Each of the nine (9) foods outlined below is so fattening that even the occasional indulgence can result in major weight gain or retention.

1. Muffins. Disguised as a healthy breakfast food containing “Whole Grains” or various fruits, many store-bought muffins (and sometimes homemade) are simply sugary cakes in disguise.  Consider this:

• A Starbucks Apple Bran Muffin contains 330 calories.  Often their pastries and sweets are disguised with “low fat” titles.  Do not be deceived.  They are bad for you.  It is complicated to locate actual fat/calorie contents in Starbucks’ food on their website.  Starbucks’ Nutrition Guide

• An Au Bon Pain Corn Muffin has 530.  Au Bon Pain Nutrition Guide.
• A Dunkin‘ Donuts Chocolate-Chip Muffin packs a whopping 630 calories and 210 calories from fat.  Dunkin‘ Doughnuts Nutrition Guide.

The Result: Eating just one of these muffins twice a week could pack on up to two (2) additional pounds per month.

2. Cinnamon Rolls. A sweet treat for many who trat themselves during a layover at the airport or after a long day of shopping at the mall, but these savory snacks are one of the worst imaginable.  Consider this:

• A Cinnabon cinnamon roll contains a staggering 730 calories.  (Cinnabon does not feature a nutrition guide on their company website).
• McDonald’s Cinnamon Melts (officially categorized as a desert rather than breakfast) contain 460 calories and 19 grams of fat.  McDonald’s Nutrition Guide

The Result: Having only one (1) cinnamon roll per week can cause the addition of up to ten (10) pounds per year.

3. Onion Rings. Onions simply battered and fried.  And onions are vegetables, right??  They can’t be that bad.  Consider this:

• Jack in the Box onion rings contain 500 calories PER SERVING.  Jack in the Box’s Nutrition Guide

• Sonic’s large order of onion rings contain 638 calories and 281 calories from fat!!  Levitra whithout prescription title=”Sonic’s Nutrition Guide” href=”http://www.sonicdrivein.com/pdfs/menu/SonicNutritionGuide.pdf” target=”_blank”>Sonic’s Nutrition Guide

• But, taking home the prize for fattest onion rings is Nathan’s Famous Onion Rings which contain a staggering 785 calories. Nathan’s Nutrition Guide

The Result: Consuming only one order of onion rings per week can lead to the addition of seven (7) to 10 (10) pounds per year.

4. Nachos. Nachos from fast-food restaurants are often the most calorie packed items on the menu.  Consider this:

• Taco Bell’s Nachos Bell Grande Nachos contains 1320 calories (305 per serving).  Taco Bell’s Nutrition Guide
• On the Border’s Beef Fajita Nachos contain an equally hefty 1,150 calories.  On the Border’s Nutrition Guide

The Result: Fast-food nachos contain enough calories for you to gain one-third (1/3) to two-thirds (2/3) of a pound at a single sitting.

5. Buffalo Wings . Do you know how buffalo wings are made?  A one-time healthy food staple (chicken) is coated in butter, deep fried until crispy, and coated in a fattening hot sauce.  The only plus about this dish is that the pepper ingredients in the hot sauce can help your body burn some of the calories it just consumed after eating.  Consider this:

• Applebee’s Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing have 1,734 calories with 132 grams of fat.  (Applebee’s does not feature a nutrition guide on their company website), but you can view many of their popular items here: Applebee’s Nutrition Guide.
• Ruby Tuesday’s popular appetizer Fire Wings contains 636 calories (159 per serving).  Ruby Tuesday’s Nutrition Guide
• Buffalo Wild Wings (aka: BW3′s) calorie content is 88 calories per boneless wing.  So, their popular 12 boneless wings dish packs in 1,050 calories before you even reach for the dipping sauce.  (BW3′s does not feature a nutrition guide on their company website), but you can view many of their popular items here: BW3′s Nutrition Guide.
  

The Result: Sitting down to a meal of just a single plate full of buffalo wings per month is all it takes to pack add four (4) extra pounds per year to the “bottom line”.

