Let’s face it, when it comes to diet and exercise, there is a ton of information out there and we don’t always know what’s best.  We are essentially lead in a million different directions never knowing which way to turn. Therefore, we end up on a never ending cycle trying to lose weight.  There are quite honestly, millions of things we could try to lose weight, but there are certainly a few things that are definitely worth incorporating into your diet.  I did the research and this is what I found:

DIET PILLS:

Best diet pills- Glucomannan which has tons of fiber

Worst diet pills – ones that have ephedrine which can cause sudden strokes

SNACKS:

Best snack – Inca peanuts (from Peru) which are loaded with Omega 3′s and Vitamin E which fights heart disease

Worst snack – any type of bar – they are usually made with lots of sugar or sugar alcohol that bloat you and the side effects are not worth it

METABOLISM BOOSTERS:

Best metabolism booster – Cayenne pepper

Worst metabolism booster – energy drinks which are usually a quick fix, but then cause you to crash after

EXERCISES:

Best exercise – lunges which work more muscles than sit-ups and essentially burn more calories for losing weight

Worst exercise – sit-ups: planks are much better and more effective for losing weight

This has worked for many people that have been on that never-ending cycle of battling weight loss so I thought it would be worth mentioning for others to read.  Good luck!

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

If you want to reshape your body, then the key is to target your specific type of body fat.  To fight off stubborn pounds and to reshape your body for life then focus on the following according to your body type (big bottom or big middle):

For those with a big bottom type figure, fat is harder to get rid of but it is a healthier type of fat.  You are less likely to get heart attacks.  A good diet for those with big bottoms would be to eat low fat foods and to cut out saturated fats and processed foods. Include low fat dairy with every meal because the calcium in dairy increases weight loss.  It’s all about the carbs when you are heavier on bottom.  You can eat some carbs, but minimize the amount throughout your day and eat the good carbs not the bad.  A sample diet would be the following:

Breakfast:  low fat yogurt with granola and fruit

Lunch:  cottage cheese with vegetables and grilled chicken on the side

Dinner:  whole grains with lean meats such as a turkey burger on whole grain bread

Snacks:  protein shakes with low fat milk

Along with the diet would be a good exercise plan such as the following for those with big bottoms:

Do curtsey squats which work your entire lower body and then go into rows for your upper body.  This are called complexes:  squats and then rows performed back to back with no rest.  With this type of alternating workout, you get toning, resistance training, increased lean body tissue while increasing your metabolism at the same time!

For those with a big middle body type, the entire intestinal system is coated with fat that leads to your heart which is not good.  That is why those who have a bigger mid-section have higher rates of heart attacks.  Belly fat is linked to increased risk of type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and Cancer.  Furthermore, it slows down your metabolism.  The good news is, belly fat is much easier to get rid of since it’s visceral fat.  The #1 reason it is so hard to get rid of is because it’s linked to stress hormones.  So reduce your stress if you are heavier in the middle!  A good diet would consist of low carbs.  Rid yourself of refined carbs and eat anti-inflammatory foods like whole grains and healthy fats.  Replace simple carbs with buckwheat, amaranth, and barley and use healthy fats such as olive oils and avocados.  As for exercise, do lots of cardio.  Avoid steady cardio, however.  Do metabolic disturbance training.  Go slow and then fast where you crank it up and then back down after a minute.  This gives you an instant rush which uses both your aerobic and anaerobic system that boosts your metabolism in less time.  Essentially, this is more efficient, effective and fat burning in a shorter period of time.

While you are working on reshaping your body, it’s also good to learn some tips on how to look thinner in the process.  For those with big bottoms, dress with darker clothing on the bottom – make it pop up top!  Your blouse should hit the top or middle of your hips.  Wear wide-legged trousers and avoid cuts that hug hips and taper down.  For those of you with bigger mid-sections, wear v-shaped necklines to draw attention to your face and wear solid deeper tones on top.  Avoid billowy tops and busy or horizontal prints.

There is hope yet!  Try the methods above and begin to finally see some changes!

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

Dr. Oz has a great recommendation when it comes to detoxing your body with the following 48 hour weekend cleanse:

Breakfast:  1/2 cup quinoa; rinsed, 1/3 cup chopped prunes, 1/4 cup rice milk, 1 cup water, pinch of nutmeg, 1 tsp grated ginger

Snack:  detox drink or sliced celery, radishes or cucumbers with salt and pepper and lemon juice only.  No dressing!

Lunch:   Berry Smoothie; 1/2 cup almond or hemp milk, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed or chia, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1/4 cup banana, 1/2 cup ice

Snack:  detox drink or sliced celery, radishes or cucumbers with salt and pepper and lemon juice only.  No dressing!

Dinner:  Vegetable broth soup and sauerkraut with sliced apples.

