Weight Loss: The Honest, No-Gimmicky Approach

Entering "Weight Loss" into a keyword tracker tool or a search engine like Google will reveal an alarming number of daily searches on this particular subject. For instance, if you go to www.submitexpress.com and type "weight loss" into their word tracking tool, you'll notice that over 5,000 people look for ways to lose weight every single day.
But this shouldn't be a cause for concern; after all, everyone wants to be popular and well-liked. Maybe this explains our fascination with famous people and how we sometimes put our health at risk by heedlessly following their weight loss trends, even if they are harmful to us.

Observing wild animals will reveal that they are often in tip-top shape, quick on their feet, and sharp as tacks when they are not in confinement. This is because, in contrast to humans, all animals follow the same basic rules of health, such as consuming the correct nutrients for your body type and engaging in sufficient physical activity. These are the fundamental rules, although others may include things like getting enough sleep, sunshine, and social interaction.
As the slogan of my drugless healing site says: "if one way is true, it is the way of nature." I am writing this to inform you that there are numerous weight loss myths and fads that, when carefully examined, will make you question why you ever thought it would be a good idea to give them a try.
In addition, my friends, Nature submits to no one, wants no accolades or acclaim, and merely requests a hearing.
Adopting the three tenets of naturopathy—proper exercise, a healthy diet, and positive thinking—will put you in the best position to lose weight.
Let me give you a quick rundown of each one:
The Right Workout:
Now, I used to think that large, pumped-up muscles represented health and fitness, like the majority of people. Oh, I see. Sure, it could portray strength—at least temporarily. However, if you ask anybody about Bruce Lee, one of the greatest martial artists of all time—they'll tell you that he did a thousand push-ups and other strength feats, but any photo of him would show that he wasn't some bloated mass of muscle waiting to deflate, like most fitness experts and bodybuilders who use artificial supplements—look at the wrinkles and sagging skin on their faces all the time.
So, it's safe to say that basic aerobic exercises involving oxygen (like running, walking, and dancing) and anaerobic exercises involving non-oxygen (like push-ups, pull-ups, dips, the ab-wheel, and weight lifting for body builders) can suffice in and of themselves, without the need for synthetic exercise aids. Without a doubt, Yoga is unparalleled for individuals seeking a mental and physical workout.
>In my experience, a proper and sensible diet—which I will explain soon—and the centuries-old Sun Salutations—revered in Yoga, martial arts, and African wrestling as the "best exercise for humans"—put you on the road to weight loss and strength.
Incredibly strong, powerful, agile, and virility-enhancing, some Indians do this incredible exercise 100 times a day or more. You can expect to witness remarkable results when you incorporate additional poses such as inversions (Shoulder-Stand), forward bends (Head to Knee Pose), backward bends, and balancing poses. These are some of the finest exercises for toning the arms and abdomen, as well as restoring balance and self-confidence. I mean, who needs to brag about how fit and gorgeous Sting, Madonna, Russell Simmons, Beyonce, and Prince are when you consider how many celebrities who practise Yoga?
The bottom line is that, in my view, the human body is best served by exercises that utilise its own weight as resistance, such as Yoga, Callisthenics, and Pilates. I could go on and on about the benefits of breathing exercises from the Yoga genre for weight loss, and abdominal exercises in particular, but that's a whole other discussion.
Do you know of any instances when a chimpanzee repeatedly lifted rocks? But even with eight times the strength of the typical modern human, that extinct relative of ours can wrench a car door off a vehicle. Given that humans share approximately 98% of our DNA with apes, it's reasonable to ask how much better off we would be if we followed the rules laid out by Mother Nature when it came to what we ate and how much exercise we got.
THE RIGHT FOODS — "You are what you eat" Someone else
"Let what you eat be your medicine and what you drink be your food." You shall get food from every plant that has a seed and from every tree that has fruit that contains seeds (Hippocrates, the father of medicine) Genesis 1:29
It should be very clear from these extreme quotations that most contemporary diets go counter to what Mother Nature intended for humans in terms of strength, agility, and physical fitness. Rereading these three quotations should make the right eating plan crystal clear if you're trying to lose weight: Horticultural Goods.
This is coming from someone who was a raw vegan for a while; these days, I fast and eat just fruit and vegetables, either raw or cooked, every other day. I know it; it's not easy. You might as well not try if you're too extreme in your approach; after all, nothing stands on shaky ground.
While I do my best to cover all the bases in my site's core e-book, if you want to learn more about vegan diets, raw vegan diets, or vegetarianism, you can do a thorough search on any of these topics and find a wealth of information. After trying the Standard American diet, the Paleo diet, and the Keto diet, I've come to believe that the first two, and possibly the third, when implemented with caution and wisdom, are the healthiest options for people.
In my article titled "Is a Low-Carb, High-Protein diet the best for weight loss?" which can be found on my blog and in some article directories, I briefly mentioned internal cleanliness and the benefits of a diet free of animal products. However, given the quotes above and the fact that this diet has been proven to be the best time and time again (just ask Bill Pearlman, four-time Mr. Universe!), it goes without saying that this is the best diet for humans.
To get a feel for what to eat each day, check out my article "How to Cure Acne in 10 days" on my site or in one of the many large article directories online. It was visible in most of them during the previous Google spider crawl, but I included it here just in case.
As a last thought on the topic of healthy eating, I'll leave you with this: according to the anthropological approach of various Naturopathic authors and basic observation, our primate ancestors, the great apes, were frugivores, meaning they subsisted mostly on fruits and green leaves. It's no coincidence that these same substances are found in the mucus-free or alkaline-forming foods that science has shown to be beneficial for human health and weight loss.
sensible POSITIVE THINKING: Some passages from the Bible, which is arguably the most difficult book ever written, remind us of how crucial it is to approach every task with a positive and sensible mindset. The keys to eternal life are in your heart, therefore keep it safe. "As a man thinks in his heart; so is he...". However, it is true that your thoughts manifest into reality.
The mind possesses abilities that surpass human understanding at times; nonetheless, as stated by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, author of "The Power of Positive Thinking," "You are what you are now based on your thoughts five years ago and will be what you constantly think of yourself now in five years." Thoughts are powerful, but without action, even happy, constructive thoughts are meaningless. Reading this post shows that you want to improve yourself, whether that's through weight reduction or something else entirely.
As with any journey in life, there will be moments when you feel like giving up, losing faith, or losing focus and stopping short of your goals. This is why most people fail at diets and fads that claim to help them lose weight. My friend, to overcome these doubts and fears and keep moving forward, you literally have to tune your thinking to be positive. Since the other two components of drugless healing are complementary, it will really be easier to implement all three in order to lose weight.
Put an end to the fleeting trends and empty promises. The three cornerstones of health—nutrition, exercise, and positive thinking—must be addressed in any healing program, but notably weight loss programs. In addition to helping you lose weight, my goal in writing this article is to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision about your health and fitness journey.

No way!

 The Year I Became a Modern-Day Leper Along with My "Friend" Herpes

At the age of 24, I couldn't have imagined that my life could take a turn for the worst in 1990. My financial position was quite terrible, and I had recently graduated from college. An economic depression was gripping the nation. Not only had the long, dark winter finally given up the ghost, but I was also in the midst of a terrible breakup with a jealous girlfriend.
Life wasted little time demonstrating that my naiveté in thinking things couldn't get worse was well-founded. The beginning of my relationship with this stunning, energetic, city-dwelling woman was quite promising. Six months had passed of intensely amorous correspondence before we finally met in person. Our first meeting took place while I was still a university student, and there was a good 1200 miles between us. Our friendship blossomed into love at a leisurely pace, complete with the hope and passion befitting two young adults in their twenties. What looked great from a distance turned out to be a complete disaster when seen up close. Things went horribly wrong as soon as I flew down to move in with her once my classes completed. I was told she had Herpes, but our sex life was still hot. She assured me that we could have our normal, unprotected sex lives as long as we avoided having sex when she knew she was getting an outbreak. Not only did I believe her, but I could tell she really thought that too. She had contracted the illness herself not long ago from an uninformed man she had slept with casually.

