Fresh articles from Holistic Health Articleshttp://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:13:55 EDTHolisticHealthArticles.com http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10761/365/The-Best-Exercise-to-Lose-Belly-Fat.html
What's the best exercise to lose belly fat? Is there one specific exercise or type of exercise that's best for getting a leaner waistline?

Many fitness experts over the years have proclaimed that a specific exercise or type of exercise is the best way to lose abdominal fat But just like how there's no one nutrition program that works best for everyone, there's also no one specific exercise or type of exercise the works best for everyone

We all have different body types, different genetics and different metabolisms, and we all respond to exercise differently A specific exercise or type of exercise that's most effective at reducing abdominal fat for me might not be the most effective for you Your exercise program, just like your nutrition program, has to be personalized in order to be most effective

That being said, here are three tips that will help improve anyone's fat loss exercise program:

1 Do aerobic exercise first thing in the morning Doing aerobic exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is a very effective way to lose belly fat and overall body fat This is because your blood sugar level is lowest in the morning prior to eating, so most of the fuel for your workout will come from stored body fat In addition to helping you burn more body fat, doing aerobic exercise first thing in the morning will give you a nice energy boost to start your day

2 Do high intensity interval training High intensity interval training (HIIT) consists of alternating high intensity "work intervals" with low to moderate intensity "recovery intervals " For example, you sprint 50 yards and then walk 50 yards, and then continue to alternate these work and recovery intervals Or you pedal at a fast pace on a stationary bike for 30 seconds and then pedal at a slow or moderate pace for 60 seconds, and then continue to alternate these work and recovery intervals There are many different ways to structure a HIIT workout

HIIT burns a lot of calories during the workout and it also causes your metabolism to be elevated for up to 24 hours after the workout is over The higher your metabolism, the more calories your body continually burns The increase in metabolism from HIIT is much higher and lasts much longer than the increase from traditional aerobic exercise

Another benefit of HIIT is that it requires less time than traditional aerobic exercise A typical HIIT workout should last between 10 and 20 minutes and should be performed two or three times per week

3 Lift weights Many people don't associate weight lifting with losing belly fat, but weight lifting is a very effective way to lose belly fat and overall body fat The reason why is because lifting weights builds lean muscle mass Muscle is metabolically active tissue, so the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism will be and the more calories you'll burn 24/7 Over the course of several months or a year, the number of calories burned and the amount of body fat lost as a result of a higher metabolism can be substantial

What about doing a lot of crunches and other ab exercises to "burn off" abdominal fat? Many people don't understand that it's impossible to "burn off" fat from a specific area of the body by selectively exercising that area When you lose fat, you're unable to choose the area in which the fat loss will occur Your body determines which fat stores it will use, and it uses fat stores over your entire body, not just one area Exercising a specific area of your body will build and strengthen the underlying muscle, but it will have no direct effect on fat loss in that area

In conclusion, you have to exercise to lose belly fat And by following one or more of the above tips, you'll maximize the effectiveness of your fat loss exercise program



Published By: Holistic Health Articles]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10761/365/The-Best-Exercise-to-Lose-Belly-Fat.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10756/365/How-to-Lose-Stomach-Fat.html
The most effective way for how to lose stomach fat is not complicated Here's what it takes to get a leaner midsection

One thing I want to clarify right off the bat is that there's really no such thing as stomach fat, as your stomach is a digestive organ and fat does not accumulate in your stomach When we're talking about stomach fat, we're really talking about belly fat or abdominal fat With that being said, let's get into the details of how to lose belly fat

One of the first places that many people - especially men - store body fat is around their midsection And even though the midsection area is often the first place that fat gets stored when people gain it, it's often the last place that fat comes off when people lose it This is why many people get frustrated when trying to lose belly fat But don't get discouraged if you have stubborn abdominal fat to lose You will lose it as long as you follow an effective fat burning program

An effective fat burning program involves creating a calorie deficit using a combination of fat burning nutrition and exercise (both aerobic exercise and weight training) Belly fat is stored energy, and to get rid of it you have to burn more energy (calories) than you consume

Fat burning nutrition does not involve going on a very low calorie diet When trying to lose belly fat, far too many people make the mistake of drastically reducing their calories If you go on a very low calorie diet, you'll end up losing much more water weight and muscle than body fat, and you'll most likely end up gaining back any body fat that you do lose once you go off of your very low calorie diet and go back to your old eating habits

Fat burning nutrition involves cutting back on calories, not drastically reducing them It involves following a healthy eating plan that creates a calorie deficit without starvation Fat burning nutrition is also a personalized way of eating that's based on you as an individual - your body type, your genetics, your metabolism - and what mix of protein, carbohydrate and fat works best for you

