)

Side effects include headaches, heart rhythm abnormality (4), nervousness and insomnia. Dieters overdosing on ephedrine may be at risk of developing kidney stones derived mainly from metabolites of ephedrine. They also maybe prone to drug or alcohol dependency. (5) Further, eating disorders and disorders of body image appeared to bee specially prevalent among ephedrine users. (3)

Researchers in the Department of Human Nutrition, Copenhagen, Denmark, investigated the effects of 20 mg ephedrine and 200 mg caffeine mixtures on fat burning and weight loss. They came to the following conclusion:

"We conclude that the ephedrine/caffeine combination is safe and effective in long-term treatment in improving and maintaining weightloss. The side effects are minor and transient and no clinically relevant withdrawal symptoms have been observed. The combination has shown superiorweight-reducing properties when compared with either ephedrine alone (20 mg) or caffeine alone (200 mg) three times a day." (1)

At Harvard Medical School, safety and efficacy of combination of ephedrine (75 to 150 mg), caffeine (150 mg) and aspirin (330 mg) was tested for eight weeks. During the study, an average weight loss of 3.2 kg was observed, compared to the 1.3 kg weight-loss average of the placebo group. After five months on ECA, average weight loss was 5.2 kg compared to 0.03 kg gained in the placebo group.

The authors concluded:

"No significant changes in heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose, insulin and cholesterol levels; and no differences in the frequency of side effects were found. ECA in these doses is thus well tolerated in otherwise healthy obese subjects, and supports modest, sustained weightloss even without prescribed caloric restriction, and may be more effective in conjunction with restriction of energy intake.

"The combination of ephedrine and caffeine significantly improved endurance-prolonging exercise time to exhaustion, compared to placebo. Neither ephedrine nor caffeine treatments alone significantly changed time to exhaustion. The improved performance was attributed to increased central nervous system stimulation."

References.

1. International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 17, S73-77
2. European Journal of Applied Physiology & Occupational Physiology77(5):427-33, 1998
3. British Medical Journal, 313(7059):756, 1996
4. Journal of Emergency Medicine, 17(2):289-91, 1999. A 21-year-oldmale presented to the emergency department with an initial blood pressureof 220/110 mmHg and heart rhythm abnormality after ingesting fourcapsules of herbalecstasy.
5. American Journal on Addictions, 7(4):256-61, 1998
6. Journal of Emergency Medicine, 17(2):289-91, 1999.

Caffeine and Aspirin for Fat Burning

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:57:00 +0000

Caffeine and Aspirin

by Tanya Zilberter, PhD

The combination of the three components of the ECA stack, when taken in proper dosages, are said to promote weight-loss, boost energy and enhance athletic performance. The key component, ephedrine, found in the ephedra plant, is a central nervous system stimulant. Ephedrine is the active ingredientofherbal supplements Ma Huang and "Herbal Phen-fen."

Caffeine is included in the ECA stack to prevent an inevitable decrease in metabolic rate that usually occurs as the body tries to slip back to the comfortable energy-saving mode (European J. of Applied Physiology 77(5):427-33, 1998). Caffeine acts on the cellular level, blocking the production of enzymes that are responsible for energy conservation.As a result, epinephrine continues to act to promote heat production and fat burning.

Aspirin

Aspirin also helps to counterpart the body's attempt to return to the energy-saving state by fighting the inhibitors of metabolism prostaglandins much the same way it does to reduce a fever. It is important to note,however,that this particular effect of aspirin doesn't seem to work for non-obese people, making it useless for bodybuilders.

Even without aspirin, the "EC" part of the formula proved as efficient as the prescription diet drug dexfenfluramine.(International Journal onObesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 1994, 18: 99-103)

What Is the Correct Dosage?

It is the most important to keep the ephedrine dose both efficient and safe. It's usually recommended taking 20 mg of ephedrine or an herbal equivalent. The caffeine dose is usually 10-times higher and the aspirindose is only four-times higher. The simplified formula is:

E:C:A=1:10:4

The advise is to start with one morning dose for several days, to overcome the initial discomfort, and then add a mid-day dose for several days tosee how it works. If it is not enough, the third dose is added, notlater than five hours before bedtime to avoid insomnia.

L-tyrosine
To avoid increasing the ephedrine dose (if the recommended 20 mg do not work), dieters should consider adding the supplement amino acid L-tyrosine. The synergistic relationship of L- tyrosine with ephedrine has been researched in rats ( 6) and it is a textbook fact that L-tyrosinehelps in the thyroid hormones production.

Green Tea and Cream "Fat Fast"

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:39:00 +0000

A tall glass of green tea (two bags steeped) hot or cold plus 1/4 cup heavy cream 5 times a day is a good alternative to the Complete Water Fast Jump Start plan.

There are 200 calories in such glass, which makes your total daily intake 1000 calories again ideal for overcoming metabolic resistance without hunger, getting into ketosis, and fighting appetite and cravings.

Your total 10 green tea bags a day reproduce the condition of a clinical study, which showed that this amount of green tea resulted in weight loss, even without restrictive diet.

Go on this plan to start your diet, or the day after you cheated, or when your weight loss stalled. Add more green tea to your menu using our green tea recipes.

Q: How does the Green Tea Fat Burning Day Plan work?

A: It sends your body into the state of ketosis faster than starvation because it prevents your resting metabolic rate from slowing down. Not only it prevents this slowing down, it increases your body's ability to burn fat and does this better than Ephedra plus it doesn't have Ephedra side effect threatening your heart.

