Uncovering Hidden Food Dangers

What's Lurking Behind That Nutrition Label?

An important part of getting healthy and fit is learning how to read nutrition labels. Grocery store shelves are jam packed with food that contributes to heart disease, cancer, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and a host of other illnesses. A lot of food labelling is confusing and even downright deceptive, so here are some things to be aware of when you're buying food.

The Danger of Hidden Trans Fats

Trans fats are very dangerous to your health. They raise bad LDL cholesterol and at the same time lower good HDL cholesterol, leading to clogged arteries and, ultimately, heart attack or stroke. The American Heart Association recommends you consume less than 2 grams per day, but advises that there is no safe level. They should be avoided completely.

The government requires labelling of trans fats, but allows manufacturers to claim zero trans fat if there is less than 0.5 gram per serving. The manufacturer will define a serving size as a ridiculously small amount (like three crackers) so they can say on the package that there are no trans fats. You have to check the label. Avoid any product with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils or shortening of any kind.

Personally, I avoid any product from a manufacturer who uses such deceptive practices. They have proven they can't be trusted.

How Whole Are Those Grains?

Refined flours are quickly broken down into sugar by your body, causing a spike in blood glucose and an insulin response. Your pancreas works very hard to remove excess glucose from the bloodstream, and this results in a glucose crash and the adrenal glands working overtime to deal with the fast drop. Spiking and crashing your blood sugar is very bad for your health. It lowers your metabolism and causes your body to store fat more efficiently. Overburdening your pancreas and adrenal glands eventually causes them to lose function, leading to diabetes, hypoglycemia, and chronic fatigue.

Lose Weight Fast With
Warp Speed Fat Loss!

Fiber keeps your blood sugar from spiking and is very important for reducing cholesterol and protecting against heart disease. For any food made from grain, such as bread or pasta or cereal, the first word on the nutrition label should be either whole or oat. Organic unbleached wheat flour sounds good, but it's just white flour. It has no fiber at all. "Made with whole grain" doesn't mean that's all there is in it. It can be, and usually is, mostly refined flour. Multigrain or seven grain doesn't mean that there's any whole grain in it at all. 100% whole grain is what you want to look for.

Sugar, Sugar Everywhere

As bad as refined flour is, refined sugar is much, much worse. It causes all the same problems but to an even greater extent. In addition, sugar has no nutrient value so it robs your body of nutrients that are required to metabolize it. This can cause mineral deficits leading to higher cholesterol and triglyceride levels and a host of health problems. Sugar also depresses the immune system, making you more susceptible to illnesses. And it causes yeast overgrowth in the gut, which can lead to depression, fatigue, constipation, headaches, congestion, and many more problems.

Unfortunately, the FDA doesn't require manufacturers to differentiate between natural sources of sugar, such as the fructose in fruit, and added sugar. The sugar in fruit doesn't have the same effect as refined sugar because the fiber in the fruit slows down the body's metabolism of the sugar and protects your blood from spiking. However, if you extract the fructose and add that to a product that has little or no fiber it's almost as bad as sucrose (white sugar). In fact, products with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) should be avoided completely. This highly concentrated form of fructose is worse than sucrose.

Manuacturers have also gotten very good at hiding sugar content. Ingredients are supposed to be listed by amount (according to weight), but manufacturers will list sugars by different types—fructose, sucrose, xylitol, maltodextrin, amasake, and so on—so it doesn't seem like a major ingredient. Add them all together and they're one of the main ingredients, if not the main one.

Sugar is hiding in all sorts of processed foods. Even many foods marketed as healthy have hidden sugar. The only way to know whether there's any added sugar is to check the list of ingredients. Rather than pick up a fruit yogurt with added sugar, pick up plain yogurt with no added sugar and add your own fruit. Instead of buying ketchup that contains HFCS, buy ketchup sweetened with agave nectar.

