Green Tea Extract Increases Metabolism, May Aid in Weight Loss

In a study reported on in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was found that green tea extract resulted in a significant increase in energy expenditure (a measure of metabolism), plus also had a significant effect on fat oxidation. Whilesome of the effects were originally theorized to be due to the caffeine content of green tea, the researchers discovered that the tea actually has properties that go beyond those that would be explained by the caffeine.

The same amount of caffeine as was in the green tea, administered alone, failed to change energy expenditure in other studies. This led reseachers to believe that there is some interaction going on with the active ingredients of green tea that promotes increased metabolism and fat oxidation.

The researchers indicated that their findings have substantial implications for weight control. A 4% overall increase in 24-hour energy expenditure was attributed to the green tea extract, however, the research found that the extra expenditure took place during the daytime. This led them to conclude that, since thermogenesis (the body's own rate of burning calories) contributes 8-10% of daily energy expenditure in a typical cubject, that this 4% overall increase in energy expenditure due to the green tea actually translated to a 35-43% increase in daytime thermogenesis.

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With all of the conflicting studies and open interpretation of advice, it's no stunner that disorder reigns when it comes to the value and safety of low-carb diets. Whether it's Atkins, the South Beach or another low-carb set up, as many as 30 million Americans are doing a low-carb diet.

Advocates swear that the elevated quantity of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health conditions. Critics, on the contrary, attribute obesity and associate health conditions to over-consumption of calories from any source, and shortage of physical movement. Critics also contend that the shortage of grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate plans may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, like fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals.

Any plan, either low or high in carbohydrate, can generate substantial weight loss during the primary stages of the diet. But bear in mind, the key to prosperous dieting is in being capable to part with the weight for good. Put another way, what does the scale reveal a year after going off the diet? Let's see if we can debunk some of the mystery around low-carb diets. Further down, is a listing of some relevant points taken from latest studies.

- Differences Between Low-Carb Diets.

There are several popular diets designed to reduce carbohydrate intake. Reducing total carbohydrate in the diet means that protein and fat will represent a proportionately larger quantity of the whole caloric intake. Atkins and Protein Power diets limit carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like Sugar Busters assert to remove only sugars and foods that raise blood sugar levels excessively.

- What We Know about Low-Carb Diets.

Just about all of the studies to date have been small with a broad range of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric consumption, diet length and participant characteristics have varied greatly. Most of the studies to date maintain two things in common: Not one of the studies had participants with a mean age above 53 and Not one of the controlled studies lasted longer than three months. Findings on older adults and long-term results are scant. Several diet studies fail to monitor the amount of exercise, and consequently caloric expenditure. This helps to explain discrepancies among studies.

The weight loss on low-carb diets is a business of caloric restriction and diet length, and not with reduced carbohydrate intake. This discovery suggests that if you desire to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a prolonged duration. Little data exists on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. In spite of the medical community concerns, no short-term adverse effects have been established on cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels amongst participants on the diets. Adverse effects may not be exposed because of the short period of the studies. Researchers have found that losing weight typically leads to an improvement in these levels anyway, and this may offset an increase caused by a high fat diet.

The extended range weight difference for low-carb and other types of diets is comparable. Most low-carb diets invoke ketosis. Some of the potential consequences are nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, and confusion. During the first stages of low-carb dieting some fatigue and constipation may be encountered. Ususally, these symptoms go away quickly. Ketosis may also give the breath a fruity odor, somewhat similar to nail-polish remover (acetone).

Low-carb diets do not permit the consumption of more calories than other types of diets, as has been frequently reported. A calorie is a calorie and it doesn't matter weather they originate from carbohydrates or fat. Study discrepancies are likely the effect of uncontrolled circumstances; i.e. diet participants that cheat on calorie intake, calories burned during exercise, or any number of other factors. The drop-out rate for rigorous low-carb diets is somewhat high.

What Should You Do?

There are 3 significant points I would like to re-emphasize:

- The long-range success rate for low-carb and other types of diets is comparable.

- Despite their acceptance, little data exists on the long-term efficacy and safeness of low-carbohydrate diets.

- Rigorous low-carb diets are generally not sustainable as a routine way of eating. Boredom most often overcomes willpower.

It is clear after reviewing the subject, that more, well-designed and controlled studies are required. There just isn't a lot of satisfactory information available, especially regarding long-range effects. Strict low-carb diets generate ketosis which is an unusual and potentially stressful metabolic state. Under some circumstances this may cause health related complications. The diet you choose should be a blueprint for a lifetime of better eating, not just a hasty weight loss plan to reach your goal. If you can't see yourself eating the prescribed foods longer than a few days or a week, then chances are it's not the proper diet for you. To this end, following a somewhat low fat diet with a healthy balance of fat, protein, carbohydrate and other nutrients is beneficial.

If you do resolve to follow a low-carb arrangement, bear in mind that certain dietary fats are associated with reduction of disease. Foods high in unsaturated fats that are free of trans-fatty acids such as olive oil, fish, flaxseeds, and nuts are preferred to fats from animal origins. Even promoters of the Atkins diet now say men and women on their system should curb the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat. Atkins representatives are telling health professionals that just 20 percent of a dieter's calories should come from saturated fat (i.e. meat, cheese, butter). This switch comes as Atkins faces contention from other popular low-carb diets that call for less saturated fat, such as the South Beach diet plan.

Another alternative to "strict" low-carb dieting would be to give up some of the bad carbohydrate foods but not "throw out the baby with the bath water". In other words, foods high in processed sugar, snacks, and white bread would be avoided, but foods high in complex carbs such as fruits, potatoes and whole grains, retained.