Do not eat anything after 7;m.  You may have a cup of dandelion tea at bedtime, however.

Try epsom salt baths as well.

This should be done over 2 days.  You may also try this every few months to cleanse the body.  It is not recommended that you do this daily for an extended period of time, just on occasion over a 48 hour period.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

For those of you who LOVE carbs and cannot live without them, there are ways to at least downsize your cravings for carbs.  Most of us reach for the carbs when we get the urge to munch on something.  This not only adds calories, but increases carbs in your diet that you otherwise may not have had because it’s easier to go for carbs when you want a quick snack fix.

The following are ways in which we can cut down those carb cravings:

1 – Create an environment for success by removing processed foods from your home that are high in sugar and fat and replacing them with whole, natural foods.  This will give you no other option than to choose a healthier snack.

2 – Eat protein every 3 hours.  If you are on the go, protein shakes are great.  You can take them with you.  It’s easy and simple so no excuses!

3 – Exercise in 2 minute bursts – do this when you have the urge to eat carbs.  Squats, lunges, or even situps are great.

Just by doing the above, you can greatly cut down your urge to eat carbs within 1 week.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

According to Dr. Oz there are several health scams that the public should be aware of so the following top 7 scams were exposed on a recent episode:

1 – African Mango – they apparently have been using Dr. Oz on their web sites and making it appear as if he endorses this product.  He states firmly that he does not nor ever has endorsed this product and has informed the public that they should beware of products that try to scam people in this fashion!

2 – Omega 3′s – 30% of products tested failed because they either had too little Omega 3′s to be effective or they were spoiled.  Such products stated that they were pharmaceutical grade and there is no such thing.  They also claim they tested their fish oil ingredient in FDA approved labs when in actuality, there is no such testing of fish oil in labs.

3 – St. John’s Wort – 40% of products tested either didn’t contain the active ingredient that really helped one’s mood or were contaminated with a kidney toxin or carcinogen…basically injecting people with poison!  Two products that did pass consumer labs rigorous standards were:  Nature’s Way Perika St. John’s Wort and Nature’s Bounty Double Strength St. John’s Wort 300 mg.

4 – Ginseng – 45% of the products tested failed to meet ingredients stated on label.  This was basically the same issue as with St. John’s Wort.  Products which passed testing were Spring Valley Korean Ginseng Standardized Extract and Nature Made Ginseng.

5 – Probiotics – with this product, consumers should look for 1 billion live organisms.  However, most products that were tested do not have the amount claimed.  A warning sign is the * found on the label, especially if it states “as date of manufactured” because with this product, the organisms need to be live for it to be effective.

6 – Coconut Water – Zico was the only brand that contains all of the electrolytes stated.  Most were not accurate in the least.

7 – Valerian Root – 70% failed the test and did not meet ingredient amounts stated!  This was astonishing!

Basically, it’s buyer beware!  Most products sold from the above do not contain the amounts stated on their labels.  They were very low amounts and did not meet amounts required to be beneficial.  Essentially, they are scams making them bad or useless.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

Dr. Oz gives some great advice when offering us some shortcuts to losing weight:

1 – Eat an apple before lunch – 15 minutes before.  This will take 187 calories off your lunch!  Fiber takes up space and fills you up so you don’t eat as much.  You can lose 5 lbs. a year with this shortcut!

2 – Refrigerate your cans.  When you refrigerate your canned goods, the fat becomes solidified to the surface and can be scraped off.  You can lose 6 lbs. a year doing this.

3 – Dilute your juice with 1/2 seltzer.  This cuts calories in half and eliminates half the sugar.  You can lose 13 lbs. in a year!

4 – Fake a carbohydrate.  Substitute a vegetable in place of a carb such as cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes.  You can lose 12 lbs. in a year!

5 – Replace oils with applesauce – replace half the oil with this when baking.  You can lose 6 lbs. in a year and you won’t even taste the difference!

6 – Workout with a partner.  You are more motivated to work out when you go with other people.  You can lose significantly more weight because you are less likely to disappoint others by not showing up.  Plus, you get the encouragement to move when you workout with others.  You can lose 13 lbs. in a year with this method!

Dr. Oz does also mention that there are shortcuts we should never take  when dieting and they are the following:

1 – HCG diet – this can have a disastrous effect on your diet.  HCG takes away your hunger and you can lose weight, but you will most definitely gain it back over time.  You essentially destroy your metabolism doing this diet because you are starving yourself.

2 – 100 calorie bags – buy the big bag instead and put an amount in ziploc bags.  You waste more money buying these individual bags.

3 – Never take the elevator.  Walk a flight of steps instead.  This will help build muscle mass and is great exercise.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

According to a recent episode on Dr. Oz, there are 5 major habits that he believes are making America fat!  He states that we are all guilty of mindless eating at times where we don’t even realize what we are doing.

