Negative calorie foods are foods that take more calories to burn than they offer naturally. Negative doesn’t mean that the food actually has a negative calorie value as this is impossible. It simply means that the body has to work harder to convert these foods into energy than the food is worth.

Lets use celery as an example. A serving of celery offers an average of 6 calories. It can easily take over 12 calories to digest that stalk of celery leaving us with a loss of 6 calories. A myth that chewing burns the calories has surfaced lately but its actually the digestive system’s attempt to break down the cellulose in the celery that takes so much energy. There are many foods such as celery that has this property.

A stalk of celery alone will not shave off the pounds of fat there is more to the solution. A pound of fat has about 3,500 calories in it. That means we would have to eat 85 servings of celery and nothing else for a week to lose 1 pound of fat. Sound like fun?…not really.

Below is a list of negative calorie foods in no particular order:

apples, apricots, beets, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, muskmelons, prunes, pumpkin, raspberries, red cabbage, cantaloupe, cherries, eggplant, garlic, grapes, oranges, peaches, pears, peas, pineapple, tangerines, tomato, turnips, watermelon, rhubarb, corn, cranberries, cucumbers, green beans, honeydew, lemons, limes, strawberries, and string beans.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. In fact, nearly all fruits and many vegetables are on the list. I am not going to suggest a specific diet regimen in this article. However, changing the majority of your daily calories to fruits and vegetables it will have a dramatic impact on weight loss.

According to a recent study performed by Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D., of the University of California, at San Francisco, a vegetarian diet consisting mostly of fruits and vegetables, was adhered to by research subjects as an experimental study on the reversal of heart disease. As a result each of the research subjects (all suffering from heart disease), lost an average of 20 pounds without cutting calories or limiting serving sizes.

These subjects were 40 years and older which means they had a relatively slowed metabolism and the research performed involved no prescribed exercise program. This constitutes a dramatic weight loss that could only be attributed to the consumption of various fruits & vegetables. Typical weight loss from a negative calorie diet is about a pound a day. Keep in mind that most nutritionists say it isn’t safe to maintain a weight loss of more than 8 pounds a week for very long as it can become a danger to your health.

Keep in mind, completely removing meat and grains from any diet is not advised. To get the benefits of negative calorie foods they should be eaten as large amounts of your daily diet but not by totally replacing the proteins and carbohydrates your body needs. A doctor should be consulted before making any drastic changes to your diet or exercise regimens.

Strict changes in diet and lifestyle can not only prevent heart attacks, but can reverse the clogging of the arteries, according to a small but pioneering study.
The study showed that a vegetarian diet, moderate exercise and an hour a day of yoga and meditation could produce a reversal of atherosclerosis, a blockage of the arteries that can lead to a heart attack, in men and women who were strict in following the daily regimen.

Experts say this is the first study to report that such blockage can be reversed without using cholesterol-lowering drugs or surgery.

The study, which was conducted by Dr. Dean Ornish, director of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif., was presented at the meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans. 

This is a tremendously important study in the control of heart disease. It’s the very first study indicating regression of coronary heart disease without pharmaceutical intervention. The results also suggest that the current medical guidelines for changes in the habits of people with severe heart disease do not go far enough.

Previous studies have shown that exercise and diet changes can slow the progression of heart disease, but not reverse it.

While the study did not determine what percentage of improvement could be attributed to the lifestyle changes alone, the researchers noted that stress-control methods have been shown to ease recovery from a variety of disorders, including hypertension.

But some experts are skeptical of the need for stress-management methods, which are not currently among standard recommendations for those with severe heart disease.

Some experts on cardiac rehabilitation question whether most people with heart disease could follow such strict changes in their habits.

Walking is free, accessible, healthy and sociable. It is a gentle, low-impact exercise that can ease you into a higher level of fitness and health. It’s safe, simple, doesn’t require practice, and the health benefits are many. All you really need to get started is some comfortable shoes and clothing.

Walking, like any other exercise, can help you achieve a number of important health benefits. Walking can help you:

• Reduce risk of heart disease and stroke!
• In your weight loss program.
• Improve Mood and Relieve Stress!
• Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)
• Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol)
• Lower your blood pressure
• Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes
• Manage your weight
• Stay strong and fit

Walking is especially good for your heart. A recent Harvard study shows that walking at a moderate pace (3 mph) for up to 3 hours a week—or 30 minutes a day–can cut the risk of heart disease in women by as much as 40%. It’s also a versatile form of exercise that can be done indoors (many malls and public buildings offer walking routes) or outdoors, and you can tailor the intensity of your exercise based upon your individual abilities and goals.

