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Perfect Weight

I've always been a believer in basics of sound nutritional philosophy. Sometimes in today's world this is hard to hold on to because there are so many influences on our having 'the perfect weight'. Yes, we have actuarial tables developed by the insurance industry for our height and structural build, but often this does not apply. This is difficult to achieve because of the pressure from peers and media hype, especially for women, to have all of us look like Paris Hilton.

In reality, looking like Paris, or as in my younger days it was looking like Twiggy, is not healthy nor achievable for everyone.

Stress is one of the biggest factors in weight. If you have a lot of stress you have a very difficult time losing or gaining weight.

If you drink or use foods with a lot of artificial sweeteners you will tend to become addicted to these chemicals and usually move toward obesity. Drinking purified water, usually one-half to one gallon daily is a much better beverage. It is better not to drink water if it is too cold or too hot, because of the impact on your physiology. Also avoid water treated with fluoridation and chlorination.

If you rely on fast food, foods with a lot of additives and preservatives, commercially prepared (box) food, white flour, white sugar, processed salt, high fat and high trans-fat food, and foods pushed on us by the agricultural industry, USDA, and dieticians, weight management will be tough.

Food allergies are often overlooked as a source of weight problems. Get a home food allergy kit to test yourself, if you think this may be a problem.

Hormonal balance is effected by food and in turn, effects weight.

By now you probably wonder what you might be able to do to achieve your perfect weight.

so here goes...

HELP TIPS

Neuroliminal Training

Knock out your appetite - Most diets will tell you to avoid fats, yet some essential fats help you feel full and can even reduce your appetite. It’s true.

Fiber is also known for this. One of my favorite foods — flaxseed — packs a one-two punch providing both of these good things. It’s full of omega-3 fatty acids and an excellent source of fiber — and one of nature’s most perfect foods. Plus, the essential oils in flax may also help do wonders for your skin.

Flaxseed is a small seed that resembles a sesame seed. You can use it in a variety of ways, but it must be milled or ground for the nutrients to be released. I recommend four to six tablespoons daily, alone or sprinkled on food. Milled flax tastes great in hot or cold cereal, on salads, pasta, or in shakes.

Fat and fiber play big roles in weight loss. Fat provides more calories than protein and carbohydrates, is used more slowly for energy, and helps to maintain satisfaction for longer periods of time. I recommend you add adequate amounts of good fat (omega-3 and –6 essential fatty acids) while dieting. Studies confirm that a moderate fat diet (25%-35% of calories from fat) is effective in weight loss. In addition to their appetite-suppressing abilities, they may help promote normal brain function, and may improve mood and emotional state, a big plus while losing weight.

Fiber is an integral part of weight loss. It increases bulk and helps reduce appetite, producing feelings of satisfaction. By slowing the release of carbohydrates into the bloodstream, fiber also helps keep energy levels consistent and high. Sufficient fiber helps support good colon function and helps to eliminate wastes that are released during weight loss. It also helps to bind and flush out excess fluids and estrogen, which I firmly believe contribute to fatty deposits in women.

Some of my thoughts...

Watch out for the Dr. Phil meal replacement bar. It is loaded with too much in the way of sugars, but it has Splenda too! A better choice is the Standard Bar available from the leaflady

Aspartame may not help control weight gain

Some facts showing why artificial sweeteners may cause weight gain:

1. According to an article in Technology Review, "aspartame may actually stimulate appetite and bring on a craving for carbohydrates" (Farber 52). 2. An article in Utne Reader claims, "researchers believe that any kind of sweet taste signals body cells to store carbohydrates and fats, which in turn causes the body to crave more food" (Lamb 16). 3. From the San Francisco Chronicle, Jean Weininger states that "studies have shown that people who use artificial sweeteners don't necessarily reduce their consumption of sugar -- or their total calorie intake. . . . Having a diet soda makes it okay to eat a double cheeseburger and a chocolate mousse pie" (1/ZZ1).

4. "The American Cancer Society (1986) documented the fact that persons using artificial sweeteners gain more weight than those who avoid them" (Roberts 150)

Whether you are trying to lose pounds or maintain your weight, using an artificial sweetener such as aspartame does not seem to have any significant effect on weight control. Those extra calories you saved by drinking a diet pop won't make much of a difference if you still need to satisfy your hunger and indulge in several cookies later. If it is actually increasing your appetite, why use it? Common sense tells you that proper diet and exercise are more beneficial. Even if you believe that aspartame may aid in dieting, is this worth risking your health?

FDA approval and natural ingredients may signal safety at first, but the mounting evidence against aspartame reveals many hidden dangers and possible risks. If you are experiencing any of the adverse reactions, stop using aspartame and see if the symptoms disappear. Now that you are aware of the problems with aspartame, inform others of the symptoms of aspartame poisoning. Notify the FDA of any adverse reactions that you may experience and encourage others to do the same. Don't just stop using aspartame, but make a difference by returning any aspartame products you may now have. If sales go down, hopefully aspartame will be pulled off the market and put an end to the aspartame dilemma.

Fraudulent Claims of Aspartame as a "Diet Aid"

Interestingly, even the American Cancer Society confirmed that users of artificial sweeteners gained more weight than those who didn’t use the products, further undermining the supposed "purpose" for the existence of aspartame in the food.[16] Haven’t we heard this kind of criminal fraud before?