The top 5 mindless eating habits that are making us fat are the following:

1 – Artificial Sweeteners – this is the number one worst habit!  Artificial sweeteners can disrupt our regulatory system which controls our hunger – we don’t get the same satisfaction and we want more and more where our body begins to crave these artificial sweeteners.  We end up using a lot more than just using regular sugar because it desensitizes our taste buds.

2 – Eating out of the package is the second biggest worst habit!  You cannot approximate portions this way and you end up over eating.  It’s like a bottomless pit!

3 – Meal multitasking – for example, eating while driving or talking on the phone and you are not paying attention to how much you are consuming.  Also, eating while watching television or on the computer can cause you to over eat.  These are horrible habits that must be broken.  It’s much better to just take 15 minutes out for each meal and to sit down and enjoy the meal.  This will allow you to control how much you are eating.

4 – Eating with others – one tends to eat more when eating and socializing with friends.  It’s better to eat slower and watch others eat while you talk!

5 – Low fat food labels  - these give us a green light to eat more – just because something is low fat doesn’t mean it’s low calorie.  Some low fat foods which are acceptable are milk, yogart and cheeses which are part of a good diet!

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

Dr. Oz has come up with a 7 day miracle plan that will boost your metabolism an get it on the right track for good!

Day 1 – Check your metabolic rate on doctoroz.com.  There is calculator on his site to help you determine your metabolic rate.

Day 2 – Cut 100 calories from your diet per day.

Day 3 – Add protein – your body will burn twice as many calories by digesting protein as opposed to carbs.  Add 2 meals a week of fish.

Day 4 – Eat every 3 hours; from 6-8am eat breakfast, from 10-11am have a snack, from 12-2pm eat lunch, from 3-5pm have another snack, from 5-7pm eat dinner.  Do not eat anything after 7pm!  A bowl full of pistachios and apricots is a great snack and about 250 calories.

Day 5 – have 3 drinks on ice.  Doing this will burn 1 pound a year.

Day 6 – Take Zinc – this contains a hormone called leptin that controls hunger.  This will allow you to feel full quicker and you won’t be pushed to eat when you are no longer hungry.  Take 15mg per day.

Day 7 – Exercise in bursts – you will burn more calories when you dance then walk.  It wakes up your muscles as opposed to walking.  Do this after a bad meal and it will burn fat faster.

The following are metabolism boosters that cost under $20:

White Bean Extract – take one a day before a big meal.  This blocks starch from being absorbed into the body and digested.  This will allow you to take in less calories and to lose more fat which will help in gaining more muscle to boost your metabolism!

L-Arginine – this is a building block for muscles which boost metabolism.

Pickled Peppers – the vinegar in these helps prevent storage of fat.

Related Posts:

• Best Sex of Your Life! How to turn back the clock!
• Dr. Oz: Top 100 Foods For Your Shopping Cart
• Dr. Oz Catches Heat From The FDA About Apple Juice

According to Dr. Oz, the following are the top 100 foods that Dr. Oz recommends you include on your shopping list.  These are foods that will keep you fit and healthy and thought would be worth mentioning in this article:

FRESH PRODUCE:

1 – Tree fruits – apples and pears

2 – Citrus – oranges, lemons, and limes

3 – Stone fruits – peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, and tangerines

4 – Bananas

5 – Grapes

6 – Melons

7 – Greens – romaine, arugula, iceberg, cabbage, collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, and swiss chard

8 – Baby carrots

9 – Celery

10 – Avocado

11 – Potatoes

FROZEN:

12 – Berries – strawberries, cranberries, rasberries, blueberries, and blackberries

13 – Frozen veggies – peppers, kale, asparagus, cauliflower, onions, spinach, broccoli, peas, green beans, corn, zucchini, and squash

SEAFOOD/MEATS:

14 – All white meat ground turkey

15 – Bison/buffalo burger (sirloin burger)

16 – Eye of the round steak

17 – Lean pork

18 – Lean ground beef

19 – Chicken(skinless thighs and breasts, whole chicken)

20 – Fish(salmon, cod or trout)

21 – Shrimp(frozen)

22 – Fully cooked pre-seasoned beef and chicken slices(refrigerated section)

23 – Fresh sliced meats (no nitrites or nitrates added), turkey, ham, chicken, and roast beef

24 – Salmon, tuna, and chicken (in can or pouch)

CANNED/BOTTLED ITEMS:

25 – Canned Beans (white, kidney, black, pinto, red, navy)

26 – Canned tomatoes (tomato sauce and tomato paste – no added salt)

27 – Low sodium salsa

28 – Canned artichokes

29 – Canned mushrooms

30 – Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

31- Natural Peanut Butter

32 – Jams: raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, apricot (no artificial sweeteners)

33 – Dill pickles

34 – Canned Beets

35 – Low-Sodium sauerkraut

36 – Sardines

37 – Anchovies

38 – Olives (Kalamata)