6. Chili/Cheese Fries . The classic french fry is about as fattening as you can get, until you add cheese, chili, bacon, etc.  Consider this:

• Outback Steakhouse’s Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing dipping sauce contains 2,536 calories in one (1) entire order.  Outback Steakhouse’s Nutrition Guide.
• Sonic’s Large french fries with chili and cheese contain 690 calories.  Sonic’s Nutrition Guide

The Result: This appetizer is lethal to the waist line. Adding 1/2 pound of fat overnight is not uncommon when consuming an entire plate of Outback’s aussie cheese fries with the remainder of a meal.

7. Chicken Pot Pie. This southern classic packs in more calories per serving than its dessert rival: Cherry Pie.  Consider this:

• Pepperidge Farm’s Premium Pot Pie Roasted Chicken contains 510 calories in each cup.  Pepperidge Farm’s Nutrition Guide.
• Kentucky Fried Chicken’s (KFC) version comes in a close second at 690 for the entire bowl.  KFC’s Nutrition Guide.

The Result: Eat this soothing dish once a week, and you be enjoying an extra seven (7) to ten (10) pounds 52 pies later.

8. Carrot Cake. Carrots are good for you.  Carrots in a cake – NO.  Consider this:

• A slice from Denny’s contains 820 calories with 45 grams of fat.  Denny’s Nutrition Guide.
• But the winner-take-all of this contest is Whole Foods, whose carrot cake contains almost 850 calories per serving.

The Result: A decadent treat for the deserving, only once per week, could add a whole pound per month around the middle.  Is a piece of carrot cake still worthy of your affection??

9. Milkshakes. These smooth talkers may have some fooled, but not you.  It’s hard to believe, but milkshakes usually contain more calories than an equal serving of a fudge sundae or plain ice cream.  Consider this:

• A large Strawberry Milkshake from Dairy Queen contains 950 calories.  Dairy Queen Treat Nutrition Guide.
• A large Chocolate Ice Cream Shake from Jack in the Box has 1,430 calories.  Jack in the Box Nutrition Guide.

The Result: Sip at your own risk: Drinking only two (2) milkshakes per week could cause you gain two (2) to three (3) pounds each and every month.

For additional information about what to eat and what not to eat, read:

Fast Food Restaurants: What You Should Eat
Low Calorie Snacks That Help You Stick To Your Diet

1) Do Not Make Lofty Goals – Setting unrealistic weight loss goals is like setting yourself up for failure before the diet even begins. Set realistic and periodic goals for yourself early on in dieting. Decide exactly how many pounds you want to lose and with what period of time. Then, plan your diet accordingly. Be sure to reward yourself for each goal achieved (see #17).

2) Hunger VS Appetite – Learn to separate hunger from appetite. Hunger usually attacks in between meals and right before bed. Sometimes it is good to try hard to ignore hunger, and sometimes it is good to satisfy it. Less food is needed to satisfy hunger than appetite. Try not to eat when you are not hungry (see #16).

3) Eat Nutritionally Charged Foods – Eat meals which are nutritionally balanced. Avoid crash diets based upon a specific food or group of foods as they are often nutritionally unsound and lack variety. Good food is good for you.

4) Keep It Varied – Eat a wide variety of foods to keep your diet interesting. Well-planned menus will often leave space for a favorite higher calorie food or dish.

5) Make Wise Decisions – Select low-calorie foods that allow a moderate-sized serving without going over your allotted calorie allowance. Pass on second helpings and avoid foods that ate so high in calories that the serving portion is discouragingly small.

6) Pre-Packaged Foods Are Good? – Take advantage of commercially prepared low-calorie foods. They add variety to meals and make available some foods which are otherwise not possible on a diet.

7) Take Your Time To Finish Meals – Eat slowly and allow more time to savor each bite. Avoid eating meals in tense or hectic surroundings. By allowing the digestion process to begin before you are completely finished with a meal, more food will reach the stomach, the appetite will be met, and less food can be consumed.

8. Take Time To Smell The Roses – Realize that weight loss is generally unsteady and is not always noticeable for the first several days of a diet. Weight every few days in the morning before eating or drinking. Stay away from weight charts as accurate weight loss is often not reflected on a day to day basis. A good option to a weight chart is a size chart. Find a measuring tape and measure all major portions of the body. Tracking inches lost is often a better measure of the diet success than tracking weight loss.

9) Get Physical – Increase your physical activity to use up excess calories. Include many and varied activities that keep you busy and prevent idle snacking or thinking of food. Many times boredom leads to eating, not because of hunger, but because of a lack of things to do.

