3 Natural Fat Loss Solutions

It is oftentimes a challenge to maintain a low body fat percentage when following a modern day schedule. Without enough time to prepare a fresh and balanced meal each day, you may find yourself packing on the pounds. Outside of eliminating the key factors that are most likely contributing to the unwanted accumulation of fat such as ubiquitous high-fructose corn syrup and excess sugar, a number of scientifically proven natural fat loss solutions do exist that can help you in the fight against excess fat.

1. Whey Protein

 

High quality whey protein is an essential tool in the fight against obesity. In fact, the overall anti-obesity effects of all dairy products have been found to depend largely on the amount of whey protein they contain. The key function of whey protein in controlling your weight is its powerful ability to help regulate food intake. One study from the University of Toronto found that whey protein contributes to the regulation of body weight by providing signals that help tell your brain that you are full.

Even more interesting is the fact that these effects actually extended to long-term food regulation. This means that whey protein can actually help you control your appetite naturally, without the usage of pricey and dangerous appetite-suppressing pharmaceuticals. When it comes to protein powder, make sure you purchase 100% whey concentrate powder free of fillers, sweeteners, and preferably derived from organic sources. Many protein powders currently on the market are loaded with sugars, artificial sweeteners, and low-grade protein.

2. Vitamin D

 

Vitamin D is a powerful nutrient with a number of health-promoting benefits, including empowered fat loss. The effects are so profound, in fact, that your vitamin D levels may actually play a role in determining the overall success of your fat loss diet. Presented at the The Endocrine Society’s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., the groundbreaking findings of university researchers concluded that low vitamin D levels are not only associated with obesity, but they also may negative impact the success of a fat-reducing diet.

3.  Tea

 

Tea has been used as a natural fat loss aid for many years across a wide variety of different cultures. Studies have found that upon giving two beneficial compounds present in white tea to rats on a high-fat diet, the rats experienced a reduction in fat as well as halted fat gain. These two compounds, known to help with fat absorption, are called theaflavins and theraubigins. Interestingly, one German study even found that white tea can also reduce the growth of new fat cells, therefore preventing future unwanted fat gain. It is important to consume white tea in the most natural, unprocessed state in order to ensure the nutritional value is preserved.

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3 Natural Fat Loss Solutions

FUZE – A Drink that Slenderizes? [Nutrition Impostor]

Fuze is a line of beverages that got its start in 2001 in Northern California but has expanded nationally in the past 10 years, especially after it was acquired by Coca Cola in 2007.

The idea is to provide a cool, new age beverage, that is portrayed as healthy because it is jacked up with vitamins.

Let’s see if the name lives up to its reputation.

What you need to know:
The drink has only 15 calories for a rather large serving – 14.5 ounces. But that’s because it is artificially sweetened. It has 200% of the daily value for vitamin C, and a few other vitamin and mineral values are very high. But that doesn’t mean that this product will help you lose weight. More on that in a bit.

Here is the ingredient list:
Water, Apple Juice Concentrate, Less than 0.5% of: Malic Acid, Natural Flavors, Garcinia Cambogia Rind Extract,  Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Purple Sweet Potato Concentrate (Color), L-Carnitine, Dl- Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Black Carrot Concentrate (Color), Beta-Carotene (Vitamin A), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Chromium Picolinate.

As you can see, there is almost nothing real about this drink. Barely any fruit (5%). All the vitamins are added on. And artificial sweeteners that are plain bad for you.

The one good thing we can say about this drink is that unlike many of its counterparts, at least it is not artificially colored. The color comes from purple sweet potatoes and black carrots.

So why won’t you slim down with this drink? Because instead of drinking water, or unsweetened tea, your taste buds become accustomed to overly sweet things. As a result, you’ll crave sweet foods more, and have a harder time with naturally sweet fruit. For more information see Artificially Sweetened Beverages: Cause for Concern by Harvard Professor David S. Ludwig, MD.

What to do at the supermarket:
We’ve said it a million times, and we’ll keep repeating it. Tap water is your best hydration solution. It’s free, it won’t get you craving sweets, and with money saved you can buy real fruits.