39 -Eggs

40 – Greek Yogurt (and drinkables)

41 – Milk (2% Organic/Almond/Soy)

42 – Butter

43 – Cheeses: part-skim mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, feta, ricotta, string

44 – Hummus

45 – Quinoa

46 – Microwavable Steel Cut Oatmeal

47 – Microwavable Brown Rice

48 – Whole Grain Cereals

49 – 100% Whole Wheat Pastas

50 – 100% Whole Wheat or 100% Whole Grain  (breads, buns, pitas, english muffins, bagel thins, sandwich thins)

51 – 100% Whole Wheat Flour

52 – 100% Whole Grain Crackers

53 – Whole Wheat Tortillas

54 – Quick Cooking Polenta

55 – Whole Grain Brown Puffed Rice

56 – 100% Whole Wheat Waffles (frozen)

57 – 100% Whole Wheat pre-made pizza crust

BEANS AND SOY:

58 – Edamame (Frozen or Dry)

59 – Tofu, Soy Milk, Soy Crumble

60 – ChickpeaS

61 – Lentils

62 – Frozen Soy Burgers

63 – Soy Hot Dogs

CONDIMENTS/HERBS/SPICES/DRESSINGS/OIL:

64 – Mustard

65 – Oils – bottles (olive, canola, flaxseed)

66 – Vegan Mayo

67 – Ginger

68 – Chia Seeds

69 – Black Peppercorns

70 – Agave Nectar

71 – Baking Spices:  cinnamon nutmeg, clove, ginger

72 – Raw sugar

73 – Honey

74 – Chile Pepper

75 – Curry

76 – Hot Sauce

77 – Red pepper flakes

78 – Balsamic Vinegar

79 – Sea Salt

80 – Low Sodium Soy Sauce

81 – Vinegar (malt, white, red)

82 – French Herbs (rosemary, marjoram, thyme, savory)

83 – Italian Seasoning (garlic marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano and basil)

SNACK FOODS/DESSERTS/TREATS:

84 – Nuts (almonds, walnuts, brazil, hazelnuts, pistachios

85 – Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin)

86 – Dried fruit (raisins, apricots, cranberries)

87 – 100% Whole Wheat Pita Chips

88 -100% Whole Wheat Pretzels

89 – Popcorn

90 – High Fiber, Granola or Protein Bars (no more than 5 gms added sugar)

91 – Sweet Potato Fries (baked)

92 – Bite size dark chocolate with or without almonds

93 – Slow Churned Ice Cream

94 – 100 calorie air popped potato chips

95 – Fruit Leather

96 – Frozen Fruit Popsicles

BEVERAGES:

97 – Tea

98 – Coffee

99 – 100% Orange Juice

100 – Sparkling Water/Seltzer

Related Posts:

• Dr. Oz: 7 Day Miracle Plan to Boost Your Metabolism
• Dr. Oz Catches Heat From The FDA About Apple Juice

If you are like millions of women who have that undesirable belly fat that you just can’t get rid of then you need to try some new tricks to rid yourself of that belly fat!  Sometimes no matter what you do in the gym or with your diet, those stubborn areas of fat are the last to go so why not try the following and see what a difference it makes on your mid-region:

1 – Eat in reverse!  Carbs should be eaten in the morning only and less or not at all later in the day.  This way, you have all day to work it off.  Try eating your heavier meals at breakfast and lunch and eat lighter in the evening – sticking to just protein and vegetables.

2 – Eat 25 grams of fiber per day.  Do not eat less than this.  Fiber is crucial to your diet!

3 – Drink a small glass of red wine daily with dinner.  (what a bonus!)

4 – Confuse your muscle.  Do different exercises every day so that your muscles are confused.  This will allow your muscles to adjust and your body will reshape itself.  Doing the same workout every day will not allow your body to change.  In fact, your body will become resistant to change and you will not lose that fat.

5 – Crunches, crunches and more crunches!  Do as many as you can each day and set goals for yourself so that you increase the number of crunches that you do from day to day or week to week.  The more you do, the closer you will be to ridding yourself of belly fat and gaining a six pack!

Try the following foods as well to help blast that fat!

1 – Goldenberries – they come from Brazil and they contain B complex vitamins that essential are for your metabolism.  Eat a quarter cup a day!

2 – Have a cup a day of Miso soup as part of your daily diet.  One reason that women from Japan are so thin is because they eat Miso soup in their diet!  This is a very effective way to jumpstart your program for losing belly fat.

3 – Eat 3 teaspoons of sauerkraut a day.  Put it on a sandwich with whole wheat bread and turkey and remember to eat this early as you want to eat your carbs earlier in the day and not late in the evening.  It is an unprocessed and fermented food and is a very effective belly buster!

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts