c r e a t i n g h e a l t h n o w

Weight Loss........

The bad news? The number of people with weight loss issues is growing every year. Results of a Harris Poll conducted in 2002 show that 80 percent of people over 25 are overweight based on the body mass index (BMI), a guideline computed through a combination of weight and height.

The good news? Sixty percent of the people surveyed in this poll said they would like to start a weight loss program, including 72 percent of those who are overweight.

North Americans want to lose weight to feel better and prevent disease, and they’re willing to invest their time and their money to do so. Between 1990 and 1997, for example, there was an 85% increase in the number of Americans who work out at home. And with 10,000 baby boomers reaching middle age every day, the weight loss battle is being waged in homes across the United States.

Being overweight or obese is associated with some very serious health consequences: cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, stroke, arthritis, breathing problems, and psychological disorders such as depression. So a decision to lose weight is not just a matter of appearance, it’s a matter of good health.

With the Internet and other sources of information, consumers now have the resources to educate themselves about their health and are becoming empowered to take control. They’re trying to improve their nutrition and lose weight…naturally.

HTN's  line of health-promoting products are one of the sources people are turning to for increased weight loss and increased vitality, because HTNs products have science and good sense in their corner. This is not just a trend. It’s a change for the better.  Confront all the issues that contribute to weight-gain in 1 affordable, complete, safe product. Recomposize™ was made with you in mind!

Recomposize™ is a smart, safe, alternative to the mass advertising of products that are riding the most recent wave of publicity. Simply put, you will not need another product after trying Recomposize™

Calcium Intake Related to Weight Loss

MINNEAPOLIS--Calcium intake may help regulate body weight, and higher intakes may be necessary during weight loss programs to maintain bone mass, according to new research released this week.

The first study, conducted at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, examined the association between calcium intake and adiposity in black and white men and women participating in the HERITAGE Family Study (J Nutr, 134:1772-8, 2004) (www.nutrition.org). A total of 362 men and 462 women were divided into groups based on energy-adjusted calcium intake; the strongest inverse associations appeared in black men and white women. In both men's groups, those with the highest calcium intake were significantly leaner than those in the lowest intake group. And in white women, there was a significant inverse association between calcium intake and BMI, percentage body fat and abdominal fat levels.

Mediterranean diet scores twice

9/22/2004 - The latest edition of the Journal of American Medical Association sings the health-giving praises of a Mediterranean-style diet in two separate studies, which show that following this regime improves healthy longevity and prevents metabolic syndrome, writes Philippa Nuttall.

A Mediterranean diet is generally defined as one rich in plant foods and fish, low in meat and dairy products, and with a high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Healthy longevity

The first study concluded that individuals aged 70 to 90 years old who adhered to a Mediterranean-type diet and led a fairly healthy life had a more than 50 per cent lower death rate than those who did not.

Kim Knoops and colleagues from Wageningen University, the Netherlands, investigated the single and combined effect of a Mediterranean diet, being physically active, moderate alcohol use, and nonsmoking on all-cause and cause-specific deaths in elderly individuals.

The study called HALE (Healthy Ageing: a Longitudinal study in Europe), was conducted between 1988 and 2000 and included 1,507 healthy men and 832 women, in 11 European countries.

The researchers found that adhering to a Mediterranean diet was associated with a 23 per cent lower risk of all-cause death; moderate alcohol use, a 22 per cent lower risk; physical activity, a 37 per cent lower risk; and nonsmoking, a 35 per cent lower risk.

Similar results were observed for death from coronary heart disease, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Having all four low risk factors lowered the all-cause death rate by 65 per cent.

Metabolic syndrome

The second study was led by Katherine Esposito and colleagues from the Second University of Naples, Italy, who demonstrated that a Mediterranean-style diet had beneficial effects the metabolical syndrome - condition characterised by obesity, high blood pressure and increased blood sugar.

Recent estimates indicate that the metabolic syndrome is highly prevalent in the United States in particular with an estimated 24 per cent of the adult population affected.

The randomized trial was conducted from June 2001 to January 2004 at a university hospital in Italy among 180 patients (99 men and 81 women) suffering from the metabolic syndrome.

Half the patients followed a Mediterranean-style diet, while the remaining 90 followed a "prudent diet", made up of 50-60 per cent carbohydrates, 15-20 per cent proteins, and less than 30 per cent total fat.

The researchers found that after two years, patients in the Mediterranean diet group had significant decreases in body weight, blood pressure, levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, and triglycerides and a significant increase in levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Moreover, only forty patients consuming the Mediterranean regime still had features of the metabolic syndrome, compared with 78 patients following the control diet, and the prevelance of the metabolic syndrome was almost halved in the Mediterranean group.

"The results of this study represent the first demonstration, to our knowledge, that a Mediterranean-style diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, walnuts, and olive oil might be effective in reducing both the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its associated cardiovascular risk," the authors concluded.

Both studies appear in the 22/29 September issue of JAMA.

Chromium, B vitamins could reduce middle-aged spread

9/14/2004 - Four common supplements - chromium, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and multivitamins - may help slow weight gain in middle-age adults, suggest results from an observational study.