With regard to exercise, both aerobic exercise and weight training are equally important when it comes to losing abdominal fat Aerobic exercise burns calories Weight training builds lean muscle mass, and the more lean muscle mass you have the higher your metabolism will be A higher metabolism causes your body to burn more calories 24/7

What about doing ab exercises? Isn't this a good way to "burn off" fat from the midsection? No, it isn't It's impossible to "burn off" fat from a specific area of your body by selectively exercising that area When you lose fat, you're unable to choose the area in which the fat loss will occur Your body determines which fat stores it will use, and it uses fat stores over your entire body, not just one area Exercising a specific area of your body will build and strengthen the underlying muscle, but it will have no direct effect on fat loss in that area

In conclusion, when it comes to how to lose stomach fat, the formula is actually pretty simple If you consistently follow a fat burning program that combines fat burning nutrition, aerobic exercise and weight training, you'll not only lose belly fat, you'll improve your overall health and fitness



Published By: Holistic Health Articles]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10756/365/How-to-Lose-Stomach-Fat.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10755/365/Does-the-Acai-Berry-Diet-Work.html
There's a lot of hype surrounding the acai berry diet Here are the facts about the acai berry that you need to know

The acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) berry is a fruit that grows on the acai palm tree in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil The acai berry is dark purple in color and about the size of a blueberry About 90% of the acai berry is seed and about 10% is skin and pulp, and only the skin and pulp are edible

The acai berry is very perishable and it spoils within about 24 hours of being picked from the acai palm tree This means that you won't find fresh acai in your local supermarket But freshly picked acai can be frozen and it will retain its full nutritional value Frozen acai can also be freeze dried into a powder Frozen acai and freeze dried acai powder are used to make a variety of acai products, such as supplements, juices and smoothies

The acai berry has been a traditional food of the native people of the Amazon for hundreds of years, and it's one of Brazil's most popular foods today In 2005, the acai berry was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and it has received quite a bit of media coverage since then Along with all of the media coverage, various companies started touting the acai berry diet as the secret to weight loss All sorts of websites and blogs have popped up that contain stories and before and after photos of people who supposedly lost weight using acai

The reality is, there's no scientific evidence that the acai berry has any special weight loss properties But what about all of those acai websites and blogs, many of which can be pretty convincing? Unfortunately, many of these websites and blogs contain made-up stories, doctored before and after photos, and fake celebrity endorsements

Even more troubling, some of these websites and blogs are scamming people They're offering supposed free trials of acai supplements, but when you provide your credit card details to cover shipping and handling for the "free trial," you find yourself enrolled in an "automatic shipment program" that sends you inferior, overpriced acai supplements and bills your credit card every month

It's important to note that even though the acai berry has been overhyped when it comes to weight loss, the health benefits of acai are impressive The acai berry has even been referred to as a "super fruit" by several health experts Acai is loaded with antioxidants, contains essential amino acids, healthy unsaturated fat and beneficial plant sterols, is high in fiber, and is a good source of vitamins and minerals

Because of these health benefits, many people take acai supplements for general health purposes If you're considering doing the same, just make sure that you only purchase your acai supplements from a reputable company that sells high quality products, and avoid all "free trials" of acai supplements

In conclusion, the acai berry diet is one of the latest in a long list of diets that have been touted as the secret to weight loss The reality is, there is no secret to weight loss If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to combine fat burning nutrition with increased physical activity This is the proven, effective and safe way to permanently lose weight



Published By: Holistic Health Articles]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10755/365/Does-the-Acai-Berry-Diet-Work.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10741/365/Fish-Oil-and-Weight-Loss.html
There are many health benefits of fish oil, but what about fish oil and weight loss?

Fish oil, which comes from the tissue of fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, is one of the few dietary sources that contains a substantial amount of the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) DHA and EPA are essential fatty acids (EFAs) that are critical for good health, but the body is not able to produce them and they must come from food or supplements Many people are deficient in DHA and EPA

The health benefits of fish oil are powerful: it reduces the risk for heart disease and heart attack, it improves blood vessel functioning, it increases HDL (good) cholesterol, and it lowers blood pressure There's also strong evidence that fish oil may help in the treatment of ADHD and depression, may reduce the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease, may help prevent age-related macular degeneration (an eye disorder), and may reduce the risk for developing breast, colon and prostate cancer

With regard to fish oil and weight loss, several studies have indicated that the DHA and EPA (especially the DHA) in fish oil can help with weight loss Although additional studies are needed to confirm these initial studies, fish oil looks very promising when it comes to helping with weight loss

