Thursday, May 14, 2009

Calcium and How To Lose Weight Fast: The Connection

Did you know that increasing your calcium intake can help you to lose weight fast? A new study shows that calcium may help prevent fat formation and aid in weight (fat) loss.

Based on earlier research that found obese men lost fat quickly on high calcium diets, a controlled study examined the impact of calcium intake and fat loss in mice. The research seems to show that high calcium intake may be a good idea for those interested in losing fat and keeping it off. In fact, calcium shows surprising slimming power, perhaps by stimulating hormones that govern the storage of fat into fat cells.

Hang Shi, a postdoctoral student in the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville said,

"The effect of an increased calcium intake may help reduce body fat. The effect is very significant, much more than we imagined it would be."

His paper on the effects of a high-calcium diet in increasing body fat loss was presented at the Experimental Biology 2000 meeting in San Diego. "The magnitude of the findings was shocking," says Michael Zemel, PhD, director of the Nutrition Institute. In past studies, Zemel and colleagues have shown that calcium stored in fat cells plays a crucial role in regulating how fat is stored and broken down by the body. It's thought that the more calcium there is in a fat cell, the more fat it will burn.
Special Study Reveals Calciums Effect on Decreasing Body Fat:

In a special study on obese mice, those put on a diet and given calcium supplements experienced a 42% decrease in body fat, whereas mice dieting without supplements had only an 8% decrease. They also discovered a way to increase this fat loss by 69.4% by consuming natural forms of calcium found in foods instead of supplements.

Recommendations:

Men of all ages need about 1,000 - 1,200 mg per day. The recommended intake is 1,000 mg for women 25 to 50 years of age and for women over 50 who take estrogen. For women 50 or older who are not taking estrogen and for all women over 65, 1,500 mg is recommended.

Eight ounces of milk (or yogurt) contains about 300 mg of calcium. However, some people are lactose intolerant so consuming dairy foods is not an option. In this case, your best bet is to consume green leafy vegetables and legumes to provide your daily allowance of calcium.

Of course, you can also take a calcium pill as this is an option. However, it's best to get your calcium from food sources because of their inclusion of other highly beneficial and necessary substances as well.

Good sources of natural foods that contain high amounts of calcium are:

* Sardines - 3 ounces = 371 mg.
* Collard Greens - 1 cup = 148-357 mg.
* Turnip Greens - 1 cup cooked = 194-249 mg.
* Kale - 1 cup cooked = 94-179 mg.
* Chinese Cabbage - 1 cup cooked = 158 mg.
* Shrimp - 3 ounces = 98 mg.
* Brocolli - 1 cup cooked = 94 mg.
* Green Beans - 1 cup cooked = 67 mg.
* Dried beans - 1 cup cooked = 50-90 mg.
* Eggs - 1 large egg = 30 mg.

Next, get my entire list of 20 "Blueprints" that allowed me to dramatically transform my body and win the 1998 Body For Life contest. Imagine finally getting the body you've always wanted! http://www.harryjohnsonjr.com/to-lose-weight-fast/why-do-increased-calcium-intakes-help-us-lose-weight-fast/



Can You Lose Weight Quicker by Eating More Fat?

Eating certain types of fat helps increase the rate at which you can lose fat and weight

To lose weight quick is one of the more pervasive desires in our "quick-fix" society. Problem is, just being able to lose weight "at all" is what most people struggle with, much less the ability to lose weight quick.

However, there are a group of fats that, if ingested in adequate quantities, will actually help anyone lose weight quick. They are called Essential Fatty Acid's (EFA's).

EFA's are a group of fats categorized as "essential" because the body cannot make them from other fats you ingest. Also, specific substances found in EFA's are required by every cell in your body in order to function normally.

The two main groups of EFA's are the Omega 3 (alpha linolenic acid) and Omega 6 (linoleic acid) fatty acids.

If you get both of them in the right ratios your body will make important hormones called eicosanoids, or prostaglandins. These regulate everything that goes on in all the tissues of your body on a moment to moment basis. And, they can only be produced from EFA's. Reduce or eliminate your EFA intake and your body's regulatory process becomes less than optimal or even non-functional.

This can lead to a host of symptoms that can literally lead to your body deteriorating. In fact, you absolutely cannot live without EFA's they are that important. And the only way you can get get EFA's into your body is by getting it through your food intake.

THE BIG PROBLEM

Most of the food we eat today has been largely leached of the EFA's so vital to our very existence. Because a large percentage of the food we eat has been processed, most of the EFA's have been removed from those foods (they are very sensitive to heat and light). Too much of either causes EFA's to become rancid or depleted.