10) Social Graces And Dieting – Maintain social activities in keeping with your new eating habits. Do not leave out social obligations just because you are counting calories, but learn to adjust these activities realistically.

11) Successful Dieting Requires A Lifestyle Change – Think of your diet as expanding your horizons and actually creating a new way of life for you. “Dieting” is only important until your goal weight is reached. However, to maintain one’s weight and level of physical fitness, many changes that have been made must remain permanent or semi-permanent. It is much easier to quietly maintain a good. healthy weight than it is to try to reverse the effects of over eating or eating the wrong foods.

12) Eat To Live, Don’t Live To Eat – Accept the fact that you will frequently experience hunger as you begin your diet. When making a drastic change, no matter what the change, the desire to revert to old habits or standards will be strong – especially when it involves food. Hunger will be natural, and sometimes very strong, when dieting. Learn how to suppress hunger pangs by eating five (5) small meals per day.

13) Make Your Own Eating Schedule – Space your meals according to individual preference. If you prefer to eat more often then 3 times per day, divide your daily food allowance accordingly, into several smaller meals.

14) Enjoy Naked Fruits And Vegetables Propecia whithout prescription – Include as many fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet as possible. Uncooked foods are higher in bulk and so, provide a more filled-up feeling at the end of a meal.

15) Eat Until You Cannot Eat Any More – Plan at least one food that you can eat as much of as you want, such as: lettuce, celery, mushrooms, cucumber, green pepper, radishes, cabbage (Cabbage Soup Diet), broccoli, cauliflower, or spinach. Sometimes during a long period of dieting we just want to eat, and we want to eat a lot. We have all been there!! Select a food which will allow you to do that and will not ruin your appetite.

16) Put Food Aside For Later – Keep in mind when eating your daily meals is that you will inevitable get hungry later….be it in the evening or later afternoon. Try to set aside a portion of a meal, be it a salad, appetizer, entree or dessert, to be consumed later. Many of us call these “left overs”, but purposely set aside left overs for a later meal, so you do not ruin your diet by eating more than recommended. It is a good practice to leave a little on the plate after each and every meal. No need to clean your plate as your Mother may have demanded when you were younger.

17) Reward Good Behavior – Reward yourself as you reach each short-term goal on your way to achieving your long-term goals. AVOID using food as a reward. Rather, purchase a new outfit or take yourself on a weekend trip. Something to encourage future adherence to the diet.

18) Sleepy, Sleepy – Get plenty of sleep and rest, especially during the first few weeks of your diet. Studies have shown that one is less likely to ruin a diet and succumb to temptation when mentally alert. So sleep up, and be sure to eat a balanced breakfast, such as an egg white omelet with Parmesan cheese and asparagus. Grapefruit is also a great way to getting the day started. Whatever you prefer to eat, be sure to keep plenty of it in the house and at your desk at the office. It is when we run out of our “diet” foods that we begin looking for something to satisfy our hunger, and many times what we DO find is not within the limits of the diet.

19) Out Of Sight Out Of Mind – If you must keep high-calorie foods around for co-workers or family members who are not dieting, keep them out of sight. Follow that by putting the best foods in front of you – keeping them in plain sight. This will do some good food “branding”. By looking at better foods all day we should be more likely to grab healthier options when the hunger hits.

20) LIVE YOUR DIET – Don’t just talk about dieting, live your diet. Remember that a well-executed diet requires a change in life style, a major change for many.

The problem with many diets are the dietary restrictions and people’s ability to stay within the allotted number of daily calories.  When you are trying to stay between 300 and 500 calories per meal the quality of your food becomes more important than the quantity.  Foods high in protein will help satisfy for a longer period of time than those full of sugar and carbohydrates.  Become aware of the protein content of the food you are consuming.

Here is a quick Protein guide:

First, determine the MINIMUM amount of protein you need to consume on a daily basis.  To determine this amount take you total body weight and multiply it by .37.  Therefore if I weighed 140 pounds I would multiply that number by .37, so – 140 (lbs) X .37 = 51.8 grams of protein per day.  Remember that this number is ONLY the MINIMUM amount of protein that should be ingested each and every day.  If you feel tired or sluggish be Online Generic pills sure your dietary protein levels are high enough.