The major selling point of aspartame is as a diet aid, and it has been demonstrated that the use of this product actually causes people to consume more food. Normally, when a significant quantity of carbohydrate are consumed, serotonin levels rise in the brain. This is manifested as a relaxed feeling after a meal. When aspartame is ingested with carbohydrates, such as having a sandwich with a diet drink, aspartame causes the brain to cease production of serotonin, meaning that the feeling of having had enough never materializes. You then eat more foods, many containing aspartame, and the cycle continues. Monsanto’s profit from its NutraSweet Division was $993 million in 1990.

For your good health

Eat organic food whenever possible.
Eat five small meals rather than 2 or 3 large meals.
Eat green and other vegetables in larger amounts than fruits.
Drink at least 3 pints of pure, clean water daily, a gallon is better. Try to avoid drinking fluids with meals so as not to dilute important digestive enzymes.
Always eat sitting down at the table, chew your food slowly and thoroughly, and enjoy it. Eat without working at the same time.
Eat real food.
Eat in reverse order, that is, eat the largest meal at breakfast, the smallest at dinner.
Try to eat most of your protein by 2 pm. This allows for the rebuilding of digestive enzymes in your body. If you need to supplement with enzymes. Use a high quality products with no FOS or inulin. Add beneficial flora too, with no FOS or inulin, high in Bifido bacterium.
Calculate your daily protein intake based on your ideal weight. If you feel your best at 130 pounds, for example, divide 130 by 15 to get the ounces of protein. In this case it is between 8 and 9. If you wish to gain or lose weight, this amount of protein will meet your ideal weight guideline at 130 pounds.
Use good food combining.
Exercise, and be sure to include some level of weight training. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat. Strength training exercise has proven to help lose fat and tone your body.

Phosphatidyl Serine, $60 / 60 caps, plus shipping.

Dip-Dip Herbal Tea with 19 herbs to help balance and regulate digestion and fats.

Certain Amino Acids are helpful for taming food cravings.

Zinc is helpful for those with eating dis-orders or for lack of taste and smell.

The color orange is one that encourages hearty eating, and possibly weight gain.

Music is often helpful for weight management.

If you suffer with reflux or acid stomach try drinking a glass of water. The water will dilute the acid and help relive your discomfort. You may also try a cup of chamomile, ginger, peppermint, or raw apple cider vinegar tea.

Glycemic Index and Food.

The Challenge when you need a boost for weight loss

There's a measurement that is the best predictor of a future heart attack: here's a measurement that is the best predictor of a future heart attack: your waist-to-hip ratio. More telling than the number of pounds you carry is how you carry them. People who have well-toned hips and a trim waist are far less likely to have a heart attack than those with the opposite body shape, The Associated Press reports of a study of thousands of people in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas conducted by researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. That means your waist-to-hip ratio is a far better predictor of a heart attack than other, more traditional methods, such as weight or body mass index, which don't account for a person's body fat or muscle. After all, a beefy football player and a lazy couch potato could have the same BMIs. The researchers found that the waist-to-hip ratio was three times more strongly associated with the risk of heart attacks than BMI. Led by Dr. Salim Yusuf, the Interheart study team reviewed data on 27,098 people around the world, including 12,461 who had suffered a heart attack. They found that the risk of having a heart attack rose progressively as the ratio of waist size increased in proportion to hip circumference, reports AP. Why a small waist and larger hips protect against a heart attack is not clear, but hormones and the difference in the type of fat composition in the two areas likely play a role.

How do you compute your waist-to-hip ratio? Use a measuring tape to determine your waist and hip measurements. Measure your hip circumference at it's widest part, and measure your waist circumference at the belly button or just above it. Pull out your calculator and divide the waist circumference by the hip circumference or use an online waist-to-hip ratio calculator to run the numbers. Women should aim for 0.85 or lower, while men should aspire to 0.90 or lower. Higher numbers represent a higher heart attack risk. So what can you do to protect yourself from a heart attack? Lose the tummy fat and increase your hip size by increasing muscle mass or redistributing fat. Do note that a waist circumference of over 35 inches in women and over 40 inches in men may increase your heart attack risk because of the way the fat is distributed. The study findings were reported in The Lancet medical journal.

DIET products make people eat more, says nutritional toxicologist Peter Dingle. He said some sweeteners in diet products were linked with stimulating appetite.

"Aspartame, commonly known as the sweetener NutraSweet, is a neuro-stimulant linked with stimulating appetite, so it can make you hungry," Prof Dingle, associate professor in health and the environment at Murdoch University, said.

"Diet stuff doesn't satisfy hunger like conventional food, because hunger is linked to certain texture and taste sensations. If you don't get them, you don't feel satisfied -- you don't have the feeling 'I've had enough, I'm full'."

He said people also ate more because they felt they had "done something healthy" by having diet products.

"Then they tend to consume just as much, if not more, than before," he said.

"There is little research to show that these foods have great benefit for long-term weight control.

"Long-term weight control is about eating good, healthy, nutritious foods, combined with a positive lifestyle, which includes keeping fit."

He said people focused on calories instead of nutrition.

Rather than diet food, people should eat healthier, with fewer processed grains and more "super foods" such as beans, nuts, vegetables and omega-3 oils, Prof Dingle said.

Instead of diet or soft drinks, people should drink water, which was healthier.

"Parents give their kids two cans a night and then they complain they can't sleep," he said.

Weight Loss Health Coach

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