The Fat Burning Index of this glass of green tea is 4.57 while it's enough for a food to have it just greater than 1.5 to automatically become a fat burning food.

GREEN TEA RECIPES

Gong Fu green tea

You will need unglazed clay pot to be in a real "Gong Fu" mode. However, a ceramic teapot will be doing just fine.

Step 1 Rinse the teapot with hot water.

Step 2 Fill the pot with enough teas to occupy approximately 1/3 of teapot¹s total volume.

Step 3 Freshly boiled water (or hot water depends on what kinds of teas you are using) should be pour into the pot until the leave are covered. Immediately pour the water out and discard it. You do not need to perform this step. It is only required for ³Gong Fu wannabe type of person².

Step 4 Fill the teapot with freshly boiled water and replace the lid (You can also pour the boiled water over the pot at this stage If you are ³Gong Fu wannabe²). After no more than 10-30 seconds of brewing, the tea should be poured completed from the pot.

Drink the tea. Repeat the step 4 to have further brews. With each subsequent infusion, the amount of time the leaves remain in contact with the water should be increased by approximately 30 seconds. Good tea will produce a minimum of three infusions.

Cream green tea

1 cup 1:1 water and heavy cream 1 cup water 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar low carb substitute 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 1/8 tsp. allspice 2 green tea bags

In medium saucepan, bring milk and water just to a boil. Stir in remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 3 minutes. Remove tea bags and strain. Serve immediately.

Peach green tea

6 green tea teabags 6 cups cold water 2 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced

1. Place teabags in a large teapot or pitcher.

2. Put sliced peaches in a saucepan, add cold water, and bring to a brisk boil, then pour water and peaches over teabags.

3. Steep for 6 minutes, then add sweetener (maple syrup, honey or Succanat are recommended). Allow tea to cool, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

4. Discard peach slices

Meal frequency, meal ratios and food selection

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:10:00 +0000

By Tom Venuto

In the first installment of "How to Gain Lean Body weight" we discussed how to determine the optimal number of calories to consume in order to gain fat-free body weight. While knowing your ideal calorie requirement is important, there are other factors that must also be accounted for. All calories are not utilized in the same fashion by the body. 3200 calories of ice cream, pizza, doughnuts, potato chips and soda obviously won't have the same effect as 3200 calories from egg whites, lean meats, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. While calories are the chief element in the muscle-gaining formula, meal ratios, meal frequency and food choices also must be factored into the equation.

Macronutrient ratios

Once you have determined your optimal daily caloric intake for weight gain, the next step is to divide those calories into the right ratios of protein, carbohydrate and fat and eat foods in the proper combinations at every meal. The ideal macronutrient ratios for weight gain are 55% carbs, 30% protein, and 15% fat (give or take 5% either way).

While carbohydrates may need to be reduced on a fat-reducing program, to gain muscular body weight, natural, unrefined complex carbs should make up the bulk, or approximately 2/3 of your calories. A moderately high carbohydrate intake is essential to maintain high energy levels for hard training. Carbs are also protein sparing; they prevent the breakdown of lean muscle mass for use as energy. Don't worry; carbohydrates are not fattening as long as you select natural, unrefined complex carbs over processed, simple sugars and you keep portion sizes under control.

One-third of your total daily calories or approximately 30% should come from protein. Forget about the "Recommended Daily Allowances" (RDA's) of 12-15% of daily calories from protein. The RDA's do not account for increased requirements for intense training and muscular weight gain, nor do they account for the calorie surplus that is necessary for weight gain. The RDA's are merely a minimal standard for maintaining health, not for achieving optimal performance and growth.

Fats should be kept under 20% of total daily calories, with the ideal amount being about 15%. There is no reason to ever go on a high fat diet just for the sake of gaining weight - if you do you'll gain weight alright - pounds and pounds of ugly lard right around your midsection! Excess fat in the diet is stored easily as body fat and also increases risk of cardiovascular diseases. But not all fats are bad. Removing all the fat from your diet can actually slow down muscle growth, decrease strength and decrease energy levels. A low-fat diet is much better for growth than a non-fat diet. In fact, the inclusion of a small amount of "good fats" such as flaxseed oil can actually be a great aid to gaining lean body weight. One or two tablespoons a day will add 130 - 260 additional calories and provide essential fatty acids necessary for energy production, muscle growth, joint health and strength development.

So how do you know if you're getting your calories in these ratios? The most accurate way to measure nutrient ratios is to use a computer spreadsheet to generate your menus. However, you can easily tabulate your macronutrient ratios with a calculator and a simple formula. Take your total caloric intake for the day and multiply it by the desired percentage of each macronutrient. Then, divide the total daily calories from each macronutrient by the calories per gram for each macronutrient (4 calories per gram for carbs and protein and 9 calories per gram for fats)

Example of daily totals for 3200 calorie per day diet Carbohydrates: 55% (.55) X 3200 = 1760 calories from carbohydrate 1705 carb calories/4 calories per gram = 440 grams of carbs

Protein: 30% (.30) X 3200 = 960 calories from protein 960 protein calories/4 calories per gram = 240 grams of protein

Fat: 15% (.15) X 2000 = 480 calories from fat 480 fat calories/9 calories per gram = 53.3 grams of fat

The most important thing to remember about these ratios is that they are not just for the entire day; they are for every individual meal. This means you are combining protein and carbohydrates together at each meal. Eating carbohydrates by themselves, especially refined and simple ones, cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin levels. High glucose and insulin concentrations in the bloodstream are not desirable because they promote fat storage and rebound hypoglycemia. By combining foods properly with each meal, you effectively control blood sugar and insulin. This in turn, will keep your energy levels steady and increase muscle gain while keeping fat storage at bay.