If you are eating adequate amounts of protein and are still feeling hungry, tired or sluggish around the same time every day then have a healthy snack.  A snack will help to hold you over until your next scheduled meal.  Just make sure that it is a healthy snack.

Here are some healthy snacking ideas:

Additional Snacking Ideas Under 100 Calories Include:

• 2 teaspoons of chocolate syrup in coffee
• 1/2 cup fat free ice cream
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing and 1 cup of veggies
• 6 saltine crackers with 2 teaspoons peanut butter
• 1/2 cup low fat vanilla pudding with 2 crumbled vanilla wafers and cool whip
• small potato with 1/2 cup salsa and 2 tablespoons nonfat sour cream
• 1 rice cake with fat free sour cream and 1 Tablespoon blue cheese

Perhaps you indulge on a snack that you think is low in calories, when in fact it is not.  Here is a list of 5 foods that are probably more fattening than you think:

Remember that proteins are harder for the stomach to digest than carbohydrates and processed foods, therefore you are likely to feel tired do to all of the activity in your mid section.  When you consume a lot of protein you are actually giving your digestive system a bit of a workout.  This can cause sleepiness and tiredness as well.  If your blood sugar is low and you need a boost mixed nuts are always an option, but so is a scoop of peanut butter or a small glass of orange juice.  These are immediate solutions that you can employ without ruining your diet.

Being at a good weight is important, but so is your overall health.  Never put yourself in any danger if you have health issues or are not performing at your best just in order to stick to a dietregimen.  There are many diets on today’s diet market that work.  If your current diet program is too taxing perhaps it is time to look around for another with different guidelines that will suit your lifestyle much better.

Sticking to a strict diet can be difficult at times.  Temptation is all around us, and when a diet routine is new we sometimes succumb to that temptation.  Loosening the restrictions of a diet is not at all bad, and usually very easy to get back on the wagon, but it isn’t at all unusual for a new dieter to become depressed that they do not have the willpower to say no to temptation and give up on the diet altogether.

No matter what diet you are on there are 10 easy steps to helping you stick with the plan.  After all, it’s much easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle than it is to switch to a healthy lifestyle.  If you are one of the individuals described above please have the patience to stick with the program – even if you “fail” a time or two.

Here are 10 fail-safe tips to helping you stick to your diet regimen.

1) Balance Your Calorie Intake - Balance the calories you take in each day with the calories that you burn.  Every diet plan is different, but they each have the dieter consumingapproximately the same number of calories: between 1,300 and 1,800 (more if exercising heavily).  And when burning a large number of calories it becomes just as important to balance the calories going out as it is to count the ones coming in.  If you burn more than half of the calories being consumed on a daily basis that can lead to fatigue and body malfunction.  Calories are our source of energy not an enemy.  Calories only add to excess weight when consumed in exorbitant quantities.  Remember to leave some calories in your system after you daily workout for your body to burn as fuel.

2) Drink Plenty of Water – The importance of drinking water is tantamount to more than just weight loss success but to being healthy as well.  Our bodies are comprised of more than 70% water.  Keeping the body nourished can help the body to fight disease, ward off exhaustion, increase energy levels, improve mood and sleep, and many other factors.  Drinking plenty of water can also help to “clean out” the system of toxins and pollutants bydetoxification .  I have heard many dietitians say that if you drink enough water you can eat practically whatever you want (in moderation) and still lose weight.  Drinking water dilutes the fats while in the stomach and prevents many of them from being absorbed into the body during the digestion process.  Drink AT LEAST 8 – 8oz. glasses of water per day (more in the hot summer) but I am still pushing for more.

3) Get Moving – NO diet plan will be successful without exercise.  Of course if you change your eating habits there will be some moderate change, but not the earth shattering results we want when we are working hard to do what is right for out bodies.  So get moving!!  Every little bit counts.  Try taking the stairs at the office rather than the elevator.  Walk during your lunch break.  Put a treadmill Generic pharmacy whithout prescription or elliptical machine in front of the television.  Whatever it takes.  Try to be active at lease 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week (more if possible), and watch the results of your diet double in no time!!  See our article 20 Minute Beach Body for a great 20 minute workout you can do from home.