Walking is an aerobic exercise. It also lowers the risk of blood clots, since the calf acts as a venous pump, contracting and pumping blood from the feet and legs back to the heart, reducing the load on the heart. Walking is good for anyone, especially people with arthritis. It’s an endurance exercise, which means it strengthens your heart, helps your lungs work more efficiently and gives you more stamina so you don’t tire as easily.

Walking is not strenuous; it involves almost no risk to health. You should, of course, exercise good judgment, not exceed the limits of your condition, and not walk outdoors during extreme weather periods, until you have a good walking program established.

Walking is the perfect complement to a sensible diet to lose weight and keep it off.

Walking exercise is very good for women especially. As women prefer light exercise with effective result and walking is the perfect one for them. Walking exercise is considered moderate when the heart rate falls within the Target Heart Rate Zone, by which the optimal walking speed can be determined. [Target Heart rate zone is equal to 50 to 70 % of (220 minus your age). If you are 50 year old, then your target heart rate is between 85 to 120 heart beats per minute]. Athletes try to achieve higher target heart rate of upto 80 % in their fitness activities. For an average individual target heart rate of 60 to 70 % of maximum permissible heart rate (220 minus your age) is advisable.

How Do I start?

1) Start Slowly:

If you have been inactive for a long time or if you tire easily, it is better to start slowly.

Initially you can walk slowly for 10 or 15 or 30 minutes a day for a week, depending upon your comfort level. Adjust your walking speed to your comfort level.

Next week, you may increase your walking duration by 5 to 10 minutes per day. Walking speed also can be moderately increased as per your comfort level.

Research studies ( Ref : Reversing your heart disease by Dr. Dean Ornish ) indicate that it is beneficial for the overall health if one walks for 3 hours per week.( Either 1 hour per day for 3 days per week or 30 minutes every day for 5 days a week ).Health benefits are immense.

2) Warming up period: It is necessary to spend about 5 minutes in walking slowly for first 5 minutes to warm up your body and muscles.

3) Cooling down period: It is also necessary to observe cool down period for about 5 minutes at the end of each walking session. This will reduce stress on your heart & muscles.

4) Set realistic goals: If your goal is to walk two hours a day 365 days a year, you might be setting yourself up to fail. Set realistic goals for yourself, such as 30 minutes per day & five days a week.

And you don’t need to do it all at once. For example, walk for 10 minutes on your lunch break. Walk for another 20 minutes in the evening, totaling 30 minutes a day.

   5) Measure the intensity of your workout. As you walk, measure the intensity of your        

     workout by checking your heart rate. Knowing your heart rate allows you to increase

     the intensity to maximize your workout or slow down to avoid overdoing it.

To find out if you’re exercising within the range of your target heart rate, stop walking to check your pulse manually at your wrist (radial artery) or neck (carotid artery). Another option is to wear an electronic device that displays your heart rate.

Walking is the closest thing to a perfect exercise.

Walking is such an ordinary everyday activity; most people take it for granted. But it’s an excellent natural exercise that can help you stay healthy and live longer. It will keep you happy. You can enjoy time with friends and family & learn more about your local area.

By: Pradeep Mahajan

Most women know that heart disease is the number-one killer in the United States–of men. Most women also realize the value of eating healthy food, exercising, and decreasing stress–for their families and loved ones. Information is abundant and readily available in books, newspapers and magazines, and on television and radio about the risk of cardiovascular disease in men.

But the widespread belief that heart disease is exclusively a man’s problem is a myth. Women–and most physicians–are not aware that cardiovascular disease is the number one-killer of women as well as men. The facts speak for themselves: Of the 520,000 people who die of heart attacks in the United States each year, almost half–about 250,000–are women In addition, almost 100,000 women die of strokes. Substantially fewer women die annually from breast cancer (40,500) or lung cancer (41,500). Overall, heart and vascular diseases claim more American women’s lives than do all forms of cancer combined.

Moreover, many of the factors that determine the risk of heart disease for women differ from those for men. Dr. William Castelli, a leading authority on heart disease and director of the Framingham Heart Study, which has done research on heart disease risk factors for forty years, has referred to these unique risks for women as a “whole new syndrome” associated with a “galloping progression of atherosclerosis.

Women are largely unaware of the effects of estrogen, birth control pills, and cigarettes and few know that if they smoke and take birth control pills, they have about forty times more chance of heart disease than women who do not. Women above age thirty-five are particularly at risk. It is vital to understand the factors favoring heart disease, because they may be avoidable or modifiable. In fact, according to Dr. Dean Ornish, women may have to do less than men to affect their outlook positively. In a study he conducted evaluating the effect of life-style changes in reversing heart disease, women responded better than men, even when women did less to restrict their diets, exercise, or reduce stress. By understanding their risks and ways to minimize them, women can lessen the chances of being victims of what the American Heart Association has called “the silent epidemic.”