Added sugar, that which does not occur naturally in fruit, vegetables, grains or dairy, should not exceed 10% of total calories. No more than 5% is better. Always opt for a healthier form of sugar, one that has less impact on blood sugar. Agave nectar is a good, low glycemic sweetener. Honey—particularly raw honey—amasake, barley malt, brown rice syrup, and unsulfured blackstrap molasses are much better options than refined sugar, but be aware that you still don't want to overdo it. Adding good fiber will reduce the impact on your blood sugar as well. Sweetening with fruit is the best approach. Date sugar is simply ground up dried dates with plenty of fiber.

Foods That Help You Lose Weight

Fast and Healthy Weight Loss at Warp Speed!

For any healthy weight loss plan to be successful you have to know what foods to eat when you want to lose weight. Many diet plans use processed foods that help you lose weight by drastically cutting calories, but they also cut the nutrients you need, causing more harm than good in the long run. If you're eating the right foods to help lose weight, you're also eating the foods that reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, and a host of other health problems.

The best foods to eat to lose weight are foods that increase your metabolism and are both low in calories and high in nutrient value. The foods on this list of foods that help you lose weight are not just clinically proven to promote weight loss, but are healthy and delicious as well!

Fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, trout, albacore tuna, and sardines. Omega-3 fatty acids are tremendously beneficial to your health. They protect you against heart disease and cancer, and many other chronic diseases. They also increase your metabolism by reducing the hormone leptin, causing you to burn fat more quickly and efficiently. One Mayo Clinic study found that leptin levels were close to five times lower in people who eat these fish. These are some of the best foods that help you lose weight.

Another potent source of Omega-3 is flaxseed. Grind it fresh to get the greatest benefit.

Lose Weight Fast With
Warp Speed Fat Loss!

Sprinkle a tablespoon of that fresh-ground flaxseed on your oatmeal for breakfast, because oatmeal is great for boosting metabolism. Oatmeal and other whole grains provide valuable nutrients and fiber, and boost your metabolism by keeping your blood sugar from spiking. High blood sugar causes an increase in insulin production, which causes your metabolism to drop and makes your body start storing fat.

The capsaicin in hot peppers is great for your health and metabolism. A meal with just a few grams of these fiery goodies can boost your metabolism by as much as 25% for hours. Adding a teaspoon of the hot, spicy mustard called for in may Mexican, Indian, and Asian dishes is just as effective.

You might want to wash that down with a little milk, but choose the low fat kind. Milk blocks the receptors that react to capsaicin, reducing the heat very quickly. Low fat dairy is also a very good food for weight loss. Many studies have shown that calcium is a metabolic trigger for weight loss. In one study at the University of Tennessee, dieters with higher calcium intake lost almost twice as much weight as those with lower calcium. Low fat yogurt is a terrific addition to your healthy diet.

Broccoli is also rich in calcium. All cruciferous vegetables are extremely nutritious and some of the best foods to eat to lose weight. Cauliflower, bok choy, kale, collard greens, kohlrabi, cabbage. They are very protective against cancer. Surveys have shown that people who eat more cabbage have the lowest rates of colon cancer and the lowest death rate from any cause.

Grapefruit has been shown to increase weight loss. Pectin and galacturonic acid are powerful fat fighters, and also protect against atherosclerosis and heart disease. Apples and pears are also proven to enhance weight loss, as well as berries. The high amount of insoluble fiber in these fruits blocks calorie absorption without diminishing nutrients.

Coffee enhances metabolism, and is not as bad for you as many people think. A recent study showed that coffee drinking is associated with a somewhat lower incidence of death from heart disease. Just stay away from the cream and sugar! Low fat milk or soy milk are okay, and maybe a bit of honey.

Even better than coffee is green tea. A special catechin in tea called EGCG, boosts metabolic rate and significantly reduces body fat. This flavonoid also has anti-diabetes, anti-hypertension, and anti-cancer properties.

Finally, lean meat is a good food for weight loss. The body uses more energy to digest protein than it does fats or carbohydrates, meaning you burn more calories.

Lose Weight Fast With Warp Speed Fat Loss!