4) Maintain Nutrients – Maintaining one’s consumption of nutrients is not as important to weight loss as it is to overall health.  And overall health keeps us healthy and able to stick to a diet and exercise.  Make sure you are getting your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of nutrients such as:

• Calcium (helps with innumerable things, in addition to building strong bones)
• Vitamin D (helps keep you positive, like a natural anti-depressant, and increases your energy.  Studies have shown that it is found in sunlight)
• Fiber (helps keep your digestive system in order and your colon clean and healthy.  The colon is where vitamins and minerals are absorbed into the body).
• Protein (keeps your stamina up during workouts, helps you get a better quality of workout)
• Folate (helps the body absorb and use the protein nicely)
• Vitamin B-12 (keeps the immune system strong)

5) Get the Grains You Need – Unless you are on a low carb diet, grains are very important to health.

6) Practice Portion Control – The detriment of many dieters is not eating the right things, but eating the right portions of the right things.  Too often people eat a large breakfast, get hungry before lunch and head to the vending machine.  The key to not getting hungry mid-meal and ruining your diet is to eat more small meals throughout the day.  Five small meals to be exact.  Each meal should be small enough to fit in your hand with the main ingredient of your meal (usually a meat such as fish, chicken, or steak) able to fit in the palm of your hand (approximately 5 oz.).  If your meals do not fit this criteria you may be eating too much food of you are trying to lose weight and not experience any weight loss.

7) Take a Break – Every once in a while take a break from your diet and enjoy life.  We take a break from work, take a break from the chores, even take a break from our children.  Why not take a break from our diet??  There are some delicious foods out there and this is your time to try them.  Just make sure that your “break” last no longer than 2 days.  I have a friend who had tremendous success on Atkins diet.  He would not consume more than 40 carbs per day on any given weekday.  However, the weekend was his time to let loose.  He ate whatever he wanted, in moderation of course.  And his dieting efforts were stilltremendously successful.  However, if you fail on your diet during the week do not still use the weekend as an excuse to eat what you like.  You may have some catch up work to do.

Learn To Multitask – Learn to get in a portion of your 30 minutes of daily exercise while doing mundane chores around the office or the house.  Practice yoga stretching while on the phone, run in place while using the vacuum cleaner, do lunges while doing yard work.  Whatever it takes.  Get in the habit of doing these activities so they become just that – a habit.

9) Give Your Brain a Break cheap phentermine – A healthful, stress-free brain is vital to a healthy lifestyle.  If you are stressed out or running on all 8 cylinders then let your brain rest.  Take a weekend get away without the Blackberry or send the kids to your Mother’s.  Just make sure to take time out of your life for you and your mental health.  You will be much more able to maintain your healthy lifestyle and will e less likely to have a “calorie breakdown”.

10) Treat Yourself – As a follow up to #7 treat yourself occasionally to the spoils of life.  You don’t to look back in a few years and think that you missed out on life by restricting yourself to so few indulgences.  Dieting is not about that, it is about finding a balance while still being able to achieve and maintain your goals.  If you are not reaching your goals there is a reason.  Your eating habits and lifestyle need to be analyzed and tweaked.

Good luck in achieving all of your dieting goals.

If you are like most American’s, even during these economically challenging times, you find yourself eating several meals a week at restaurants.  And when we are not personally making the food and, instead, simply ordering from a menu, one will face some challenges when trying to eat healthier. For example, “better-for-you” options aren’t always easy to spot on the menu. Research shows that even dietitians – nutrition professionals – cannot accurately judge the calorie and fat content of restaurant meals. Who would imagine that grilled fish or chicken may contain unexpectedly high amounts of calories, fat, and sodium? That is because incomplete menu descriptions and “hidden” ingredients in sauces, marinades, and dressings make it impossible to know what you are getting nutritionally.

But now, a recently launched website – developed by HEALTHY DINING, a California-based team of health and nutrition professionals – has come to the rescue.  At HealthyDiningFinder.com, you can search for restaurants that offer a selection of healthier choices and view the nutrition information for those dishes: calories, fat, saturated fat, protein, carbohydrates, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, fiber, and fruit/vegetable servings. Menu items featured on the site focus on lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, and when possible, whole grains. HEALTHY DINING’s dietitians review and approve all menu items listed. Sometimes, “Special Requests” are noted, which explain how to modify your order to be more healthful.