The purpose of developing and maintaining a healthy way of life for yourself as a woman is not only to decrease the risk of heart disease but also to fell well and feel good. Physical activity does not have to be strenuous to be beneficial. More women than ever are discovering that exercise in moderation is exhilirating. Healthy changes in eating do not have to be unduly restrictive. The food you eat can continue to be delicious and satisfying. By using simply new tools to maintain a healthy weight, you will decrease the chances of developing three big heart disease risks–diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol–and discover a renewed sense of self at the same time.

By taking control of your health, you will be more able to take control of other aspects of your life. In so doing, you will achieve a greater sense of well-being, which is the true meaning of health. This is a marvelous opportunity for you personally. In addition, your new healthy living habits can be a model for family and friends. You thus may make a significant difference in their lives and health as well as your own. In the words of Hillel: “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? If not now, when?”

Negative Calorie Diet | Negative Calorie Diet Food

Experts say that every food has an amount of calorie and no food can have negative calorie. Then what do they mean by Negative Calorie Diet? Experts have given a wonderful explanation for this term. Negative Calorie Diet Food is nothing but food that consumes more calories for digestion, than its inherent calorie. The result of this leads to Negative Calorie.

Every food item has its own nutrients, calories, vitamins and minerals. No food is void of these three substances. Vitamins and Minerals are biochemical agents that aid in the production of enzymes that are needed to breakdown the calorie content in the food that is consumed. Junk food is another type of food that has very low enzyme producing stimulators. When this type of food is consumed, the body has to produce its own enzymes in order to convert the potential calories into energy.

Researchers say that Negative Calorie Diet also contains sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals. They have a surplus of enzyme producing bio – chemicals. These bio – chemicals present in the negative calorie diet food not only aid in breaking down the calorie present in the food that is consumed, but also in digesting other food components that are yet to be digested.

As per a recent research report by Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D, at the University of California, an experiment was performed among a group of people who are of the age 40 and above. All these people suffered from heart disease. All these people were made to consume Negative Calorie Diet Food. The result of this experiment was that all the subjects who consumed this diet for the prescribed period of time experienced an average weight loss of 20 pounds, without performing any other exercise.

According to an article published in January, 1994 by Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D, who is the author of the book titled “Food for Harmony”, he agrees with the concept of Negative Calorie Diet and he supports the same. But, there was no research article that was attached along with this article in order to support Dr. Barnard’s conclusion.

In order to balance the metabolic activity, researches suggest that when junk food is consumed, Negative Calorie Diet Food also should be ingested along with the junk food so that the enzymes that are produced will be sufficient enough for digestion.

For more information about Negative Calorie Diet, check out the Negative Calorie Diet Food

The reviews presented here are meant to help you find a practical solution for a lower cost weight reduction plan.  In these tough economic times, choosing a  program that is both practical and low cost can be a formidable task. 
Not everyone needs to join an high cost gym, fitness center, or weight loss diet in order to lose pounds.  Many resources are available that are either free or low cost.
A visit to the library, or some research done on the internet can provide a lot of low cost information on dieting.  Hiking at a local park or riding a bike on a biking trail can be a great way to lose weight and a way to enjoy the great outdoors at the same time.  Make sure to check out to see if you have a nearby community center or a YMCA in your area.  These facilities customarily will be less expensive than gym, fitness center, or gym memberships.  Some even offer a basic training program with your low cost membership.
Think outside the box when searching for knowledge on the internet.  Instead of just the basic search engines, check out sites like youtube.com, digg.com, and stumbleupon.com for some valuable resources as well.
Before making a choice of a weight loss plan, read these summaries about leading diet programs.
Atkins’ New Diet Revolution by Dr. Atkins. A low carbohydrate, high protein diet, this diet program stresses eating meat and some vegetables.  Fat intake is also not limited and is in fact encouraged.  Grains, fruits, and dairy are restricted, and this diet lacks fiber and calcium.    Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet by Rachael Heller, MD, and Richard Heller, MD, published 1993. This weight loss plan advocates low carbohydrate eating. Promotes eating meats, vegetables and fruits, dairy and grain products, however, warns against taking in too many carbohydrates. “Reward” meal can be too high on fats and saturated fats.  Not a favorite among diet specialists.
Dash Eating Plan published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Fundamentally designed to lower blood pressure, the diet plan follows the pyramid food guide and encourages high intake of whole wheat grains as well as fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy. Some dieters think it promotes too much eating to achieve meaningful weight loss.  Advocates restricted amounts of fat and protein intake and high on carbohydrates.
Choose to Lose by Nancy Goor and Dr. Ron Goor, a husband and wife team.  This weight loss plan is concerned almost entirely on restraining fat intake.  You are provided a “fat budget” and have the judgment on how to spend it. There is no stress to watch carbohydrate intake. Eating meat and poultry, as well as low-fat dairy and seafoods is okay. Eating vegetables, fruits, cereals, bread and pasta are also encouraged.  It may be problematic to count fat calories every day.
Eat More, Weigh Less published by Dr. Dean Ornish in 1993.  Primarily vegetarian fare and strictly low-fat. Limits non-fat dairy and egg whites. Instead of reducing carbohydrates, this program prefers to encourage the use of complex carbohydrates. This diet plan is restricted in calcium and restricts consumption of healthy foods like seafoods and lean poultry.
The Pritikin Principle by Nathan Pritikin.  This approach was developed mainly to promote well-being by limiting cholesterol and helping diabetics normalize their blood sugar without taking insulin.  That people lost weight was just an added perk.  This diet is focused on trimming the calorie density in eating by recommending watery foods that help make you feel full.
There are many other great programs that are available for you to research.  There are many ways to lose weight without emptying your wallet at the same time.