Researchers told a meeting of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians in Seattle last weekend that people, aged 55 on average, who said they took one of these supplements over a 10-year period were less likely to gain weight than their counterparts.
Weight loss research shows that American women gain an average of 16 pounds of body weight from the age of 25 to 54. Men gain an average 10 pounds between the age of 25 to 45, with both sexes losing weight after the age of 55.

The new research suggests that certain vitamins and minerals could help reduce this weight gain.

The team from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle gathered responses to a questionnaire on vitamin, mineral and herbal supplement use over a 10-year period, along with details about diet, physical activity and medical history, from about 15,000 people.

The researchers focused on 14 supplements that are marketed for weight loss and increased energy, either through over-the-counter or Internet advertising. They included CoQ10, DHEA, garlic, ginseng, melatonin, gingko, St John’s wort, fibre supplements, soy supplements, omega-3 fatty acids, the vitamins B6, B12, and multis, as well as chromium.

They analysed supplement use in relation to weight gain, dividing the subjects into groups based on their body weight – normal, overweight and obese – as well as their gender.

Use of chromium, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and multivitamins appeared to reduce weight gain in more than one group although none of these had an impact on people with normal weight.

For instance, obese women consuming more than 35 mg of vitamin B6 daily gained only 6 pounds on average over the 10 years, compared to 7.5 pounds in those taking a lower dose and 16.1 pounds in those with no B6 supplement use.

“These supplements did not impact every gender and every weight group but each had a significant impact in more than one of these groups,” lead author M.C. Nachtigal told NutraIngredients.com.

“The most striking result was chromium, which was significant for both genders in both overweight groups,” she added.

Research on the picolinate form of chromium has found that it improves insulin function and glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes. It is also widely marketed as a weight loss supplement.

Nachtigal explained that the study controlled for other factors that may affect weight gain – calorie intake, education, race, smoking habits and exercise.

“It is possible that there is some other factor that we didn’t think of. But there is a lot of power in the large number of people we studied – about 7,000 of each gender,” she said.

“But we didn’t specifically ask when the subjects took the supplements and when they lost weight. So it is possible that some lost weight early on and then started taking the supplements.”

She added: “As a clinician I wouldn’t start recommending these supplements based purely on this observational trial. I would like to see a clinical trial in a small group on a prescribed diet. And also look at whether these supplements have short-term or long-term effects. But our results are striking.”

The results have been submitted for publication in a scientific journal.

Taming Your Primal Appetite

Give it up! You can't conquer the biology of hunger with willpower. Here's how to outsmart the 7 situations that trigger your nature-given urge to overeat.

By Peter Jaret


We live in a society of overwhelming abundance and variety, where grocery store shelves are jammed with a selection of foods that would have amazed previous generations. A constant barrage of advertising urges us to nibble, munch and load up our plates, and it's all too easy to satisfy our desire for fat and sugar.

Ironically, our bodies evolved when food was scarce and we had to work hard to hunt it and gather it. Nature designed us to eat as much as we can whenever we can, and to conserve every calorie we consume, storing any excess as fat. "We are genetically hard-wired not only to eat when there's food available but to overeat," says James O. Hill, M.D., director of the Center for Nutrition at the University of Colorado and co-founder of the National Weight Control Registry.

So we do. In the last two decades, the average American diet has expanded by hundreds of calories per day, and nearly two-thirds of the population is now overweight. If current trends of what researchers have dubbed an "obesigenic environment" continue, virtually all Americans will be dangerously overweight within a few decades. We can't change our genes--yet. But we can become aware of this vicious cycle of oversupply and overdemand. By recognizing the following seven triggers of overeating, we can mix and match simple, natural solutions to withstand them.

1. "lack" of willpower
You can't discipline yourself out of your desire for food. "Hunger is such a basic biological urge that no one can use willpower alone to resist it," says Bess Marcus, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University Medical School in Providence, R.I., and co-author of Active Living Every Day. "If you rely on willpower, you're almost destined to fail."

the solutions:

Hide foods you don't want to eat--or just get rid of them. "When you see a food and you tell yourself you can't eat it, the temptation becomes very difficult to resist," says psychologist Marlene Schwartz, Ph.D., of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders in New Haven, Conn. "If you don't see it, it's much easier to avoid." Stocking your fridge with healthy options makes it all the easier.

Turn off the TV, or get up and do something during the commercials. That way, you'll eliminate many of the messages prompting you to eat.

Don't shop when you're hungry, and avoid the snack-food aisles to steer clear of temptations.

Downsize your meals a quarter. "Studies show that people tend to passively overeat by about 25 percent," explains Hill, author of The Step Diet Book. "In other words, three-quarters of the way through a big bowl of pasta, you may be perfectly satisfied. But if there's more in the bowl, you'll eat it."

2. eating on the run
Everyone's overloaded with obligations, so a lot of meals are grabbed on the go--and too often that means high-fat, calorie-dense fast food. These meals-in-a-bag are usually wolfed down in minutes, which doesn't give your body time to signal that you're full.

