Archive for April, 2009

by Therese Zachary

Today, one of the latest diet crazes is the caralluma fimbriata plant. More and more dieters from around the world are discovering the wonders about this peculiar plant. Now how can a plant cause such a commotion? What exactly can the caralluma fimbriata plant do? What you probably didn’t know is that the Caralluma fimbriata plant has been kept a secret in India for a long time. When it was recognized as extremely beneficial for effective weight loss, overall health and energy, news reached other parts of the world.

As a plant, the Caralluma fimbriata is edible. People in India have been using this plant for hundreds of years to suppress appetite and therefore ease hunger. Tribesmen are said to have used this plant occasionally on long trips to fight against hunger. On the other hand, it is also generally plays a large role in the Indian diet.

The Caralluma can curb your craving for food. While tribesmen in India have used the Caralluma fimbriata as a way to combat hunger, it may seem that the Western world does not need this plant as much. We can easily access food in fastfood chains and a melting pot of all sorts of dishes is highly available. Consequently, we are slowly getting heavier than the ones before us. And with all the stress we encounter almost on a daily basis, it’s just getting more difficult losing and maintaining a healthy weight. Moreover, more and more health conditions are arising due to being overweight and obese. This is where the Caralluma fimbriata plant has been proven useful.

Suppresses Appetite – What Caralluma fimbriata does is essentially suppress the appetite. At the same time, it is known to improve energy levels, aids in the maintenance of blood glucose levels and satiates thirst. In India, it is used as a daily vegetable, appetite suppressant, sustenance and medicine. The plant has been compared with Hoodia of the Kalahari Desert, which also has natural, appetite suppressing properties.

Why It Works – So how does this wonderful plant actually work? Caralluma fimbriata is found to obstruct the actions of many enzymes in the body, which eventually obstructs the development of fat. As a result, fat reserves are burned off. At the same time, it influences the mechanism of the brain that controls appetite.

The Side Effects – Ayurvedic specialists have discovered that the plant itself has no harsh side effects and toxicity when used. The effectiveness of the plant depends on how you take it and with what product. There are a number of products that have been distributed and standardized with the plant as a concentrated form. Some products also include a few other ingredients.

Weight Loss – The Caralluma fimbriata is deemed a safe, natural alternative in aiding weight loss. There are products that come in pill form, where mixing or drinking up a cup of solution isn’t necessary. This makes losing weight all the more easier and more convenient. Caralluma products are typically taken before meals so that the appetite suppressing properties start to work and prevent one from overeating. Results are known to show evidently within just a few weeks.

Caralluma has worked well for many. To many, the Caralluma fimbriata does make a lot of sense, considering it is all-natural, has already been used safely for centuries, backed up by several scientific studies and associated with several free information (on the plant) accessible online. Of course, it is always in your best interest to consult with your doctor first before taking Caralluma fimbriata.

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6 Pack Abs – Different Opinions

by Dan Solaris

Fitness experts have long discovered the potency of cardiovascular exercises in burning calories and eliminating fat from the body. Only by melting away enough body fat can stubborn body fat be trimmed off the midsection to expose the contours of the abdominal muscles- the much sought-after 6 pack.

Exercises that build muscle tissue speed-up the body’s metabolism, making it easier to get rid of stored fat. Total body aerobic exercises that keep the heart rate at raised levels burn calories and reduce body fat effectively. There is some debate however as to what intensity levels the heart rate should be at.

A lot of folks use the low-intensity approach for the simple reason that they’re easier to do. Even beginners, the elderly and the extremely obese can benefit from low-intensity aerobic workouts.

The second reason low intensity cardio exercisers have a larger following even in expert circles is because study after study has proven that these are most effective in targeting body fat as the sole source of caloric energy. When exercising at high intensity levels, the body starts to access glycogen stores in our muscles.

The body absorbs carbohydrates from the food we eat and stores it in muscle tissue as glycogen. Supporters of the low-intensity theory say working-out too intensely can cause the loss of muscle tissue because some glycogen is used for energy when doing hard workouts.

On the other hand, high intensity exercises burn loads of calories even if done for just 10-20 minutes. This means considerably less time can be spent in the gym and proponents say the lost glycogen can just be replaced anyway by eating carbo-rich food after working out.

High intensity theorists say that intense exercise in even help develop more muscle as a result of harder physical effort required to execute them. It’s also been discovered that a person’s metabolic rate stays at elevated levels hours after having finished with the workout. This means even more calories spent and more body fat curbed.

Low-intensity exercises may not be for people that are on a tight schedule because aside from hour-long sessions, it takes a full 10 minutes for the fat-burning effect to kick-in after beginning the workout. Intense cardio exercises, although more potent in the calorie-burn department may not be for everyone because of its difficulty.

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by Dan Solaris

With the advances in the production of fast and convenient gastronomic fare, it has become a real challenge for people to keep their weight down. Believe it or not, recent CDCP figures say 66% of Americans are above their ideal weight. Perhaps that’s why people with highly-defined midsections are becoming harder to run into at the beach.