In bed, we were far more compatible than when we were not. A tall, lovely princess with fair skin and a tall, black artist with dreadlocks. Unfortunately, we were completely at odds with one another. War broke out instead of peace. Plus, I'm the one who's mostly to blame. During that period, I had a low tolerance for some things, was furious at the world for its treatment of me, and certainly did not enjoy the treatment I was getting from my beloved—but I did more than my bit to sow dissension. The chemistry between us was terrible as soon as we were in the same room. We were left bewildered, raw, and disoriented when the relationship ended, which was thankfully brief.
A very tragic turn of events brought us back together two days after the infamous breakup. I vowed I would never see her again, and that was less than 48 hours ago. We were both seated in the hospital waiting area. She was staring at me with a mix of shame, anger, and remorse. Neither my emotions nor my words were clear to her. As I attempted to gain control of the situation, I found myself drifting aimlessly through space.
Listen up, folks! What turned out to be my very first Herpes breakout was happening at the same time. I was overtaken by agony and all the flu-like symptoms typical of early outbreaks as what began as an itchy irritation on my foreskin swiftly transformed into a furious swelling colony of tiny lesions. This whole thing was a complete mystery to me. At the time, I really wanted to believe it wasn't AIDS or Herpes. If given the choice, I would have gone with syphilis or gonorrhoea. My ex-girlfriend of two days was required to accompany me to the doctor since they were unable to diagnose my illness and wanted to test us both simultaneously.
Despite our mutual animosity—which I'm sure she harbours even now—I recall feeling sad for her. I had a feeling she would have been just as sad as I was if it had turned out that she had transmitted herpes to me. There we were, caught between fearing the worse and hoping for the best, experiencing a roller coaster of emotions.
The doctors' insistence that we wait around one week for test results was, of course, a source of constant torture. A small sample of my lesions was collected and sent away. Upon receiving the call, the news was positive. My herpes test came back negative. According to the physicians, they are still unsure of what I had, but they are considering the possibility that it was simply an infection of my foreskin caused by rough sex. I called Her immediately to share the good news because I was so relieved. For a fleeting second, we truly had something good to talk about. For better or worse, the test result saved us both. Regrettably, and ironically again, it proved to be a temporary relief for just one of us.
She had been honest with me, which is a plus. The potential consequences and hazards were completely unknown to me at that moment. I was willing to take a chance, though I had no clue that this would be our final encounter in the most ironic way possible, marking the end of the worst relationship we had ever experienced.
After dealing with Herpes, I moved on with my life. Herpes, on the other hand, was absolutely obsessed with me. Two months after that, I had another outbreak, and then another one a month after that. In a fit of rage, I barged into a different medical facility and demanded to know my diagnosis. The doctors here were far more knowledgeable; they examined my penis and immediately diagnosed me with herpes. Since there was no blood test for Herpes in Canada at the time, they used their own cotton swab test to confirm it. I was informed that false negatives for herpes were prevalent; this is because the virus had to be present on the skin for the test to work; otherwise, the result would be negative, even though the patient actually had the infection. They informed me that my sex life would be forever altered and that there was no treatment they could offer. My first instinct was to give my ex-lover a scolding over what had transpired. I lacked the courage to confront her about it, even though she was actively seeking revenge by attempting to ruin my job and spreading rumours about how horribly I had treated her. Therefore, I will never inform her that she is the one who infected me with herpes.
I don't have the words to express the depths of misery and humiliation that a Herpes diagnosis would inevitably bring my way. I thought my life was coming to an end in a lot of ways. A hitherto unseen level of filthiness washed over me. I got a shiver just thinking about the phrase herpes. The physicians lacked compassion and empathy. My orthodox West Indian family was very close to me, yet I couldn't bring up this subject with any of them. There was no one I could confide in. Every day, without fail, bizarre fatalistic fantasies raced through my head. I felt like hiding out in enforced celibacy when I thought about having to tell someone I had this thing.
I felt cursed, like a figure out of the Bible. Although I had acted badly, as most men my age do, I did not act badly enough to warrant such a severe punishment from the gods. In every sense of the word, this was excessive.
Once I accepted the fact that I had herpes, the first thing I knew was that it would be with me forever. I would never be a "whole" person, regardless of my actions or identity. I was "marked" for the rest of my life. Which meant I had become a member of a social outcast group. Like many other modern-day lepers, I suffered from Herpes and felt morally compelled to hide my true self. The sensation of being a victim was one that I greatly disliked. Wow, this will be a weight I have to bear for the rest of my life.
I was officially one of them now. However, I was completely unaware of the significance of being one of them. It would take years and a lot of freeing and painful events to find out.
For what reason am I disclosing this to you? The narcissism is definitely a factor. It's only natural to want your narrative to live on in some digital form; sharing mine will allow others to understand what transpired and how I felt. However, my own recovery is the primary driver of my motivation. This disease and society's cruel, unreasonable hatred and dread of people like me who have STDs are not going to get me. I contracted herpes within the framework of a monogamous relationship; I was not engaging in any risky behaviours. I am completely innocent of any wrongdoing that could have resulted from engaging in risky behaviour. When you're dealing with herpes, the wardrobe is the absolute worst spot to be. Please, if you wish to live your life as a leper and accept people' treatment of you in that manner, but I will not. I have made the decision to break free from this condition rather than allow it to confine me. Saying it out loud and admitting that I am one of "them" is no longer something I'm embarrassed about. Although I have herpes, it does not control me. Both the virus and I have made peace with it. Now that I've found my niche, I can happily help others break free from the stigma that has held them back.
"Nine Years in the Wildness: My Personal and Professional Quest for a Holistic Herpes Treatment Plan" is the second installment of my story that will detail my journey from herpes victim to holistic herpes treatment specialist and spokesperson. The road is just starting, but I managed to transform the largest negative into one of the biggest positives in my life. With at least 60% of the North American population infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 or 2, we really do live in a herpes nation.
No way!

 The Strengths and Weaknesses of Humans

A random act of kindness and love will not soften the cruel nature of people. All these things just serve to show how far we have come in our quest to make family and love universal values. These actions are driven by those who may believe that society's rigidity is vulnerable; they also serve as a warning against the avarice of a select few, whose greed is causing the decline of the majority.
Certainly, there are many who engage in charitable activity, make charitable contributions, and even set up foundations in the hopes of becoming famous or assisting those in need, or perhaps both. Whether these actions increase, remain constant, or decrease, they highlight humanity's inadequacy in addressing the crucial concerns of universal happiness, compassion, love, and peace. Policies and decision-makers should not, above all else, have these pursuits in mind while formulating their goals. Having these values deeply ingrained in a society's culture is essential for promoting moral and social responsibility; otherwise, the society in question lacks the foundational egalitarianism necessary to support these values.