The restaurants listed range from fast food to upscale dining and include close to 60,000 locations nationwide. And finding something that is right for you, something that is delicious AND nutritious, is simple. Just visit the website, enter your zip code or city location, select your price range and if you want delivery, carry-out, dine in, or all three. Then HealthyDiningFinder.com will not only show you all restaurants in the area which have menu options which their nutritionists have approved, but they will also tell you how many menu options you have at each restaurant, what the options are, and all of the data you need to be a healthy, informed restaurant patron. I know many people who use HealthDiningFinder.com from their iPhone or smart phone when at a restaurant deciding what to order. You can even sign up to receive newsletters with tips and information about eating out healthfully and recipes from restaurant chefs.

HealthyDiningFinder.com was developed in part by a grant provided by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

Whether for business or pleasure, convenience or necessity, the meals Americans are enjoying are increasingly being prepared by restaurants. Armed with nutrition information, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy such meals while also maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Yes, the consumption of fewer calories on a daily basis will help to improve memory retention.  According to a study published in the journal Neuroepidemiology, thinking skills improved among older, overweight individuals who reduced their daily caloric intake by 30% during the three months of the study.  Participants in the study were asked to do nothing more than reduce their serving portions to a total of 1,200 calories per day.

The participants in the study averaged a loss of eight to ten pounds, and the individuals who lost the most weight experienced the greatest gains in memory retention.

cheap cialis style=”text-decoration: underline;”>Antioxidants in Food Help Increase Memory and Brain Function

A healthy diet contributes to a healthy brain.  Likewise, foods containing antioxidants Generic viagra whithout prescription and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain function.  Providing your body with supplements such as: Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6 will help make one sharp as a tack.  Additionally, eating 5 to 6 small meals over the course of the day, rather than 3 larger meals, will assist in the improvement of mental functioning by eliminating low sugar levels which can affect the brain.

Increase Your Memory Potential with Daily Exercise.

Daily aerobic exercise also improves circulation and cognition and can help ward off memory loss that often comes with aging.  Exercise also makes one more alert and relaxed helping to improve memory uptake, allowing the brain to take better mental “pictures.”

It is true that soybeans and soy-based products are good for one’s health, but health professionals warn against consuming soy-based products at every meal.

Soy is an abbreviation for the legume known as the soybean.  Soybeans contain seven of the eight necessary amino acids for healthy body function.  Soybeans also contain high amounts of protein.  In fact, their protein content is very close to of meat protein.

One of the most fascinating components of the soybean is called an isoflavone.  Isoflavones have been said to relieve some undesirable symptoms of menopause, and aid in the prevention of some cancers and heart disease.  Isoflavones are also good for bones because they prevent them from breaking down.  Soybeans have also been proven to lower cholesterol.  Studies show that the consumption of soy can reduce ones total cholesterol, including the bad, or LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Soybeans are grown all over the world, but the United States is the world’s largest producer of soybeans.

Soy Health Claims

Soybeans in their natural state are not safe to be consumed by humans. However, whole soybeans contain more isoflavones in their natural form. For human consumption, soybeans should be processed, or fermented. When processed, the value of the natural flavones may be lost.

New studies have revealed that the once heavily proclaimed statements that soy consumption can help lower the risk of breast cancer is not as true as once thought.  For example, it was previously stated that soy may aid in the prevention of breast cancer and other cancers as well, including prostate cancer.  The study was conducted on Japanese women who already had a low incidence of breast cancer.  Unfortunately, the Japanese have a very high rate of other serious cancers such as: esophageal, stomach, liver and thyroid cancers.   Soy contains an ingredient that causes estrogen production.  Therefore, many doctors do not recommend that women with a high incidence of breast cancer consume soy because an increased level of estrogen production is know to contribute to the development of breast cancer.  Post-menopausal women should NOT take soy supplements or consume large amounts of soy until more is know.

NOTE: Eating foods and drinking beverages are not considered harmful.  Please be aware the breast cancer studies are NOT inclusive.  Until more is known about soy, we should not feel forced to eliminate it entirely from our diet.