Here are the reasons why researchers believe that fish oil helps with weight loss:

* It helps regulate blood sugar levels
* It reduces insulin resistance
* It reduces chronic inflammation
* It improves fat metabolism
* It increases fat burning during exercise
* It reduces triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood)
* It helps prevent fat cells from forming and expanding in size

Although eating fatty fish provides you with DHA and EPA, there's a growing concern that many types of fatty fish are contaminated with PCBs, mercury and other environmental toxins There's also no way to be sure that the fish you're eating contains enough DHA and/or EPA to provide maximum health benefits This is why many people are turning to fish oil supplements A high quality fish oil supplement will be free of contaminants and contain a high concentration of DHA and EPA

When it comes to purchasing a fish oil supplement, you need to be very selective in what brand you choose Several brands have been found to contain PCBs, mercury, dioxins, arsenic and lead, and the oil in several brands has been found to be rancid Also, many low quality fish oil supplements do not contain enough DHA and/or EPA to help with weight loss Only buy fish oil supplements from a trusted company that has a track record of producing high quality products and whose products are backed by solid clinical evidence supporting their efficacy and safety

In conclusion, now that you're aware of the connection between fish oil and weight loss, you should consider making fish oil supplements a regular part of your diet if you're trying to lose weight In addition to potentially helping you lose weight, fish oil supplements will provide you with plenty of other health benefits



Published By: Holistic Health Articles]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10741/365/Fish-Oil-and-Weight-Loss.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10667/365/HCG-Diet-Not-a-Mere-Fad.html
Fads come and fads go and the society struck by the giant impact of weight epidemic keeps falling further down the metabolic road However, sometimes few and far between, certain fads come and keep staying long enough In time, they become a panacea HCG diet is one such power performer It's true to its task and there to stay Human Chorionic Gonadotropin or HCG is a hormone released by women during pregnancy We always knew its capacity as a tumor marker and for the reasons of fertility but now we have got another fillip HCG is capably helping us to shed that extra yard of fat

Who has ever liked the lumps of fat jutting out of connective tissues underneath? Who has ever liked the unsightly terrains of bulbous fat on the belly, hips, arms and thighs? It's just that we have conditioned ourselves to live with it thinking that there is no respite For all of us, HCG diet recipes are working wonders It aims to convert the Conservation mode metabolism to Burn the Fat mode metabolism

It aims to pep up the metabolism Science believes that human metabolism has innate capability to cure us of all our worries The problem is that most often we get entangled in stagnated metabolism zones HCG diets believe the same To them, a low calorie diet with HCG diet supplementation taken under the supervision of medical practitioners can enable a person to lose those extra calories pretty quickly So you may never have to think of boycotting or bypassing the social events or hanging out with your group of friends

How much is the HCG diet for? Well, it costs nearly nothing and especially if you compare it to the blessings that it brings However, there is a word of caution HCG diets shall only be purchased from websites certified by the Better Business Bureau At any rate, you must have a doctor's prescription

If you have been trying a combination of diets and exercise regimen and yet managed to hit doldrums phase then HCG diet information can allow you to raise HCG levels in body and cut out the extra fat gained over a period Prior to jumping on the HCG diet bandwagon, make sure that you have procured the services of a trained physician He is just the right guy to get you started with the plan Undertake a physical examination and get your self worked up prior to this low calorie diet program



Published By: Holistic Health Articles]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10667/365/HCG-Diet-Not-a-Mere-Fad.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10648/365/CLA-A-Weight-Loss-Supplement-That-Actually-Works.html
The subject of CLA and weight loss has been receiving a lot of attention recently, but exactly what is CLA?

CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, is an omega-6 fatty acid that was first discovered in the early 1980s Unlike many other omega-6 fatty acids that can increase inflammation in the body, CLA reduces inflammation

CLA has also been found to have several other health benefits, such as increasing metabolism, increasing lean muscle mass, lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels, reducing insulin resistance, improving the immune system, and improving cardiovascular health

CLA is also proven to help with weight loss Numerous studies have shown that CLA reduces body fat Studies indicate that when subjects take CLA for at least three months, they experience significant reductions in body fat, and much of the fat loss seems to be concentrated in the abdominal area

Studies have shown that CLA works in the following ways:

* It decreases the amount of fat that's stored after eating
* It increases the rate of fat breakdown in fat cells
* It increases the rate of fat burning
* It prevents fat cells from getting bigger