This is not a discussion about people in general, but rather subsets of people who are confined to specific locations or who identify with those locations but feel an inseparable bond to them. The transgressions of a culture whose collective unconscious refuses to produce the kind of harmony that may calm a planet in disarray are often brought to the attention of the reflecting individual's conscience. This appears to be a dramatic unfolding, yet it is actually quite real.
Group psychology is not an inevitable byproduct, but rather emerges as a product of the power structures inside an organisation. Culture gives rise to collective personality, but group psyche is far more nuanced. The ideological framework, which includes group psyche, is based on the exploitation of specific cultural elements, most notably on made-up beliefs that the power brokers have institutionalised as cultural truths. In order to avoid being revealed as unethical, those in power believe a basic lie and then work tirelessly to spread it to everyone. We should be alarmed by such propaganda because it poses real or perceived danger, causes suffering, torments innocent lives, and encourages chaos at a time when international collaboration and fair regard for cultural differences are most desired.
Is it possible that we fail to see ideological constructs that are presented as indisputable facts, as essential to the democratic process, when in reality, all they offer are cultural misconceptions derived from an imperialistic past? Propagandists are experts at spreading misinformation to all parts of the globe. Underneath their deceitful pretences of "liberty," "democracy," "civilisation," "development," "progress," and so on, they are driven by an unquenchable thirst for cultural domination, either by failing to recognise or, even worse, by failing to comprehend, that our self-proclaimed cultural practices do not align with their cultural misconceptions. Culture is an organic product of people's ongoing interactions with the unique physical world they inhabit, but this fact has been overlooked time and time again. Consider this.
In terms of all characteristics that are considered natural, two environmental spaces, p and q, are distinct from one another. Concerns with weather, vegetation, and wildlife immediately spring to mind as examples of their uniqueness. P and q societies are thus named because its members have actively worked to improve their environments from ancient times to the current day. Furthermore, these societies have developed political, religious, economic, and social institutions in response to the difficulties they faced as a result of their settings. Whether or not this qualifies as modern depends on our subjective definition of modernity. Everything that happens is a result of a human need, which is met in response to the environment's current state of affairs. But flaws and human wrongdoing can be seen in various natural settings. That is the mystery of human nature, which the internal mechanisms of ecological balance and social psychology will solve in the end.
We shouldn't mess with nature's order since different environmental spaces have diverse cultural forms. We are quick to dismiss the efforts of imperial forces that seek to transform the framework of other cultures into their own when we accept ecologically determined cultural patterns as inevitable, as if they were a divine arrangement. If these shifts take place, the cultural currents will be upended, and a new, chaotic current will meet the existing environmental space in an unnatural way.
However, this kind of instability not only disrupts the new human race's relationship with the natural world, but it also wreaks havoc on people's minds, both individually and collectively. Judgement of other cultures in an absolute sense based on markers of one's own culture is a mistake and a manifest failure. No one group's abnormal beliefs or emotions should dictate the destiny of another group's members or culture. Human depravity and cultural form distortion will continue unchecked until this aberration is eliminated. Misleadingly, however, this is what is meant when people talk about things like democracy, freedom, civilisation, and progress.
Superpower politics and economics have given its supporters, its naive social group, and its ignorant admirers new psychological drives. And the architect has portrayed a collective shame as the genuine spirit of civilisation, replacing the question of truth. Inverting a social group's guilt and presenting it as a liberated conscience that others should follow is both immoral and harmful to humanity. This kind of guilt stems from a society that values independence and autonomy above all else, frequently at the expense of community and environmental harmony. People nowadays are more robotic, cut off from the possibility of virtuous integration with the very world they fight so hard to control. But many people see this, erroneously, as the new genuine human being, the embodiment of their own unique personality.
An individual's sense of self is not some theoretical concept best left unexplored. Much of what makes us unique, both you and I, is our cultural background. Because I was born and raised in a different environment than you, the unique traits that I exhibit are a product of my upbringing as well as my internal and external responses. Culture boils down to this. Cultural differences are relative, not absolute, and this fact brings us together as human beings despite our many distinctions. However, we risk losing sight of cultural identification as foundational to individual identity if we treat personal identity as a theoretical concept with no practical application. It would appear that imperialist actions are more likely to adhere to the abstract concept of individual identity.
Oh my goodness!

Top Tips for Losing Weight

Lost Pounds and Their "Secrets"
The number one, most tightly held secret is that there is no magic bullet for losing weight.

Unfortunately, I do not have good news for you if you are hoping for a diet pill that is both safe and effective. There is no such thing, and there likely never will be. There are only two choices for someone who is overweight: either accept themselves as they are or find a means to shed weight.
"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary."Luc Besson
Yes, losing weight can be quite a challenge. The good news is that losing weight becomes much easier the more you educate yourself on the subject of nutrition, meals, and exercise, and how your body responds to these factors.
Two Crucial Pieces of Information for a Healthy Weight Loss Journey
Here are two things you should know before starting any diet plan:
First, *energy balance determines weight loss*. Consuming fewer calories than you burn off is the formula for weight loss. No matter what, this is true. Nothing you eat, no miraculous medicines, and no potions will make you lose weight overnight. Less food and more exercise is the only surefire way to lose weight.
2. *Changes that last necessitate long-term weight loss*. Dieting for six weeks and then going back to your previous ways of eating is not realistic. Diet regimens that are too short-term tend to fail in the long run. Modifying your lifestyle in little but lasting ways is the only surefire approach to maintain your weight loss. As a happy coincidence, this is also the most effective strategy for better health.
Six Crucial Guidelines for Promoting Weight Loss
There are a plethora of weight loss methods out there, but they all boil down to six main ideas. Take the time to learn these principles and incorporate them into your strategy:
1. *Take care of yourself physically and mentally*. Your body will not be able to support you if you neglect it. To begin, check that you're getting enough water, vitamins, and minerals in your food, that you're getting enough sleep and exposure to fresh air, and that you're not under excessively harmful stress. Weight loss is more likely to occur if you take all the necessary steps to improve your general health.
2. *Cut back on the calories you consume*. Changing your energy balance is the key to losing fat. See the first fact up there. Either reduce your caloric intake (the "bad" option) or increase your energy expenditure (the "good" one) through physical activity. Limiting the quantity of high-calorie items you eatand/or the size of your meals is the simplest approach to lower your consumption. You are not obligated to abstain from any specific foods because of this. True, you may experience severe cravings that throw off your diet plan if you abstain from an item entirely. Reduce your consumption of those high-calorie items; that's the healthier choice.
Keep an eye out for meals that have "hidden" calories as well. Take *whatever it is that you drink* as an example. How many calories you consume each day is highly dependent on what you drink. Since the filling power of various beverages is relatively constant, this is a great area to start making dietary changes. While water is ideal, caffeine-containing beverages including coffee, tea, and diet soda can also aid with calorie restriction.
Use your condiment and topping knowledge wisely. Many of the "special sauces" served at restaurants, such as butter and mayonnaise, are rich in calories. Substitute other ingredients like salsa, lemon juice, soy sauce, or spices for the original seasoning.
3. *Keep or speed up your metabolic rate.* Excessive calorie restriction occurs when dieters lose control due to excitement or impatience with their diet. Your metabolism will drop and your weight reduction will stall as a result of it. Make little adjustments to what you eat to stop your metabolism from adjusting downward. Losing weight more consistently, having more energy, and having less cravings are all outcomes of being patient.
Incorporate exercise into your plan for optimal outcomes. Not only does physical activity burn calories in and of itself, but it also has the potential to raise your basal metabolic rate, which means you'll continue to burn calories even when you're not moving about. Although high-intensity workouts are great for burning calories, you shouldn't base your exercise choices just on one metric. Instead, make exercise a regular part of your life by choosing sports or other physical activities that you enjoy.
Make sure you don't go hungry.One of the most powerful signals your body sends out is hunger, which can be a formidable adversary to your self-control. Not only does hunger take a while to go away, but it also has the potential to make you overeat. If you want to stop the destructive cycle of eating too much when you're hungry, try eating before you feel hungry. Someone trying to watch their calorie intake might find this idea counterintuitive, yet it really works. There are two methods that can make this task easier to complete:
*Increase the frequency and size of your meals*. Try eating five or six smaller meals instead of three larger ones. If you eat more often, you won't go hungry as often because you won't leave as much time between meals. A higher metabolic rate is only one of the many benefits of eating more regularly, according to some research.
*Alternate your meals with items that take longer to digest. If you can't eat more often, at least make sure each meal has a variety of nutrients. Digestion times for lipids and proteins are substantially longer than those for carbs. Although the majority of carbs are digested in around two hours, protein takes around four hours, and fat can take up to six hours. Keep in mind that compared to other energy sources, fat has four times as many calories.
Dieters following low-carb regimens (such as the AtkinsTM and South BeachTM programs) report less hunger than those following low-fat regimens, in part because fat is digested more slowly. However, you shouldn't feel obligated to cut out all carbs from your diet. The majority of people also report less hunger pangs while following a balanced-nutrient regimen, such as the Zone Diet.
5. Get your eating habits in check. Not only do we eat to keep ourselves fed, but we also eat to connect with others. But many individuals get into bad routines that promote eating too much. Some unhealthy eating habits that you should strive to avoid include:
Incorporating culinary delights with entertaining shows.While watching television, it's simple to consume a container of popcorn, a bag of chips, or a whole carton of ice cream without thinking. You will eat less if you treat eating as an independent task.
*Relieving stress with food.* Nothing wrong with enjoying a good meal every now and then, but it's not a good idea to rely on food as a means of coping with stress. Do anything else to relieve tension before you eat, like go for a run, listen to music, or meditate.
*Roaming about with food*. These days, it's easy to get a snack from the vending machine and eat it in the car because convenience foods are everywhere. However, you should not make this a regular part of your day. Be sure to leave enough time in your schedule to eat your meals in peace and quiet, without being rushed.
Everyone makes mistakes when it comes to their diet. It may be beyond your control to fix your eating habits if you consistently struggle with self-control. For more assistance, it would be beneficial to seek the advice of a psychologist or a weight reduction specialist.
6. *Write down every single thing you consume* Dietary changes are notoriously difficult to maintain because it's so easy to revert to old habits. One effective strategy for avoiding this is to maintain a food diary. Just get a cheap spiral notebook and jot down everything you eat all day long. If you want to keep track of your food intake, it's best to write down your entries as soon as you eat. Make sure to keep adding entries for a minimum of three weeks to get the most out of it.
Keeping a food journal compels you to carefully consider each bite. Although it may seem like a chore at first, it will really speed up the process of improving your eating habits. When you seek advice from a nutritionist or doctor about your eating habits in the future, your food journal will be an invaluable resource.
If you're going to keep a food journal, it's smart to add up all the calories and nutrients you eat every day. In order for your diet to be effective, you need to reduce your total calorie consumption from what it was before, while still making sure you get all the nutrients you need.