It’s not that we’re not trying- the market is chock-full of diet products and exercise gadgets that are flying off shelves. Fad diets and workout schemes are also making a killing and this just shows how desperate people are to get lose weight and get six pack abs.

The reason a lot of people are getting frustrated in their fight against body fat is because they’re going about things the wrong way. A lot of novices, in their rush to get a sexy six pack snap-up belly fat isolation belts and do countless crunches and painful sit-ups only to give-up after encountering slow results from their efforts.

As any weight-loss expert will tell you, getting rid of unsightly belly flab naturally without the use of scalpels requires burning-off the vast amounts of calories we get from the food we eat. Getting lean enough to get a tight, well-defined stomach takes tons of hard work and discipline, but not really impossible for those that really want it.

Now, since all the high-calorie gastronomic fare we live on nowadays makes it impossible to rely on our daily activities (sitting in our cubicle, driving our car and surfing the net at home) to burn surplus calories, the only real solution is to work-out regularly.

Total body exercises which engages several muscle groups in activity are the best for rapid calorie-burn, fat-loss and formation of six pack abs. Cardio and anaerobic strength training both play an important role in building strength and forming six pack abs because they do wonders in raising our basal metabolic rate. Our BMR is responsible for 75% of calories our bodies use-up each day.

Working-out consistently also strengthens and develops muscle tissue and in turn reinforces the joints of the body- making them last longer as we grow old. Strong connective tissue around our joints prevents injury which can keep us from being consistent with our exercise regimen and prolonging the process to a chiseled abdomen.

There is a definite correlation between high obesity cases and osteoarthritis in the U.S. Maintaining a regular exercise regimen will be the proverbial stone that can help solve both of those problems while paving the way to an attractive, well-defined midsection.

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by Jose Loni

Readers, take note: The abs diet does not work in isolation. To successfully attain six pack abs, we must commit to a lifestyle change that encompasses a healthy eating habit, daily physical activity, and relaxation techniques to lower life stress.

When we hear the word “diet”, we automatically think “abstinence from food”, but that shouldn’t be the case. Going hungry actually encourages our body to store more fat since the body perceives this as an emergency situation. The more we go hungry, the more fat our body stores.

Smart food choices include lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, which your body primarily prefers as its main efficient energy source. The calories from these foods are quickly used up allowing your body to now burn excess fat to fuel its needs. Moreover, energy requirements to digest small, frequent meals throughout the day burns more calories and also stabilizes our energy and blood sugar levels resulting in less food cravings.

Regular physical activity maximizes your body’s fat burning capacity by increasing metabolism. Interval weight training sessions builds stronger and more muscles, which is extremely beneficial to losing fat because muscles use up more energy. So the more muscles you have, the more fat you burn.

An increased metabolism also means harder working muscles, which again, use up more fuel. Our body now becomes more efficient at collecting whatever fuel it can find as an energy source, usually getting it from excess fat stores.

Life stress reduction is also key to fat loss. When you are under stress, your body produces more Cortisol, a hormone whose main job is to store away fat in the stomach area. Manage your stress effectively by practicing yoga, tai chi, and deep breathing exercises.

There is no ab diet that will get us ripped abs. Instead of dieting, choosing exercise, watching what we eat, reducing stress from our lives will get quicker longer lasting results, which will give us the six pack abs that we want.

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Is The Mediterranean Diet Healthy

by Cathy M

The Mediterranean diet is a diet designed on eating the foods people who live in the Mediterranean basin eat. The Mediterranean basin is an area that surrounds the Mediterranean Sea and has mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. This area includes areas of France, the Iberian Peninsula, the Italian peninsula, and the Balkan Peninsula. It also includes areas of the Sahara desert, and Africa.

Most people who mention the Mediterranean diet are really talking about a diet created by Walter Willett. The diet includes wine, red meat, olive oil, eggs, fish, poultry and a healthy amount of physical activity.

The fat in this diet is controlled, only up to 35% of calories, saturated fat at less than 8% of total calories. For this reason it’s categorized as a low fat, high fiber diet. It became popular in the 1990’s, but the Mediterranean diet has been around since 1945.

Whereas American diets rely on animal fats, the Mediterranean diet utilizes olive oil. Olive oil has many benefits such as lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. Olive oil is also good for treating ulcers and for lowering the risk of many types of cancer. Red wine also adds to the mix in that it contains elements with antioxidant properties.

The Mediterranean diet is really a series of diets partially recommended by the American Heart Association. The association is apprehensive about the high amount of fat in the Mediterranean diet. They say obesity is a growing health concern in the Mediterranean basin.

The AHA does take comfort in the fact that mono saturated fats such as those found in olive oil don’t raise cholesterol levels. Researchers aren’t sure whether better health in the Mediterranean basin is due to diet or the fact they get a lot of exercise, mostly from walking.

A Google search is a great source of information on the Mediterranean diet.

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