CLA is found naturally in beef and dairy products, but the amount of CLA found in these products has declined substantially over the last few decades, primarily due to the fact that so many beef and dairy cows are being fed grains instead of grasses

Taking a CLA supplement is the best way to make sure that you get a sufficient enough amount of CLA to experience the maximum benefits from it You should only use a patented name brand of CLA supplement, such as Tonalin CLA, as some non-patented non-name brands contain inconsistent or insufficient amounts of CLA

It's important to realize that just taking CLA alone is not going to do much to help you lose weight if you never exercise and have bad eating habits But when used in conjunction with a healthy, reduced calorie diet and exercise, CLA can definitely help you lose weight



Published By: Holistic Health Articles]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10648/365/CLA-A-Weight-Loss-Supplement-That-Actually-Works.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10593/365/5-Tips-for-Getting-Rid-of-Belly-Fat.html
Here are five simple tips for getting rid of belly fat and getting a leaner body:

1 Cut back on calories, but don't drastically reduce calories In order to lose belly fat (or fat anywhere else on your body) you have to reduce your calories enough to create a caloric deficit so that you're burning more calories than you consume But many people make the mistake of reducing their calories way too much Drastically reducing calories causes your body to go into starvation mode Once your body is in starvation mode, your metabolism slows down and your body starts storing fat So never starve yourself, just reduce your calories by 10 - 15% less than the point at which you maintain your weight

2 Eat four to six small meals throughout the day Eating four to six small meals throughout the day, as opposed to two or three big meals, will help keep your metabolism high, and a higher metabolism will cause your body to burn more calories Eating four to six small meals throughout the day will also help keep your energy level high

3 Don't skip breakfast When you skip breakfast, it often leads to overeating later in the day and at night when you're less active and more likely to store excess calories as body fat

4 Eat fiber with every meal Fiber helps you reduce belly fat by keeping your blood sugar levels steady and making you feel full on less food Fiber also has plenty of other health benefits It helps your body absorb nutrients from food, it speeds the passage of food through your digestive tract, it lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol, and it's important for maintaining regularity

5 Drink plenty of water Without an adequate amount of water, your body will not be able to burn body fat for energy as efficiently as possible Water also aids in fat loss because it contains no calories and it's an appetite suppressant Water also has plenty of other health benefits It removes toxins and waste products from your body, it carries nutrients to the cells of your body, it enhances digestion, and it helps prevent constipation

In conclusion, these five tips for getting rid of belly fat will help you not only get a leaner midsection, they'll also help you get fitter and healthier




Published By: Holistic Health Articles]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10593/365/5-Tips-for-Getting-Rid-of-Belly-Fat.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10572/365/Weight-Training-for-Weight-Loss.html
Many people only associate weight training with building muscle and increasing strength But what about weight training for weight loss?

Weight training is actually a very effective way to lose weight The reason why is because lifting weights builds lean muscle mass As you increase your lean muscle mass you also increase your metabolism, and the higher your metabolism is the more calories your body burns and the more body fat you'll lose, even when you're resting and sleeping Over the course of several weeks or months, the number of calories burned and the amount of body fat lost as a result of a higher metabolism can be substantial

Most weight loss programs don't include weight lifting and consist only of diet and aerobic exercise The problem with this type of weight loss program is that it will cause you to lose lean muscle mass in addition to losing body fat This loss of lean muscle mass will cause your metabolism to decrease, so you'll burn less calories and lose less body fat You won't lose lean muscle mass if weight lifting is a part of your weight loss program, so your metabolism will stay high and you'll burn more calories and lose more body fat You'll also be able to eat more, while still losing body fat, if weight lifting is a part of your weight loss program

There's another problem with relying only on diet and aerobic exercise to lose weight Diet and aerobic exercise will give you a leaner body, but it will be a somewhat soft, flabby body because of the loss of lean muscle mass If you add weight lifting to your weight loss program, you'll not only end up with a leaner body, you'll end up with a tighter, more toned body

The bottom line is that when it comes to losing weight, weight training, aerobic exercise and diet are all equally important Each one enhances and complements the others, resulting in maximum fat loss at the maximum possible rate in a healthy and safe way

Some people reading this may worry that even though lifting weights will help them lose body fat, it might also give them big, bulky muscles and make them look like a bodybuilder The truth is that unless you have the right body type and the right genetics, which not may people do, it takes a very long time and a lot of hard work to build big, bulky muscles It's almost impossible for women to build big, bulky muscles because they don't have enough of the hormone testosterone, which is a key hormone for building muscle