How To Flatten Your Stomach Fast

People put a lot of work into developing rock hard abs without much success. Countless ab exercise machines are sold, and the buyers work and work but still have flab on their bellies after months of effort.

Why does this happen? Why does it seem nearly impossible to get rid of hard to lose belly fat fast even when you're exercising like crazy? It's so discouraging that most people just give up. They put a lot of effort into doing what supposed experts keep telling them to do in order to lose body fat fast and have very little success. All that work and nothing to show for it! After they quit, of course, the problem just gets worse.

The trouble is that strength exercising to lose body fat just doesn't work. You can do all the best exercises to get washboard abs and still have too much fat on your belly. Doing effective exercises to flatten the stomach is essential, but it's only part of the formula. You will get washboard abs, but they'll be hidden under a layer of fat unless you increase your metabolism and stabilize your blood sugar. Without addressing all three of those areas, you simply can't flatten your stomach.

Exercises To Flatten Your Stomach

The muscles of the abdomen are in three groups. Some of your ab muscles are for bending forward, some are for bending to the side, and some are for twisting. You have to work all three sets with crunches, side crunches and rotational exercises if you want to get a flat belly.

But these exercises are for strengthening and toning those muscles, not for burning the fat away! You'll burn some calories with strength exercises, sure, but nowhere near enough to get rid of that stubborn belly fat. You simply can't burn that fat off unless you increase your metabolism.

Burn The Fat!

Boost Your Metabolism To Lose Belly Fat Fast

Interval training is necessary to kick your metabolism into high gear. It doesn't require a lot of time exercising, either. Ten or fifteen minutes a day is sufficient. What you do is raise your heart rate for a minute with a moderate level of activity, then go flat out as hard as you can for thirty seconds, then back to a moderate level for a minute before another burst of high energy. Repeat this six to ten times. Those intense bursts of activity will get your metabolism working optimally to burn the fat off your body all day long.

Stabilize Your Blood Sugar To Burn Off Belly Fat

Stabilizing you blood sugar levels is the most crucial step in your goal to get rid of belly fat fast. It's very simple to achieve. To stabilize your blood sugar you need to eat more frequently, but less heavy meals at any one sitting. When you eat too much at a meal or go too long between meals, your blood glucose swings high and low. Eating smaller servings every two or three hours will keep your blood sugar on an even keel, provided you are eating healthy.

A Healthy Diet To Lose Body Fat:

• Less fat overall, and especially less saturated fat.
• Use healthy fats such as olive or canola. Absolutely avoid trans fats and anything hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated.
• Fat from nuts is also good, but they pack a lot of calories, so go easy on the amount. A handful a day is all you need.
• Less meat, choosing lean meat and meat substitutes.
• Low fat and fat free dairy.
• Lots of vegetables and some fruit every day.
• Fish two or three times a week, especially fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, trout, and tuna.
• Plenty of fiber from whole grains and beans.
• Healthy cooking methods that don't use fat, such as baking, roasting, steaming, braising, or grilling, and sauteing with stock instead of oil.

Fitness Professional Help To Lose Belly Fat

Qualified personal fitness pros are very knowledgeable concerning fitness questions like how to lose belly fat fast. You simply can't get the same quality of advice and depth of understanding from the guy who works at the local gym or a writer for a health magazine. A personal fitness trainer can get you in ideal condition very quickly, but they can also be quite expensive. That's why I am very supportive of programs created by qualified professionals like Burn the Fat. You get all the advice and guidance you need for the price of a single visit to a professional trainer. It teaches precisely the most effective methods to lose body fat fast at very little cost.

How To Lose Belly Fat Fast

The most common fitness goal is to find the best way to lose belly fat. It becomes even more urgent when bikini season comes around. You're going to be out in the sun and wearing more revelaing clothes. Nobody want to reveal a flabby belly. With summer approaching, the most asked question of fitness trainers is "How can I lose my belly fat?"

