The Right Mindset for Weight Loss
Way too frequently people spend weeks losing weight, just to reach their goal, stop the diet, and then gradually regain the weight. It’s a terrible cycle to be stuck in.
A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that individuals who successfully lost weight AND kept the weight off altered their principles after losing weight.
This was a telephone survey of 1165 adult who had successfully lost weight with some maintaining the weight loss. Researchers took the data and compiled a list of 36 behaviors at least 10% of the surveyed adults adapted.
Weight loss was defined as losing 10% or more body weight during the previous 12 months. So for a 200 pound individual this would equal a weight loss of 20 pounds.
Maintenance was defined as losing 10% or more body weight during the previous 12 months and keeping it off for one year or more.
How They Lost the Weight
Spirulina: The Super Food?
Have you heard of spirulina? I’ve heard of this food being referred to as a super food, but I’ve not looked into it much until today. Let me share what I’ve learned.
What is spirulina?
Spirulina would be comparable to a sea vegetable such as kelp or wakame. Spirulina is both a human and animal food or supplement. It’s a member of the “blue-green” family, but it’s not considered algae. It’s actually a type of bacteria – cyanobacteria. Its primary source includes two species of cyanobacteria: Arthrospira platensis and Arthrospira maxima. Japan is currently the largest producer and consumer of spirulina.
Spirulina can be purchased as a tablet, flake, or powder.
What nutrients are provided by spirulina?
The Effect of Inflammation on Weight Loss
If you are to successfully lose weight you will likely focus on eating fewer calories and increasing your activity to burn more calories. It’s important that you also address inflammation on your journey to lose weight.
Research on mice has shown a “switch” controlling inflammation in the hypothalamus (region of the brain that regulates energy) becomes “flipped on” in response to high fat diets. It also shows that “overnutrition” (i.e. eating too much) turns on this inflammatory switch.
An increased level of inflammation leads our cells to become resistant to insulin and leptin.
Insulin plays a messenger role in that it tells cells it is time to take in glucose (sugar). If cells become resistant to insulin, they ignore the message that it is time to take in more glucose, glucose is converted to fatty acids, and is stored by our fat cells. If insulin resistance is persistent, eventually the fat cells will no longer respond and increased levels of fatty acids will remain in circulation.
Leptin is a hormone that triggers satiety. This is your body’s way of telling you you’ve had enough to eat. When production of leptin is hindered, we do not feel satisfied and tend to eat more.
As inflammation causes the cells to ignore the messages of insulin and leptin, you are more likely to consume more calories (because you still feel hungry) and potentially store increased levels of fat due to the increased level of circulating fatty acids.
5 Steps to Prevent Heart Disease
Heart disease is a lifestyle disease. Your diet and lifestyle choices are a major factor in determining your likelihood of developing heart disease.
Heart disease develops as a result of inflammation and oxidative damage. So, let’s cover steps you can take to decrease inflammation and oxidative damage to reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
1. Decrease your sugar intake.
When I say sugar, I’m also referring to simple carbohydrates. When you consume carbohydrates the body breaks them down into sugar molecules. Converting simple carbs (i.e. refined carbohydrates) into sugar is a fairly quick process for the body. Simple carbohydrates include potatoes, pasta, bread, and rice, along with your sugar sweetened beverages, candy, and sweets. As these foods are broken down, sugar enters the blood steam and can result in blood sugar spikes. These spikes contribute to oxidative damage and inflammation.
Lose Weight By Eating the Same Foods
Do we have too many options when it comes to food? According to a study published August 2011 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, too many options may be one reason pounds are packed on.
On the flip side, the study found eating the same food over and over lead to boredom and a decrease in caloric intake.
Food Boredom is a Good Thing
Portion Control at the Holidays: Will you succeed?
During the holidays it can be difficult to control how much we eat. When you attend gatherings with friends and there are all these new dishes you oftentimes want to sample some of everything. Then there are the desserts. . .how can you pass up on all these home cooked goodies?
It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible to stay on track. Let’s review some tips so you can avoid going overboard on portions:
1. Have a snack before attending a holiday party.
If you are going to be attending a holiday party it’s to not go on an empty stomach or work hungry. This will lead you to overeat on especially rich foods. Instead, go ahead and have a snack ahead of time, such as a piece of fruit or small handful of nuts.
2. Don’t eat in front of the TV.
