7 Foods That Activate Your Fat Triggers

 

If you’re interested in healthy living, chances are you already know which foods to avoid. However, keeping these foods out of your diet is often a lot easier said than done, especially if you’ve been eating a typical Western diet for years.

That’s why starting small can be more manageable than completely transforming your diet. A few changes alone can have a great impact on your health.

Finding healthier substitutes for these 7 kinds of foods will aid in your weight loss journey.

1. Beverages Containing Artificial Sweeteners – Despite popular belief, diet sodas and other artificially sweetened diet-beverages, which contain aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), saccharin (Sweet’N Low), or sucralose (Splenda) will not keep you slim.

They actually do the opposite. Not only are artificial sweeteners linked to obesity, but they could also make you sick. Excessive consumption of artificial sweeteners can be linked to Crohn’s Disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome among others.

Substitute these beverages with unrefined sugars or natural sugar substitutes like pure stevia extract.

2. High Fructose Corn Syrup – Besides being genetically modified, high fructose corn syrup can cause obesity, diabetes, brain damage and even mercury poisoning.

Unfortunately HFCS is found in many of the foods you might not expect, such as breads, cereals and even tomato sauce! Read labels carefully and try preparing your own ingredients to avoid this toxic additive.

3. Hydrogenated and “Trans- fat” Vegetable Oils – For years, we’ve been told that saturated fats make you fat and to always opt for unsaturated fats. The truth is that these oils not only turn rancid when heated but they’re also high in omega-6 fats. Foods high in omega-6 fats have been linked to heart disease, depression and even cancer.

To make matters worse, some vegetable oils like corn, canola and soy are genetically modified. Try tastier and healthier alternatives like grass fed butter, ghee, olive and hemp oil, or coconut oil (great for cooking at high temperatures).

4. White Breads and Pastas – A key culprit in America’s battle against obesity, these refined flour products add inches to our waistlines and take years from our lives. Stripped of all nutrients during processing, these foods offer little more than empty calories. And because they are bleached and bromated, they’ve been linked to cancer as well.

Avoid all processed wheat products if you can. Brown rice, quinoa and barley are healthier grain options.

5. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) – Another chemical to avoid, MSG can cause headaches, heart problems and even brain damage.

6. Carrageenan – Another additive, used even in some organic foods, can cause gastrointestinal upset and even colon cancer.

7. Refined salt – This type of salt can cause stroke, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Because it is stripped of all trace minerals, refined salt depletes your body of essential nutrients. Unrefined sea salts are a healthier option.

The cravings you might experience once you give up these foods will decrease over time. Most junk food cravings result from low blood sugar or some other nutritional deficiency. To fill this nutritional need, your body naturally tends to crave the kinds of foods it’s normally given.

After regularly being fed whole, nourishing food, your body will begin to crave healthier options. A proper diet just makes you feel better. Your body will learn which foods it needs to function well over time and eating healthy will become second nature.

For more information go to: The Gabriel Method

  REFERENCES (1) www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21138816
(2) www.naturalnews.com/034378_artificial_sweetener_disease_ASD_aspartame.html
(3) www.naturalnews.com/035889_HFCS_brain_function_soft_drinks.html
(4) www.healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/539-why-rancid-healthy-oils-are-more-dangerous-than-the-bad-oils.html
(5) www.naturalnews.com/022860.html
(6) www.naturalnews.com/020837_white_bread_grocery_warning.html
(7) www.cornucopia.org/tell-the-usda-to-remove-carrageenan-from-organic-foods
(8) www.naturalnews.com/028724_Himalayan_salt_sea.html
(9) www.wisegeek.com/what-are-some-causes-of-food-cravings.htm
(10) www.thegabrielmethod.com

Nutritional Typing - Eat the Right Food for You and Lose Weight

By William Wolcott
Author of The Metabolic Typing Diet 

For many years, so-called nutritional experts advocated a low protein, low fat, high carbohydrate diet as the perfect diet for all of us. They promised that we’d lose weight and lower our cholesterol while simultaneously improving our health and fitness.

Well, they turned out to be wrong, dead wrong for some and seriously wrong for millions of others. Instead of fulfilling its promise, this latest "right diet for all people" to come down the pike produced a rise in obesity like this country has never seen, along with the "bonus" side-effect of an ever-growing epidemic in diabetes.