Now that you understand how important EFA's are here are some of their positive benefits:

* Lowers blood pressure
* Makes blood platelets less sticky
* Reduces the fat directly underneath the skin (subcutaneous fat)
* Testosterone is increased the higher your fat intake (up to about 35% of daily calories or so)
* Reduces appetite
* Improves skin conditions
* Increases metabolic rate (you burn more calories)
* Reduces degenerative diseases
* Anti-diabetic
* Anti-cholesterol
* Antioxidant
* Anti-inflammatory

Here are the some of the best sources for the Omega 3's and Omega 6's:

Omega 3's:

* Flax
* Fish (mackerel, salmon, tuna, trout, sardines)
* Green Vegetables (though you would have to eat a lot of them)

Omega 6's:

* Sunflower oil
* Sesame oil
* Walnuts

Best Omega 3/Omega 6 combo:

Udo's Choice Perfected Oil Blend (available at almost every health food store in the nation)
Final Recommendations:

Your diet should consist primarily of healthy proteins, green food (green and leafy vegetables), and essential fats. You should try and stay away from the traditional processed carbohydrates most of America eats and becomes fat on (at least most of the time).

Finally, make sure you take in adequate amounts of EFA's every day from the sources I listed above.

If taking in the Udo's oil, a good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon for every 50-75 lbs of bodyweight. Udo Erasmus (the originator of this oil and inventor of the processs for extracting these highly delicate oils without damaging them by heat) says you know you have taken in enough when your skin becomes velvety soft. A good place to check for this is your elbows and knees. If they are still dry then increase your EFA intake until they become soft. Then, for you, this is the amount you need to continue taking for good health.

Next, get my entire list of 20 "Blueprints" that allowed me to dramatically transform my body and win the 1998 Body For Life contest. Imagine finally getting the body you've always wanted! http://www.harryjohnsonjr.com/lose-weight-quick/lose-weight-quick-by-eating-more-fat/



Monday, May 11, 2009

A Reiki Healing Session: What To Expect

Reiki is a form of energy healing that has become a popular complement to modern medicine as well as an alternative healing therapy used throughout the world. Although its roots can be traced back centuries, it developed in its modern form in Japan in the early twentieth century. And, it is from two Japanese words (rei and ki) that we get the word Reiki. Roughly translated, Reiki means "universal life energy".

Practitioners of Reiki believe that there is a type of subtle energy that flows in and around everyone and everything in the universe. It is this universal life energy that a Reiki practitioner attempts to channel to the afflicted person during a healing session.

Reiki practitioners believe that all illnesses have non-physical components. The purpose of a Reiki healing session is to channel additional life energy, or ki, to the person who suffers from some type of physical or mental trauma. The additional energy clears blockages and establishes an increased, and more efficient, internal flow of energy within the person. As this occurs, true healing can begin.

The time needed for an individual healing session varies depending on the client and the particular problem addressed. However, Reiki therapists generally schedule their sessions for 45-60 minutes. The client remains fully clothed during a Reiki session. He or she may lie flat or sit upright. It is especially important that both the healer and the person who has sought out healing feel comfortable, peaceful, and serene during the healing session. Soft lighting and relaxing music are often used by Reiki practitioners to increase these feelings.

When the client is comfortable, the therapist places his or her hands lightly on, or slightly above, the person's body. The hands of the healer are held palms down with fingers and thumbs extended. During the session, the Reiki therapist will move his or her hands to particular locations on the body, following a specific routine. There are 12-15 Reiki hand positions which correspond to energy centers. The healer will stop at each of these locations to transmit energy. The healer will pause at each location until the flow of energy seems to subside or stop. When the energy flow subsides, the therapist will move to another hand position, working from head to feet. It is important to note that a Reiki healer does not direct the energy in an active sense. The Reiki practitioner is merely a conduit. He or she simply adopts the intent to heal. The life energy itself is intelligent. It goes where it is needed.

A sensation of heat is often taken as an indication of Reiki energy flow. However, a wide range of personal perceptual experiences may be reported by both the healer and the recipient. Among other things, a tingling, coolness, warmth, or the sensation of colors may be experienced.

According to Reiki therapists, people typically leave a Reiki session feeling very relaxed and tranquil. However, recipients of Reiki therapy sometimes experience what therapists call a cleansing crisis. They may feel headachy, nauseous, dizzy, or weak. For Reiki practitioners, these symptoms are the result simply of the body getting rid of toxins and realigning itself to the flow of ki. Rest and increased fluid intake are often recommended to help the person cope with these symptoms.

Douglas Hardwick, Ph.D., has extensive interests in human development and holistic health issues. He contributes to a holistic health information hub: http://www.holisticwebworks.com



The Original Meaning of Acupuncture

By Amanda Gamdana

One of the techniques of Traditional Chinese Medicine that is very close to Acupressure is Acupuncture. Like acupressure, this method uses the points of energy in the body called meridians; here fine needles penetrate the skin at those points - the method boosts good health and treats poor health.