I would like this blog to be of dual purpose… I am here to entice you to join me with a network marketing company that I am representing, a very noteworthy company because of its straight forward approach to earning money. There are no gimmicks, no mirrors, no fees, no investment and no risk. I’ve already stated this in my last blog. Now I would like to tell you more before I lead you to my web page. The other thing on my mind is healthy heart awareness. In a way, a completely different category, but the two are linked because of certain health products that this company manufactures here in the US.

My name is David Verge, as stated in the other blog; I have lived throughout the world, especially in Europe. My lust for life is up there with all the rest of you who have dreamt of adventure, different cultures, different foods and different thoughts. It’s how we learn, and if anything else, we should start learning better. As the good man says: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness”. I have made my way through life through my craft-cabinetry, carpentry and contracting. The reason I’m writing all this is because life was and is good, but I ignored certain signs that I want to open your eyes to. And that is a healthy heart, I suffered a major heart attack which ended up with congestive heart failure. I want you to realize the excesses of today’s world, especially attacking the American public to unhealthy habits more than any other nation in the world.

My case started with chest pains or more exact, heart pains. I immediately went to see several doctors, who mistakenly, misdiagnosed the problem. They sent me home with Nexium and assured me that the ‘acid reflux’ problem would go away in a few days. Before those few days were up, I drove myself to the emergency room where it was confirmed that I was having a heart attack. Next thing I knew I was rushed into the operating room, unfortunately too late. The damage was done and within the following hours I suffered cardiac arrest. Quite a few volts later I awoke.

To say the least, life is not the same. Every day is a struggle, but also a joy. If there’s a reason that I was given a second chance, it is unbeknownst to me. But enough of the horrid details, I am here to enforce the fact that, yes it can happen to you also. It has taken me a long time, no help from the doctors, to learn on my own what my condition is and how to improve it. And for you heart patients and heart techies out there, my ejection fraction is 26%. Before I move on I would like to inform anyone with any interest in learning more to visitmy web site where you will find links. At the end of this article I will reference a few great books on the subject and my site has quite a few very informative and educational links. Sorry to subject you to the details, but I just had to get it off my chest (pun intended). Now onto the serious stuff-Making Money.

Because of my condition and also the condition of millions of Americans, I still want to touch on the heart issue before beginning on the road to wealth. Our obese nation, has sacrificed health for instant gratification of taste, enforced by the media and every other salesman out there. Our country has sacrificed healthy products to produce the most effective way to make money. Kobe beef, the delicacy of meat is the most expensive meat out there; it is called white beef because of its fat content. And that’s where we have our problem, our domesticated animals are fattened up with grain, shot with hormones to enhance growth and who knows what else, we’ve all heard of mad cow disease and we all know how it got there. It’s time we educate ourselves.

Did you know that duck is less fattening than chicken and that buffalo is leaner than the two of them. That is because buffalo is still roaming free, eating grass, a natural occurrence without human intervention. If you let a cow become free range the fat is reduced and what fat there is, it is not half as dangerous for you than the processed kind.

I understand that we are a big nation with a lot of people to feed, so we make short cuts, these shortcuts are hurting us as a healthy nation. 100 years ago, all cattle were free range, how times have changed. And it’s time I move on and stop talking about nutrition; one last note is that anyone who wants to talk nutrition can contact me directly at David.verge@gmail.com, since my diet is so restrictive because of my heart failure, I have become quite the expert. Just to inform you though, I am human and I am American, and I’m no saint; how could I possibly pass up ribs in the summer, mind you, just a few. Of course with a cold beer. But that is a luxury I can seldom partake in.