Today we find ourselves on the cusp of the pendulum poised to swing the other way.

Recent scientific studies have "discovered" that just maybe the high carb, low protein/fat diet is not so good after all, and that what really is the best "right diet for all people" is a high protein, low carb diet. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that reality once again will prove to be different than expected. In a few years, there will be a fallout of just as many people suffering in the wake of this "new" pendulum swing as from the last one.

The problems will be different, but the "casualty rate" will be about the same. Metabolic Typing, the science of individualized nutrition, reveals why this will be the case.

Through Metabolic Typing, it has been learned that the answer to the question of the right diet lies with your genes -- not whim, fancy or philosophical belief, or even in scientific research, at least not in the way it is being performed today.

Previous studies have shown benefit to the low protein/fat, high carb diet as well as the opposite diet of high protein/fat, low carb diet.

But basic premises of Metabolic Typing such as the idea of biochemical individuality, or that the same nutrient can have different effects in different Metabolic Types, or that the same disease can arise in different Metabolic Types for totally opposite biochemical reasons, have far-reaching effects and shatter many current en vogue myths of nutrition. Here are some examples that not only offer some valuable, practical information, but also reveal greater insight into the exciting new world of Metabolic Typing:

MYTH: A vegetarian diet or a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in protein and fat is good for you.

REALITY: If it's wrong for your Metabolic Type, meaning, if it is not in line with your ancestral diet, your genetically based nutritional requirements, this diet can make you sicker or create new health problems for you. There are no "good" foods and there are no "bad" foods, except in terms of the requirements of your unique Metabolic Type.

MYTH: The Healthy Diet

REALITY: There's no such thing as a diet that is universally healthy for everyone. This applies to any diet that is purportedly right for all people -- whether it’s the Atkins Diet, MacDougall Diet, Ornish Diet, (or pick any diet you can think of!). The only diet that is healthy for you is the diet that is right for your Metabolic Type. Only that diet meets your inherited needs for nutrients.

MYTH: To lose weight you need to reduce calories and limit fat (or limit protein or limit carbs).

REALITY: Fat doesn't make you fat. Protein doesn't make you fat. Carbohydrates don't make you fat. And even calories per se don't make you fat. But what does make you fat is the inability to properly metabolize, or convert to energy, carbs, proteins, fats and calories.

If you're overweight, you're actually starving -- starving for the right balance of nutrients that will increase your metabolic rate and convert to energy the food you're eating instead of storing it as fat.

Eat the right foods for your Metabolic Type and eat the right ratios of macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbs) and you’ll be giving your body the right kind of fuel for your engines of metabolism. Science is beginning to awaken to the idea that much of what our bodies do with food is in our genes.

MYTH: To lose weight all you need to do is reduce calories and exercise more.

REALITY: Millions of people have done just that, but in most cases have not only failed to lose weight, but gained weight instead. Worse, for most people, reducing calories has led to food cravings, binge or yo-yo dieting, mood swings and energy fluctuations.

Only by giving your body food that it can efficiently convert to energy will you lose weight permanently. Only then can watching calories and exercising regularly make a real and lasting difference.

Best of all, when you eat right for your Metabolic Type, when your body fully converts to energy the food you eat, gone forever will be the gnawing hunger, food cravings, binges, mood swings and energy fluctuations that normally are associated with "dieting."

MYTH: If you take lots of supplements and "cover all your bases," your body will take what it needs and discard the rest.

REALITY: This is like saying that if you hold a flame under your outstretched hand, your body will take whatever heat it needs and throw off the rest. Such ideas ignore the reality of cause and effect. If you apply a flame to skin, the skin will burn. Fire has specific physical properties that apply wherever fire is present.

Similarly, nutrients have very precise effects on the body—either stimulating or sedating, acidifying or alkalinizing. Every supplement you consume will either stimulate or sedate specific organs, systems and fundamental control mechanisms.

Take the wrong nutrients or the wrong formulations for your Metabolic Type and you will worsen your existing imbalances or create new imbalances and all of the problems that go with them. Nutrients indeed have the power to heal, but they also have the power to make you ill if they are wrong for your Metabolic Type.

MYTH: Everyone should take calcium (or vitamin C, or anti-oxidants, etc.).

