Saturday, February 19, 2011

9 Easy Weight Loss Rules that Work

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If you did what you were told by every expert out there, you'd eat more of everything and less of everything, and you'd eat it earlier, later, and not at all. Fat would save you and kill you, carbohydrates would make you skinny and fat, and protein would turn you into Adonis and put you on dialysis.

Recently, as part of a research project, I reviewed hundreds of weight-loss studies and found some surprising ways in which nutrition science is remarkably clear and straightforward. So, with apologies to Dr. Atkins, Suzanne Somers, and all the other noted weight-loss experts, I humbly present the undisputed masters of the midsection.


Cut Calories

The low-fat/low-carbohydrate debate comes down to this: You still have to eat fewer calories than you burn if you want to lose weight. Every study I looked at shows this. The perfect weight-loss diet is the one you can live with, whether you cut fat, carbs, or some combination.

Use Whey to Cut Waist

Protein-rich foods put more distance between hunger pangs. And the fuller you feel between meals, the easier it is to avoid binges.

The best food for appetite destruction: whey protein. A daily shake made with two scoops of whey protein, fruit (fresh or frozen berries or a banana), and water or crushed ice will improve your middle line. You can buy whey protein at any good health-food store.

Meat Cuts Fat

When you eat, your body has to expend calories to digest the food. Protein causes this inner fire to burn the hottest, followed by carbohydrates, followed by fat. Animal proteins increase thermogenesis more than vegetable proteins, so the best calorie-burning foods are lean meats. So eat some protein at each meal—build your dinner around lean chicken, beef, or pork. That way, you're burning the most calories through digestion at the end of the day, when your metabolism is slower.

Remember These Letters: BCAA

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and the branched-chain amino acids—leucine, isoleucine, and valine—are the best of the bunch. BCAAs are as close to magic foods as we'll ever get. They help you recover from hard workouts by reducing the protein breakdown within your muscles; they increase testosterone and growth hormone, your body's most important fat-fighting and muscle-building hormones; and they have their most profound effect when you're following law number 1 and cutting calories in order to lose weight.

For starters, try to get at least 10 grams (g) of BCAAs a day. Since they're most abundant in meat and dairy products, you can get the better part of that by following laws 2 and 3. (Two scoops of whey protein and 3 ounces of beef contains 10 g of BCAAs.)

You can also buy BCAA supplements (which, you should be aware, are expensive). Look for supplements that are 50 percent leucine, 25 percent isoleucine, and 25 percent valine. Start off with 10 g per day, and wait a month before bumping up the dose. The maximum useful intake is probably 60 g a day from food and supplements.

If It's Fryin', You're Dyin'

One thing that every weight-loss researcher and diet-plan author can agree on: Highly refined carbohydrates, such as fructose-sweetened beverages and low-fiber breads, are a terrible idea. Among the many sins of Mountain Dew and Twinkies is the way they cause your blood sugar to spike soon after eating. What goes up fast comes down fast, and you end up feeling tired and hungry much sooner than you should.

Goodbye diet, hello diabetes.

Now we know of a way to make refined carbohydrates even worse: Fry them. Researchers have found a suspected carcinogen called acrylamide in such products as potato chips and french fries.

A "suspected" carcinogen isn't the same as a proven carcinogen, such as tobacco smoke. But anytime I get a chance to talk you out of eating worthless snack foods, I do it.

Food Goes Farther with Fiber

Fiber's effect is the opposite of snack foods'. When you have fiber in your stomach, food takes longer to enter the bloodstream, and your blood-sugar level stays steady.

The benefits: You'll have a more consistent energy supply and less between-meal hunger. The only potential downside is that you won't get as much reading done in the bathroom. What slows down your blood sugar at the front end speeds things up at the back end. I could give you the usual riff about eating more broccoli and raisin bran, but you can safely and easily take in more fiber by using a supplement. (MD Labs' Fiber-Psyll is a good one; go to MDlabs.com.) Start with 7 to 12 g a day, mixing some with water and drinking it before your main meals.

Count on Calcium

Recently, nutrition researchers discovered that dairy and other calcium-rich foods help you stay lean, prevent osteoporosis, and possibly prevent colon cancer. The recommendation is to take in 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium a day. (A cup of milk contains 300.)

Unfortunately, too much calcium may increase the risk of prostate cancer. The tragic number seems to be 600 mg a day from dairy products. And what's the point of having a V-shaped torso if your prostate has a spare tire?

Here's how to reap the benefits of calcium without the risks:

• Avoid taking high-dose calcium supplements unless you really need them (under doctor's orders, or if you never eat foods naturally rich in calcium). The fat-fighting properties of calcium are activated only if you obtain it from real food.

• Look for low-fat dairy products fortified with vitamin D, such as fat-free milk and yogurt. Vitamin D offers prostate protection.