Example of per meal totals for 3200 calorie per day diet Carbohydrates: 55% of 3200 calories = 440 grams of carbs 440 grams of carbs divided by 6 meals = 73 grams of carbs per meal

Protein: 30% of 3200 calories = 240 grams of protein 240 grams of protein divided by 6 meals = 40 grams of protein per meal

Fat: 15% of 3200 calories = 52 grams of fat 52 grams of fat divided by 6 meals = 8.6 grams of fat per meal

The importance of small frequent meals

One of the biggest challenges you'll face in your quest to gain weight is how to put on lean mass without also gaining fat. There is only one way to do this; you must eat five or six meals a day each spaced two and a half to three hours apart. If you were to divide 3200 calories a day into the typical three meals that would be 1066 calories per meal; that's far too much for your body to process at one sitting. Even the biggest bodybuilders don't need more than 700-800 calories at a time. Eating smaller meals more frequently will prevent you from over-consuming calories in one sitting; it's simple portion control. More is not necessarily better; your body can only utilize so much at once. You can't "force feed" yourself into growing. Excess calories in any one meal will always be converted into body fat.

Eating small, frequent meals promotes muscle growth because it helps to regulate insulin levels. While the large output of insulin that follows a high blood sugar level is undesirable, insulin must be present in the bloodstream constantly so that amino acids and glucose can be transported into the muscle tissue. Insulin is a powerful anabolic hormone. One of insulin's major roles is to shuttle the amino acids into the muscle cells where they can be used for recovery and muscle growth. Unlike carbohydrates, amino acids cannot be stored; they are only available for protein synthesis for about three hours after the ingestion of protein. By eating a moderately sized meal every three hours you maintain a steady release of insulin so it can fulfill its growth-producing role.

Eating small, frequent meals is also anti-catabolic because it helps to prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue associated with long periods without food. Your body does not posses the ability to store proteins and use them at a later time for muscle growth. Since amino acids remain in your bloodstream for only about three hours after a meal, it is crucial to eat a meal containing a complete protein every three hours. If you do not supply your body with sufficient protein at regular intervals, it will be forced to breakdown its own muscle tissue for its amino acid needs.

Eating more protein at each meal to compensate for fewer meals doesn't help; your body can only utilize so much protein at one sitting:. If your ideal protein intake for weight gain is 240 grams per day, then it would be most efficient to split that amount into five or six smaller meals of 40 - 48 grams per meal. Consuming more than this at one time is pointless; although protein is the least likely of all the macronutrients to be converted to fat, too much of anything, even protein, will be stored in the form of subcutaneous body fat. At best, the extra protein is simply wasted.

It's not uncommon for large, active bodybuilders to need upwards of 4000 calories a day or more to gain weight. Sometimes it's difficult to get this many calories from food. For many people, it is not practical to eat 5 or 6 times per day because of work, school, or other time commitments. If this describes you, it's OK to substitute one or two meals with a meal replacement drink. Be wary of commercial weight gain powders. Many of them are 80% sugar with very little protein. Find a weight gainer with a ratio of one part protein to two parts carbs (for example, 80 grams of carbs to 40 grams of protein) Alternately, you could use a low calorie meal replacement product like MET-RX or MYOPLEX. At 280 calories per packet, they are too low in calories by themselves to count as an entire meal for a weight gain program. However, if you mix them with skim milk or juice and maybe blend in a piece of fruit, you now you have a 500 to 700 calorie, high protein weight-gain shake! Just remember that meal replacements should be used for convenience only - they are not designed to take the place of food and they are not better than food.

Food Choices: Quantity vs. Quality

Many people see going on a weight gaining program as a license to eat anything they want, including a lot of high fat and high sugar junk food. Don't let this happen to you! It is possible to gain lean body mass with no increase in body fat, but only by eating "clean." Don't just be concerned with calorie density, you should also be concerned with calorie quality. Your muscle gaining diet should contain a wide variety of foods from every group including grains and starches, vegetables, fruits, low or non fat dairy products and lean proteins. You should choose foods that are as natural and unprocessed as possible. The less processed your food choices are, the better; eating foods in their natural state the way they came out of the ground is ideal. Your best choices for carbs are rice, potates, yams, beans, whole grains, pasta, oatmeal, fruits and vegetables. Great sources of protein for muscle development include egg whites, low fat dairy products, chicken, turkey, fish and lean cuts of red meat. If you can't get enough quality protein from food sources, then a good whey protein supplement can be helpful.

So there you have it: The dietary formula for gaining lean body weight is:

1) Determine your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)

2) Add a minimum of two calories per pound of body weight so you are in a positive calorie balance. This is known as your optimal calorie intake for weight gain

3) Divide your optimal calorie intake for weight gain into the proper macronutrient ratios of 55% carbs, 30% protein and 15% fat

4) Spread out your calories into five or six small meals per day.

5) Divide your calorie and macronutrient totals by the number of meals daily to determine the calorie, carbs, protein and fat content of each individual meal. Make sure you consume your foods in the proper ratios not just for the day but at each individual meal as well.

6) Eat clean. Choose natural, unrefined foods. Don't use trying to gain weight as an excuse to pig out.