REALITY: Nothing could be further from the truth. Through Metabolic Typing, we know that any nutrient can have opposite effects in different Metabolic Types. This is why a nutrient can help correct a condition in one person, have little or no effect on another person, or worsen the same condition in a different Metabolic Type.

Thus the old adage, "one’s food is another’s poison." This is why you should only take those supplements that are right for your Metabolic Type. Every nutrient raises or lowers up to 9 other nutrients in your body. So taking therapeutic doses of vitamin C can actually, for example, cause cancer (vitamin C lowers copper, so if you are already deficient in copper and take high therapeutic doses of vitamin C, you can seriously compromise your immune system).

Taking too much calcium can actually cause osteoporosis (in order for calcium to be utilized, it needs certain synergistic nutrients and if you are already low in those synergistic nutrients, taking more calcium will only further deplete the existing deficient levels, worsening any problems relating to calcium metabolism).

Eating a low-fat diet can actually raise cholesterol (if it further disturbs the body's cholesterol metabolism, e.g., certain metabolic types paradoxically need to eat a high-fat diet to promote efficient cholesterol metabolism). Of course, everyone needs all the nutrients in order to be healthy . . . but not in therapeutic doses. So before you start supplementing your diet, it’s best to know your Metabolic Type.

MYTH: Nutrients are nutrients. It doesn't matter what form they are in.

REALITY: The carriers of nutrients are just as powerful -- in some cases even more powerful -- in their effects on metabolism as the nutrients themselves. Depending on your Metabolic Type, any nutrient can be acidifying or alkalinizing.

For example, in a Parasympathetic (alkaline) Metabolic Type, calcium is acidifying, but in a Fast Oxidizer, calcium is alkalinizing. So, it is important that an acid form of calcium (e.g., calcium chloride) be used if you’re an alkaline Parasympathetic type metabolizer, but that an alkaline form of calcium (calcium citrate) be used if you’re an acidic Fast Oxidizer.

Otherwise, the nutritional supplement will at best have a neutral effect, and at worst, actually worsen your existing imbalances. You can take the best supplements money can buy, but if they are not right for your Metabolic Type -- the right nutrients and the right forms of the nutrients -- they won’t produce the result you’re looking for and can end up making you worse than before.

MYTH: Drink lots of orange juice to help get rid of a cold

REALITY: Colds and flus are viruses and viruses thrive in an alkaline biochemical environment. Citrus juice, because it is such a highly alkalinizing food, is one of the worst things you can ingest to prevent and fight off a cold or flu virus. Interestingly, cold weather produces an alkaline shift in the body.

In addition, the most powerful alkalinizing substances in your diet are sugar, alcohol, caffeine, salt (and nicotine), the very substances that tend to increase in our diets during cold weather and the holidays. Beginning with Halloween, and going on through Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year's celebrations, the amounts of these highly alkalinizing substances dramatically increase in our diets.

When you consider the elevation of those alkaline foods in our diets in combination with the alkaline effect of the cold weather, is it any wonder that time of year has come to be known as "the cold & flu season?" At the first sign of a cold or flu, try to acidify your system by increasing protein and decreasing carbohydrates, particularly fruits (especially citrus) and the alkaline substances listed above.

When you buy a new car, one of the first things you learn is the kind of fuel it uses. You wouldn’t want to use the wrong kind of fuel for fear of damaging the engine, not to mention the fact that its performance would suffer dramatically.

You would do well to adopt the same attitude towards your own body. Remember that your body is designed to be healthy, but in order to run efficiently, it must be given the right fuel, the kind of fuel it is genetically programmed to utilize.

You can eat the best organic foods, take the finest supplements money can buy, drink plenty of pure water, get sufficient rest and exercise regularly, but if you do not meet the needs of your Metabolic Type, you’ll only be wasting your time and money.

Give your body what it needs and you’ll enjoy a lifetime of good health, energy and well-being.

By Dr. Mercola

William Wolcott is the author of a book I recommend to absolutely everyone, The Metabolic Typing Diet. If you want to begin understanding your metabolic or nutritional type, in order to adopt the diet that is right for you, reading Wolcott's book is an excellent way to begin, as it gives you a good background into why there is NO one-size-fits-all approach to diet.

I have incorporated Wolcott’s principles into my Nutrition Plan. My program comes from decades of experience in which I have researched extensively, conferred with my professional colleagues, and most importantly, successfully treated tens of thousands of patients.