The Functional Training Craze

In the past few years I've seen a huge transition in the fitness industry. More and more people are using functional training, and some argue it's the only way to train. The purpose of this article is to give people an understanding of what functional training is, and what it does and does not do.

First, lets look at what functional actually means. 

Func.tion.al 1. capable of operating or functioning, 2. capable of serving the purpose for which it was intended (Webster's Encyclopedia 2nd Edition, 1996) 

Based on that definition, you can draw many conclusions as to what is functional. Depending upon who you ask, you will most likely get a diverse variety of responses as to what is functional. All human movement is a combination of various functions. Human movement cannot take place without muscular function. According to the functional training "experts", functional training uses bands, balls, free-weights, and plyometric exercises in an attempt to condition the body in an un-stable environment. Many of the experts feel that performing exercises that mimic activities or specific skills is the most effective way to train, regardless of ones goal. 

What is the safest, most efficient and effective way to optimize human performance? 

Factors Affecting Human Performance 

In order to maximize human performance, you must have a good understanding of what affects performance. The factors that play the greatest role in performance are: Power (Strength and Speed), Agility (Flexibility/Mobility/Stability), Cardiovascular and Respiratory Conditioning, Sport Skill (Neuromuscular Coordination and Efficiency), and Genetic Potential. 

Let’s take a look at each factor and determine which training methods are going to deliver optimal results. By optimal results, I mean the greatest amount of improvement, with the least amount of risk, and in the shortest amount of time. 

Power 

Power= Force x Distance 

Time 

Power can be increased three ways. 

1. Increase Force (Strength) 

What is the most effective method of increasing strength and/or muscle tissue? In my opinion, High Intensity Strength Training is the most productive, safe, and time efficient approach available. I am not stating that one set of each exercise is the best choice. My definition of High Intensity Training is: training to momentary muscular failure, with brief and infrequent workouts in which all variables are prescribed based on the individuals: goals, age, current fitness level, fiber types, personal preference, and past experience.

The purpose of strength training is to increase strength and lean body mass, NOT for training a specific skill or movement-that's called practice! People strength train for many reasons and there are many methods that work. For years, many trainers and coaches have had their clients and athletes perform Olympic lifts because they feel it will transfer over into the performance of their skill. Numerous studies have shown that the neurological transfer of skills is not optimal unless the skill is practiced EXACTLY as it is performed in competition. Therefore, performing power cleans because you play football is NOT optimal. Performing power-cleans will only get you better at performing power-cleans! Focus on increasing strength and lean body mass, and practice your skill exactly as it is performed during competition. 

2. Increase Speed 

Increasing the speed at which a skill is performed is another great way to improve power. Speed is primarily predetermined by the individual's genetic make up. However, that does not mean that you cannot improve speed by practicing the skill EXACTLY as it is performed in competition. A great deal of focus should be placed on perfecting the technique. By practicing the skill in this manner, you will improve neuromuscular efficiency, which will result in faster and more accurate performance. 

3. Increase Distance (flexibility/range of motion) 

Increasing flexibility is another way to improve power. By increasing flexibility, you increase the distance that force is applied which results in an increase in power. 

The safest and most effective method to increase flexibility is by performing full range of motion exercises and incorporating a sound stretching routine. 

Agility 

Improving ones agility is another way of optimizing performance. Agility drills should be SPECIFIC to the activity or event. For example, having someone do Plyometric jumps off of boxes is NOT specific to someone who plays basketball! Yes, a basketball player jumps, but not off of boxes. Having the athlete practice jumping from the floor would be much more specific to their sport. Always ask yourself, “What is the goal?” “Is what I’m doing going to give me the outcome I desire?” “Is it optimal?”

Cardiovascular and Respiratory Conditioning 

Increasing cardio/respiratory output and endurance is another factor that has a major impact on performance. This topic is one of such importance that it is beyond the scope of this article. In general, if you increase the individual's cardiovascular and respiratory output and endurance, there will be a corresponding increase in performance. Cardiovascular training should also be specifically geared towards improving the individuals conditioning in the metabolic pathway in which they compete or perform. For example, someone who plays tennis should primarily train at a slow to moderate pace and incorporate bursts of high intensity effort. Interval training would be a good choice for this individual. Keep the training specific to the individual. 

Sport Skill 

This is an area in which there is a lot of confusion among many athletes, coaches, and trainers. Skill acquisition and strength levels are two completely different things. Therefore, they should be trained separately, and with different methods. In order to optimize the performance of a specific skill or movement, it needs to be practiced EXACTLY as it is performed in competition. It has been shown that each activity or movement has it's own neuromuscular pathway, and that just because a movement is similar does NOT mean there will be a positive transfer or carryover of skill. In order to maximize performance the individual should attempt to perfect their movement or skill with endless hours of practice. The goal of practice should be to improve the technique, accuracy, and increase the speed at which the skill can be performed. This topic was addressed earlier in the section titled “Increase Force.” 

Genetic Potential 

This is the factor that I have found to have the greatest impact on human performance. Genetic potential is something many people overlook. Regardless of what methods of training I use, I will never be a world-class marathoner. I can train twice a week or I can train 5 hours a day, it still won't change the fact that my body wasn't designed to excel at endurance activities. I hear of too many coaches and trainers having people follow dangerous training programs in an attempt to drastically improve their performance. This is not to say that you cannot improve performance. When training yourself or a competitive athlete, always set realistic goals. As stated earlier, the best thing to do is utilize the most effective methods available and work hard! 

Differences between Functional Training and Machine Based Training 

Most, if not all of the so-called functional exercises, fail to supply constant and variable resistance. Most quality machines supply constant tension and variable resistance based on the strength curve of the particular muscle, and track proper joint function. 

For example, compare dumbbell bicep curls on a Swiss ball to a bicep curl on a quality machine (such as Hammer Strength.) While performing the dumbbell curl, there is no tension on the biceps in the bottom or top positions. The resistance is greatest when the dumbbell is perpendicular to the floor. The amount of stimulus is also decreased due to the fact that the individual must balance his/her self on the ball. While using a machine, there is constant tension on the biceps and the amount of tension varies during the exercise based on the strength curve of the biceps muscle. Which is going to make the individual stronger? Which is going to stimulate more muscle fibers in the biceps? 

In my opinion, machine based training is by far superior if the goal is to increase strength, and/or muscle tissue. Keep in mind that more muscle equates to a faster, stronger, and better athlete, providing they practice their specific skill or movement. 

This is not to say that functional exercises serve no purpose. There are benefits to functional exercise; just not as many as some people are lead to believe. Exercise selection and the training methods used should be based on the individual's goals. Instances where functional training may be effective would be in individuals who need to improve balance, stability, and neuromuscular coordination. Below is a chart that shows the differences between Functional Training and Machine Based Training. 

Startup Financing On the Rise

According to Pricewaterhouse Coopers, investment by institutional venture capitalists in startups grew from less than $3.0 billion at the beginning of the 1990’s to over $106 billion in 2000.  Although venture capital volume has retreated significantly since the economic “bubble” years of the late 1990’s, the present volume of around $ 19 billion per year still represents a substantial rate of growth. Venture capitalists will fund more than 2,500 high growth startups in the U.S. this year.  The growth in venture capital investing has given rise to a relatively new and expanding area of equipment leasing known as ‘venture leasing’. Exactly what is venture leasing and what has fueled its growth since the early 1990’s?   Why has venture leasing become so attractive to venture capital-backed startups?  To find answers, one must look at several important developments that have bolstered the growth of this important equipment leasing segment.