"It takes 10 or 15 minutes for satiety signals to kick in," says Hill. "Eat too quickly and you're almost guaranteed to overeat."

the solutions:

Take your time. Easier said than done, but it's worth it when your goal is to achieve a healthy weight. Steal an hour on Sunday to make a big batch of vegetable soup or a vegetarian pasta dish that you can heat up for dinner when you're pressed for time during the week.

Eat mindfully. "Even if you're on the run, it's important to take the time to chew, taste and enjoy," says Kelly Allison, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania's Weight and Eating Disorders Program in Philadelphia. "Eliminate distractions like television or radio. Pay attention to the sensory qualities of the food you're eating, the taste, texture, aroma. Give your body time to know when you've had enough."

3. nervous nibbling
Stress makes some people overeat. "The fight-or-flight reaction to stress is hardwired into our brains; it's the equivalent of thinking, Oh my God, there's a lion in the grass," explains Brenda Wade, Ph.D., a family psychologist in San Francisco and co-author of What Mama Couldn't Tell Us About Love. "If you're eating something, it must mean there's no lion in the grass, so everything is fine. Eating becomes a way to ease anxiety."

the solutions:

Deal with the root of the problem. "Make a list of what's bothering you, and take direct action to eliminate unnecessary stresses," says Allison. Carry a small notebook with you and write down how you're feeling each time you eat.

Do something other than eat when you're under pressure. Take a short walk around the block or up and down the stairs at work. Call a friend. Chew a piece of sugar-free gum. Luxuriate in a warm bath. Put on music and dance your cares away.

4. yo-yo snacking
Fast foods and treats are full of highly refined carbohydrates and sugar. They're digested so quickly that they send blood-sugar levels on a roller-coaster ride, causing hunger pangs soon after you eat them. Consequently, you can consume hundreds of calories before your body signals your brain that you're satisfied.

the solutions:

Find fulfillment with fewer calories. Fiber-rich whole grains, vegetables and fruits keep hunger at bay--and they're more nutritious, too. A study at Children's Hospital in Boston found that higher-fiber diets are less likely to result in weight gain.

Balance your plate. Satiating meals contain a healthy mix of protein, complex carbohydrates, fat and fiber, says Lisa High, R.D., a Colorado-based nutritionist. Examples include peanut butter on multi-grain bread or whole-wheat pasta with vegetables and chicken.

Add water. Foods high in H20 control cravings without overloading calories. In a study at Pennsylvania State University, women who began a meal with a bowl of soup ate fewer calories overall.

5. too tired to eat (well)
"Studies have shown that people tend to overeat by as much as 40 percent when they're tired," says High. The body's wiring interprets exhaustion as a prompt to fuel up for more energy; also, fatigue makes it harder to be disciplined about the size and quality of meals. Scientists at the New York Obesity Research Center at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital have even identified "night-eating syndrome," which is associated with depression and low self-esteem.

the solutions:

Enjoy small meals throughout the day to keep your body energized. "If you still find yourself overeating before you go to bed," says High, "allow yourself a snack, but keep the portion small and choose something healthy like a small cup of yogurt with a sprinkle of granola."

Rest up. If you're dragging during the day, take a 20-minute nap. Make a habit of going to bed early enough to get a full eight hours of sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, try an herbal formula that contains valerian and lemon balm.

6. feeling bored, angry or blue
Eating is inherently pleasurable, and some foods also chemically affect your mood. Carbohydrates, for example, boost levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin. No wonder many people turn to food when they're feeling bored or upset.

the solutions:

See your doctor. If you suffer from clinical depression--feelings of worthlessness or a lack of pleasure in things you normally enjoy--it's time to consult a physician or therapist. Feelings of irritability and low energy, or an inability to concentrate are also important signs. "Depression should be taken seriously," says Wade. Anti-depressant drugs help some people. So, in mild cases, does St. John's wort.

Move. Exercise is a good antidote for garden-variety blues. Numerous studies have shown that physical activity can improve self-esteem and ease mild forms of depression. It's also "essential" for maintaining weight loss, says Hill.

Keep yourself busy. "Boredom is most often a problem for people who don't have a highly structured schedule, such as people who are out of work," says Allison. Distract yourself by organizing the house, writing letters, tending to the garden or doing volunteer work.

7. hungry all the time
You may think you're hungry, but most Americans don't know what genuine hunger is, says Hill. The real problem is that most of us eat so often, and in so many different locations, that we experience "hunger cues" almost everywhere we go. So our appetites can be whetted even when we've just had a big meal.

the solutions:

"Limit the places that you eat," says Allison. That means no more mindless noshing in front of the TV or in bed. Eat exclusively in one room, preferably sitting at a table. If you need a snack at work, get up from your desk and go to the employee cafeteria or break room. Make a rule not to eat in the car or while you're walking.