7) Expect to gain lean mass at a rate of ½ lb. to 1 lb. per week. If two weeks go by and you haven't gained anything, increase your calories by another 300-500.

Now that you know how to construct your ideal weight gaining diet, in the third and final installment of "How to Gain Lean Body weight," we will discuss how to train in order to gain.

[Tom Venuto is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, a certified personal trainer and a performance nutrition specialist who has been developing individualized nutrition programs for bodybuilding, fitness, weight loss and weight gain since 1987.]

Vitamins A, B, C, D, and K

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:39:00 +0000

Vitamin A

Adipose tissue from vitamin A-deficient animals showed an increased fat burning rate. On the other hand, excess vitamin A caused a decrease in fat burning, so think again when you are going to take a vitamin A pill. [1]

Vitamins of B-group

Believe it or not, fat burning can be dangerous when products of lipolysis begin to circulate in the blood threatening to settle in the blood vessels sometimes forming deadly clogs. Luckily, one of the B-family, Nicotinic acid, seems to be able to prevent this unwanted effect. It actually prevented the increase in free fatty acids concentration that occurred during exercise. Levels of free fatty acids during the nicotinic acid treatment were significantly lower than control values during both exercise and recovery after exercise. [2]

Although after administration of nicotinic acid adipose tissue fat burning increased, the released fatty acids were retained in adipose tissue. [3] This effect of nicotinic acid allows it's use it as a protective measure on the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. [4]

Another b-family member, Carnitin enhanced fat burning. [5]

Vitamin C

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) combined with Algae increased fat burning in a synergistic manner. [6] However, ascorbic acid decreases the lipolytic effect of stress as a result of its direct effect on fat (adipose) tissue [7]. It looks like vitamin C can help to increase fat burning at rest but it blunts the lipolysis already activated by stress through the emergency nervous system (sympathetic).

Here we come to a very interesting point that proves vitamins are principally different from drugs. A drug does always the same thing for you. If it is designed to decrease body temperature, for example, there's no way it will increase it in any circumstances. However, there is a class of biologically active substances that act depending on the body state. Their major purpose is to return a body function back to normal. They are adaptogenes. In this sense, vitamin C looks like an adaptogene, and so do some other vitamins as we'll see below.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D (or increased sensitivity to vitamin D) raises cholesterol levels. On the other hand, vitamin D2 acted to oppose stress-induced fat burning. [8, 9] It means that while working as a pro-lipolysis agent, vitamin D helps prevent a lipolysis from going too far. Doesn't it look like adaptogene again?

Vitamin E

Vitamin E so far is not known for its direct effect on fat burning, however, E-avitaminosis was shown to deteriorate the activity of the fat burning enzymes in the liver, skeletal muscles and kidneys. [10]. Alpha-tocopherol in rather high doses has been shown able to decrease fat burning activated by lack of oxygen, for example during anaesthesia [11], or after trauma [12], thus limiting the bad trauma-induced changes in metabolism. Adaptogene, isn't it?!

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is one more vitamin that protects against the unfavorable vasing lipolysis in the liver, skeletal muscles and kidneys. It was established that in rats with food K-avitaminosis, liver and skeletal muscle enzyme helping in the breakdown of lipids, lipase, was activated. The analogous changes in the activity of the test enzymes were discovered in animals given antivitamins K -- pelentan. [10].

What kind of conclusion can be drawn out of these facts? Sorry guys, if you are looking for a magic bullet to dramatically increase fat burning, look somewhere else.

References

1. Ramachandran CK, et al. Metabolic potential of the adipose tissue of rats during hyper- and hypovitaminosis A. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1986 May; 182(1): 73-78.

2. Trost S, et al. The effect of substrate utilization, manipulated by nicotinic acid, on excess postexercise oxygen consumption. Int J Sports Med. 1997 Feb; 18(2): 83-88.

3. Wahlberg G, et al. Effects of nicotinic acid treatment on glyceride formation and lipolysis in adipose tissue of hyperlipidemic patients. Int J Clin Lab Res. 1993; 23(2): 88-94.

4. Ishikawa T. Nicotinic acid and derivatives for therapy of hyperlipoproteinemia. Nippon Rinsho. 1994 Dec; 52(12): 3292-3297.

5. Koldovsky O, et al. Developmental aspects of lipid metabolism. Physiol Res. 1995; 44(6): 353-356.

6. Nakagawa H. Effect of dietary algae on improvement of lipid metabolism in fish. Biomed Pharmacother. 1997; 51(8): 345-348.

7. Misekova D. Lincova D. Hynie S. The effect of ascorbic acid on adrenergic lipolysis. Sbornik Lekarsky. 94(1):55-62, 1993.

8. Fassina G, et al. Effect of vitamin D2 on hormone-stimulated lipolysis in vitro. Eur J Pharmacol. 1969 Feb; 5(3): 286-290.

9. Fassina G, et al. Antagonistic action of vitamin D2 on noradrenaline-induced lipolysis in vitro. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1967 May; 19(5): 344.

10. Lider VA. Tissue lipolytic activity with various vitamin K and E allowances in white rats. Vopr Pitan. 1985 Sep; 5: 37-39.

11. Camus G, et al. Tocopherol mobilization during dynamic exercise after beta-adrenergic blockade. Arch Int Physiol Biochim. 1990 Mar; 98(1): 121-126.

12. Abidova SS, et al.The efficacy of using alpha-tocopherol during ftorotan anesthesia. Eksp Klin Farmakol. 1996 Jul; 59(4): 3-4.