Now all of this information does have a purpose in the overall scheme of things with making money in the distribution field of Neways products. Neways products are synonymous with health, and I take them not just for my cardio problems but for digestion, circulation, cell rejuvenation and on and on, and as an educated consumer, I know there are certain supplements which are necessary to take in our world. Now a world filled with processed foods; filling, but unnutritional. Omega 3, cardio health and joint health, critical fatty acids, products to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, circulatory health, liver health, body cleansing products, anti-oxidants, anti-aging and CoQ10, these are just a few of the products offered with Neways. All products can be reviewed in detail at http://www.neways.com/, or write me and I can send you a catalog.

When I talk about no investment and no risk, you must understand the Neways concept. We, you and I, are out here to make money and we can do it with a good conscience by becoming part of the Neways networking teams. The big money is in distribution, not direct sales, unless you want to or own a health food store. The optimal way to earn with Neways is to join in the Direct Ship Plan, where you purchase $150 worth of goods monthly. You are spending, but it is for your personal consumption. It is your health plan to wealth. It is where I hand in my vitamin shoppe card and just buy directly from Neways at wholesale prices and make money in doing so. There is no investment because you are transferring your buying habits from other stores and buying from Neways. The concept is easy enough.

And there are no fees, no mirrors, no gimmicks, and no scheme. It is an honest way to make considerable money full time or part time. The time involved is up to you. And I’d like to continue with the health to wealth aspect, which I like to call easy as 1,2,3 wealth. That’s it, you find 3 associates, friends, family, co- workers and the likes to try these products and explain the wealth benefits open to them by becoming part of the Neways family. In a perfect world where everyone does their homework, you could be earning considerable income within just 5 months. Please visit my website to see the chart explaining the explosion of wealth. http://www.newayswealth.com

I’m not here to pressure you into anything, you must educate yourself. I have given you the websites and if you don’t feel comfortable joining the team, take the time to explore the idea with friends and family, get feedback and to feel secure, get your first 3 recruits before even joining, then you have no pressure whatsoever. I hate to say it, but either you get the concept and the beauty of it, or past experiences and over-hype by other networking companies has numbed your senses into disbelieving. That is something you will have to come to terms with, because faith and trust is the backbone of any real adventure. Whether financial or whimsical. You put your trust in me and I also put my trust in others, it is this ability to trust that bonds humans together. This is what makes the machine work, this is why Neways works, there is no fast sale, no hidden sale, everything is in the open and that is the way it should be. Check it out, like I said, either you get it or you don’t. And if you do get it, it all becomes very easy. So now that I have managed to get your undivided attention to at least check it all out, let’s get back to my primary mission.

That is to teach you to respect your body, to eat healthy and, in return, you will be grateful to the forces that make you change unhealthy habits. This does not have to be Neways, but that is one choice. Just listen to your body, it will tell you a lot. And, for goodness sake, you don’t want to be in my position, so make your future, in health and in wealth.

For all you fellow heart patients or heart techies, I have a St. Jude dual chamber defibrillator/pacemaker: this makes my third in 3 years, again a comedy of errors on the part of our great medical professionals. What the hell, if I complained about my pain that I put up with, I’d be miserable. So I just look to the stars and ask, “why me?” and smile. And yes, the defibrillator has zapped me, but that’s another story for another day

.

Below are the books I recommend for anyone with heart failure to read.

Success with heart failure

Marc A, Silver, Md. 2002, Di Capo Press

Take a load off your heart

J.C. Piiscatella & B.A. Franklin, Ph.D 2003,Workman Publishing

Dr. Dean Ornish’s program for Reversing heart disease

Dean Ornish, MD 1990, Ballantine Books

Heart disease for dummies

James A. Rippe, MD 2004, Wiley Publishing

Thriving with heart disease

Wayne Sotile 2004

The Mayo Clinic cookbook

May we all eat well

A new low-carb vs. low-fat diet has come out, and the Dr. Atkins camp is claiming victory, although the low-fat camp of Dr. Dean Ornish is crying foul. But I’ll show you the truth about the results below…it isn’t what you expect!

According to the NY Times “In a tightly controlled dieting experiment, obese people lost an average of just 6 to 10 pounds over two years…the results highlight the difficulty of weight loss and the fact that most diets do not work well.”

The scientists studied 322 moderately obese men and women following one of three diets, either a low fat diet (less than 30% of calories from fat – which really isn’t “low fat” as Dr. Ornish correctly points out); a Mediterranean diet; or the Atkins low-carb diet. (In the interest of full disclosure, the study was partly financed by the Atkins Research Foundation.)