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Overview:

By now, you may been riding the fad weight loss plan merry-go-round for quite some time and are ready to jump off. You have followed one regimented diet after another (the Zone, the Cabbage Soup diet or the Atkins diet), eaten prepackaged or powdered foods or MREs (meals rejected by Ethiopians), counted calories, given up flavor in favor of low fat, gone to the support groups. And you may have even lost some weight – only to see the pounds reappear after you went off the program. Every year, 100 million Americans go on a diet and up to 95% of them gain back any weight they lose within five years.

Such a weight loss plan can be a very temporary way to get started, but recognize it’s not long-term. Remember, anything you can do in a few days, you can undo in less. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends adopting healthy eating habits, rather than impatiently pursuing a crash diet or quick weight loss plan in hopes of losing unwanted pounds in a few weeks. Weight loss occurs from expending more calories than you consume. Therefore, the only rational way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories, than you expend in daily activities, and this process takes time.

Change Your Lifestyle:

Losing weight permanently may seem a distant dream, too good to be true. But a combination of a sensible diet and daily moderate exercise can help you fulfill this dream. As a weight loss plan, exercise alone is not as potent, but when combined with proper dieting, it can prove lethal for obesity. Exercise combined with dieting, leads to more weight loss than any other weight loss plan. This does not imply that exercise alone is worthless. Physical fitness is certainly good for you, and is more effective in reshaping your body than it is for shedding flab.

Exercise helps build muscles, and muscles burn more calories for fuel. Exercise helps to burn off excess calories and starting a regular exercise program is critical for any weight loss plan. For that reason, those involved in manual labor are rarely obese. In most cases, obesity is the result of a sedentary lifestyle. Lack of adequate physical activity, primarily contributes to causing obesity. While it is true, that exercise stimulates the digestive system and makes the individual hungrier, one can easily satiate this increased hunger by consuming large quantities of low-calorie foods. However, physical activity does not have to be excessive or overly strenuous to be effective.

Healthy eating is the best way to reach and maintain a healthy body weight. A balanced, whole foods diet – containing a variety of vegetables, fruits and grains, raw seeds and nuts, beans, fermented milk products, fish, and poultry is the best prescribed weight loss plan for reaching your ideal body weight. A good weight loss plan must be based on a well-rounded diet, as a deficiency in one or more nutrients may interfere with your weight loss goals.

Summary:

If you have tried to lose weight before, consider what you did in the past that did not work for you and start from a different place. Establish a pragmatic, healthy weight loss plan for yourself and be clear about the reasons why you are undertaking this process again and what you are willing to do to achieve success. Instead of a one-size fits all diet, you need to understand that everyone requires a unique weight loss plan to shed weight and regain health. You know yourself well, what does and does not work for you. Give yourself the tools, knowledge, and support to reach your goal. Ultimately, you are the one who must decide if losing weight and making other lifestyle changes will improve your health.

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When people lose weight, everyone wants to know their secret. Now, you too can have the secrets to safe, healthy weight loss without the hunger pains.

Here’s the scenario. You run into Megan. She’s an old college friend. You know the one. She was pudgy and wore loose shirts and blue jeans to camouflage the extra weight she often put on because of her fondness for Twinkies. You stop and do a double take. Is that really Megan? The face is basically the same, but the body definitely isn’t. Gone are the baggy clothes. She’s dressed in a form-fitting skirt and top that hug every curve. She looks fantastic. What’s your first question going to be?

“Megan, what are your weight loss secrets?”

It’s a question we ask of anyone who has undergone a total body transformation. We feel that little twinge of envy if we are wanting to lose weight to. There is nothing we’d rather know than weight loss secrets that could speed up the process, making it easier for us to lose weight and look and feel better about ourselves.

What if I told you that I could give you two weight loss secrets destined to change your life? If you’re a realist, you’d probably tell me that I was full of hot air. You may even tell me you’d heard plenty of weight loss secrets and none of them had done a thing to help you in your quest. I’m here to tell you today that I have two points to make that could jumpstart your weight loss.

Probably the most important of the weight loss secrets is something you probably already know but may have forgotten. It’s that to lose weight, you must cut calories. I know, this is common knowledge, but people seem to forget it sometimes. So many individuals worry about counting carbohydrates or fat grams, forgetting the whole scientific process behind losing weight. A calorie is a unit of the amount of energy in food. One calorie of grapefruit is burned off in the same way as one calorie of pizza. One of the best weight loss secrets is learning how to practice moderation. Overindulging means packing on more weight because your body takes in too many calories.

The second weight loss secret I want to disclose to you is the key to unlocking the first one. Sure, you know cutting calories is the most important of weight loss secrets, but the problem is that it’s hard to do. When you’re hungry, you want to eat! Sometimes, you don’t want to munch on a celery stick or an apple. You want something that leaves you satisfied. Now, you’re in luck. You don’t have to pop a diet pill to feel “full” and curb hunger pains. The new discovery of an African cactus-style plant has totally changed the way you have to view weight loss. Hoodia Gordonii is one of the newest weight loss secrets available to aid you on your quest for the perfect figure.

While many companies claim to have weight loss secrets guaranteed to help you lose weight, these ideas often pose health risks. Hoodia Gordonii is 100% safe. This vegetable actually tricks your brain into thinking you’ve already eaten. You feel satisfied, you’re not hungry, and you cut your calories easily as you watch the pounds melt away.

Combining Hoodia Gordonii with a low calorie diet will enable you to achieve the weight loss results you only dreamed of. Say goodbye to the extra weight and watch yourself evolve into the person you’ve always wanted to be!

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