Multivitamins for fat loss?

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:07:00 +0000

Q: I am on a healthy diet but there are days where I can't eat fruits or vegetables. My main concern is that I take a multivitamin everyday for health reasons like and I also want to lose the weight but stay on a proper diet. To put it in simple words, will multivitamins prevent me from losing fat or cause weight gain even if I am strictly on a diet?

A: Without knowing what your healthy diet is all about, it's hard to advise you on balancing it. See, if a diet needs 'balancing' - what makes you think it's healthy?

Read more about weight loss and supplements:

Tanya Zilberter, PhD

Back to Shape After the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:33:00 +0000

Without Turning into a Miserable Scrooge!
(A Holiday Survival Guide)
by Tom Venuto
Burn the Fat

My mom makes the most amazing Christmas cake in the world; it's been a tradition in our family for as long as I can remember.

First, she mixes up a light, fluffy, vanilla cake mix, pours it into the pans and then pops it in the oven. After it's been baked, she stacks the cake in two layers with whipped cream spread generously between each layer. She then pours on red and green Jell-O, which gets soaked up inside the cake. Next, whipped cream is smothered all the way around for frosting. And finally, she garnishes it with red and green sprinkles. A few red and green-striped candy canes are stuck in the top as the finishing touch, and off it goes to the refrigerator so it can be served chilled later.

Now let me tell you, as a bodybuilder, I have a lot of discipline. But when that moist, delicious, red and green, Jell-O- filled, whipped-cream covered cake is sitting on the table in front of me on December 25th, it takes every ounce of my willpower to keep from calling it a "VERY high carb day" and devouring numerous very large slices. Despite the temptation, I don't "pig out" nor do I deprive myself. Instead, I'm content with eating my single piece, savoring every mouthwatering bite, all the while repeating my mantra, "Nothing tastes as good as being lean feels." The next day, on December 26th, I'm on the bike or Stairmaster at the crack of dawn, followed by six perfect meals of lean protein and complex carbohydrate - just like every other day of the year. A week later, on December 31st, I usually go out for a nice dinner (very naughty food, I must admit), and then we toast champagne to the New Year at midnight. I'm in bed at a reasonable hour shortly thereafter. Unless it's a scheduled day of rest on New Years day, I'm not groggy and hung over like many of my friends are. I'm in the gym squatting, bench pressing, curling, or "stairmastering" just like I usually am. And here's the point: You can and should enjoy the holidays. You can enjoy being with family and going out with friends. You can go to holiday parties and have fun. You can enjoy a few "naughty" meals. You can have a piece of cake and a glass or two of champagne. There's no reason why you can't enjoy yourself AND stay healthy, lean and fit through the holidays. All it takes is some planning, some goal-setting and little dose of old-fashioned discipline. I'd like to share with you 10 ways that you can follow your diet and stay in great shape over the holidays without turning into a "miserable Scrooge." If you follow this advice, then you'll be one of the proud few with a New Year's resolution to be the best you've ever been in the new year to come - instead of one of the guilt-ridden many who must resolve to reclaim what they lost over the year that's just passed them by.

1. Expect to stay on your program over the holidays

"Fail to plan and you plan to fail" is a time worn and cliched statement, but it's still some of the best success advice you will ever hear. Not only do most people fail to plan, they consciously plan to fail over the holidays. Most people expect to "blow" their diet and skip workouts over the holidays. They expect to eat more, to exercise less and to gain weight. As a result, they don't even make the effort. Instead of taking control, they resign themselves to maintenance at best, or back-sliding at worst. This negative expectancy leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy. By the first week of January, they're in the worst shape they've been in for a year and they frantically make New Year's resolutions to shed the excess fat they've gained. You can avoid this trap by planning to succeed during the holidays. Set up a positive expectation. Resolve now that you will not tolerate slipping backwards. Keep your standards up and don't settle! Not only can you plan to "stay in shape" over the holidays, you can plan to improve! All you have to do is make the decision and expect success.

2. Plan all your workouts in advance

You know your schedule is going to get hectic over the holidays. You'll be cooking, shopping, wrapping gifts, sending cards, going to parties, traveling, visiting family, and so on. To stay on your training and nutrition regimen is definitely going to take some sound time management skills. Plan your schedule in advance. Anticipate what's coming up. Write it down. Put it on your calendar. By doing so, you won't be caught unprepared. Use a schedule book or monthly calendar and "make appointments" for ALL your workouts for the entire holiday season. Then, post a copy where you will be forced to look at it every day. This is a powerful exercise that will keep you focused and force you to think about and prepare for each upcoming workout. If you try to "wing it" and squeeze in your workouts and meals whenever you have time left over, you'll find that there never is any time left over! Somehow your daily activities always seem to "expand" to fill the hours in every day. So schedule your workouts and meal times in your calendar just like you would any other appointment or event. Once you've done that, stick to your schedule religiously.

3. Set some compelling training and fitness goals over the holiday period

Don't wait until January 1st to set your goals just because you think it will be harder to achieve them over the holidays. On the contrary, studies on personal achievement have shown that you'll usually reach 80% of the goals you put onto paper. The problem is that few people set any goals at all, and fewer still set them during the holidays. Why wait? Why not do it now? Set some big goals that you can start working on during the holidays: Set a goal to lose the 25 lbs you've always wanted to lose NOW Set the goal to gain 10 lbs of solid muscle NOW Been contemplating a competition in bodybuilding, fitness or the new ladies figure division? Pick an early spring show and GO FOR IT - START TRAINING NOW! Goal setting should not be a once a year affair, it should be a continuous process. You should always have your goals in writing and your list should be regularly updated and rewritten. If you only set goals once a year, you're not going to accomplish much in your life.