• Triple your home-gland security by occasionally eating a tomato salad (rich in prostate-protecting lycopene), mozzarella cheese (rich in calcium), and olive oil (which contains a cancer-fighting fat called beta-sitosterol).

Alpha Males Use Omega-3 Fats

Each year, we learn more about the health benefits of omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, which are found in fish, nuts, seeds, and flaxseed and fish oils. (And also in the cool, orange-flavored supplement Coromega, available at iherb.com.)

These health benefits—less risk of heart disease and diabetes, for example—are great on their own. But omega-3 fats contribute to a better physique as well. For example, omega-3s reduce inflammation throughout your body. That not only prevents heart attacks (inflammation in the tissues surrounding blood vessels is a major cause) but also helps your muscles recover faster from workouts.

Bigger, less-inflamed muscles mean a faster metabolism, and speeding up your metabolism is crucial when you're trying to get lean. If you don't eat fish twice a week and can't stomach fish-oil supplements, try eggs high in omega-3s, which are found in the dairy case, next to the regular eggs. You can eat four of them a day without any negative effect on your cholesterol levels.

Make a Plan

Next time you read a weight-loss story in a newspaper or magazine, count the number of disparaging references to popular diets. Based on the way diet gurus trash their competitors, you'd think there was no plan on earth that actually works. But the truth is that you can't lose weight without a diet.

You must have a plan. The more sophisticated it is, and the more tailored to your likes and dislikes, the better. You can't wing it and expect to see results. I won't offer you the perfect weight-loss regimen, because research has yet to discover one. But even the worst plan is more likely to succeed than no plan at all.

The best plan is likely to include these elements:

• Meals and snacks are based on some lean protein source—fish, eggs, dairy, meat.

• More meals are better than fewer. Five or six meals and snacks a day is ideal.

• Low-fat and high-fat diets can both work, but one that cuts almost all fat is doomed.

• Nobody ever became obese from eating the best carbohydrates—fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. And nobody ever died from skipping potatoes, pasta, rice, popcorn, and Wonder Bread.

Seven Reasons Why You're Still Hungry After Eating

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Do you sometimes feel ravenous, even though you just polished off a tasty lunch, a full dinner, or a midnight snack? Some food ingredients can trick our bodies into not recognizing when we’re full, causing “rebound hunger” that can add inches to our waistlines. But these simple tweaks from the authors of The New American Diet can help quiet your cravings.



1. You Drink Too Much Soda

Sodas, iced teas, and other sweetened beverages are our biggest source of high-fructose corn syrup—accounting for about two-thirds of our annual intake. New research from the University of California at San Francisco indicates that fructose can trick our brains into craving more food, even when we’re full. It works by impeding the body’s ability to use leptin, the “satiation hormone” that tells us when we’ve had enough to eat.

2.Your Dinner Came Out of a Can

Many canned foods are high in the chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA, which the Food and Drug Administration recently stated was a chemical “of some concern.” Exposure to BPA can cause abnormal surges in leptin that, according to Harvard University researchers, leads to food cravings and obesity.

3. Your Breakfast Wasn't Big Enough

After following 6,764 healthy people for almost 4 years, researchers found that those who ate just 300 calories for breakfast gained almost twice as much weight as those who ate 500 calories or more for breakfast. The reason: Eating a big breakfast makes for smaller rises in blood sugar and insulin throughout the day, meaning fewer sudden food cravings.

4.You Skipped the Salad

Most Americans don’t eat enough leafy greens, which are rich in the essential B-vitamin folate and help protect against depression, fatigue, and weight gain. In one study, dieters with the highest levels of folate in their bodies lost 8.5 times as much weight as those with the lowest levels. Leafy greens are also high in vitamin K, another insulin-regulating nutrient that helps quash cravings. Best sources: Romaine lettuce, spinach, collard greens, radicchio.

Also include these 15 new superfoods in your meals and snacks for delicious ways to flatten your belly for good.

5. You Don't Stop for Tea Time

According to a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, people who drank one cup of black tea after eating high-carb foods decreased their blood-sugar levels by 10 percent for 2 and a half hours after the meal, which means they stayed full longer and had fewer food cravings. Researchers credit the polyphenolic compounds in black tea for suppressing rebound hunger.

6. You're Not Staying Fluid

Dehydration often mimics the feeling of hunger. If you’ve just eaten and still feel hungry, drink a glass of water before eating more, and see if your desires don’t diminish.

7.You're Bored

Researchers at Flinders University in Australia found that visual distractions can help curb cravings. To test yourself, envision a huge, sizzling steak. If you’re truly hungry, the steak will seem appealing. But if that doesn’t seem tempting, chances are you’re in need of a distraction, not another meal.