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FUZE – A Drink that Slenderizes? [Nutrition Impostor]

76 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health

In addition to throwing off your body's homeostasis and wreaking havoc on your metabolic processes, excess sugar has a number of other significant consequences.
Nancy Appleton, PhD, author of the book Lick the Sugar Habit[5], contributed an extensive list of the many ways sugar can ruin your health from a vast number of medical journals and other scientific publications.

1. Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defenses against infectious disease.[6] [7]
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in your body: causes chromium and copper deficiencies and interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.[8] [9] [10] [11]
3. Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.[12] [13]
4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in total cholesterol, triglycerides and bad cholesterol and a decrease in good cholesterol.[14] [15] [16] [17]
5. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function.[18]
6. Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach.[19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]
7. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose and can cause reactive hypoglycemia.[26] [27]
8. Sugar can weaken eyesight.[28] 1
9. Sugar can cause many problems with the gastrointestinal tract including: an acidic digestive tract, indigestion, malabsorption in patients with functional bowel disease, increased risk of Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.[29] [30] [31] [32] [33]
10. Sugar can cause premature aging.[34] In fact, the single most important factor that accelerates aging is insulin, which is triggered by sugar. 1
11. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.[35]
12. Sugar can cause your saliva to become acidic, tooth decay, and periodontal disease.[36] [37] [38]
13. Sugar contributes to obesity. [39] 1
14. Sugar can cause autoimmune diseases such as: arthritis, asthma, and multiple sclerosis.[40] [41] [42]
15. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections) [43]
16. Sugar can cause gallstones.[44]
17. Sugar can cause appendicitis.[45]
18. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.[46]
19. Sugar can cause varicose veins.[47]
20. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.[48]
21. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.[49]
22. Sugar can cause a decrease in your insulin sensitivity thereby causing an abnormally high insulin levels and eventually diabetes.[50] [51] [52]
23. Sugar can lower your Vitamin E levels.[53]
24. Sugar can increase your systolic blood pressure.[54]
25. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.[55]
26. High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs),which are sugar molecules that attach to and damage proteins in your body. AGEs speed up the aging of cells, which may contribute to a variety of chronic and fatal diseases. [56] 1
27. Sugar can interfere with your absorption of protein.[57]
28. Sugar causes food allergies.[58]
29. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.[59]
30. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.[60]
31. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.[61] [62]
32. Sugar can impair the structure of your DNA.[63]
33. Sugar can change the structure of protein and cause a permanent alteration of the way the proteins act in your body.[64] [65]
34. Sugar can make your skin age by changing the structure of collagen.[66]
35. Sugar can cause cataracts and nearsightedness.[67] [68]
36. Sugar can cause emphysema.[69]
37. High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in your body.[70]
38. Sugar lowers the ability of enzymes to function.[71]
39. Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson's disease.[72]
40. Sugar can increase the size of your liver by making your liver cells divide, and it can increase the amount of fat in your liver, leading to fatty liver disease.[73] [74]
41. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney such as the formation of kidney stones.[75] [76] Fructose is helping to drive up rates of kidney disease. 1
42. Sugar can damage your pancreas.[77]
43. Sugar can increase your body's fluid retention.[78]
44. Sugar is enemy #1 of your bowel movement.[79]
45. Sugar can compromise the lining of your capillaries.[80]
46. Sugar can make your tendons more brittle.[81]
47. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.[82]
48. Sugar can reduce the learning capacity, adversely affect your children's grades and cause learning disorders.[83] [84]
49. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves, which can alter your ability to think clearly.[85]
50. Sugar can cause depression.[86]
51. Sugar can increase your risk of gout.[87]
52. Sugar can increase your risk of Alzheimer's disease.[88] MRI studies show that adults 60 and older who have high uric acid are four to five times more likely to have vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's.1
53. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalances such as: increasing estrogen in men, exacerbating PMS, and decreasing growth hormone.[89] [90] [91] [92]
54. Sugar can lead to dizziness.[93]
55. Diets high in sugar will increase free radicals and oxidative stress.[94]
56. A high sucrose diet of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.[95]
57. High sugar consumption by pregnant adolescents can lead to a substantial decrease in gestation duration and is associated with a twofold-increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.[96] [97]
58. Sugar is an addictive substance.[98]
59. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.[99]
60. Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.[100]
61. Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.[101]
62. Your body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.[102]
63. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.[103]
64. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).[104]
65. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.[105]
66. Sugar can impair the function of your adrenal glands.[106]
67. Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in normal, healthy individuals, thereby promoting chronic degenerative diseases.[107]
68. Intravenous feedings (IVs) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to your brain.[108]
69. Sugar increases your risk of polio.[109]
70. High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.[110]
71. Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.[111]
72. In intensive care units, limiting sugar saves lives.[112]
73. Sugar may induce cell death.[113]
74. In juvenile rehabilitation centers, when children were put on low sugar diets, there was a 44 percent drop in antisocial behavior.[114]
75. Sugar dehydrates newborns.[115]
76. Sugar can cause gum disease.[116]

It should now be crystal clear just how damaging sugar is. You simply cannot achieve your highest degree of health and vitality if you are consuming a significant amount of it.
Fortunately, your body has an amazing ability to heal itself when given the basic nutrition it needs, and your liver has an incredible ability to regenerate. If you start making changes today, your health WILL begin to improve, returning you to the state of vitality that nature intended.

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76 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health

FDA Warning: Questions and Answers on HCG Products for Weight Loss

1. What action are the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) taking against human chorionic gondatropin (HCG) drug products marketed for weight loss?

FDA and FTC are issuing seven joint warning letters to firms marketing over-the-counter (OTC) HCG drug products that are labeled as homeopathic for weight loss.  The firms are receiving these letters because they are violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act by selling unapproved new drugs and misbranded drugs that make unsubstantiated claims about weight loss.

These unapproved “homeopathic” HCG drug products are marketed OTC on websites and in retail stores, and can be in the form of oral drops, pellets, and sprays.  FDA has not evaluated these products for safety or effectiveness.

FDA and FTC will monitor the firms’ responses to the warning letters and take further action as needed.  Firms that do not correct the violations may face enforcement action, possible legal penalties, or criminal prosecution.

2. What is HCG?

Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a hormone produced by the human placenta and found in the urine of pregnant women.  HCG is FDA-approved for the treatment of select cases of female infertility and hormone treatment in men. FDA-approved HCG products are only available in injection-form and require a prescription from a licensed medical professional.

There are no FDA-approved HCG products for weight loss.

3. Why is FDA concerned about the use of homeopathic HCG drug products marketed for weight loss?

Currently, there are no FDA-approved HCG drug products for weight loss.  HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective therapy in the treatment of obesity.  There is no substantial evidence that HCG increases weight loss.

Additionally, the labeling for the “homeopathic” HCG products states that each product should be taken in conjunction with a very low calorie diet (VLCD).  Consumers on a VLCD are at increased risk for side effects including gallstone formation, electrolyte imbalance, and heart arrhythmias.  A VLCD should only be used under proper medical supervision.

4. Which homeopathic HCG products and manufacturers/distributors are affected?
The following table provides the products and manufacturers/distributors that are the subjects of this action.  This is not an all inclusive list of illegal “homeopathic” HCG products currently on the market.  At this time, all drug products claiming to include “homeopathic” HCG are illegally marketed.   

Manufacturer/Distributor Name	Product Name
HCG Diet Direct, LLC	HCG Diet Homeopathic Drops
HCG 1234 LLC (The hCG Drops LLC)	Homeopathic HCG
HCG Platinum LLC; RightWay Nutrition	HCG Platinum HCG Platinum X-30 HCG Platinum X-14
Nutri Fusion Systems LLC	HCG Fusion 30 HCG Fusion 43
www.resetthebody.com; www.theoriginalhcgdrops.com	Homeopathic Original HCG Homeoapthic HCG
Hcg-miracleweightloss.com	HCG Extra Weight Loss Homeoapthic Drops
Natural Medical Supply	Alcohol Free hCG Weight Loss Formula

5. Are prescription HCG products safe and effective for weight loss?  

No. FDA-approved uses for prescription HCG products include female fertility and select hormonal treatment in males, and FDA has not approved prescription HCG for any other uses, including weight loss..  Current scientific evidence does not support the claim that HCG is safe and effective for weight loss or for the treatment of obesity.  In fact, FDA labeling for the approved HCG drug products requires the following statement about the use of HCG for weight loss:

“HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity.  There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or ‘normal’ distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.”

FDA is aware that healthcare professionals sometimes prescribe prescription injectable HCG for unapproved uses such as weight loss.  FDA understands that sometimes approved products are used to treat conditions that the products were not approved for (i.e., “off-label” uses).  The “off-label” use of products usually presents greater uncertainty about both the risks and benefits because less information is available on safety and effectiveness.  Unexpected adverse events may occur in this context.  FDA has received reports of serious adverse events associated with the use of HCG injections for weight loss including cases of pulmonary embolism, depression, cerebrovascular issues, cardiac arrest, and death.

 6. What should consumers do?    
               
FDA advises consumers who are using “homeopathic” HCG for weight loss to stop using the product, to stop following any labeled dieting instructions, and to discard the product.  Consumers who suspect they have experienced adverse effects as a result of the use of HCG drug products for weight loss should contact a licensed health care professional immediately. 

FDA urges both health care professionals and consumers to report harmful effects experienced from using HCG for weight loss to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program by doing one of the following:

• Complete and submit the report online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm
• Download form or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

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FDA Warning: Questions and Answers on HCG Products for Weight Loss

Congress Loves Money, Not Kids

If you had a doubt as to the true alignment of your representatives when it comes to childhood obesity, last week Congress showed that all you need to do is follow the money trail. Lobbies representing the biggest food advertisers have gotten to our elected officials and convinced them that marketing Apple Jacks to children is just fine.

Because a cereal that is 40% sugar by weight is a healthy way for little Sally to start the day. And a cereal with hyperactivity triggering artificial dyes is a wonderful way for little Johnny to get in the groove on a school day.

Here’s the story:

Two years ago, Congress asked 4 agencies to review the marketing practices of the food industry when it comes to children, and to provide recommendations. The interagency working group (IWG), comprised of members from the FTC, FDA, USDA, and CDC sat diligently and came up with a set of proposed principles that would not be written into law, rather VOLUNTARILY accepted by the food industry.

Food marketers were very upset, and demanded changes to the proposals. So a  few months ago, unwillingly, the IWG weakened these voluntary guidelines.

But that was still not good enough. Last week, Congress shot down the proposals through the use of some lame “cost benefit analysis” rule:

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 includes a provision that requires the Federal Trade Commission and the three agencies that are part of the Interagency Working Group to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed guidelines. The move, considered a major victory for food and beverage advertisers, effectively delays release of the final guidelines, originally expected by the end of this year. More here…

What’s the cost benefit analysis? Well, if the voluntary guidelines were to be adopted, billions of dollars in advertising would not be spent, and even more billions in revenue would not be made. But kids would consume less crap. That sounds like a great idea for America’s children. But it’s “bad for business”.

Expect a 2012 filled with junk food commercials planted in our kids’ brains, and then later in their stomachs. Sigh.
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Congress Loves Money, Not Kids

Is apple cider vinegar a magic food?

When thinking about apple cider vinegar and its potential benefits, it's important to keep in mind that it is not a whole food, but rather a liquid derived from processing. While vinegar can be both delicious and nourishing, it is still not possible to consider it as a whole food, and we don't include vinegar on our website as one of our World's Healthiest Foods for this reason.

High acidity

First and foremost, vinegar is usually highly acidic. The acidity of vinegar is typically related to its acetic acid content, and this content can vary fairly widely from vinegar to vinegar. For some individuals, especially those with stomach or digestive problems including acid reflux, vinegar might not be a desirable food component to include in their meal plan because it can serve as an irritant. I've seen some websites that recommend use of vinegar precisely because of its acidity. These websites suggest that vinegar can be used to help offset problems with acid deficiency in the stomach or other digestive problems. I'm not aware of any scientific research that supports this recommendation.

Claimed benefit - blood sugar control

I'd group the claimed benefits of apple cider vinegar into two categories. First, there are some studies linking vinegar to improved control of blood sugar following a test meal. About half of the limited studies in this area have been conducted on genetically modified rats and do not provide any immediately helpful information about humans and the way we eat everyday. The human studies in this area tend to focus on delivery of a test food or test meal-typically highly processed and devoid of any whole, natural foods-that has been augmented with a dose of vinegar. While these studies do show a trend toward improvement in blood sugar response in the range of 2-20%, it seems reasonable to assume that a key problem here is the poor quality of the test foods and test meals.