Do a hunger check. "Imagine a scale of one to 10," says High. "One is ravenous, 10 is Thanksgiving-dinner full, and five is neutral, neither hungry nor full. You're genuinely hungry when you hit about a three. That's when it's important to eat something, before you become so hungry that you'll do what we call 'counter surfing'--eating anything on the counter." Rating your hunger pangs also will help you become more aware of feelings of satiety. When you've had enough to be comfortable but not completely stuffed, you'll be at about seven on the scale.

Role of Hormones in Weight Control

Role of Hormones in Weight Control

Recomposize does not change hormone levels outside normal limits. However, we need to understand what these hormones do in weight control.
Endorphins
Endorphin levels are a natural pain killer and euphoriant (example: the "runner's high") See "How does exercise affect our mood?" at: http://www.portfolio.mvm.ed.ac.uk/studentwebs/session5/26/HORMONES.html

Cortisol
High levels of cortisol increases appetite and increases fat storage. Decreasing Cortisol decreases appetite and fat storage. For more information see: http://stress.about.com/cs/cortisol/f/cortfaq9.htm

Leptin
"...current results suggest the protein, leptin, is a novel hormone that regulates body weight by signaling the amount of fat stored," explains senior author Jeffrey Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., professor at The Rockefeller University and an associate investigator with the Howard Huges Medical Institute (HHMI)."
For the complete article see http://www.rockefeller.edu/pubinfo/ob.rel.nr.html
Serotonin
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, a specialized molecule that allows nerve cells to communicate and interact with each other. It plays a key role in a many vital brain and body functions including appetite.

Usually as eating begins, the serotonin levels start to rise. Eventually the serotonin will register with the hypothalamus and we will feel "full" or satisfied, which is all in the in the brain. There are many chemicals that regulate appetite, but the influence of serotonin is very significant. If you decrease the serotonin levels food consumption will increase and an increased level of serotonin will reduce food consumption.
Affect of serotonin on wake-sleep cycle: During the night serotonin is converted to melatonin, an important neurohormone, that helps us sleep. It has been reported that users of Recomposize find better sleep and a better get-up-and-go attitude in the morning as increased serotonin leads to increased melatonin. Bill Downs HTN conference call 7/6/04
Other effects of serotonin: Serotonin has also been found to be key in helping us learn and remember. It also helps us tune out "unimportant" distractions and makes us less sensitive to pain. Serotonin has been found to play a significant role in controlling impulsive behavior. Low levels induce a poor mood and low motivation. Quitting smoking induces poor mood, low motivation and increased appetite which is consistent with low serotonin levels.
See SECRETS OF SEROTONINby Carol Hart, Ph.D. Chapter 2 of her book is available at http://www.nasw.org/users/twoharts/serotonin.htm
Dopamine
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved with many critical brain and body activities including movement and emotions, the perception of pleasure and pain. Abnormally low levels of dopamine are involved in Parkinson's disease. http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/micro/gallery/neurotrans/neuro1.html
Dopamine has long been associated with the "reward centers" of the brain.
"Scientists Find Link Between Dopamine and Obesity"
"The findings, which appear in the February 3, 2001 issue of The Lancet, imply that obese people may eat more to try to stimulate the dopamine "pleasure" circuits in their brains.... 'The results from this study suggest that strategies aimed at improving dopamine function might be beneficial in the treatment of obese individuals,' says physician Gene-Jack Wang, the lead scientist on the study." http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/2001/bnlpr020101.htm
Weight loss is a 30 billion dollar a year industry in America. "According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), obesity is now the #1 health risk facing our society. Obesity is associated with higher rates of chronic medical conditions and worse physical health than a lifetime of smoking, poverty, or drinking (American Journal of Public Health)! Every 'life science' institution has 'weighed in' on the battle against obesity. With all this scientific expertise and the countless diet programs and supplements in the market, you'd think by now we'd be winning the battle on weight loss. But not only are we NOT winning the battle, we're losing the entire war! It's time for a change, time for a healthy weight management approach that works with the body not against it. It's time for Recomposize!"
Recomposize will help to...
 
Reduce body weight *
Curb appetite *
Promote healthy serotonin levels *
Promote healthy leptin levels *
Promote healthy cortisol levels *
Promote fat burning *
Reduce body mass index *
Maintain healthy cholesterol and blood lipid levels *
Curb cravings *
Reduce stress *
Promote healthy endorphin function *
Promote healthy dopamine function *
Promote healthy brain function *
Promote healthy weight management *
Recomposize does not change the levels of hormones but rather improves the pathways or receptors in the body so that the body uses the hormones more efficiently.
Diets fight against the body's natural tendencies.
Recomposize works with the body - not against it.

Bill Downs, top nutritional biochemist, instrumental in the invention of many cutting-edge nutritional supplements, co-inventor with Dr. Blum, another leading nutritional biochemist, of Recomposize, says it is designed to help control three basic systems in the body:
1) The energy management system with regard to energy intake, energy expenditure and energy storage.*
2) The stress and inflammation management system*
This system is responsible for promoting release of cortisol which is a pro-inflammatory hormone. When cortisol is high your ability to burn fat is blunted. It just stops. So what we have done is provided a means to lower stress levels so cortisol levels will drop and therefore fat burning will increase.
3) The biochemical pathways involved with the physiological and emotional factors responsible for excessive pleasure-seeking cravings and the reward circuitry of the brain.*

* These statements have not been reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration. This information and products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information presented here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice and services of trained health professionals.