The researchers did not claim one diet to be better than another, although the low-carb and mediterranean diet groups lost more weight (10 pounds) compared to the low-fat group (6 pounds).

In fact, men and women responded very differently to the diets. Women lost the most weight with the mediterranean diet (14 pounds) and the least with

the low carb diet (5 pounds), while the men lost the most with the low carb diet (11 pounds).

The results all clearly all over the board. The researchers concluded the results were modest, but still improved the subject’s health. However, all this information misses the main result of this study.

And despite what the NY Times wants you to believe, it’s not, “diets don’t work”. It’s that, “Dieters” don’t work. After all, if I worked with 322 moderately obese people for TWO YEARS, I’d be ashamed if they only lost 6-10 pounds.

The dirty truth about diets – the politically incorrect truth that no one wants to admit because it takes away all excuses for a lack of personal

responsibility – is that DIETS DO WORK.

On the other hand, I’d bet that almost every subject in that study lied about how compliant they were with the diet they were assigned. But that’s HUMAN NATURE. We all think we eat better than we do.

And that’s how you end up with 322 people dieting for two years, and all they can achieve is an average of 8 pounds of weight loss. It’s not the diets that aren’t working! It’s the dieters that are the problem!

So if you are having trouble sticking to your nutrition, or if you are confused about low-carb vs. low-fat, just take a deep breath and follow my 5 simple rules…

1) Find out how much you are eating now. Use Fitday.

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

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

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

5) Plan ahead. Prepare your meals (spend 1-2 hours on the weekend getting your meals and meal plan ready for the week). Identify obstacles and come up with solutions to avoid them.

That is it. Very simple. Most people do pretty well on 1-3 and even 5, but mess up on number 4. I often hear how well someone did all day long, but then while making dinner they snack on upwards of 500 calories of their kid’s treats, or other processed carbohydrates they have lying around the house.

The little things can add up to big time problems. So take a good long look at everything you eat. And all of this can be avoided if you follow rule #5. Combine my five simple nutrition rules with three short workouts per week of resistance training and interval training, and you have a very manageable fat loss plan that can fit any busy lifestyle. You don’t have to be a doctor to figure out how to eat for fat loss.

Low carb diets can life plans that keep as low as 3 % carbohydrates and need no more than 25 to 30 %. This is significantly lower than the 50-60 % scientists good by most and valid research recommended. Low carb diets include programs like Atkins, protein power, the zone, sugar busters and South Beach Diet.

As you can see the table below, are Ornish and Pritikin food at 70 % and 80 % carbohydrates, certainly carb high. A means used to people’s attention away from the fact that the Atkins diet is it in fact plan divert an unhealthy food is diet to a “high carb” diet a “low carb comparisons”. But neither one is the best solution.

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Although the incoming research from Dr. Dean Ornish, with its high carb / low-fat diet, revealed some amazing insights and produced by the results in reverse heart disease, such as a weight loss program and regular nutrition plan, it has some disadvantages. The Ornish diet like Pritikin, is too low to healthy oils from fish, olives, nuts and seeds. Plus, you may also increase the triglycerides and the lower HDL (good cholesterol).

This overview shows you carb-, fat and protein comparisons: carbohydrates fat protein Atkins 3-20 % 45-65 % 25 – 35 % South Beach 10 – 25 % 50-70 % 20-30 % healthy 50-60 % 20-30 % 20-25 % Ornish / Pritikin 70-80 % 5-15 % 10-15 % diets to their problems have both upper and lower extremes. Anyone can lose – fad weight to a diet or otherwise – for a week, month or even six months. But for a weight loss program really effectively to his your diet part your lifestyle and the basis of daily selection of food must one. Have minor health concerns, see many people both low-carb-and high-carb dieting hard with stick for a life long. It is best, a low-calorie develop healthy eating lifestyle that includes regular moderate motion.

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We all know that millions of people suffer from arthritis every year. We see countless ads for the latest super-pill, super-food or super-drink guaranteed to make our arthritis go away. Researchers at prestigious Universities and pharmaceutical giants are spending millions of dollars looking for a silver bullet to cure arthritis. All of us that have suffered with arthritis pain have most likely tried more than one pill touted as an “arthritis cure”. Unfortunately the results, if any, are temporary, and we are quickly off to find the next best thing in our battle with arthritis.