4. Give yourself permission to have "free meals" - and schedule them in

A planned "free meal" or "re-feeding day" helps you to stay on your program better in the long run. If you're too strict all the time, you're setting yourself up for cravings and bingeing. A few free meals per week will have very little effect on your physique. Also, if you've been on a strict, low carb and/or low calorie regimen for a long time, a full day of maintenance level calories might actually be good for you! It will boost your metabolic rate and give your body the signal that you're not starving and that it's ok to keep burning a lot of calories. Over the holidays, schedule your dinners and parties so they become your "free meals." Then, for the rest of your meals, be steadfast! Just the fact that you know you have free meals coming up will relieve the pressure of staying on a strict diet for a long time. Also, when you do have your free meal – ENJOY IT! If you're going to eat it and feel guilty, then don't have it at all. If you've stayed with the program all week long, then when your free meal rolls around, you deserve it!

5. If you fall off the wagon, get right back on it

So you had about a dozen too many of those Christmas cookies did you? Don't worry; because you have free meals built into your plan, you shouldn't let guilt immobilize you. Even if you fall completely off the wagon, don't beat yourself up. All you have to do is get right back on your program without missing another beat. Too many people mess up once and then think their entire diet is ruined. They feel as if everything they've done prior to that day was wasted and there's no sense going on. Or even worse, they rationalize to themselves, "Well, I already cheated, so it doesn't matter now, I might as well keep pigging out." That's nonsense. If you threw in the towel every time you didn't score 100% on your diet, most people would never get through more than a few days on any structured program. Just because you slip up once doesn't mean you should quit! You're only human. Don't let one small slip keep you derailed. Firmly plant your wheels back on the tracks and start rolling again.

6. Maintain your consistent eating schedule

If there's one thing that all people who successfully get lean and stay lean have in common, it's consistency. Without it, you never get any momentum going. It's like taking two steps forward, only to take three steps back. Many people allow the busy Holidays to throw them off their regular eating schedule. They completely veer off their usual meal frequency, or they start eating foods they would normally never eat (because "it's there"). Once you have a habit pattern going, it's fairly easy to keep it going. But once you lose momentum, it's very difficult to get it going again because you must overcome inertia all over again. (An object at rest tends to stay at rest!) On the major holidays, when there's a big dinner scheduled, many people think that skipping their morning and afternoon meals to "save room" for the big one later is a good idea. It's not. This is actually a good way to invite a binge that could set your back for days. Don't lose your consistency or your momentum. Continue with your pattern of eating small, frequent meals all year round. All you have to do is count your holiday dinners as one of your regular meals and keep them small.

7. Control your portion sizes.

You can have your cake and eat it too – you just can't eat the whole thing! One of the most important rules to remember this holiday season is the law of energy balance, which states: To lose body fat, you must consume fewer calories than you burn up each day. There are two corollaries to the law of energy balance: 1. A caloric surplus gets stored as fat – even healthy food.
2. Small amounts of anything – even junk food – will NOT get stored as fat if you stay in a calorie deficit. There's no reason to deprive yourself of things you enjoy. Just make sure you don't overindulge. As long as you enjoy your favorite foods in moderation, and you keep working out, it won't end up around your waistline.

8. Don't buy into the low standards and expectations of others

Keep your standards high, but don't expect other people's standards to be as high as yours. Remember that most people have already planned in advance to fail at fitness over the holidays. You've decided to stay strong (haven't you?) Don't let their negative influence drag you down. When you've reached your pre-ordained drink limit, say "When" and switch to water or a non alcoholic, non caloric beverage. When they offer you seconds on dessert, politely say, "No thank you, it was absolutely delicious, but I'm full, I can't eat another bite." And when the wee hours of the morning start to roll around, and your friends are egging you on to keep partying, politely tell them you need your sleep. Tomorrow is a work out day. If they're really your friends, they'll understand.

9. Make the best choices possible in every situation.

You know those tables you see at holiday parties that are covered with yards of chips, dips, pretzels, cookies, salami, candies, punch, liquor, and a seemingly endless assortment of other goodies? Well, did you also notice that there is usually a tray full of carrot sticks, cauliflower, celery and other healthy snacks too? No matter where you are, you always have choices. Sometimes you have to choose between bad and worse. Other times you can choose between good and better. But always make the best choice possible based on whatever your options are. If nothing else, you can choose to eat a small portion of something "bad" rather than a huge portion, thereby obeying the law of calorie balance. Chances are good that there's probably something healthy on the menu at every holiday gathering. As you know, lean proteins and fibrous carbs are a great for getting lean, so fill up on the turkey breast, try to get a vegetable in there, and go easy on the desserts.

10. If you drink, enjoy alcohol in moderation

If you enjoy having a few drinks on special occasions, then go ahead and have a drink or two. But if you're serious about your fitness goals, you must drink infrequently and in moderation. Alcohol puts fat oxidation on hold while providing a large amount of calories. When there's alcohol in your bloodstream, you're not in fat burning mode. I've never met anyone in my life that was truly serious about fitness or bodybuilding who was a heavy drinker. Alcohol and muscles just don't mix. The impact goes beyond added body fat; your energy levels and workouts can be ruined for days after a night of heavy drinking. A glass of wine actually has some health benefits. But there's NEVER any never reason or excuse for binge drinking or getting drunk. So go ahead and toast to the New Year, but know when to say when. In conclusion, there's no reason to let your exercise and nutrition program spoil your holidays, but there's also no reason to let your holidays spoil your exercise and nutrition program! Put these 10 holiday tips into practice and you can start losing fat today, not next year.