 

An Interview with Bill Downs Creator/Inventor of Recomposize

First off I want to explain a very simple premise of how things affect the body. You have what is called a biphasic reaction. A biphasic reaction means there are two phases of cause and effect of how thing affect the body. If you take a drug, the first phase, or phase I, is the will that the drug imposes on the body. You take a drug and it goes into the body and into the tissues and it forces it's will on the body. Phase II is how the body responds to the drug. And, as you so rightly pointed out there are a lot of side effects. Obesity being one of side effects for some of the more commonly prescribed drugs. One of the reasons, you might recall like Prozac is that works on the serotonin system and forces the brain cells to hold on to the serotonin for a longer period of time than they normally would and when the serotonin clears the brain what you have done is that you have tampered with the body's genetically preprogrammed set point or level at which the body thinks the fat storage and energy requirements and immune system and everything should be harmoniously working. If you tamper with that, it alters the set point. It changes the "survival gene" program and so phase II in drugs is the body resisting the effect of the drug. Now, if you eat a piece of fish, the fish disintegrates and dissolves in the body. The nutrients are absorbed. That is phase I. Phase II the body becomes healthy. So everything has a biphasic process or reaction.

What we wanted to do in developing Recomposize was to develop a healthy weight management program and body recomposition product that would work with the body in a biphasic reaction and not against it like stimulants, diuretics, appetite suppressants, starch blockers, fat blockers, calorie reduction programs, nutrition reduction programs, meal replacement programs all the things that end up depriving the body of something that it thinks it needs, forcing the body in phase II to increase fat storage, lower rate at which the body burns calories and/or increase appetite.

So many of these drugs force their pharmacological or drug like will on the body but nature has a perfect track record. And if you violate the laws of nature you are begging for problems.

Nature will never allow violation without revenge.
So what we wanted to do is to nourish the crucial pathways that help regulate the three major systems in the body.

Energy management system with regard to energy intake, energy expenditure and energy storage.
Help improve the stress and inflammation management system.
This system is responsible for promoting release of cortisol that is a pro-inflammatory hormone. When Cortisol is high your ability to burn fat is blunted. It just stops. So what we wanted to do is to provide a means [to lower stress levels] your cortisol levels would drop and therefore your fat burning potential would increase.
The third and final system is the biochemical pathways involved with the physiological emotional factors responsible with excessive pleasure seeking cravings and the reward circuitry of the brain.
The important factors about Recomposize in helping to curb cravings, improve blood lipid levels and lower food intake, increase leptin uptake, increase insulin pathways and insulin effectiveness and improve endorphin levels. You know the endorphin levels are those "feel good" hormones that you get when you are working out and you get a second wind. Also, promote healthy dopamine metabolism. If any of you remember the movie "Awakenings" with Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams. Robert DeNiro was a catatonic patient and they gave him dopamine and brought him back to life basically. He regained his life..his sensory capabilities. His pleasure needs were being satisfied. So dopamine is an important pathway and Recomposize is designed to promote nourishment of the dopamine D2 receptor which is that critical receptor which is responsible for all addictive behavior [such as] excessive recreational chemical, drug intake, alcohol intake, carbohydrate bingeing, heroin addition. It does not matter which it is. It is bankrupting the nutrients responsible for nourishing the dopamine D2 receptor and that is a gene-influenced receptor. Dr. Blum who has been researching this for 34 years found that when they nourished the pathways over a period of time in rats they were able to restore healthy cravings and reduce or eliminate unhealthy, or excessive cravings. So Recomposize contains therapeutic dosage levels of all the ingredients designed to address those three major systems in a clinically significant manner. Therefore you get all the benefits that are cited right there on the bottle. And, on the brochure there are more benefits.

But the fact that these other tactics have been used for all these years and have been unsuccessful... (central nervous system stimulants appetite suppressants, fat blockers for starch blockers or diuretics or what ever) and the promise of weight loss or improved weight management has been held out we know now is just a big fat lie.

And that is the title of the audio that we have published.... THE BIG FAT LIE!