It's only natural to want to know how to lose body fat fast, especially that hard to lose belly fat. Everyone is attracted to the girl with a flat tummy and and the guy with those rock hard abs. Nothing makes you more desirable and sexy. You can have your pick of the hottest guys or girls! They all swoon over a tight, toned belly, and even a little flab is a big turn off.

Burn The Fat!

Exercises To Lose Belly Fat

Targeting your core with ab crunches will tighten up and tone your belly muscles, but strength exercises alone will not get rid of belly fat. Time and again I've seen people do a lot of exercising to lose body fat but still carry around the flab. You can work and work and work and have rock hard abs... hidden under a layer of fat!

Why does this happen? It happens because the only way to lose belly fat is to crank up your metabolism and keep your blood sugar on an even keel. Crunches and sit ups will strengthen and tone the muscles, but they don't burn off the fat. To get rid of that stubborn belly fat you have to turn your body into a fat burning machine. The higher your metabolism, the faster and more easily you burn off the fat. A person with a supercharged metabolism will burn more calories walking to the mailbox than a person with a low metabolism will burn in ten minutes on an elliptical machine.

You don't have to work out harder to get a flat and sexy stomach. You only have to work out more effectively and eat the foods that help you lose weight. Following a program developed by a fitness expert will help you lose that belly fat quickly and easily and keep it off for good. I am very impressed by the Burn The Fat program. People who use the program swear it is simply the best way to lose belly fat fast. Fitness expert Tom Venuto has designed and refined this program to be the most effective and simple way to get rid of belly fat quickly.

Diet To Lose Body Fat Fast

People often think the quickest way to lose fat is by going on a starvation diet. It doesn't work! Of course you can lose weight by starving yourself, but you get all the fat back very fast when you do that because you've done the worst thing possible: you've lowered your metabolism! Not only is it extremely unhealthy, it's the opposite of what you need to do if you want lose body fat permanently.

For the sake of your health and fitness you have to get off that unhealthy merry-go-round of crash dieting and ineffective exercise. Get rid of that fat fast and in a healthy way with an effective program to boost your metabolism. It's the quickest way to lose belly fat and keep it off. I suggest you try a program that's been tested and proven effective like Burn The Fat. Crank up your metabolism and get in great shape fast.

Healthy Dieting To Lose Weight

Everyone is looking for a diet that will help lose weight fast. The dangers of fad diets are becoming more well known, but there are still a lot of people who just want to find the quickest way to lose fat without considering whether it's healthy or not. Eating nothing but a few tomato slices and a half cup of cottage cheese a day for eight weeks is certainly a fast way to lose weight, but it's also terrible for your health. Your body won't get the nutrients it needs. What's worse is that you can't eat that way forever and as soon as you go back to eating normally your body will pack on the pounds more efficiently than ever and you'll gain back all the weight you lost and then some.

The best diet plan to lose weight fast is to eat healthy every day, and get just the calories you need to maintain your ideal weight. How many calories is that? It all depends on your body type and your level of activity. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you need to maintain it. The more active you are, the more calories you need to fuel the body for those activities. Another great reason to increase your activity level!

There are healthy ways to lose weight fast without crazy diets or spending three hours a day on an elliptical machine. Warp Speed Fat Loss will show you how to lose weight fast and easy, and in a way that improves your health and well being. This is not just another fat loss program. It's designed by a fitness expert who knows how to lose weight fast and stay healthy by using proven fitness techniques to optimize your metabolism for fat burning. I am very impressed bythis program and I reccomend it to anyone who wants to know how to naturally lose weight fast.

The key is to not simply focus on losing weight. Focus on being fit and healthy and your weight will naturally go to exactly the right place. If you want to know a quick way to diet and lose weight fast, try Warp Speed Fat Loss. The full program takes just 28 days, and it comes with a 60 day 100% money back guarantee. You can try it twice and still get your money back if you aren't satisfied with the results. Can't beat that deal!

The only healthy way to lose fat fast is to supercharge your metabolism. Warp Speed Fat Loss will show you exactly how to do that. Get yourself in great shape and stay healthy doing it.