An additional negative side effect of soy consumption is that when consumed in moderate amounts, it has been shown to alter sexual development and cause abnormal development in babies.  This should be of particular concern to mothers who may be feeding their babies a soy-based formula.  It has been said that a baby who consumes strictly a soy-based formula is receiving the equivalent of 5 birth control pills per day. Soy is also being investigated to determine if it causes a decreased sperm count in men.  Men have been advised to eliminate their intake of soy for three months prior to trying to conceive for fear that the sperm may be harmed.

Soybeans, like all beans, contain an ingredient called phytic acid.  Phytic acid has the ability to stop minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron from being absorbed by the body.  Studies show that individuals in other countries who consume large amounts of soy also are deficient in these minerals.  Again, this should be considered especially by mothers feeding their babies soy-based formula.

Summary:

Although the soybean is capable of providing some good benefits to the body, many people believe that its harm may outweigh its benefits. Again, moderation is key here.  Soy-based food and beverages appear to be safer than supplements because they are normally not consumed in large quantities.  Eating pills without prescription soy-based products such as: nuts, miso, cheese, edamame, tofu, soy milk and tempeh in moderation may provide  numerous health benefits with little or no health risks.  Until more is known about the effect of soy supplements on our bodies,  I would recommend taking as few soy  supplements as necessary, but continuing to enjoy soy-based foods and beverages.

Fasting first began centuries ago as a way of showing reverence in a religious setting. Depriving the body of something that is wanted and needed as a way of growing closer to a higher being. Fasting is actually when the body is deprived of food or sustenance for a set period of time. This ancient practice of reverence is actually practiced by many people as a way to lose weight. What many of them do not realize is that they are doing their bodies more harm than good.

Fasting for weight loss purposes can be done in several ways. All ways involve not consuming food and instead focusing on water intake and, depending upon one’s severity of fasting, drinking juice and/or protein beverages. But even though food is never consumed during the period of time that one is fasting it has a lot to do with the outcome to one’s weight loss goals and also to one’s health.

The term fasting refers to not consuming food for at least one 24 hour period. Hardcore fasters will extend this period to one week, and less hardcore fasters will fast for every other day for an entire week. One common belief in fasting is that when food is not consumed your body will naturally detoxify itself, cleansing the intestines and colon, and give momentum to a new weight loss routine.

While little research has been done into whether fasting helps detoxify the body, many people have experienced great amounts of weight loss by simply not eating. The key to effective fasting is to know your body and to know your limitations. What is a perfect way for one person to lose weight may be counter-effective for another. When fasting, if at any time you experience anything such as: dizziness, light headedness, stomach pains (other than those of hunger), nausea, etc. then it is time to break down and have a small meal. When new to fasting, it is not uncommon for individuals to find it difficult to complete a 24 diet pills without a prescription hour cycle with absolutely no food. Your body is used to food, and used to having it regularly. It is fine to give it time to adjust, rather than jumping in head first and being determined not to eat – no matter what!

The Reason People Fast -

Fasting can have a very healing effect on the body. During a fast it is not uncommon for people to realize that their attraction to food is stronger than they first thought. For those who thought for many years that they were just eating to live and not living to eat, this can be a wake up call, and can better help one to understand their relationship with food.

Juice fasting is a good way to break a tie to food without depriving the body of needed nutrients. Juice Fasting recipes can be found in countless places, and provide much needed relief to the stomach and intestines after processing so much processed food, and food filled with preservatives.

Another reason people fast is to shrink the size of their stomach. It may sound silly but the less you eat the smaller your stomach will become. And likewise, the more you eat the larger your stomach will become. Over the years the portion size of the average American meal has grown by as much as 50%. We are eating twice as much food PER MEAL as we were just 1 generation ago. And as more food is consumed the size of our stomach expands in order to accommodate the growing portions. And with a larger stomach we are able to consume more food at a single sitting and not actually feel “full”.

Fasting is a good way to begin shrinking the size of your stomach. Many people have reported being able to feel full after eating much less food after only one 24 hour period of fasting. This technique is similar to having bariatric surgery to surgically reduce the size of one’s stomach. However, this technique is much less invasive, permanent, and painful.

Fasting Myths –

I have heard many people insinuate that fasting is similar to having an eating disorder. This is not true, and was obviously stated by someone with limited knowledge of fasting. Fasting is something that is done for short periods of time. It is not a daily activity, nor is it a lifestyle. Eating disorders deprive those who suffer from them of vital vitamins and nutrients needed to survive and have the energy to complete daily tasks. Those who fast advocate health and vitality and would never suggest one “starve himself”. Fasters are simply choosing not to eat for a period of time to reap the weight loss or other health benefits associated with it.