The term venture leasing describes equipment financing provided by equipment leasing firms to pre-profit, early stage companies funded by venture capital investors.  These startups, like most growing businesses, need computers, networking equipment, furniture, telephone equipment, and equipment for production and R&D. They rely on outside investor support until they prove their business models or achieve profitability. Fueling the growth in venture leasing is a combination of several factors, including: renewed economic expansion, improvement in the IPO market, abundant entrepreneurial talent, promising new technologies, and government policies favoring venture capital formation. In this environment, venture investors have formed a sizeable pool of venture capital to launch and support the development of many new technologies and business concepts. Additionally, an array of services is now available to support the development of startups and to promote their growth. CPA firms, banks, attorneys, investment banks, consultants, lessors, and even search firms have committed significant resources to this emerging market segment.

Where does equipment leasing fit into the venture financing mix?  The relatively high cost of venture capital versus venture leasing tells the story.  Financing new ventures is a high risk proposition.  To compensate venture capitalists for this risk, they generally require a sizeable equity stake in the companies they finance.  They typically seek investment returns of at least 35% on their investments over five to seven years.  Their return is achieved via an IPO or other sale of their equity stake. In comparison, venture lessors seek a return in the 15% – 22% range. These transactions amortize in two to four years and are secured by the underlying equipment.  Although the risk to venture lessors is also high, venture lessors mitigate the risk by having a security interest in the leased equipment and structuring transactions that amortize.  Appreciating the obvious cost advantage of venture leasing over venture capital, startup companies have turned to venture leasing as a significant source of funding to support their growth.  Additional advantages to the startup of venture leasing include the traditional leasing strong points --- conservation of cash for working capital, management of cash flow, flexibility, and serving as a supplement to other available capital.

What makes a ‘good’ venture lease transaction?  Venture lessors look at several factors. Two of the main ingredients of a successful new venture are the caliber of its management team and the quality of its venture capital sponsors.  In many cases the two groups seem to find one another.  A good management team has usually demonstrated prior successes in the field in which the new venture is active.  Additionally, they must have experience in the key business functions—sales, marketing, R&D, production, engineering, and finance.  Although there are many venture capitalists financing new ventures, there can be a significant difference in their abilities, staying power, and resources.  The better venture capitalists have successful track records and direct experience with the type of companies they financed.  The best VCs have industry specialization and many are staffed by individuals with direct operating experience within the industries they finance.  The amount of capital a venture capitalist allocates to the startup for future rounds is also important.  An otherwise good VC group that has exhausted its allocated funding can be problematic.  

After determining that the caliber of the management team and venture capitalists is high, a venture lessor looks at the startup’s business model and market potential.  It is unrealistic to expect expert evaluation of the technology, market, business model and competitive climate by equipment leasing firms. Many leasing firms rely on experienced and reputable venture capitalists who have evaluated these factors during their ‘due diligence’ process. However, the lessor must still undertake significant independent evaluation.  During this evaluation he considers questions such as: Does the business plan make sense?  Is the product/ service necessary, who is the targeted customer and how large is the potential market? How are products and services priced and what are the projected revenues?  What are the production costs and what are the other projected expenses?  Do these projections seem reasonable?  How much cash is on hand and how long will it last the startup according to the projections?  When will the startup need the next equity round?  These, and questions like these, help the lessor determine whether the business plan and model are reasonable

The most basic credit question facing the leasing company considering leasing equipment to a startup is whether there is sufficient cash on hand to support the startup through a significant part of the lease term.  If no more venture capital is raised and the venture runs out of cash, the lessor is not likely to collect lease payments. To mitigate this risk, most experienced venture lessors require that the startup have at least nine months or more of cash on hand before proceeding. Usually, startups approved by venture lessors have raised $ 5 million or more in venture capital and have not yet exhausted a healthy portion of this amount.

Where do startups turn to get their leases funded?  Part of the infrastructure supporting venture startups is a handful of national leasing companies that specialize in venture lease transactions.  These firms have experience in structuring, pricing and documenting transactions, performing due diligence, and working with startup companies through their ups and downs. The better venture lessors respond quickly to lease proposal requests, expedite the credit review process, and work closely with startups to get documents executed and the equipment ordered.  Most venture lessors provide leases to startups under lines of credit so that the lessee can schedule multiple takedowns during the year.  These lease lines typically range from as little as $200,000 to over $ 5,000,000, depending on the start-up’s need, projected growth and the level of venture capital support. The better venture lease providers also assist customers, directly or indirectly, in identifying other resources to support their growth.  They help the startup acquire equipment at better prices, arrange takeouts of existing equipment, find additional working capital funding, locate temporary CFO’s, and provide introductions to potential strategic partners--- these are all value-added services the best venture lessors bring to the table.

What is the outlook for venture leasing?  Venture leasing has really come into its own since the early 1990s.  With venture investors pouring tens of billion of dollars into startups annually, this market segment has evolved into an attractive one for the equipment leasing industry. The most attractive industries for venture leasing include life sciences, software, telecommunications, information services, medical services and devices, and the Internet. As long as the factors supporting the formation of startups remain favorable, the outlook for venture leasing continues to look promising.

Staying Fit While on the Go: The Diet Problem Facing Business Travelers

 Staying Fit While on the Go: The Diet Problem Facing Business Travelers

Poor eating habits have continued unabated in the 21st century, even though proper nutrition information is easily accessible to nearly anybody with a library card or Internet connection.

This national dietary deficit is not attributable to one particular piece of nutritional misinformation. Neither can it be stated that health-conscious Americans aren't trying or interested. More people in the United States are concerned about their health now than in the past. A logistical difficulty, not an idealistic, strategic, or tactical one, is the problem of bad eating habits.

Because of their hectic schedules, people of all ages in the United States view eating healthy food as an indulgence, something to do only on rare occasions or when they really don't have the time to cook. This problem of maintaining a nutritious diet is never more acute, though, than for the ordinary business traveler[i].

For the average business traveler, the airport is the first stop on the path to the second most unhealthy meal of their trip. Most of these transportation centers have fast food and snack options, which tend to be heavy in carbs, unsaturated fats, and calories.

What is the primary source of unhealthy eating if airports and stations rank second? Surely it's on board the plane.

Airline cuisine used to take a lot of heat for being bland and uninteresting. The nutritionally defective meals that most business travelers are treated to while en route has become more of a problem as people have become more conscious of the nutrition—or lack thereof—in some food sources over the past decade.

Indeed, research from the American weight-loss program Nutricise[ii] shows that the average aircraft meal has more than a thousand calories. More than half of the calories consumed by "average eaters" each day come from just one meal, which is quite a lot. Calorie counting is just one aspect of this problem. Fatty acids account for over half of the 1,000+ calories in an aeroplane meal, which is fifteen percent more than the thirty percent daily fat-from-calories recommendation made by some authorities [iii].

Vegetarian and vegan alternatives, which are usually (but not necessarily) lower in saturated fat, calories, and salt, are becoming more available on several planes as a result of this challenge. Unfortunately, just one of the ten airlines studied in 2003[iv] by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) was found to offer readily available healthful food options. Although business travelers may not always have the time to plan ahead, three out of ten airlines did provide some healthy food options. Vegetarian (i.e., low-fat, low-sodium, low-calorie) in-flight meals were severely lacking on the other six airlines polled.

Furthermore, business travelers encounter an additional obstacle when it comes to food that individuals not on the aircraft are not compelled to deal with. The majority of individuals "on the ground" have the freedom to leave restaurants or make conscious decisions about their food purchases, whereas those "in the air" are frequently compelled to accept unhealthy options. Meetings, airports, and more meetings means that most business travelers are usually rushing from one place to another. Consequently, it is frequently preferable to consume the unhealthy, too caloric, sodium-heavy, and otherwise unbalanced airline meal rather than go hungry.

Thanks to the efforts of groups like the PCRM, the topic of business traveler nutrition is starting to get some attention, but not quite fast enough. Over 200 million people travel for business purposes in the United States each year[v], which means that many people who really should be eating healthier are stuck eating fast food.

Most airlines have made a feeble attempt to update their menus in response to this enormous demand from business travelers. There have been a number of "nutritional supplement" solutions put out to address the nutritional needs of business travelers; they tend to be in the shape of fluids or bars.

Much with the revamped airline meal program, most of these supplements don't meet the nutritional needs of passengers by delivering enough protein without adding unnecessary calories or carbs. Furthermore, most of the time, important nutrients are missing from the small number of goods that have partially satisfied these calorie, protein, and carbohydrate needs.

But there are a handful of health-conscious items that are getting fantastic reviews from business travelers for their high-quality nutrition and their ability to withstand the rigors of airport baggage handlers without leaking. Plus, you won't need to dilute, mix, or take with a lot of water or other fluid these goods because they are liquids, so they're easy to swallow.

Business travelers may keep healthy without sacrificing time or energy with these smart and scientifically tested nutritional solutions. They offer a complete variety of vital vitamins and can be taken as a meal replacement or supplement.


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The History And Usefulness Of Coenzyme Q10

 The History And Usefulness Of Coenzyme Q10

I knew as a child how important it was to eat healthily and take my vitamins. However, since then, the science of dietary supplements has advanced significantly. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a shining star in this scientific evolution. It's not a medicine, CoQ10. It is a compound that resembles a vitamin that is produced in our body's tissues and can be found in trace amounts in a range of meals.

The body contains substances called enzymes that are vital to many of the activities that keep us alive and our bodies operating as intended. Enzymes that are specifically required for the synthesis of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a high-energy phosphate that is necessary for all cellular functions, are known as mitochondrial enzymes. Our bodies would shut down at the cellular level without it. The cofactor that at least three mitochondrial enzymes rely on is coenzyme Q10. Thus, CoQ10 is necessary for ATP function, according to logic. In summary, ATP is necessary for every bodily function in humans. And CoQ10 is necessary for ATP function.

Our bodily tissues produce CoQ10, as was previously mentioned. Tyrosine, an amino acid, is the starting point for its intricate, multistage production, which calls for a number of vitamins and trace minerals. When we are young, under normal circumstances, we generate what we require. However, a lack of CoQ10 can be caused by a variety of causes. These include advancing age, illness, inadequate food, statin medication use, and rising tissue demands. However, it is a good idea to review the background of CoQ10 research before discussing CoQ10 inadequacies.

Past Events

Dr. Frederick Crane isolated CoQ10 for the first time in 1957 from the mitochondria of cattle hearts. In the same year, British professor Morton found CoQ10 in the livers of rats lacking in vitamin A. The next year, scientists at Merck, Inc. discovered its chemical structure and produced it for the first time.

The CoQ compounds were initially put to use for a practical purpose by neither the British nor the Americans. A similar chemical (CoQ7) was initially utilized to treat congestive heart failure by Japanese professor Yamamura. Then came more useful applications. In the middle of the 1960s, CoQ6 was utilized as a potent antioxidant. Heart disease and CoQ10 depletion were connected in Italy in 1972. However, the technology required to synthesize CoQ10 in sufficient quantities to enable large-scale clinical studies was first mastered by the Japanese.

Following Peter Mitchell's 1978 Nobel Prize winning description of the cellular biological energy transfer for which CoQ10 is necessary, there was a significant upsurge in the number of clinical trials conducted about the potential benefits of CoQ10. This was caused in part by the availability of huge quantities of pharmaceutical-grade CoQ10 from Japan as well as the capability to quantify CoQ10 in bodily tissues and blood. Since then, CoQ10 has gained recognition for its role as a potent antioxidant, a scavenger of free radicals, and a medication for a variety of chronic conditions, most notably heart disease.

Insufficiency of Coenzyme Q10

The idea that CoQ10 is frequently severely deficient in the presence of chronic diseases, particularly heart disease, has been used to largely address the effectiveness of CoQ10 as a medicinal treatment. For instance, severe CoQ10 depletion is frequently seen in those with congestive heart failure. It is generally known that normal blood and tissue levels of CoQ10 exist. In both human and animal research, significantly low levels of CoQ10 have been associated with a wide range of illnesses.

However, if our systems are biosynthesizing CoQ10, then why do we frequently experience deficiencies? At least three factors are involved. A diet lacking in nutrients is the first. The amount of CoQ10 in the blood and tissues overall is significantly influenced by dietary consumption. The body has to make up the shortfall if we don't eat enough meals high in CoQ10. Additionally, a complex 17-step process including a variety of B vitamins, vitamin C, and pantothenic acid is involved in the manufacture of Coenzyme Q10. It is difficult to synthesize CoQ10 on a diet lacking in these substances. This is not the place to talk about how the typical diet is lacking in vitamins and how many of our food sources are weak in them. To summarise, the majority of us do not consume nearly enough CoQ10 or the other vitamins required for ideal production.

Impaired CoQ10 biosynthesis is the first cause of deficiency and is connected to the second. Apart from insufficient consumption of the constituents required to produce CoQ10, there exist additional biological explanations for insufficient CoQ10 production. These could include long-term illnesses and physiological issues that hinder production. Another issue may be the way these diseases are treated. For example, the depletion of CoQ10 levels has been linked to the usage of statins for cholesterol control. The catch-22 is that the medications we use to treat heart disease also deplete natural substances that are essential to the battle against heart disease.

Excessive use of the molecule by the body is the third reason for CoQ10 insufficiency. Once more, drugs, aging, or other factors like severe exercise, hypermetabolism, and acute shock states may be to blame for this.

Usually, a mix of these three factors is the true cause of CoQ10 insufficiency. It is likely that human average CoQ10 levels are not as high as they may be. Stated differently, the typical CoQ10 levels that are now used as a benchmark for comparisons are probably not at their best. That would imply that other less serious illnesses are linked to lower levels of insufficiency and that the abnormally low levels seen in relation to chronic diseases are merely the worst case scenarios.

It's not laboratory theory, even if it sounds that way. Individuals with long-term illnesses who also exhibit abnormally low CoQ10 levels are not suitable as laboratory subjects. These are individuals who have benefited immensely from CoQ10 supplementation in numerous instances. Given that chronic disease is merely the visible portion of the effects of CoQ10 deficiency, one is left to wonder what more may be done to eradicate diseases and other chronic problems with improved diets and CoQ10 supplements.

The Unhealthiness of Our Healthcare System

The Unhealthiness of Our Healthcare System

Is the lack of health insurance or even the expense of health insurance the only problem? Everyone knows that about 45 million Americans do not have healthcare right now. Does our healthcare system have deeper, more systemic problems? U.S. health statistics and peer-reviewed journals show that allopathic medicine frequently does more harm than good, contrary to the country's claims of having the most advanced medical in the world.

While the public has traditionally had faith in medical professionals, a July 2000 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that iatrogenic deaths—also called deaths from physician error or medical treatment—were responsible for at least 250,000 deaths annually in the United States and were on the rise. Many view these figures as conservative because they merely account for fatalities that occur within hospitals and do not take into account injuries or disabilities sustained outside of hospitals, as well as external iatrogenic deaths that occur as a result of treatments received in private facilities, such as nursing homes, or the negative consequences of medications. Iatrogenic causes account for an estimated 800,000 annual fatalities and cost $282 billion, according to a recent study. This would make medical-related deaths in the United States the top cause of death in the country.

At least half of all Americans take some kind of medication, and a whopping 32 million take three or more meds every day. Ads for pharmaceutical drugs seem to be everywhere these days. Despite an aging population, more and more young people are being prescribed expensive medications for conditions such as ADHD, asthma, bipolar disorder, and diabetes. This includes many children who would never have been prescribed medicine in the past. Despite a proliferation of pharmaceuticals and other therapies, the health care system in this country is obviously failing to meet expectations. There will likely be a 47% spike in prescriptions from 2003 to 2010. Many medications that the FDA had previously approved as safe have been recalled due to hazardous effects; it is worth noting that these drugs' initial approvals were actually paid for by the pharmaceutical corporations involved.

In spite of the fact that Americans are living longer on average as a result of medical advancements in the United States, the media portrays this trend as one in which people are sicker, have a worse quality of life, and are heavily reliant on a variety of synthetic medications that do little to treat the underlying causes of their illnesses but rather mask their symptoms—all while costing the drug industry billions of dollars in lost productivity. Compared to other third world countries, the United States has the highest rates of obesity and disease, with the exception of the AIDS crisis. This stands in stark contrast to our reputation as having the best health care system and the most cutting-edge technology in the world.