Healthy Stocks, Broths, and Soups

Soup is a very nourishing, satisfying, and delicious addition to any healthy diet. Homemade soup is abundant in vitamins and nutrients, and it delivers them in an easily digestible and usable form. Stocks, broths, and soups have long been valued for their restorative power; in fact, our word for restaurant comes from 18th century Parisian establishments that served nutrient rich soups to restore — restaurer — the health and vitality of their patrons.

Stock is an important base for homemade soup. Stock is cooked long and slow to extract every bit of flavor and nutrition. It makes use of scraps and leftovers, and can be frozen for later use. You can even boil down the stock to make what is known as a fumet or demi-glace in order to save on storage space. Just add water and you have stock.

Stock or broth is also a very healthy alternative to fat for sauteeing. Meat stocks are rich with gelatin from hydrolyzed collagen. Gelatin, like fat, add an unctuous texture and rich, smooth body to foods, but is much healthier.

What is the difference between a stock and a broth? Often, the terms are used interchangeably, but technically a stock is made with bones and a broth just from meat. Of course, this doesn't apply to vegetable stock.

In South America they have a saying: Good broth resurrects the dead. That would have to be some mighty good broth! Stocks and broths and soups can certainly support and restore good health and vitality.

How To Lose Baby Fat

Trying to get back into shape after having a baby can be very difficult. Pregnancy changes your metabolism so that you put on weight very efficiently, and makes it hard to get that weight back off. Naturally, you want to find the quickest way to lose fat, but you want to make sure it's also healthy for you and the baby. There are far too many unhealthy fad diets and exercise routines out there. Your health is what matters most.

The best program I've seen to lose stubborn belly fat is one that's been developed by Holly Rigsby, a certified personal trainer and a mom herself, so she knows what it's like to try to get rid of baby fat. It's called the Fit Yummy Mummy Lifestyle System. No unhealthy dieting or strenuous activity, just highly focused, incredibly effective exercises to get your metabolism back on track and get rid of belly fat fast.

New moms don't have a lot of spare time to spend on exercises to lose belly fat. The Fit Yummy Mummy Lifestyle System only takes a total of 90 minutes a week! All while spending less time and effort staying in shape because the exercises are so targeted and effective. Just take a look at the testimonials. Moms and fitness experts agree, this system is incredibly easy and it works brilliantly.

Holly will show you the best way to lose belly fat and see results fast. It's like having your own personal trainer, but at a fraction of the cost. If you want to get back in shape, or even get in better shape than you've ever been, you owe it to yourself to give the Fit Yummy Mummy Lifestyle System. It comes with an eight week, 100% money back guarantee, so there's no risk. Give it a try, and lose that baby fat in no time.

Organic Is Better

A new study by Newcastle University shows that milk from organic, grass-fed cows is better for you. This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. Of course organic and natural anything is going to be much better than its factory farmed and pesticide laden equivalent. Nonetheless, this sort of research is vital to provide empirical evidence of the qualitative difference and to understand exactly how it is better.

In this specific case, organic and naturally grazed animals produce milk that is much higher in antioxidants, beneficial fatty acids, and vitamins. It also demonstrates that the quality changes with the seasons. It is healthiest in the summer, when fresh grass and clover is abundant. Future research will seek ways to boost the nutritional value in winter months.

Milk itself is an interesting study in nutrition. Raw milk from a clean source is much better for you than pasteurized milk. Homogenized milk should be avoided because the process of homogenization causes the milk fats to alter in ways that make it impossible to digest properly.

Dietary guidelines call for limiting whole fat dairy products. A little is okay, but too much can be bad for you.

Organic and natural foods deliver the best nutritional value. They always have more of the nutrients your body needs to stay fit and healthy. And they taste much better! It's win-win.

