What Is The Alternative For …

Now that Hydroxycut has been pulled from the market people are searching for safe alternatives for assisting in the struggle to lose weight. For starters staying healthy has to include eating right.

We know that includes high fiber and natural foods like whole grain pasta, fruits, vegetables and lean meats. But even though we know that this is good advice, it can be hard to stick to.

Sometimes you don't have control over what you get served. We are on the go, back and forth to work, running errands and not getting home to eat.

When you don’t get enough fiber and drink enough water, your digestive system can get backed up. You can experience weight gain, a loss of energy, bloating, or gas.

One effective way to eliminate this “build-up” is to use a cleansing supplement. One of the better ones available online is called Sculpt n’ Cleanse, and it’s safe and gentle to use.

It is the first-step, many take when beginning a weight loss, body shaping, anti-aging or health improvement program, and since the digestive system has been cleansed, more energy and nutrients can be absorbed from food.

Many individuals have said they have more energy and even feel younger. Others report that their skin clears up because the body is able to cleanse itself. And don’t forget the painful and unattractive bloating gets cleared up too. It could be that those jeans that were just a bit too tight around the middle will fit again.

Another benefit for people who have had years of impacted waste in their colons, may be losing 10 - 20 pounds in a matter of days. That’s like carrying around a bag of dog food around all day. Just the loss of that weight helps to move better.

And since their digestive system can now function better, they find it easier to control food cravings. So they may lose more weight, or at least, find it easier to keep from gaining weight.

Because of the problems with Hydroxycut , other safe alternatives for losing weight are becoming more well known.

Acai Berry is one that is taking the world by storm. It is an antioxidant that is known also for it's weight loss properties when combined with other natural antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and amino acids, work together to help your body function better, process food easier, and burn fat more efficiently.

All this means that we do not have to accept weight gain, lethargy, and pain as signs of aging.
If we are what we eat lets go with the good stuff, and get a good exercise routine to go along with it.

Simple Ways For Women To Prevent Heart Disease

Some simple adjustments to your lifestyle can help you avoid cardiovascular problems down the road.

If you have reduced or eliminated saturated fats, cheese and butter from your diet, don’t smoke and exercise 6 days a week, your heart may still be in jeopardy. The American Heart Association says that is all part of the story but there is more to it. Over half of heart attack and stroke sufferers have good cholesterol levels, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Other research suggests that there are two other potent risk factors women and their doctors aren’t addressing well enough. Borderline high blood pressure and inflammation get overlooked by physicians in young women they assume are healthy and fit. The longer they go unnoticed, the more damage they can do on your cardiovascular system.

The good news is there are a number of ways you can reduce these risk factors right away with just a little tweak to your routine.

Take a minute next checkup to ask your doctor, or the nurse who takes it, what your blood pressure is. Even if she didn’t tell you it was high (a reading of 140/90 or higher), don’t assume you’re in the clear. If they’re above 119/79, start making changes. Hypertension forces your heart to work harder to pump blood through the body, which can cause arteries to narrow and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.

The University of California, San Francisco did a study and found nearly 20 percent of people under the age of 35 have prehypertension (between 120/80 and 139/89). The study found that these young adults were more likely to develop high blood pressure, or hypertension, over the next twenty years than those who had healthy readings.

We have probably all heard at one time that to prevent hypertension, lower our sodium intake. The average American consumes 41 percent more sodium a day than the recommended 2,400 milligrams. Much of this sodium comes from processed foods, like canned soups, salad dressings, and frozen entrées.

Next, think about nutrition. Eat more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, poultry, low-fat dairy, and nuts, as well as less saturated fat, red meats, and sugar. Following a diet like “DASH” will help you get sufficient nutrients proven to lower blood pressure. If you can stick with the plan you’ll reduce your heart disease risk by 24 percent. For more details, search “DASH” on http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/.

Be sure to put a bunch of bananas in your shopping cart. Potassium works with sodium to regulate the water balance in the body, which promotes normal blood pressure. Most women get only half the 4,700 milligrams of potassium they need daily; in addition to bananas (422 milligrams each), eat your way to this quota with foods such as halibut (490 milligrams for 3 ounces) and tomato sauce (453 milligrams per half cup). An alternative to eating enough is to use a supplement instead. You can save some bucks by getting quality supplements on line. Just click on these links for Potassium and Fish Oil.

Those dark circles under your eyes aren’t the only consequence of partying too long. Some research at Harvard stated that people who slept five or fewer hours a night had a 39 percent greater risk of having heart disease than those who had at least eight hours of down time. Your body needs time to repair the daily damage to cells and tissues. Try a power nap on the weekend. It’s also a way to relieve built up stress. Snoozing for 30 minutes at least three times a week reduce the odds of dying from heart disease by more than one-third.

Make yourself a PBJ to fight inflammation. Peanut butter is loaded with magnesium, and researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina found that people who consumed at least 320 milligrams of the mineral daily halved their risk of having elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, which signal inflammation. A 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter provides 49 milligrams of the mineral; beans are also an excellent magnesium source, as are spinach and artichokes.

One last thought is to rethink your birth control plan. The same hormones that prevent pregnancy (estrogen and progestin) could also make your blood vessels less flexible and, over time, and raise your blood pressure. Go over your options every once in a while with your gynecologist. As an example research in Obstetrics & Gynecology said that women who use the birth control patch, have double the risk for blood clots as those who take oral contraceptives. This might be because they’re exposed to 60 percent more estrogen.

For most women, the benefits of birth control pills outweigh the drawbacks. But if you smoke or have pre-hypertension or hypertension and you’re on the pill, check your blood pressure with a home monitor at least once a week. If there are any changes let your family doctor and gynecologist know so they can keep an eye on your immune system.

Get In The Mood For Valentine’s Day

If you want to take Glenn Miller’s advice for Valentine’s Day and get In The Mood for some romance, there are some delectable delights that may help put some fire in the old furnace. Imagine a home cooked dinner with candles and some R-rated foods to help kick up the temperature.

In an article from CNN, Researchers say there is growing evidence that some foods enhance sexual function. Historically some foods have a reputation for being aphrodisiacs. One many have heard of is oysters, along with alcohol, almonds and avocados. Some medical studies suggest they may increase passion and sperm quality and decrease sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction (ED).

And if you are getting behind in the battle of the bulge including these mood enhancing foods into a healthy, balanced diet is a great way to help you get back to your sexy self. Research shows if you lose only 10% of your body weight you can improve the quality of your sex life. When you bring the negative images of yourself and your body in the boudoir it affects sexual well being also.

Here are some of the foods that have been touted in aphrodisiac history and tales of romance. Modern science bears out some of the claims also.

Alcohol in moderate quantities can help you relax and lower inhibitions, which can be a good thing, if you’re not driving at the time. Another plus is it raises good cholesterol, and reduces the chance of blood clots. If you don’t drink try a deeply colored 100% fruit juice like pomegranate or Concord grape juice. It has been found that the antioxidants in these juices can improve sperm quality and aid fertility.

For a long time now Almonds have been rumored to increase passion, act as a sexual stimulant, and aid with fertility. Like asparagus, almonds are nutrient dense and rich in several trace minerals that are important for sexual health and reproduction, such as zinc, selenium, and vitamin E.

Avocados make the list also according to the Mayo Clinic Health Library. This makes sense because they are good for your heart and your arteries. The Aztecs called them testicles, because of their physical shape. Science on the other hand says that they are rich in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fat, so they are good for your heart and arteries. Actually men with underlying heart disease are twice as likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction.

Oysters, ah yes, good old oysters. They have been thought to have aphrodisiac properties as long as I can remember, but very few studies have been conducted on them. In days gone by they were considered an aphrodisiac because of their shape, and since desire begins in the mind, the psychological effect was valid.

Medically the thing that makes these slippery sliders so potent is that they are full of zinc. Zinc controls progesterone levels, which have a positive effect on the libido. Zinc deficiency can cause impotence in men, so any food rich in zinc is considered an aphrodisiac in that respect, and oysters happen to be loaded with the mineral. Other seafood like wild salmon and herring contain omega3 fatty acids, which are essential for a healthy heart.