How to have perfect sex

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How exactly do you define “perfect” sex? Well, perfect sex varies from person to person, and what may be considered perfect for some, is anything but for others. However, there are ways in which you can have sex that is perfect for you, and for your partner.

Letting Go:
What do you think prevents you from having mind blowing, exhilarating, and well, perfect sex? For many men and women it is their inhibitions. The inability to let go, throw caution to the wind, and be wild and free in bed is one that hinders the sex lives of many people, and overcoming the problem takes time and patience. Before sex mentally coach yourself, take steps to make yourself feel sexier whether it be a wax, new lingerie, masturbation, or any other technique that gets you primed for action. Extend foreplay, try new ways to arouse your partner and yourself, and take small steps in learning to be more vocal, more open to new things, and ideally, much more free between the sheets. The earlier you begin working at it, the sooner you will start enjoying sex to the fullest.

Extended Foreplay:
Another common issue in the sex lives of many people is the lack of foreplay, whether it be totally non-existent, or just not enough of it. Foreplay is a vital part of a fulfilling sexual encounter. It is what sets the mood, gets the blood pumping, and basically sets the stage for the entire event. Without foreplay, or enough of it, sex is less enjoyable for many people. If this is an issue in your sex life, talk to your partner about it, and take the initiative to start the foreplay yourself. Great foreplay often means great sex.

Know Yourself:
One sure fire way to ensure great sex is to know yourself: what gets your motor running, what brings you the most pleasure, and how you want to be treated in the bedroom. Spend some alone time with yourself, exploring your body, learning what gives you pleasure. Try new things with your partner, new positions or techniques, and see what works best for you. Learning what pleases you most is another way in adding perfection to your sexual experiences.

Shaking it Up:
Variety is the spice of life, and it can also add a tremendous amount of spice to your sex life. Routine can quickly become boring, and when having sex at the same time, in the same place, each and every time, it can start to feel more like a chore than an erotic experience. Shake things up a bit! Try new things: unique positions, role playing, using toys, or whatever works for you. Keeping things fresh and interesting is vital in great, and perfect, sex.

While aiming for the goal of perfect sex you are sure to have a ton of fun, learn new tricks and techniques, and get to know yourself and your partner even more. Using these tips you will have reached your goal in no time, and have a lifetime of perfect sex ahead of you to enjoy.

How to avoid germs at the gym

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Gyms are supposed to be good for you; a place you can go to improve your fitness and overall health. At the gym you can get fit, lose weight and tone up, but without the right precautions you can also get sick. With all that sweating and close-quarters, the gym can be a harbor for dangerous germs and bacteria. Protect yourself while you're working out with these quick germ-fighting precautions.

1. Keep tabs on your things. Personal items like razors and towels absorb and transfer the highest amount of germs, so keep them close by. Don't share them and don't borrow anyone else's.

2. Keep your cuts and scrapes under wraps. Not only will your open wound spread germs to everyone else, but it also leaves you vulnerable to infections if your scrape happens to encounter germs.

3. Wipe down your machine before and after using it. Even better, cover it with a towel before each set to minimize contact with harmful bacteria.

4. Mind your mat. Exercise mats can harbor a mind-boggling amount of germs from athlete's foot, E. coli, flu viruses, staph bacteria, and ringworm. Bring your own mat and wash it often with warm, soapy water. If you have not choice but to use a public mat, clean it with sanitizer before use.

5. Wear flip flops in the shower. Not only are shower floors slippery and slimy, they're also safe havens for water, which means they're breeding grounds for bacteria. Protect your feet in the shower with a cool pair of flip-flops.

6. Don't forget your hands. It's conventional bacteria-busting advice that translates to the gym. Wash your hands with antibacterial soap for 15 seconds for maximum germ-fighting. Plus, carry hand sanitizer with 62 percent alcohol.

7. Do laundry often. As if all that sweating isn't motivation enough to wash your gym clothes between uses, germs should be. Launder your clothes between each use if possible. Not only will it cut down on germs, but it'll help eliminate that funky smell in your gym bag.

8. Keep an eye out for small bumps that look kind of like pimples or spider bites. If they're painful and won't go away, they could be out breaks of MRSA. The antibiotic-resistant infection used to be contained to hospitals, but debuted itself to the public in 2007.

9. Choose a clean gym. Before you sign up for a membership, ask how often the equipment and facility gets cleaned. Be sure to ask specifically about the pool, showers and bathrooms. If it's not often, move on.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Male Gym 6 Pack Ideas- How to Get a 6 Pack

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Trying to get a 6 pack can be frustrating and difficult. Especially when you're not sure how ot get abs. So, what I'm going to do is share with you some male gym 6 pack ideas. That way, you'll be able to easily get some washboard abs.