As someone who is winning the battle with arthritis and someone who has tried numerous products to keep it in check, I would like to offer you what I believe to be the BEST ARTHRITIS CURE. It is this: the BEST ARTHRITIS CURE is to realize that there is no cure. That’s right. Once you learn to understand what arthritis is, you will come to the conclusion that there can never be a cure. You see, arthritis is simply inflammation. Inflammation is a normal part of the biological process of all the cells in our body. It is something we all live with everyday, even those of us who have not been diagnosed with arthritis. The key is to keep the ongoing process of arthritis/inflammation down to a minimum so that it does not cause pain and destruction of our bodies.

Therefore, the BEST ARTHRITIS CURE is to first realize that arthritis/inflammation is an ongoing war within each of our bodies that we must wage battle against on a daily basis. There are numerous weapons you can use to battle arthritis/inflammation on a daily basis. There is an old saying that goes, “It is better to have and not need, then to need and not have.” I have personally found that it is better to prepare for each day’s battle in this ongoing war with as many weapons as possible.

When I was in my mid 20’s I was in such crippling arthritis pain that the last Rheumatologist I saw wanted to put me on a powerful chemotherapy drug called methotrexate. That was one weapon I had the good fortune of never having to use. Today I am pain-free and healthier than I have ever been. I take no prescriptions of any kind and do not use anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or painkillers. Instead I utilize the various weapons in the list below to beat arthritis on a daily basis. What most doctors currently have to offer only masks the symptoms of the inflammatory process, while the destruction of the body continues. Below is my own personal list of weapons that I have used together in a joint and multi-faceted, successful campaign to control the destructive inflammatory process. These have helped allow my body to heal, and regain my vision, which I had almost completely lost.

1. A HEALTHY DIET– A wise man from Ghana Africa I once had the pleasure of working with told me the following; “In my country we are a slave to hunger. In your country you are a slave to food.” It was definitely the case with me.

Unfortunately, most of the diseases we suffer with are either a direct result of what we voluntarily put in our bodies or are made much worse by it. This is especially true when it comes to inflammatory arthritis. This is borne out by numerous successful epidemiological studies. The solution is to view food as either fuel to feed the fire of inflammation in our bodies, or as a way to fight that fire, and nourish and heal our bodies.

My first weapon is a healthy diet loaded with anti-inflammatory foods that are loaded with antioxidants, like fruits, vegetables, seeds and wild caught coldwater ocean fish. Some of my personal favorites include: red and yellow peppers, onions, garlic, broccoli, cabbage, blueberries, grapes, raisins, pumpkin seeds and wild Alaskan salmon. In addition, I avoid foods that are known to cause inflammation in most people. Notice I said avoid, not necessarily eliminate. I must admit I do not have the discipline Jack LaLanne or Dr. John McDougall. I simply will not seek out or choose to eat and drink the following on a regular basis:

1. Dairy products, including cheese, milk and ice cream.

2. Anything with hydrogenated fat. Anything loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol like most of the more flavorful cuts of beef and pork, including burgers, hot dogs and sausage.

In order to rid myself of pain and inflammation I initially tried to stay as close to a vegetarian diet as possible. I first followed Dr. John McDougall’s McDougall Plan. Now that I have my inflammation under control I will eat things like lean chicken breast, shrimp on occasion, and once in a great while a cut of beef like filet mignon. I still will not go near pork. Every time I eat pork my inflammation increases tremendously.

Other products I avoid are carbonated beverages like soft drinks, both regular and diet. Carbonated beverages lower the ph of your blood, making it more acidic. This causes a response in your body to try to bring your blood ph closer to neutral. It does this by leaching calcium and phosphorous from your bones. So think about this visual: you drink a soda for lunch, along with eating a big fat juicy burger, making your blood even more acidic. At three in the afternoon you go to the restroom and literally watch yourself pee part of your skeleton down the toilet. That’s right: your kidneys will actually pull that calcium and phosphorous from your skeleton out into your urine. But not all of it—you have heard of kidney stones?

No, you are not going to win your daily battle with arthritis/inflammation by simply taking your doctor-prescribed pharmaceutical drug while washing it down with soda and a double cheeseburger. You must be willing to embark on a complete lifestyle change focused on eating and drinking healthy foods.

2. EXERCISE– Exercise does several important things, including releasing beneficial hormones needed to keep lean muscle mass and burn unwanted fat. If done correctly, it will help you increase mobility and flexibility, which is important in overcoming the stiffness associated with arthritis. I personally do a five-minute slow stretching routine everyday.

I also do a vigorous cardio routine at least three times a week on a no-impact elliptical trainer or bike at a fitness gym. When I say vigorous, I mean I always work up a sweat. (Editors note: Those who experience hip pain should avoid the bicycle and elliptical because of the pressure placed on the hip flexor.)