Abdominal fat's dirty little secret

Jorge Cruise
Let's first take a look at why you want to create a beautiful belly. Many people want to tone their bellies for visual reasons. Not a day goes by that one of my clients doesn't ask me how she can look better in a swimsuit. Some tell me that they desperately want to zip up a particular pair of jeans. Or they just want to be able to look down and not see a bulge! Those are all good reasons.
Here's the real bad news about abdominal fat......
Belly fat is worse for your health than fat in your butt or thighs. Yes, belly fat tends to trigger your liver to release its stored fatty acids -- raising your cholesterol levels. It also tends to alter levels of key hormones involved in appetite, fat storage and heart disease.
In fact, when you gain weight in your abdomen, and these hormones become altered, you tend to feel hungrier, you eat more and your body tends to store more fat in your abdomen. It's a vicious cycle -- but you can break it! Before we talk about how you will break your belly fat cycle, let's first take a look at all of the ways it erodes your health.
Diabetes
Research shows that women with a waist circumference of 36 inches or more are five times more likely to develop diabetes than those with smaller waist circumferences. When you gain weight in your abdomen, the fat throws off your insulin cycle. This important hormone, produced by the pancreas, is supposed to shuttle blood sugar into muscle cells so that those cells can burn it for energy.
However, in people who have a lot of abdominal fat, insulin stops working properly. The muscle cells fail to respond to insulin and sugar remains high in the blood. This makes the pancreas release more and more insulin, which can eventually wear out your pancreas and develop into diabetes. At the same time, high levels of insulin trigger you to eat by making you feel hungry. They also encourage your liver to convert your blood sugar into fat -- for storage! High insulin levels have also been linked with certain cancers.
Heart disease
In Harvard's famed Nurse's Health Study of 4,470 women, those with a waist circumference of 32 inches or more were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack as those with smaller waists. Just as belly fat causes diabetes, it also raises blood cholesterol levels, contributing to heart disease.
As your liver converts more and more blood sugar into fat, your cholesterol levels go up as this fat must make its way through your blood stream and into waiting fat cells -- usually in your belly! In particular, the unhealthy LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels rise, whereas the healthy HDL cholesterol takes a nosedive. Belly fat raises your risk for high blood cholesterol by 50 percent.
Breast cancer
The more body fat you have -- particularly in your abdomen -- the higher your estrogen levels. Body fat produces its own estrogen, in addition to the estrogen produced by your ovaries. Usually, this doesn't cause problems. But when you have a large amount of body fat, you risk raising estrogen levels too high, increasing your risk for breast cancer.
Also, as I've already mentioned, belly fat tends to raise insulin levels -- which also have been linked with breast cancer. Women with high levels of belly fat are 45 percent more likely to have breast cancer. Belly fat also raises your risk for endometrial cancer.
High blood pressure
Excess belly fat raises your risk for high blood pressure by 60 percent. In fact, each pound of extra fat can raise your systolic (top) blood pressure number by 4.5 points. It does so because your heart must work harder to pump blood to a larger body. It's the same as if you added many rooms onto an existing house but kept the same furnace. The furnace would have to work overtime to heat the larger house. In this case, your heart beats faster and more forcefully. This forces blood with more pressure through your arteries, causing nicks and dents to the linings of your arteries, raising your risk for heart disease.
Back pain
Fat in your belly acts like a heavy weight that pulls your lower spine forward, overly arching your lower back and causing pain. When you lose the fat and strengthen your abdomen, your belly muscles can better support your spine, improving your posture and reducing back pain.
Fatigue
Just as your heart can't grow larger to respond to the demands of a larger body, the same goes for your lungs. They now must work harder to supply more oxygen. Also, as your belly grows larger, it crowds out your internal organs, particularly the diaphragm muscle that's so important in breathing.
People with a lot of belly fat tend to cough and wheeze more. Belly fat also raises your risk for sleep apnea, a severe form of snoring in which your windpipe repeatedly collapses throughout the night, causing your body to starve for oxygen.
Varicose veins
Excess body weight makes it harder for the blood in your legs to travel against the force of gravity back up to your heart. Belly fat also weighs down the veins in your upper thighs. Both problems cause the veins to weaken. Eventually they begin to leak and even allow blood to pool and travel backward, causing varicose veins.
Joint pain
The heavier your body, the more it weighs down your joints and the more impact you inflict on your joints with every step. In addition, belly fat has also been linked to chronic pain, gallbladder disease, arthritis, low immunity, liver disease, skin problems and poor sleep. It's time to put an end to this vicious health-eroding cycle once and for all!
The benefits of a firm belly
Losing weight in your midsection will help you prevent all of those diseases and conditions. You'll live longer and feel better!
Exercise combined with a proper dietary strategy will transform the bulge into muscle. Most important, stronger abdominal muscles help to automatically improve your posture. Strong abdominal muscles help support your spine, helping to keep it erect and long. They also help to hold your pelvis in the correct position, preventing the swayback so often seen after pregnancy and with increasing age. Once you eliminate that swayback, the rest of the spine tends to fall into line, allowing you to bring back your shoulders and head and stand taller and more upright.
In fact, even if you don't lose any weight, your appearance will improve dramatically. Stronger abdominal muscles will help you stand taller, creating a leaner appearance. You will feel as if you have grown an inch taller and slimmed an inch in the process -- just by improving your posture!
Better posture, in turn, helps you breathe more deeply. Your abdominal muscles help you to inhale and exhale, allowing you to take fuller, deeper breaths.
Your abdominal muscles were designed for endurance. They were made to work 24 hours a day without getting fatigued. The rest of the muscles in your body were not designed this way. When your abdominal muscles support your spine, other muscles don't have to work overtime to keep you upright. You will find that as you strengthen your abdominal muscles and improve your posture, headaches and neck and shoulder pain will subside.
Your abdominal muscles are your power center. The stronger they are, the stronger you are. You will find that, by strengthening your abs, you have the energy to do more. If you play sports, your movements will be more powerful. You'll be able to sit at work for a longer period of time without feeling fatigued.
Strong abdominal muscles help you to more easily lift, bend, twist, balance and coordinate all of your movements. Indeed, your abdominal muscles help you do just about everything!