Easy Ways to Cut Your Risk of Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer, as well as the most deadly, and women are much more vulnerable than men. A nonsmoking woman is twice as likely to develop lung cancer than a nonsmoking man. You can protect yourself and enjoy a long and healthy life by making a few simple lifestyle changes.

Get Some Sun On Your Skin

Your body needs sunlight in order to create vitamin D. Vitamin D provides protection against all kinds of cancer, and cancer rates are significantly lower in sunnier regions. You only need fifteen minutes per day in the sun without sunscreen, at least a few days a week.

Photo by Fetchy

The necessary wavelength that provides UVB radiation is unavailable in northern latitudes during the winter, so you should take a supplement at that time if you live in colder climes. Cod liver oil is a great source of vitamin D. Fatty fish such as herring, catfish, salmon, and mackerel are good sources. Mushrooms can be a good source if they're exosed to UV light for a few minutes after harvesting.

Yellow-Orange Veggies

Carotenoids found in vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes are very protective against cancer. Eating a half cup a day can cut your lung cancer risk by 25%.

Fruits and Juices

Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins which inhibit precancerous cell growth in the lungs. An 8 oz. glass a day or a handful of berries will provide a great deal of protection. Pomegranate seeds and juice protect against lung cancer by providing isoflavones, polyphenols, and ellagic acid. Tomato juice is loaded with the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene has been shown to reduce the risk of lung cancer by 32%.

An Apple A Day...

Apples are loaded with cancer fighting flavonoids. Having an apple a day cuts your lung cancer risk by 46%. Don't peel it, though! Most of the flavonoids are stored in the skin.

Photo by Martin LaBar

Get Active!

The more research that's done, the more obvious it becomes how dangerous the sedentary lifestyle is to human health. It should come as no surprise, then, that exercise is also very protective against lung cancer. Twenty minutes of exercise a day is ideal, but tailor your workout to your fitness level. Check with your doctor before starting any fitness program, especially if you have a medical condition or you've been very sedentary.

Aspirin

Taking just a few regular strength aspirin a week cuts the risk of the most common form of lung cancer in half, even if you smoke. Taking aspirin regularly is not a good idea for everyone, so you should check with your doctor before doing so.

And One Not So Easy...

Everyone knows that smoking is the biggest danger, and that quitting is not so simple. These strategies will offer some protection even for smokers, but if you smoke you really need to quit. 87% of all lung cancer cases are linked to smoking. Medications such as Chantix or Zyprexa can make it easier, or the nicotice patch or gum or nasal spray or lozenge. Hypnotherapy can be helpful, or NLP, or meditation... or all of the above! Whatever it takes. Declare all out war on your smoking habit!

Choosing a Long and Healthy Life

If you want to have better health and vitality, you have to make the right choices. Life is all about the choices you make. Every choice confers certain benefits and certain consequences. You can choose to eat food that has the short term benefit of good flavor and the consequence of long term health problems. You can choose the benefit of great health and vitality with a simple and effective exercise program or the benefit of little effort that comes with a sedentary lifestyle. Just don't be surprised when the time comes to pay the price for the choices you made. It always comes.

Photo by danagraves

"Oh, but it's all in the genes," some people say. "You'll only live a long and healthy life if you've got good genes. Otherwise no amount of exercise and proper diet will do you any good." It is true that genetics can be beneficial or detrimental to your efforts, but they are not the only important factor. They're not even the most important factor for the vast majority of people.

Recent research at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona supports this fact. A research team led by Adolfo Díez Pérez studied the genetics of a man who remained healthy, staying physically and mentally sharp well past the century mark, and the members of his family. They found none of the expected genetic mutations in the KLOTHO gene, which determines mineral density and bone health, or in the LRP5 gene, which is associated with longevity. While there could be other as yet unknown genetic mutations that have an effect on longevity, it appears that the important factors for this man and his long lived family is largely due to their healthy Mediterranean diet and regular physical activity.

Photo by peter.macdonald

While there are no guarantees on your lifespan, you will certainly have a much higher quality of life if you choose to eat healthy (and delicious!) food and get plenty of exercise.