I feel one of the most important parts of the exercise program to lessen the grip of arthritis is to do light resistance training at least three times a week. Whether you use your own body weight doing push-ups, or knee bends with stretch bands or light weights, it is important to stimulate muscle growth to support your skeleton and help you maintain bone density.

3. REDUCE STRESS– No matter whether it is your job, a co-worker, a friend, an acquaintance, not knowing how to say no to another volunteer project, or even a family member, if something is causing a considerable amount of stress, figure out a way to reduce it. If that means changing jobs, changing where we live, or severely limiting the time we spend with a stressful person, we must do whatever it takes to reduce the amount of stress in our lives. We can’t avoid all stress and we just can’t run from the many challenges we all face. But there are times when we allow unnecessary or excessive stress to further bombard our brain and our body. This leads to the release of harmful hormones and the suppression of beneficial biological processes in our bodies that will in turn lead to higher levels of inflammation.

4. SUPPLEMENTATION–The fourth weapon in my arsenal is like a bow with many different types of arrows. They all work together to help weaken the FIRE BREATHING DRAGON inside of me diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis. That bow is proper knowledge of supplementation. Armed with that, I continually launch various arrows at the INFLAMMATORY DRAGON on a daily basis, knowing full well that I can never kill it—I can only weaken it until it breathes fire no more.

The following is a list of supplements of which I have found enough supporting research to show that they are beneficial, and have found them especially beneficial for me personally. They all have one thing in common—the ability to reduce inflammation. Many of them contain powerful antioxidant properties to reduce free radical damage at the cellular level.

1. OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS– Omega-3 fatty acids either from fish oil, flaxseed, algae or krill. There are other sources as well. Just make sure you get the highest amount of DHA and EPA you can for the money, from a quality manufacturer that provides filtered oil, free from contaminants like mercury. Omega-3 fatty acids should be taken daily. They have so many proven health benefits in the human body, especially for your brain, heart and the reducing of inflammation, that they should be regarded as a must in your supplementation program. I prefer to get mine from a quality multi supplement that I have taken for years saving me a considerable amount of money. 

2. GLUCOSAMINE– Numerous studies have proven Glucosamine works better in the long-term treatment of arthritis than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (like ibuprofen) and without the bad side effects. It has also been shown to work better when combined with Chondroitin, which is why I prefer to take it in a good joint formula that also includes two other substances shown to improve joint health: Hyaluronic Acid and MSM. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a powerful antioxidant/anti-inflammatory that is helpful in maintaining proper liver function. Hyaluronic Acid is especially important for maintaining joint health and is what doctors will inject into your knees to provide relief from osteoarthritis.

3. TRITERPENES– Triterpenes work to inhibit part of the inflammatory process as it starts. There are various natural substances that contain triterpenes. One of the highest concentrations is found in the Shea nut. Its extracted oil can be found in various products, but the one I prefer is called FlexNow. FlexNow has been proven to reduce inflammation in clinical trials in humans and the manufacturer is so confident in the product they will give you your money back if you are not satisfied.

4. TURMERIC– Turmeric’s active ingredient curcumin is a natural inhibitor of the COX-2 enzyme that triggers inflammation. Turmeric has been used for thousands of years an anti-inflammatory, and has numerous other health related benefits.

5. MILK THISTLE EXTRACT– Milk thistle extract, with its active ingredients silibin and silymarin, is one of the earliest supplements I started taking on a daily basis. I consider it a high priority for helping to protect the liver and maintain proper liver function. There are numerous studies showing milk thistle’s ability to protect the liver and even return diseased liver function back to normal. 

Remember, if your liver fails to function normally, not only will the Fire Breathing Dragon within you go on a rampage, but also the rest of your body will be faced with an immune system that has run amok.

5. GRAPE SKIN AND GRAPE SEED EXTRACT– Both of these contain polyphenols, which are powerful, free radical neutralizers with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to protect the DNA within our cells. Both are well researched and have led to further research supporting the benefits of the extract known as Resveratrol, which is now being studied as an anti-aging formula. If purchased separately the price can vary greatly and be quite expensive, which is why I prefer to get it in the multi formula I take.

6. A GOOD QUALITY MULTI CONTAINING THE FOLLOWING:

All natural D-alpha tocopherol vitamin E—a fat-soluble antioxidant

Vitamin C—a water-soluble antioxidant

Alpha Lipoic Acid—a powerful antioxidant capable of recycling vitamin E and vitamin C

Green Tea Extract

Quercitin

Co enzyme Q 10

Acetyl L Carnitine

Lutein and Zeaxanthin

I hope you are able to use some of the information in this article to weaken the Fire Breathing Dragon within you and experience all the benefits of living a life free of pain.

-Marlon Covell

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