Strawberries red color helps get the libido moving based on a recent study men find women sexier if they're wearing red. Strawberries are also an excellent source of folic acid, a B vitamin that helps ward off birth defects in women and, may be tied to high sperm counts in men. This Valentine's Day, try making dark chocolate-dipped strawberries. And did you know that chocolate is loaded with libido enhancing methylzanthines.

Any member of Citrus fruit family is rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, and folic acid, all of which are essential for men's reproductive health. Rather than a steak linger over a romantic salad that includes citrus, like pink grapefruit or mandarin oranges, or maybe use a dressing made with lemon and lime.

During the 1st Century Arugula has been touted as an arousal aid. These days research uncovered that trace minerals and antioxidants in the dark, leafy greens are keys for our sexual health because they help block absorption of some of the environmental contaminants thought to negatively impacting our libido.

Figs look funny, but they have a long history of being a fertility booster, and an excellent aphrodisiac. They are loaded with fiber, which is important for heart health. In addition high-fiber foods help fill you up, not out, so it's easier to achieve that sexy bottom line or belt size.

Healthy breakfast = Healthy All Day

What mom’s have known and preached forever has been corroborated by science. A recent study determined that a good breakfast may be the most important meal of the day. Reuters Health reported this last week.

When researchers looked at the results of American adults they found that people who ate lower calorie foods for breakfast tended to have a higher quality diet overall. This was reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2008.

When broken down further, men who ate a healthy breakfast generally weighed less, and women who ate breakfast, seemed to weigh less than those who skipped the morning meal.
This reinforced other studies that found out that breakfast eaters are less likely to be overweight, and eating a healthy breakfast rather than pastry, is the key.

So if you have a high fiber cereal for your morning meal rather than a ham and three cheese omelet or even skipping the meal altogether you are off to a better day already.
The thing that was different in this study was the suggestion that low calorie breakfast foods seem to lead to better food choices for the rest of the day. This in may help people to control their weight better.

For example, fruits, vegetables and high-fiber whole grains, are low in energy density, while a Cheese Danish, or jelly doughnuts have a high energy density.What struck me about this research was what my mom and grandmother used to tell me back when I was about 10. “Eat a good breakfast if you want to be healthy”

So now I am reminded again to eat a low energy dense breakfast, and my wife should also eat breakfast, and in addition choose low energy density foods throughout the day.

On Maintaining A Healthy Holiday Weight

Now that Thanksgiving is almost here, many of us are about to disengage our brains and put our mouths in gear. It happens annually like the time change.

The sad reality is that with all the family dinners, parties and snacks at work, socializing with friends, it is going to be another tempting time. The battle of the bulge is on.

But it does not have to be a lose-lose situation. I have learned that I can still enjoy all the holiday treats without going completely insane and still maintain my weight.

So during these holiday challenges here are some of the things I have tried to put into practice:



Try not skip breakfast. If I don’t eat something, by the time lunch rolls around I wind up eating enough for two meals, and then a snack about an hour after that.

And while on the topic of snacks. If I miss lunch, I still try to have some kind of healthy snack every few hours during the day. I wind up eating less at the main meals this way.

When my wife and I go out to a restaurant on date night, we have started to share entrees. It makes the occasion feel more intimate also.

If I go to a holiday party, I carry some almonds, or a piece of fruit like a banana, cheese and an apple in a sandwich bag, and put them in the car. Especially when I know there is going to be chocolate goodies where I am going.

When I am at the dinner table I have tried to slow down my eating, by chewing longer, and putting the fork down between bites. Keep in mind that it takes about 20 minutes before the stomach realizes that I have started put things in my mouth. Socializing more during the meal is another good way to slow down.

When the family gets together on holidays, we all bring something to share. I try to bring something on the lighter, healthier side rather than potato chips or a cheese dip.

When I’m at the feast, I don’t pass up all the good stuff, but I do try to take a “taste” of everything, instead of making a meal of each portion. I have learned over the years that a good portion is about the size of your fist, and I use that for a guideline.

Instead of going to an event, just for the food, I try to focus on the whole gathering and socialize more throughout the event. Even though I know it is a good idea to mentally visualize myself as being successful at not overeating, it is still a challenge.

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