The male gym 6 pack ideas are:

1. Training. The first way to get abs to train them. You should work on your abs at least two times a week. You can do exercises like cable crunches, hanging leg lifts, knee raises, and incline sit ups. Doing these exercises will ensure you that you work on all your ab muscles.

2. Eating. The other tip on getting a 6 pack is to eat healthy and frequently. Foods you can eat include lean chicken breast, lean fish, red apples, dark green veggies, whole wheat breads and pastas, yogurt, and cottage cheese. These foods will help you burn your belly fat.

Which is great for revealing your ab muscles.

3. Water and Green Tea. This is another great male gym 6 pack idea. You should drink one glass of green tea and eight glasses of water. This will help increase your metabolism, which is great for burning fat on your belly.

4. Cardio. Doing cardio will also help expose your abs. You should do cardio three times a week. The type of cardio exercises you can do include playing basketball with your friends, running, swimming, jogging, or riding your bike.

These are some male gym 6 pack ideas. If you really want to get abs that will impress people, be sure to use the tips above. Also, make sure you are consistent with training and eating. This will help you get results faster.

Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard

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Whey Protein Isolates are 90% pure protein by weight. They are the purest and most expensive form of whey protein that exists. That’s why they are the first ingredients you read on the Gold Standard 100% Whey label. By using Whey Protein Isolates as our primary protein source, we’re able to pack 24 grams of the purest, muscle-building protein per serving, with a lot less of the fat, cholesterol, lactose, and other stuff that you can do without. There’s no question this is the standard by which other whey proteins are measured.

Click here to buy Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard

Product Features

  • Whey Protein Isolates are the primary protein source
  • Includes fast-acting Hydrowhey Peptides
  • 5.5 Grams of BCAAs and 4 Grams of Glutamine compounds

Product Review


by Emmanuel Goldstein (Unity, Oregon)
I like this product. Let me first start by saying that I do not think this is "the BEST" protein product ever. However, I've tried many protein products and this comes rather close.

In my honest opinion, "the BEST" protein product out there would have to be "Profect" by Protica Research. It's actually the stuff used by gastric bypass patients. It's 25 grams of high-absorb protein in only 2.7 fluid oz that literally tastes like fruit candy. But, it's way too expensive and a two-months supply can set you back a couple of hundred bucks easily. Because of this, it's better suited strictly toward its medical purposes.

This product is also not the "most cost-effective". There are plenty of other whey products out there that are much much cheaper and have just as much protein content, but they all pretty much taste like doo doo. What's the point in torturing yourself to save a few bucks? Cost is definitely an important factor, but not the most important.

Apart from all of the hype and apart from all of the hate, I would say that I really do like this product. It tasted a bit gross with just plain water, but when I added it to a cup of enriched soymilk, I couldn't tell the difference between it and a regular kid's chocolate milk shake. That is amazing. And this product did mix pretty well. I usually have problems with that when it comes to powdered shakes and it's always great when you can get a shake that doesn't just sit on the bottom of the cup and cement while everything else just floats to the top. I even added a serving of Benefiber fiber supplement, and it still didn't clump up.

One problem that I have with this product is that it does use artificial sweeteners, but I'll let that slide for now, since I don't intake too many products with them anyway. Still, it is a cause for concern for those you who want to avoid such things in your diet entirely.

Overall, 4 of of 5 stars. I'm pleased but not impressed. This product is definitely one of the superior brands out there but most definitely not a "gold standard". A lot could be done to improve it.

You Can Boost Your Sex Life With Natural Male Enhancements

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Recently Men Health Reports suggest that effective male enhancements may work to not increase sexual stamina and decrease incidents of erectile dysfunction, but also increase the size and firmness of your penis.
In a recent survey, 87% of men surveyed that if they could naturally increase the size of their penis and decrease the "down time" between sexual encounters, they would. In fact, other surveys suggest that more and more men and women are accepting of the ability to increase libido and penile firmness.
If you are experiencing episodes of dysfunction, you may consider taking a natural male enhancement to fight back the creeping of impotence before it becomes a much larger problem. Doctors and sex therapists will tell you that it is best to address any problem before it escalates. The same is true with sexual disorders.
The benefits of a natural male enhancement can bring added vigor to your sex life, naturally and without your partner even knowing. In fact, not only does an enhancement increase your sexual stamina, it also increases your sperm volume. If you are experiencing a dip in sexual desire, soft erections, or low sperm volume, you may benefit from a natural supplement.
Personally, I have used male enhancements for years. I know that some are better than others. Yet, I have experienced really great results with the one I am on now. My wife could not be happier and I couldn't be more pleased (no pun intended). What I also noticed that my confidence also increased as I have found a new way to extend my youthful vigor that I once enjoyed in college. I know that I will continue using them for some time to come.

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