Both men and women bodybuilders not only have the right body type and the right genetics, but many of them also take steroids and other anabolic drugs to help them build their abnormally large muscles So there's no need to worry that you're going to end up looking like a bodybuilder if weight lifting is a part of your weight loss program Even if you ever did reach the point where you felt that you were getting too muscular, you could just switch over to a maintenance type of weight lifting routine

Now that you know just how effective weight training for weight loss is, make sure that lifting weights is a part of your weight loss program No weight loss program is complete without it



Published By: Holistic Health Articles]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10572/365/Weight-Training-for-Weight-Loss.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10538/365/Why-Low-Calorie-Diet-Plans-Don-t-Work.html
Many people turn to low calorie diet plans when they want to lose weight, but this is a bad idea Here are three reasons why low calorie diet plans are one of the worst ways to lose weight

1 They cause you to lose more water than body fat You will lose weight initially when you drastically reduce calories, especially when you drastically reduce carbohydrates, but much of the weight loss will often be water, not body fat Water weight is very easy to gain back

2 They slow down your metabolism A drastic reduction in calories will cause your body to go into "starvation mode " Once your body is in starvation mode, your metabolism will slow down and your body will start trying to hold onto its fat stores Fat loss will eventually come to a complete stop This is why, after extended low calorie dieting, you can eat very little food and still not lose weight

3 They cause you to lose muscle Once your body is in starvation mode and your metabolism has slowed down, you'll start to lose muscle This is because your body will start looking for ways to conserve energy, and because muscle is metabolically active tissue, your body will start using muscle for energy

The combination of fat loss coming to a stop and constant hunger is what causes people to give up on low calorie diet plans And once they've given up on their diet, most people go back to their old eating habits and end up gaining back any weight and body fat they lost - only now they have less muscle and a slower metabolism

The bottom line is that low calorie diet plans don't work because they're not sustainable If they did work, there wouldn't be so many people who are overweight or obese

So what does work when it comes to weight loss? What's the best way to lose weight?

The best way to lose weight is to decrease your calories a little and increase your physical activity a lot by following a good nutrition and exercise program Decreasing your calories a little and increasing your physical activity a lot is the exact opposite of drastically reducing your calories and doing little or no physical activity - which is why it's such an effective way to lose weight

Decreasing your calories a little and increasing your physical activity a lot enables you to lose body fat without slowing down your metabolism, without losing muscle, and without being constantly hungry It also gives you the best chance of permanently keeping the body fat you lose off



Published By: Holistic Health Articles]]> http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10538/365/Why-Low-Calorie-Diet-Plans-Don-t-Work.html http://www.holistichealtharticles.com/Art/10464/365/Calorie-Burning-Foods-Reality-or-Myth.html
Some diet and nutrition programs are based entirely on the concept of calorie burning foods But are there really foods that burn calories?

The reality is that there's no such thing as foods that burn calories But there are certain foods that have a high thermic effect, and these foods can help you lose weight

Every physiological process that occurs in your body uses energy Keeping your heart beating and circulating blood uses energy Creating new cells uses energy So does breathing Digestion is no exception The breakdown and absorption of food requires a substantial number of calories

Some of the calories in the foods you eat are burned off just to digest them, so the net amount of calories absorbed is actually less than the amount contained in the food This process is commonly referred to as the "thermic effect of food " Thermic effect peaks about an hour after each meal and begins to drop about three hours after the meal has been completely digested Foods with a high thermic effect will speed up your metabolism because your body has to work harder to digest, process and utilize the food

You may have heard the expression "negative calories " This refers to certain foods, such as asparagus or lettuce, which have a high thermic effect and a low calorie density It's almost impossible for these foods to be stored as body fat because most of their calories are burned off just to digest them

There are two food groups that have a higher thermic effect than any other foods, and these will increase your metabolic rate the most These two food groups are lean proteins and fiber-containing complex carbohydrates

Lean protein foods, such as chicken breast, fish and egg whites, have the highest thermic effect of all, nearly 30% So if you eat 100 calories of chicken breast, almost 30 of those calories are burned off just to digest it Therefore, the net caloric value is only about 70 calories

Fiber-containing complex carbohydrates, such as fibrous vegetables, whole grains, beans, brown rice and oatmeal, also have a high thermic effect, around 20%

Fats have the lowest thermic effect, around 3% This is one of the reasons why dietary fat is so easily stored as body fat Refined simple sugars also have a low thermic effect

Too much of any food will be stored as body fat, but due to their high thermic effect, lean protein foods and fiber-containing complex carbohydrates are less likely to be converted to body fat than other food types

If you're trying to lose weight, you should be eating several small, healthy meals throughout the day that consist primarily of foods with a high thermic effect



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