Another widespread myth of fasting is that you will lose muscle tone if you fast long enough. Well, this is true, but 99% of fasters do not fast enough for this to happen. The reason our bodies store fat is so that if we are subject to illness or famine our body will have something with which to sustain itself until food is found. And that is why fasting is very effective as a weight loss tool. When we do not eat, the first thing the body consumes for fuel is the fat stores. Through exercise we can ensure that only fat stores are removed from the body and no, orminuscule amounts of, lean muscle mass. There are many contradicting thought and opinions on this, and research indicates that fasting off and on for weeks at a time can deplete the body of needed nutrition, causing it to lose lean muscle mass. But with regular muscle-toning exercises, the body will retail all muscle mass during times of fasting.

Is Fasting To Lose Weight Right For You?

Fasting is not for everyone. If you are currently taking any prescription medications or have other health concerns such as high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. consult your physician before fasting or beginning any other diet or exercise routine. Your doctor may be able to provide you with a wealth of information before beginning your fast or may steer you in a different direction.

• Order water to drink, never soda. Sodas contain sodium and sugar in unhealthy levels which are hard to get out of your system, even diet soda.  Avoid them at all costs.  If water is not an option, or you want something with a little flavor, at least order diet soda which is sugar free.

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Gardasil is a vaccination manufactured by the drug giant Merck, and is intended for girls ages 9 – 26 to “guard” against human papilloma virus (HPV) which is currently linked to an estimated 70% of all diagnoses of cervical cancer.  Guardasil prevents only the onset of HPV and must be administered to girls at a young age, before the onset of the virus.  Once the virus is detected the vaccine cannot protect against cervical cancer.

How Does The CDC Monitor Complaints Against Gardasil?

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has in place a three-step monitoring system for every vaccination certified for use by the agency.  It is a system of checks and balances to help find a problem or side effect caused by a vaccine that may have been missed during the testing period prior drugs without prescription to certification.

The monitoring system includes:

1. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) – A public health system that helps the FDA and CDC identify possible problems with vaccines after they are administered.
2. The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) Project – To detect any patterns in reports made to VAERS and their relation to the vaccination.
3. The Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) Network – Conduct research on any side effects possibly related to the vaccine in question.

What Is There To Be Worried About with Gardasil?

In January of 2009 word got out that over 12,000 complaints about adverse medical reactions, and side effects of every nature, had been made to the CDC by individuals who had received the Gardasil vaccination.  Of the more than 12,000 reports to the CDC, 32 were about deaths allegedly caused directly or indirectly by the vaccination.  At this time more than 32,000,000 girls and young women ages 9 – 26 had received the Gardasil vaccination from their doctor.

This information may be correct, however it is simply raw data, argues the CDC.  Included in these figures is anyone who received the Gardasil vaccination and called the CDC with a complaint of a suspected adverse reaction with the injection.

Since January 1st of 2009 there has been a total of 11,916 reports made to VAERS about Gardasil by those who have been vaccinated.  Of the reports made 6% (or 715) of the reports have been considered to be “serious” in nature, meaning they involve hospitalization, death, permanent disability, and life-threatening illness

Every one of the serious reports about Gardasil that have been made to the CDC have been thoroughly investigated by medical staff, and there has been no pattern found to link the vaccine Gardasil to any of the serious side effects reported.

Some of the serious side effects reported by individuals to the CDC after being administered the Gardasil vaccine include:

• Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) – A rare disorder in 2 out of ever 100,000 teenagers which causes muscle weakness.

• Blod CLots

• Death

Even in death the CDC found no common thread that could link the death of any of the 32 young teens and women who died to the vaccine Gardasil.  Over 23,000,000 tennaged girls and young women have received the Gardasil vaccination as a prevention against cervical cancer, and 23 deaths have been reported by teenaged girls and young women after receiving the Gardasil vaccination.  That is the only thing that these deaths have in common, according to the CDC.  The type of death, and reason for death was different in each and every case.

*This information has been generated from several credible sources and is not intended to influence a decision for or against the Gardasil vaccine.  This article is stating the facts as they are known to the CDC and FDA at the time of publication.