To learn even more about how to eat and work out to burn off body fat the natural way, visit Burn the Fat

Sleep, fat loss, and fat gain

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:58:00 +0000

Tom Venuto
How to burn body fat and keep it off for life,
without supplements, pills or starvation dieting:
Burn the Fat

You've probably seen the magazine articles or news blurbs that say, "lack of sleep can
make you fat!" There is a lot of confusion however, about the mechanism. It's not
uncommon for people to believe there is a cause and effect relationship between sleeping less and gaining weight.

However, if that were the case, then you would always gain weight
if you slept less even if your food intake stayed the same. To the contrary, if you sleep
less AND eat less, rest assured you will lose weight. If you are awake more hours and you
are more active during those increased waking hours, again, rest assured you will lose
weight. Almost all the research on this subject has been cross sectional and therefore
does not prove causality. Research suggests that the likely explanation is a disruption
in hormones which can affect appetite and food intake so you are more likely to eat more
when you are sleep deprived.

For example, a new study published in the December 2007 issue
of "Nutrition Research Reviews" says that sleep deprivation can reduce leptin (the anti
starvation hormone, also known as an anorexigenic hormone) and increase ghrelin, a stomach
hormone that increases hunger.

This makes total sense. Think about it: less sleep equals more awake time. More awake
time equals greater energy needs. Greater energy needs can be satisfied by increasing
hunger hormones. Leptin and ghrelin are appetite-stimulating hormones. The human body is
incredible and amazingly self-regulating, isnt it?

In addition, when hormones are out of balance, that can affect nutrient paritioning.
Nutrient paritioning refers to where the energy comes from when you have a calorie
deficit - fat or lean tissue - and where the energy goes when you are in a calorie
surplus - fat or lean tissue. So, when partitioning hormones are messed up due to sleep
deprivation, it's entirely possibly that you are more likely to add fat (not muscle) when
in a surplus and lose muscle (not fat) when in a deficit. This is similar to what happens
during stress. Stress also
does not "cause" fat gain, but it certainly correlates to
fat gain, for similar reasons. Imagine what happens when
you are stressed AND sleep deprived?

Some people seem to get by with less sleep than others. I know many people, myself
included, who excel physically on 6-7 hours a night, so there is certainly a variation in
sleep needs from
person to person.

Developing sleep habits that promote deep, high quality sleep
may also reduce sleep needs an hour or two. This includes going
to bed and waking up at the same time every night, getting to
sleep early and awake early to maximize night time sleeping hours
and daylight waking hours, sleeping in a dark room, avoiding alcohol and stimulants prior
to bedtime, reducing stress and exercising regularly.

However, in light of past research and the new data that was just
published, if in doubt, it's surely better to err on the side of a little more sleep than
a little less sleep, if more muscle and
less fat is your goal.

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Author of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle
Burn the Fat

Reference

The influence of sleep and sleep loss upon food intake and metabolism. Nutrition
Research Reviews, Dec 2007, 20:195-212, Cibele Aparecida Crispima, et al. Federal
University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Are You Struggling To Lose Fat?

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:10:00 +0000

Confession Of A Virtual Fitness Trainer Reveals EXTREMELY Top-Secret Information On What TRULY Separates The Winners From The Losers In Fat Loss!

I'm About To Reveal The Absolute Truth On How To Lose All Your Stubborn Fat For Life... And Once You Use This Tested & Proved System For 12-Weeks Or Less... You Won't Believe Your Eyes!

From Rich Tweten CPT, OPT, Author of No FAT Lies:

I must confess...

Not all of my clients have been successful. Unfortunately, it's true. I'd say that over the past 10 years as a certified personal trainer, 80 percent of my clients haven't achieved their fat loss goals! Great way to introduce myself, huh?

But there is a reason why and before you click off my website I'd like to share the absolute TRUTH on how 20 percent of my clients were able to lose pound after pound of stubborn fat, while the rest could not.

Now tell me -- what group of people do you think Leah belongs to?

Now let me ask you this...

Have you ever had an AH-HA experience?

If you don't have a clue about what I'm talking about, think back to a time when you were confused about how something really worked and then in the 'blink of an eye' the answer entered your mind.

Well, after witnessing the dramatic transformation of a very special personal client of mine named Leah Dryhurst who you can SEE and HEAR up above (if you haven't already)... I finally discovered 10, 'Insider' Secret Habits that she happened to share with the minority of my personal clients who were successful throughout the years!

On the flip side... it was now obvious to me that my clients weren't successful didn't cultivate those 10 crucial habits because they thought the 2 or 3 hours they trained with me each week 'blew the lid off' the other 165 to 166 hours in terms of importance.

My friend, nothing could be further from the truth!

And surprisingly, these life changing habits proved to be so quick, easy and painless for them to form... but the awesome results they achieved in such a short period of time, simply astounded me!

Here's another inspiring testimonial from a personal client who I shook hands with after Leah;

"I Can't Believe How Simple It Was And How Effortless
It Was To Drop The 30 Pounds Of Stubborn Fat That Took
Me 10 Years To Collect And Only 12-Weeks To Lose!"

