Atkins And Appetite Suppression

There is a lot of attention paid in the Atkins diet plan towards food and cooking. It's true that your food choices on the diet are of utmost importance. But a lot of people make the mistake of ignoring exercise. The newly released Atkins food pyramid shows the importance of exercise. It shows an increase in food options with increased activity. Exercise is important on the Atkins diet, and important for everyone's overall health.

While you may look smaller on the scale, your metabolism is actually slowing down. The more muscle you lose the slower your metabolism will be. This makes losing weight more difficult and gaining weight back even simpler.The Atkins diet, on the other hand, is carbohydrate restrictive. It creates a state of ketosis in your body that burns only fat, and not muscle. The primary source of your energy for your body will be fat in the form of ketones.

Physical exercise is essential for Atkins diet success. Without exercise, your body isn't configured to process carbohydrates successfully. Research has shown that sedentary individuals have extreme insulin reactions to even moderate amounts of carbohydrates. This means that exercise doesn't only help you lose weight, it will help you keep it off too. Exercise will teach your body how to process the carbohydrates in your diet. When you exercise regularly, you'll be able to eat more carbohydrates over time because your body will use them efficiently.

There are two basic types of exercise: aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise. The best regimen combines these two forms each week.

In the Atkins diet book, Dr. Atkins suggests using ketone testing strips to determine your state of ketosis during dieting. These small plastic strips are held in the urine stream and contain a special chemically treated absorptive pad. This pad will change color if ketones are present in the urine. With the presence of ketones, the strip will change varying shades of pink to purple. There is a color scale on the label of the bottle that will help you determine your ketone levels.

Eggs contain about 6 grams of protein each. This helps to even out blood sugar and produces a feeling of satisfaction. Both of these factors help to curb cravings. Egg yolks also contain lutein and xenazanthin. These nutrients have been shown to have incredible effects on eye health. So it's important to eat the whole egg, and not just the white. Eggs contain choline that is important in brain functioning and memory. These nutrients are just an added benefit to the appetite suppressing qualities.

Some good beginning aerobic activities include walking, golf, tennis and dancing. These activities won't cause a lot of strain on your body, but they will get your heart moving. Start slowly and set small goals for yourself. For example, if you are starting a walking program begin by walking four blocks. Then increase your training to five blocks, then six. Your body will respond well to the exerciseafter all your body was meant to move!

Some dieters may mistakenly believe that a dark purple result on the testing strips means that they are losing weight faster. Actually, the darkest purple color is a sign of dehydration. It means that your urine is too concentrated and you need to drink water.

Ketones come from fat in the bloodstream, whether it is fat that you eat or fat that you burn. So if you eat a meal heavy in fat and then immediately use a testing strip, then you'll see a dark purple result. Use the strips as a guide, but don't get hung up on the color.

Reaching a state of ketosis is key to success on the Atkins diet and it as simple as eliminating carbohydrates from the diet. Make sure to follow the eating plan correctly and use the ketone testing strips as needed.

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August 02 2009 | Acne | No Comments »

Natural Acne Treatments That Work

There are hundreds of natural acne remedies that may help eliminate those unsightly skin blemishes that so many people have. The biggest obstacle people face is discovering what the treatments are. There are billions of people all over the world that would do almost anything to become acne free. Most people feel like they have tried everything and often end up looking worse than they did before a treatment.

Anybody that wants to get rid of their acne should know that chemical based are ineffective. One of the best ways to treat acne is to get enough omega-3 and fish oil in their diet. When a breakout does happen, the natural defense system of the body will detect an infection which will cause more inflammation as it works to clear the infection. It is like a chain reaction.

Because inflammation is a natural occurrence, there is really nothing that can be done to turn of the body's defense system. The only thing that can help would be to decrease the amount of inflammation in the body so less irritation and breakouts occur. While fish oil is more potent than omega-3, obtaining the right amount of both nutrients will certainly do your fight against acne some justice. If the body lacks essential fatty acids, a number of things can go wrong. One thing, as mentioned earlier is increased inflammation.

Another important thing that should be considered in relation to acne is the likelihood of a hormone imbalance that has been caused by a lack of essential fatty acids. The essential fatty acids are known to distribute the amount of androgen evenly in the body that causes an overall balance of the body's hormones.

The best plan is to eat a diet that is rich in essential fatty acids. Some foods that should be eaten regularly include lean meats, whole grain foods, dark green leafy vegetables, mackerel, herring, salmon, walnuts, almonds, olive oil, flaxseed oil, and eggs. If you are eating these foods and still feel like you may be deficient, a supplement will make up for any shortages.

More natural acne solutions include steaming the face with hot water to open the pores, exfoliating with organic soap, and then rinsing with ice cold water to close the pores. You can find some of the best acne treatments right inside of your own home. There is no need to go out and spend money on a doctor who will only prescribe you a medication or chemical based topical solution that will further damage the skin.

Some of the dangers of using chemical based acne products are irritation, dryness, worsening acne, redness, and scaly skin. There are some acne medications that cause side effects like thinning hair, dry skin, depression, night blindness, mood swings, and dark yellow urine. There are others that cause redness of the eyes, loss of appetite, and yellowing of the hair, skin, and nails.

It should be clear that the best way to treat acne is with a natural acne treatment. If you are still not sure how to get rid of acne, the best advice is to try a few of the natural acne solutions talked about here to see for yourself what works.

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June 23 2009 | Skin Care | No Comments »