My nutrition plan is easy to learn and easy to manage with today’s busy lifestyle. By eating the foods that are best for you, you won’t be hungry, and you will achieve your optimal weight, and optimize your insulin level, cholesterol level and blood pressure. You will learn how to listen to your body and modify your foods as appropriate. Whether you are basically healthy and wish to keep it that way, or whether you have major health challenges, my Nutrition Plan is an excellent guide.

Not only is what you eat important for optimizing your health, but other lifestyle choices are also very important:-

Make exercise a part of your daily routine
Make sure you get plenty of sleep
Make sure you have a way to de-stress

By embracing a comprehensive “lifestyle approach” to your health, you will feel better, have more bounce in your step, and enjoy more vitality than you ever imagined.

Source: Mercola

How To Lose 5 Pounds In 2 Days

“How to lose 5 pounds in 2 days”, now that is something you have probably seen countless times  on magazines or book covers, and I am sure it sells many copies. Almost anyone would jump at the chance to lose 5 pounds in 2 days, but is that actually possible, or just a clever trick to sell magazines?

Surprisingly it is actually doable for most individuals, as you can technically lose 5 pounds in 2 days, but only around one pound of it will be fat. The rest will come from water weight, which will help you look slimmer, but it may come back just as fast as it disappeared. Our bodies are estimated to be made up of around 60% water and the amount of water  we are carrying constantly changes depending on what we eat, drink and our physical activity.

How to lose 5 pounds in 2 days

Therefore, some people will be able to drop 5 pounds off the scale in 2 days, but you need to understand that this will not work the same for everyone. Some people may not be holding a lot of water weight and may only lose 1 or 2 pounds, while some people may actually lose more than 5. The amount of weight you could losein 2 days is mostly going to depend on the amount of water you are holding at this time. This is why below I have included a helpful list of tips to help you drop water weight.

Consume More Natural Diuretics

A Diuretic is something that will help your body remove excess liquids better by making you urinate more.  Foods that are considered Diuretics are normally high in water content themselves, such as lettuce, watermelon, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Caffeine is also a diuretic, therefore any drink containing caffeine could help, such as coffee, tea or energy drinks. However, do not primarily rely on caffeine as a diuretic as drinks using it are commonly high in sugar.

15 Biggest Lies About Weight Loss

When it comes to weight loss, it is hard to separate fact from fiction. Sometimes it seems like there are 3 right answers for every question. Well, wonder no more. Read through to find out the truth behind some of the biggest myths about weight loss.

Myth №1: Low-carbohydrate diet is the best way for losing weight
If you cut out carbohydrates from the diet you will see some dramatic weight loss in a very short period. But it is not really all that healthy and it is not sustainable. Carbs are an essential part of the diet, and once you go off that diet, you are likely to regain most of the weight. Always try eating better carbohydrates, like fruits, grains, nuts, vegetables and seeds.

Myth №2: Reduce fat for losing weight
Fat makes food taste good. When it is removed from foods, a lot of the flavor is removed too. To make up for this, sugars, thickeners and chemicals are often added to enhance the flavor and texture of foods. These additives can be far fattening than full-fat foods. In addition, fat-free and low-fat labels do not mean low-calorie. All the additives have got to turn up somewhere. When looking at nutrition labels, think carefully about buying reduced fat foods. Go for fresh and whole foods or even buy the full-fat ones instead and consume in moderation.

Myth №3: Some foods can burn fat and make you lose weight
No foods can burn fat. Some of them with caffeine can speed up your metabolism and boost the way your body uses calories and energy for a short term, but they do not cause weight loss. Unfortunately, these foods are very low in calorie, and the calories you burn from chewing them are not even close to making up for the calories of the food.

Myth № 4: People gain more weight from food eaten after 8 pm
It is not any difference, whether you consume calorie at 2 pm or 2 am. It takes a little longer for your body to burn off late-night plate of pizza than it does your lunch, since you are more active during the day. The problem here is that night eaters have a tendency to overeat because they have eaten unbalanced throughout the day. If you want to cut out late night snacking, do not skimp on meals.

Myth №5: Drinking Lots of water is number one weight loser
Water is important, water is great, but it does not help you burn calories and it won’t make your fat magically disappear. Instead, try replacing some of the calorie- rich beverages with plain water; increasing your water intake alone won’t help you lose your pounds.