"I dropped 30 pounds!"

Sure things for fat loss, part 3: The Omega-3's

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:16:00 +0000

Tom Venuto
Burn the Fat.com

SURE THING #1: One thing that virtually the entire scientific community agrees on is that the law of energy balance is always ..
SURE THING #2: Why 90 out of 100 of dieters gain back ...

Writing a series of lessons on "sure things" for fat loss is not as easy as you'd think.
There are so many opinions about the "right way" to eat for getting leaner, that getting
all the experts to agree on anything occurs about as often as Haley's comet flies by.

Even the subject of dietary fat is hugely controversial. Just try
mentioning "saturated fat is bad for you" in a nutrition forum these days and you'll see
exactly what I mean.

But when it comes to one particular type of fat, the vote is virtually unanimous:
Omega-3 fatty acids are sure things for
your health. Even better: Scientists are beginning to uncover the important roles they
play in the fat burning process as well.

Omega-3 fatty acids are labeled "essential" because your body can't manufacture them, so
you must get them from the food you eat (much like certain amino acids, vitamins and
minerals).

Omega-3 fatty acids can be obtained from plant or animal sources.

The richest animal source of omega-3 is fatty fish such as salmon,
mackerel, albacore tuna, rainbow trout, sardines or herring.

The fat in fish contains two important long-chain polyunsaturated
omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These
appear to be the major players responsible for the biological activity in fish oil that
produces the long list of benefits.

The richest plant sources of omega-3 fats are flaxseeds or flaxseed oil. Flaxseed
contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which your
body can convert into DHA and EPA.

The list of potential health benefits from eating these "good fats" is so long, that if
you couldn't look up the scientific references to confirm them for yourself, you would
swear I was just pulling your leg.

Peer-reviewed research has been published on fish oil and omega-3 fats
for the treatment, management or prevention of ALL these conditions:

cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, cardiac
arrhythmias, inflammatory diseases, joint pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney disease,
prostate cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer, crohn's disease, ulcerative
colitis, Alzheimer's, asthma, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
sickle cell anemia, glaucoma, lupus, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, cirrhosis,
epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, menstrual symptoms, psoriasis, diabetes, insulin
resistance, migraines, response to stress, bipolar disorder, depression, psychological
disorders, and metabolic syndrome. Okay, so omega 3 fats are healthy stuff, we can all
agree on that!

Here's why I also suggest that omega-3 fats should be added to the
list of "sure things for fat loss":

At least a half a dozen human studies and more than two dozen animal studies in the last
10 years suggest that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may help you burn more fat or
at the very least that
they play an important role in the fat burning process, or that
a deficiency could inhibit fat burning. Some studies found that omega 3 fats may function
as fuel partitioners
and increase fat oxidation. This means that omega-3's shift glucose toward glycogen
storage and direct fatty acids away from body fat
formation and toward fatty acid oxidation.

Omega-3 fatty acids also enhance the expression of the Uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) gene
in skeletal muscle. Scientists say that this
may indirectly increase energy expenditure by dissipating calories as heat. Other
potential mechanisms include increased sensitivity to the
"anti starvation hormone" leptin, decreased insulin, reduced
fat cell proliferation and improved cell membrane fluidity. It's an exciting area of
research and a highly publicized one as well.

If you pay attention to the news or read any fitness or nutrition
literature, you probably already know about the benefits of omega-3 fats - it's no secret
anymore.

What's shocking is the fact that most people are still deficient
in omega-3 fats, according to the latest statistics.

As with that other "super food" - vegetables - most people seem to know that they
"should" be eating more healthy fats, but they still don't do it. This gap between
knowing what to do and actually doing it is a real problem, when it's so easy to take
advantage of the benefits
of this incredible "power nutrient."

Here are 7 tips that can accommodate both vegetarians and fish eaters alike:

1) eat fatty fish at least twice per week and even daily
if practical and economical for you. If not, you could supplement with fish oil (2-3
grams of combined DHA/EPA daily)

2) Omega 6 fatty acids are also essential, but most people
have an unbalanced omega 3 to omega 6 ratio. This can be
remedied by increasing the omega 3 consumption and or
reducing the omega 6 consumption (by decreasing intake of
processed foods, refined grains, and supermarket cooking
oils, with the exception of extra virgin olive oil)

3) grind up flaxseeds and sprinkle them on salads or add
them to oatmeal, protein shakes or morning cereals. Alternately, supplement with flaxseed
oil; 1 tbsp is equivalent to 3 tbsp flaxseeds (use as a supplement; Not for cooking)

4) snack on walnuts, which contain modest amounts of omega 3 fats

5) increase your consumption of leafy greens which
contain small amounts of omega 3 fats.

6) if you eat red meat, try game meats or grass fed
beef or bison. they dont have nearly the quantity
of omega-3 as marine sources, but they are higher in
omega-3 and have a better omega-3 to omega-6 ratio than conventionally raised and fed
beef.

7) Try omega-3 fortified eggs instead of regular eggs.

See how easy it is to get more omega-3? With all the health benefits stacked on top of
the potential
fat loss benefits, you simply can't go wrong by making this one change to your diet
program - eat more omega 3...
it's a sure thing!

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist
(CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed
The Muscle," which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods
of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat
and increase your metabolism naturally by visiting: Burn the Fat.com

Fat Fighting Fruits

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:26:00 +0000