Drinking Water and Weight Loss

by Mark Stevens

Don’t roll your eyes!

The potion for losing that excess body fat is all around you. It covers two thirds of the planet. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, but still can’t get rid of a little paunch here and there, you’re probably just not drinking enough water.
No need to get defensive. You’re actually quite normal. Most people don’t drink enough water. Most people are also carrying around a few more pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water. If you can’t seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature’s magical weight-loss mineral. It works, and here’s why:

“What on Earth is 'metabolism', anyway?” People use the term all the time, but ask them what it means and you’ll get all kinds of answers. Merriam Webster defines it as, “The process by which a substance is handled in the body.” A little vague, but that’s really all it means.

There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one everyone is talking about it the metabolism of fat. This is actually something that the liver does when it converts stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs.

Unfortunately, another of the liver’s duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can’t metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you’re also setting yourself up to store fat.

“I’ve tried it and I couldn’t stand it!”

The problem is that, though many decide to increase their water intake, very few stick with it. It’s understandable. During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to, you’re running to the bathroom constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it can certainly interfere with an otherwise normal day at work. It seems that the water is coming out just as fast as it’s going in, and many people decide that their new hydration habit is fruitless.

Do take heed , though. What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout all those years of “survival mode”. It takes a while, but this is a beautiful thing happening to you. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn’t need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your belly. You are excreting much more than you realize. Your body figures it doesn’t need to save these stores anymore; it’s trusting that the water will keep coming, and if it does, eventually, the flushing (of both the body and the potty) will cease, allowing the human to return to a normal life. It’s true. This is called the “breakthrough point.”

One recent finding, as irresponsible as it may be, that caffeine increases the body’s fat-burning potential has many people loading up on coffee before going to the gym. This finding may hold some degree of truth in it, but caffeine is, in essence, a diuretic, and diuretics dehydrate. Caffeine may increase the heart rate, causing a few more calories to be burned, but this is at the expense of the muscles, which need water to function properly. This isn’t doing your heart any favors, either. It’s already working hard enough during your workout. Never mix caffeine and exercise. In fact, your best bet is to stay away from caffeine all together. It’s a big bully that pushes your friend water out of your system.
Water is the best beauty treatment.

You’ve heard this since high school, and it’s true. Water will do wonders for your looks! It flushes out impurities in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also makes your skin look younger. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated.

In addition, it improves muscle tone. You can lift weights until you’re blue in the face, but if your muscles are suffering from a drought, you won’t notice a pleasant difference in your appearance. Muscles that have all the water they need contract more easily, making your workout more effective, and you’ll look much nicer than if you had flabby muscles under sagging skin.

“Eight glasses a day? Are you kidding?!”

It’s really not that much. Eight 8-ounce glasses amount to about two quarts of water. This is okay for the average person, but if you’re overweight, you should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of excess weight you carry. You should also up this if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely.
This water consumption should be spread out throughout the day. It’s not healthy at all to drink too much water at one time. Try to pick three or four times a day when you can have a big glass of water, and then sip in between. Don’t let yourself get thirsty. If you feel thirsty, you’re already becoming dehydrated. Drink when you’re not thirsty yet.

Do you think water is yucky? Drinking other fluids will certainly help hydrate your body, but the extra calories, sugar, additives and whatever else aren’t what you need. Try a slice of lemon or lime in the glass, or if you really think you hate water, try a flavored water. Just make sure you read the labels. Remember that you’re going to be consuming a lot of this fluid.
It’s probably a good idea to stop drinking water a good three hours before you go to bed. You know why.

“How cold should it be?”

This is debatable. Most experts lean toward cold water, because the stomach absorbs it more quickly. There is also some evidence that cold water might enhance fat burning.

On the other hand, warmer water is easier to drink in large quantities, and you might drink more of it without even realizing it. Do whatever suits you, here. Just drink it!

When you drink all the water you need, you will very quickly notice a decrease in your appetite, possibly even on the first day! If you're serious about becoming leaner and healthier, drinking water is an absolute must. If you're doing everything else right and still not seeing results, this might just what's missing.

RECOMPOsize for Healthy Weight Management

"According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), obesity is now the #1 health risk facing our society. Obesity is associated with higher rates of chronic medical conditions and worse physical health than a lifetime of smoking, poverty, or drinking (American Journal of Public Health)! Every "life science" institution has "weighed in" on the battle against obesity. With all this scientific expertise and the countless diet programs and supplements on the market, you'd think by now we'd be winning the battle on weight loss. But not only are we NOT winning the battle, we're losing the war! It's time for a change, time for a healthy weight management approach that works with the body not against it.