Several authors have mentioned delayed stomach emptying as a likely mechanism for the impact of added vinegar on blood sugar response. If that hunch turns out to be correct, the idea of poor quality foods makes even more sense. Our stomach tends to empty too quickly if it is filled with highly processed, low-nutrient, fiber-free foods. I would expect whole, natural foods with excellent fiber content and nutrient variety to be more effective in improving blood sugar control than vinegar added to a meal that is composed of poor quality foods.

Claimed benefit - enhanced calcium absorption

Second is the area of calcium absorption. This area has only been explored in animal studies so far, and both the doses and experimental conditions have been limited and difficult to match up with everyday consumption of vinegar on a salad or in a marinade. But the results of these studies showed the vinegar to increase the solubility of calcium within the intestinal tract of the test animals and to increase absorption in this way. Once again, I would question the value of these rat experiments for decision-making about whole, natural foods. From my perspective, the degree of calcium solubility in whole, natural foods that are properly handled and properly cooked is exactly what it should be.
Some websites tout the nutritional benefits of apple cider vinegar from a mineral standpoint. Based on nutrient database values, the amount of minerals in a tablespoon of this food is very, very limited and cannot be thought of as a significant contribution to any diet.

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Is apple cider vinegar a magic food?

Consumer Reports: Experts’ Advice on Exercise Includes Some Do’s and Don’ts.

-Most people know it’s important to be physically fit, but a lot of us aren’t sure how to achieve that goal. Research has shown that regular physical activity can help prevent dementia, heart attacks, strokes, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, such as those of the breast and colon.

-The American College of Sports Medicine recently released evidence-based recommendations about the quality and quantity of exercise. Here are some do’s and don’ts based on those guidelines.

-Do lift weights. In fact, if time is limited, shorten your aerobic activity to make time for weightlifting, suggests Carol Ewing Garber, chairwoman of the ACSM committee that wrote the new recommendations. Strength training is critical for older adults to help prevent age-related bone and muscle loss, both of which can lead to falls and serious injuries.

-Don’t be a weekend warrior. Research suggests that it’s less effective for adults with cardiovascular risk factors to do most of their physical activity on Saturday or Sunday. Instead, do shorter bouts of exercise throughout the week.

-Do diversify your exercise. The ACSM recommends “functional fitness” activities such as Pilates, tai chi and yoga. These combine balance, stretching and muscle strengthening, and they can improve your agility and body control.

-Don’t stay sedentary during your downtime. Try to find six or seven more hours a week to spend on your feet, and move around more throughout the day. And try to cut your evening screen time.

-Do stretch after working out, not before. To obtain maximum benefit from flexibility training, your muscles need to be warm.

-Don’t rely solely on step counts. While pedometers can be effective for promoting activity, step counts aren’t an accurate measure of exercise intensity or quality. Better to use a heart-rate monitor to track intensity, and aim for a set number of minutes rather than a certain number of steps.

-Do watch your eating. “While exercise alone can cut your body fat and alter your body’s composition, it has a small impact on actual weight loss over the short term – as little as five pounds a year,” Garber says. And losing pounds if you’re overweight can enhance the health benefits of exercise.
-Don’t get discouraged if you’re not that fit. “Even a little exercise is better than nothing,” Garber points out. Slowly build up your duration, then focus on increasing the intensity. Try to add one to five minutes every two to three weeks.

By the Numbers
-Do your best to meet these minimum exercise requirements from the American College of Sports Medicine:

-Aerobic training. 5 days a week of moderate-intensity exercise, 30-60 minutes a day, at least 150 minutes a week, or 3 days a week of vigorous-intensity exercise, 20-60 minutes a day, at least 75 minutes a week.

-Resistance training. 2-3 days a week, 48 hours between sessions, 2-4 sets per exercise, 8-12 reps per set (10-15 for older adults just starting exercise), 2-3 minutes of rest between sets.

-Flexibility training (stretching). 2-3 days a week, hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds, repeat each stretch 2-4 times.

-Functional fitness (Pilates, tai chi, yoga). 2-3 days a week, 20-30 minutes a day.

Consumer Reports: Experts’ Advice on Exercise Includes Some Do’s and Don’ts.