In times of good health, the energy flows freely through the meridians but injuries and disease tend to block the flow. It is brought down to a simplistic explanation of getting the Qi or Chi to flow without any blockage through the human body in order to maintain a state of good health. You'll find that there are 14 meridians on the body and these have 365 points for acupuncture.

Trapped energy or Chi is stimulated and released by inserting special needles at specific locations or through acupressure depending on the nature of the illness. It is something like clearing the blocks in the path of the river to allow its free flow again. Chi may also flow either too quickly or too slowly, in which case acupuncture is used to regulate the stream of energy.

Within China, this particular form of medicine has been being practiced for a minimum of four thousand years, with all of these needles being found within archaeology digs of the late Shang Dynasty. Acupuncture is of three kinds: traditional Yin/Yang Theory, Five Elements and the Western or medical acupuncture. Though the diagnostic approach used by all the three methods is similar, the causes attributed to the illness and the treatment of the illness varies from one method to the other.

Chinese medicine believes that any form of physical illness is the outcome of stress and anxiety; the five element acupuncture also follows the same belief - the physical well being of a person is dependent on his psychological well being. Following on from this, physical symptoms can only be alleviated when those inner stresses are dealt with.

Five elements method is a slow process as it does not merely treat the symptoms but the reason behind the illness due to which the process takes a longer period of time to achieve full recovery. The traditional yin / yang theory focuses on restoring the overall balance of yin and yang in the body. Simultaneous stimulation of more than one element is achieved by stimulating the different acupuncture points on different meridians together.

Western Acupuncture uses a combination of both Eastern and Western medical techniques, focusing on critical and vital short-term treatment. Acupuncture is further divided into two classes, the first one being anesthetic acupuncture that is used by the dentists and during surgeries.

Symptomatic or 'first aid' is the second sub category; this is used mainly for temporary analgesic pain relieving. Problems like allergies, asthma, arthritis, depression, gynecological problems, and high blood pressure, infertility, and migraine have found effective cures in this line of treatment according to research done. As with healing methods dealing with energy, acupuncture effectively heals conditions not treatable with conventional treatment, persistent conditions and disorders and maladies arising due to lifestyles.

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Sunday, May 10, 2009

Adjust Your pH Level

According to the Mayo Clinic, "A diet rich in certain alkaline foods, meaning foods that aren't acidic, won't cure cancer. Proponents of this diet claim foods such as soft drinks and meats make your body acidic, allowing cancer to flourish" (2005). Unfortunately, cancer, like many other serious illnesses, isn't that simple.

The Mayo Clinic elaborated about proponents of an anti-acid and anti-cancer diet stating, "The theory that acid causes cancer isn't true, and it isn't clear that what you eat has any impact on your body's overall acidity or alkalinity."

Free radicals have also been linked to cancerous cell growth. Many doctors confirm this fact. "Free radicals have long been known to be mutagenic," stated Dr. Tamer Fouhad (2002). "Animal and cell culture studies have suggested that antioxidants may slow or even prevent the development of cancer," according to the National Cancer Institute.
Recently, a controversy has developed over antioxidants and alkaline fruits and their effects on cancer. Specifically, some believe that cancer can be treated by consuming alkaline fruits and vegetables.

Many web merchants claim that an alkaline body may be able to significantly fight the pH of malignant cancer cells until they die. According to doctors, the claims of such merchants are false. Doctors from the Mayo Clinic, one of the world's most renowned medical treatment and diagnostic centers, say this cancer rumor is untrue.

Antioxidants are chemicals found in several food sources, like dark chocolate, green tea, red wine, vegetables, and fruits such as sour cherries, acaiberries, blueberries, mangosteen, and the noni fruit. Examples of antioxidants include beta carotene, lycopene, vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin C. Not only do antioxidant vitamins benefit your body with health benefits; they may also combat cancer according to reputable medical sources.

But, the American Cancer Society thinks more research is needed on the subject. They point out that different studies have had mixed results. Their official statement is that "too little is known about how antioxidant supplements actually act against disease." They do not, however, refute the claim.

Antioxidants are thought to bind with free radicals and thereby protect cellular DNA from harm, since free radicals are highly reactive and mutations in DNA can lead to cancer if flawed cells reproduce in large numbers. But, until more research is done, the ACS thinks the jury's still out on antioxidants.

Even if it is too soon for some organizations to endorse the beneficial effects of antioxidants in cancer prevention, a substantial body of evidence indicates its success. Incorporating antioxidants into your diet with fruit juices from mangosteen, pineapple, blueberries, pomegranate, star fruit and many other fruits is certainly worth a try when it comes to cancer prevention.

While the myth of an alkaline diet helping to prevent cancer is unclear, antioxidants have been found to help prevent cancer in certain studies. A healthy diet should include fresh fruits. Even the American Cancer Society states that the best way to reduce your cancer risk is to have a healthy diet that includes five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, so choose fruits rich in antioxidants to help tip the anti-cancer scales in your favor.

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