Losing Weight Safely
Weight loss is a 30 Billion Dollar a Year Industry

Being overweight carries with it many risks, foremost being heart disease, the number 1 killer in the US, cancer, the number 2 killer in the US, and diabetes, the number 4 killer in the US. Getting rid of excess fat lowers the risks of disease, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes, and can give you many more years of life. If you are overweight, think of how much your life can change for the better!

But losing weight is not easy. It is not simply a matter of cutting calories or getting more exercise. People who exercise and at the same time reduce caloric intake may not lose weight at all, or lose it only very slowly. The human body has a mechanism that slows the metabolism when caloric intake is reduced. This metabolic slowdown makes it very difficult, if not impossible to lose weight.

A team of researchers at UCLA put a group of overweight women on an 800 calorie per day diet for three weeks andfound that their average metabolic rate declined by 13%. And even though they initially lost some weight, they reached a point where they could lose no more. In order to speed up their metabolisms, the researchers had the women exercise, but their metabolic rates did not go up. Then, when the women went back to their normal diets, their metabolic rates stayed low and they went up to a higher weight than before.

Drinking diet soda slows down the metabolism even more. So diet soda can make you gain weight even though it has little or no calories, because the acidic level of the soda slows the metabolism and fat is created to store the acids and protect the body tissues from them.

Many overweight people believe all they have to do to lose weight is eat less. But how many people do you know for whom simply eating less gave them weight loss success?

There are many diets out there, and most of them will cause you to lose some weight for a while. But most of them are unsafe, because when you cut back on your food, you also cut back the supply of nutrients your body needs. When you metabolize your own fat, your body tends to become very acidic, which is not only counterproductive to weight loss, but is also conducive to disease. Not getting enough nutrients, especially minerals, while dieting, can lead to serious health problems. Even if you are successful initially, it is likely that you will put the weight right back on again.

Diet plans help people to lose weight, but then they put it right back on. The problem is most products don't represent knowledge and understanding of the biological processes involved in healthy "weight management." We do! And it's time we start managing weight by going with instead of against our natural biological processes. It's time for Recomposize!
This is an incredible, revolutionary product formulated by two of the top scientists in the nutrition field, Bill Downs and Dr. Kenneth Blum. Recomposize is not just another "weight loss supplement." It is a total body weight management system in a bottle! There is not another weight loss product in the entire industry that comes even close for cutting edge, state-of-the-art nutritional biochemical technology. If you've had little or no success with other products or systems, get Recomposize!
Dieting is a failure as are any of the programs that stimulate the nervous system and stimulate energy. Our bodies are designed to hold on to fat whenever we are in a famine situation - and when we are fat it's because we are starving - and when we are starving, our bodies know it and keep us hungry, no matter how much we eat. Dieting puts you in a bad situation. If you can't get adequate nutrition eating 3000 calories per day, how do you expect to get adequate nutrition by dieting on 800 calories a day? You can't do it! Nutritional deficiency is the real cause! Taking less nutrition is not the answer! Recomposize is destined to become the #1 weight management product of all time, because it addresses and satisfies all the pathways that are important to successful weight management - while at the same time making you feel great. This is a product designed and patented by Bill Downs, a leading, if not the leading nutritional biochemist in the world, who had an important role in bringing out many cutting-edge products like Super Citrimax, Clinical Strength®, Chromate®, Activin®, and Optiberry® - all exceptional, ground-breaking products. Bill worked with Dr. Kenneth Blum, one of the nation's greatest scientific minds, the inventor of Synaptamine®, to produce Recomposize, the safest, most effective weight solution in history!

Here's a quote from Bill on our last conference:

"What we wanted to do in developing Recomposize was to develop a healthy weight management program and body recomposition product that would work with the body and not against it like stimulants, diuretics, appetite suppressants, starch blockers, fat blockers, calorie reduction programs, nutrition reduction programs, or meal replacement programs - all the things that end up depriving the body of something that it thinks it needs, forcing the body to increase fat storage, lower the rate at which the body burns calories and increase appetite."

Being overweight is a metabolic disorder caused by nutritional deficiency. If you are eating over 3000 calories per day and not getting enough nourishment, how can you expect to get enough nourishment dieting on 800 calories per day? You simply can't. That's why dieting can give you short term results but cannot work in the long run.Nutrition is the answer
When you get enough proper nutrition consistently, you will lose the craving to overeat, you will lose the craving for bad food, you will naturally metabolize fat, and your body will find its correct weight and stabilize.

Fat People Are Starving to Death!

They are always hungry. They can never be satisfied, no matter how much they eat, because they are eating empty foods depleted of nutrition to which they have become addicted, victims of the PhDs of marketing. The more they eat, the hungrier they are, victims of their own bodies' knowledge that they are starving and for this reason keeping them hungry and storing and holding onto fat. But when a person starts getting real and complete nutrition, wonderful things happen. Fat disappears. Nutrition is the answer for all kinds of pernicious addictions. When you get enough real nutrition, cravings disappear.