Going to the hospital can be worse for your health than staying home unless you're dealing with a serious emergency that needs ER treatment. According to a 2003 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by epidemiologists, the number of hospital-acquired infections has been rising over the past several decades. Specifically, the rate of sepsis, an infection affecting blood and tissues, nearly tripled between 1979 and 2000. An alarming 90,000 individuals in the United States succumb to infections while hospitalized every year; this number has risen substantially from 13,300 in 1992. Almost two million patients are affected by these infections annually. Nearly 56 percent of people have experienced medical professionals treating them in an unnecessary or harmful way, according to statistics.

Also, our immune systems have gotten much weaker due to the environmental and medical abuse of pharmaceutical medications and antibiotics, which has led to the proliferation of germs that are resistant to these therapies and has made us more vulnerable to future illnesses. It should come as no surprise that the CDC reports epidemic levels of disease occurrences. The treatment of diseases including tuberculosis, gonorrhea, malaria, and pediatric ear infections, which were once considered conquerable, is now significantly more challenging than it was in the past. Remedy is not a panacea. While they do away with the symptoms, they do little to address the underlying cause. Despite their somewhat natural origins, synthetic and chemical medications have their side effects twisted to make them patentable and profitable. These drugs are neither healthy nor natural, and they often do more harm than good.

Regarding "physician errors," it's possible that doctors aren't fully to blame because they have to follow all the rules of their profession or face license revocation. However, doctors have turned into drug company pawns and spokespeople, and patients' best interests have taken a back seat. Hospitals put enormous pressure on doctors to treat patients as fast as possible, like an assembly line, for financial reasons, which increases the possibility of mistakes.

Last but not least, healthcare cost increases are mostly attributable to a profit-driven industry that promotes practices that result in harmful and unnecessary procedures, infections, costly legitimate lawsuits, mistakes made by hospitals and physicians, antibiotic resistance caused by overprescribing, and hundreds of thousands of needless deaths and injuries. There are healthier natural alternatives that many people are unaware of, and being exposed to anything artificial or intrusive can have negative effects both immediately and over time.

Visit the NatureGem website at http://www.naturegem.com for additional information on medicine side effects, natural ways to help your body heal itself, and dangerous chemicals in food and the environment and how to prevent them.

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Consume These Foods for Rapid Weight Loss

 Consume These Foods for Rapid Weight Loss

In search of a tried-and-true method for rapid weight loss? Throw out all your money and time on the newest diet fads and magic medications. Eating healthier and exercising more is the only surefire way to shed those extra pounds. Rather than using these changes as a quick fix to lose weight, it's best to incorporate them into a healthier lifestyle gradually. Some healthy and filling eating options are provided in this article.


Potatoes, although being one of the healthiest vegetables, have a reputation for being a fatty food due to their high carbohydrate content. Actually, carbs aren't inherently unhealthy; what's problematic is the amount of processed carbs that people consume on a regular basis. The carbs included in potatoes and other starchy foods are good for you and should be eaten regularly. With the correct low-fat condiments, an average-sized potato—which has only about 100 calories on its own—can make you feel full for longer.

Most people make the mistake of topping their potatoes with a variety of fatty items when they add them to their diet. Although loaded baked potatoes with bacon, sour cream, cheese, and butter taste delicious, they significantly increase the calorie and fat content of what should be a nutritious lunch. Instead of full-fat cheese, nonfat yoghurt, and low-fat margarine, you can get the same great flavor without eating too much fat. For added nutrients and fiber, keep the potato skin on.

A balanced diet should include plenty of fruits and vegetables. They are a simple approach to avoid picking for anything unhealthy, and they also provide a lot of nutrients and fiber. If you want to cut back on calories, fat, and sodium, try eating an apple instead of a bag of chips. For rapid weight loss, it's best to consume a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in fat and processed carbs.

Consume raw, unpeeled fruits and veggies whenever you can. Quite often, the majority of the nutritional value is concentrated in the peel. Make sure to scrub them well to get rid of any dirt or pesticide left behind. Vegetables are best steamed rather than boiled or microwaved if you absolutely must cook them. While other cooking methods may destroy nutrients, steaming preserves the majority of them. The natural flavor of steamed veggies will be mostly preserved, so you won't need as many artificial seasonings or heavy toppings like sour cream or butter.

You should make an effort to consume a lot of citrus fruit. As an added bonus, it has all the vitamin C you need and is believed to aid digestion by breaking down fatty foods. A strong immune system and sufficient energy to complete workout programs are both supported by vitamin C. Because of their high fiber content and ability to keep you full for a long time, apples are another great option for people who are trying to lose weight rapidly. 

 Are you interested in losing six pounds fast?

Are you interested in losing 6 pounds fast? If you're looking to drop 6 pounds rapidly, maybe even in a week, this plan will work for you. Most diets are designed for those who want to lose 20 pounds or more.


Eliminating all of the fattening foods from your cabinet should be your first order of business. Take everything out of your fridge and dispose of it. Give a local food bank all of the packaged foods you no longer need.

The next step is to visit the supermarket and solely purchase the following sixteen items:

Bread made from whole wheat. 1.
2. Fish
3. All types of fruits
Fourth, any kind of vegetable
5. Steak, 8 ounces
6. Two breasts of chicken
seven. Vegetable salad
Vinegar with balsamic flavor
9. Cereal from Special K
Refined milk
11. Red rice
12. Oatmeal, prepared in a flash (but not the sugary bottled variety).
13. Sliced breast of turkey
14. Three portions of fish
15. Yogurt with less fat
Eggs, #16

Formulate a seven-day eating regimen centered around these items. Once that happens, you'll be determined to follow through. So that you don't have any food to "cheat" with, it's a good idea to clean out your kitchen before you start.

The second piece of advice is to wear a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps daily. That sounds like a lot, but I can show you how to squeeze in even more steps.

Firstly, leave enough of space between your car and the entrance of any business or place of employment. Parking will be a breeze, and you'll get some additional steps in at the same time.
2. Opt for the stairs rather than the elevator. You will need to disembark from the elevator at least two stories before your floor if your workplace is located above the fourth.
3. Instead of using your phone or email, just drop by a coworker's office or desk when you need to get in touch with them.
4. Disembark a couple of stops ahead of schedule and walk if you're using public transit.
Five, take the dog for a walk. Offer to take the neighbor's dog for walks if you're dog-free.
Prep for supper by going for a stroll. Going for a stroll before supper has dual benefits: increasing your step count that day and reducing your hunger.

Lastly, while dieting, it's recommended to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily. One liter of water while at work and another liter when you go home will do the trick. Feel free to use sugar-free lemonade, punch, or unsweetened iced tea in place of plain water if you like.

Six pounds in a week is certainly doable. Make some serious dietary changes, get more exercise, and drink lots of water. You'll only be confined to this schedule for a week, not a lifetime. Plus, you should expect to shed six pounds during that period. 

Is Pilates Effective? Millions Agree

 Is Pilates Effective? Millions Agree

Is it possible to do Pilates when severely underconditioned? Can you use it after an accident or if you have knee problems? Pilates seems to help with any health issue, according to millions of people who have tried it. Pilates might not be a panacea, but if you ask anyone who has been practicing it frequently, they will tell you: "Does Pilates work?" The response will be an emphatic "Yes!"


The Reformer, the apparatus used in Pilates, was initially considered an affluent person's sole option due to its high price tag. There are more than a hundred distinct motions that Joseph Pilates intended for the apparatus. In order to engage the opposing muscle groups equally, each exercise utilizes your body weight as resistance and gives equal intensity on both sides.

Is Pilates an effective method for building muscle? Absolutely, and it accomplishes it without the cliched goal of gaining bulky muscles. There is no substantial muscle building involved because the routines don't need to be repeated numerous times to obtain the full effects. Instead, the muscles actually get smaller and denser as a result of Pilates' toning and stretching effects.

Is it possible to use these exercises after an injury? The injury-prevention benefits of Pilates are well-known. Pilates' gentle, calming motions can relieve pain and build strength in the muscles surrounding injured joints, including the back, knees, and other joints. Because it is a low impact exercise, the joints are not subjected to any stress or strain. Because of this, the likelihood of someone hurting themselves again is reduced.

Do the claims that it would help you stand up straight actually hold water? Pilates improves overall body support by focusing on and strengthening the abdominal and lower back muscles. Those who have been exercising with Pilates may find that they stand taller and straighter after doing this.

Does Pilates have a positive effect on every system in the body? Considering all that Pilates can accomplish, this may appear to be an extreme claim. While toning and trimming, it also strengthens the muscles. In addition to strengthening the muscles that support the spine, this exercise also helps to firmly encase and support the body's internal organs. As a result, your posture will improve and your internal organs will be better supported by a stronger abdominal wall.

Pilates is beneficial because it requires controlled breathing and movement, both of which contribute to a healthier breathing pattern. Your organs will be better supported, and you'll be able to breathe easier, which will increase the amount of oxygen in your blood. It's becoming more apparent how Pilates might enhance your general well-being, isn't it?

Is Pilates effective for those who are severely overweight? Of course! The great thing about Pilates is that you won't have to put in a ton of time and effort to start seeing results. If you haven't worked out in a while, you can ease into Pilates by starting with short sessions of 5 or 10 minutes.

Pilates' excellent strength-training effects allow even a newbie to quickly ramp up their workout duration. How effective is Pilates? If you give it a go on your own, you'll get the solution in no time!

The Numerous Health Advantages of Vitamin D3

 The Numerous Health Advantages of Vitamin D3

The benefits of d3 vitamin differ from one person or study to another, as is the case with most medical matters. A sufficient amount of vitamin D3 appears to be essential for maintaining bone density and facilitating adequate immune system function, according to several research.


Vitamin D's protective effects can stave off a host of common and dangerous diseases and disorders, including osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and muscular atrophy.

The human body produces vitamin D3, a hormone that is a member of the D vitamin family, without external input. Vitamin D3 is best absorbed by the skin when exposed to sunlight, as it is not easily found in many meals.

An insufficient supply of vitamin D3 during pregnancy may increase the risk of autism, according to research published in 2008. This vitamin also aids in brain development. Some parts of emotional development and the maturation of gross motor skills may be influenced by D3.

Getting enough vitamin D3 by being outside in the sun is usually enough for most individuals. The issue is that many individuals nowadays worry about getting skin cancer and therefore avoid going outside in the sun.

Some people are starting to reduce their D3 intake by either completely avoiding sunlight or covering up with clothing or sunscreen. If you don't get enough sun, you won't be able to acquire the vitamin D3 you need, which is only found in a select foods like eggs, cod liver oil, and salmon.

Taking a supplement to increase your body's D3 levels is certainly an option. But, not all supplements are of equal quality; hence, for optimal results, you should seek out just the highest-grade supplements.

Not receiving enough vitamin D3 into your body might lead to several undesirable side effects, such as:

1. Inadequate vitamin D levels prevent the body from properly absorbing calcium. Some people may develop osteoporosis and high blood pressure due to this calcium deficiency.

2. Additional issues with bone density that can lead to skeletal deformities, such as rickets. These disorders frequently manifest in developing nations where maternal nutrition is inadequate.

There is a risk of supplement overdose with almost every supplement. The good news is that D3 makes that danger almost disappear. It would be extremely difficult to consume enough D3 to achieve harmful levels, according to a comprehensive study conducted in 1999.

Incorporating 200 IU of vitamin D3 into your diet on a daily basis may help protect against hypertension, bone density issues, obesity, melanoma, and maybe mental disease.

To get adequate vitamin D3 from the sun, all you need is a few hours of sun exposure each week with a sunscreen with a low sun protection factor (SPF). To acquire the full benefits of vitamin D3 but are unable to do so, simply take a supplement. 

Be a Lean Man on the Beach with These Bodybuilding Diets!

 Be a Lean Man on the Beach with These Bodybuilding Diets!

You should choose a bodybuilding diet if you want to stop being that skinny beach bum and start looking like a million bucks. To safely and effectively acquire the desired amount of lean muscle mass, it is essential to consume nutritious foods that are rich in all the necessary nutrients and to engage in strength training.


To get you started, here are a few pointers.

Eat, eat, eat if you want to bulk up and gain weight. Eat five or eight little meals daily. You should expect to feel the need to eat every two or three hours while you're awake. In order to avoid stopping every few hours to grab something to eat, it may be necessary to plan and prepare your bodybuilding meals in advance. You can just take it and run if it's already fixed.

The second piece of advice is to incorporate enough of lean meats in your meal plans. You should consume a lot of lean protein if you want to gain muscle. A good daily protein intake is one gram per kilogram of body weight. Therefore, you should aim to ingest 180 grams of protein each day if your weight is 180 pounds.

That means you should aim for 30 grams of protein per meal, spread out over six meals. Although this seems like a lot, it's actually rather small considering that a 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast yields 60 grams, which is twice as much.

3. Include a lot of fresh produce in your diet. Fruits and vegetables should make up the bulk of your carbohydrate consumption. With time and consistency in your diet, you may find that you can consume a few of those "other" carbohydrates with your pre- or post-workout meals. However, be prudent and ensure that the "other" carbohydrates are as nutritious as they may be. Oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and rice are some "other" carbohydrates that are better for you.

To keep your body running smoothly, lipids are essential. You should consume approximately 25% of your daily calories from healthy fats. At least 750 of your daily calories should come from healthy fats if you're following a 3,000 calorie diet plan. Fish, olive, avocado, and flaxseed oils are good sources of healthy fats. If you divide that number into six meals, you'll see that each meal needs 125 calories from fat. Find a calorie counter or read the labels to determine how many calories are in the foods you eat.

5. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water or no-calorie beverages. Those protein drinks should only be consumed immediately following a workout.

6. To ensure that you are consistently reaching your calorie objectives, keep a meal journal. Aim to put on one or two pounds every week. After the first two weeks, you might need to raise your calorie intake a bit if you aren't seeing the desired results in terms of weight gain. Following each two-week calorie increase, reevaluate and make any required adjustments.

You won't find a better bodybuilding diet than this one. Get a jump start on bulking up and establish a plan to make it simpler. 

Creatine Monohydrate—Contained in Animal Products

 Creatine Monohydrate—Contained in Animal Products

One amino acid that can be found in meat is creatine. In addition to giving your muscles extra energy, this acid can speed up the healing process of muscle fibers. Creatine liquid is one kind that everyone can consume to get in better condition or gain muscle.


Powdered creatine is also available, and most people think that choosing between the two forms is mostly a question of personal preference because there is no discernible difference in terms of effectiveness. Which method of delivery you think is best and most convenient is ultimately up to you.

While the evidence is still mixed, several trials have shown promise for creatine liquid or powder as a treatment for a variety of musculoskeletal disorders, including arthritis, Parkinson's disease, and muscular dystrophy.

Naturally, you should always consult your physician before beginning to take any kind of dietary supplement. Supplements, no matter how benign or all-natural they may seem, pose a serious health risk when used with other prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Get your doctor's OK before taking the supplement, and find out how much to take by consulting with them.

To get the most out of your creatine supplement, follow these simple steps. Always with your physician before making any changes to your health regimen; I am not qualified to offer medical advise. Here is a basic outline of how everything works:

1. For the first week, 20 to 30 grams of creatine everyday should be plenty for most people. You can mix it with water or other non-acidic juice.

2. Reduce the dosage to 5–15 grams of creatine per day after the first week.

Third, take the creatine supplement approximately half an hour before you begin your exercise. Stay completely hydrated by drinking lots of water. Make sure you stay hydrated; dehydration is a potential side effect of creatine.

Fourth, it's smart to boost your diet with a B complex vitamin every day. The general public tends to think that B vitamins aid creatine absorption into muscular tissues.

Both powdered and liquid creatine pills are widely available. Be wary of where you get your vitamins from, though. Keep in mind that while looking for a supplement, quality is key.

There will be those with insufficient levels of the active component. Never base your purchase decision just on pricing; instead, stick to trusted vendors.

You can take dietary supplements in a variety of formats and varieties. Be cautious not only about the source of your creatine liquid but also about seeing your doctor to determine an appropriate dosage if you think it would benefit your daily regimen.