SHEDING EXTRA WEIGHT IMPROVES MEMORY AND CONCENTRATION

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A recent study led by John Gunstad, an assistant professor of psychology at Kent State University, suggests that weight loss leads to improved concentration and memory.

Gunstad tested attention and memory of 150 overweight people. Then 109 of those people lost a large amount of weight. Twelve weeks later,Gunstad tested all 150 of them again.

There was a significant increase in the level of concentration and memory retention in those who had lost significant weight.

"They were able to show improvements moving from the kind of mildly impaired range into the normal range, which clinically... is a pretty meaningful change," said Gunstad.

This is an interesting study from John. He has however stated that this is an ongoing research study. More discoveries will be unravel.

I will keep you posted on latest development in the weight loss industry and provide accurate information to help you make informed decision.

my message to you

The result of this research shows that you will keep out the risks of heart diseases and improve the overall performance of your brain for shedding the right proportion of weight.

This research has been tested on more than 150 persons as stated in the result above. This do not mean that it works for everyone that applies it.

Since you have been provided with the results of the research, it is now pertinent that you try it in your own life and circumstances and see if you will get the same result.

Follow the same guideline above, apply it and see how it will impact your life. Information on this site is provided for you to read, digest and apply it to better your own life experiences.

make it an habit to apply new knowledge that you come across

so that you can grow with better experiences and cure any sickness with it.

IMPORTANCE OF LOW CARB DIETS

Why cutting down your carb intake can help you shed some pounds.

You must have been reading about how low-carbohydrate diets can help you lose weight and help reduce health risks around the internet.

If you doubt what you have read about low-carb diets, then I implore you to have a second thought. Consider the benefits you can derive from it.

If you care about losing weight, then you should read this article.

I love to refer to appropriate articles on wikipedia whenever they apply and are relevant to what I'm writing about. On this one, I want to extract some excepts from wikipedia that apply here:

" Low carbohydrate or low-carb diets are dietary programs that restrict carbohydrate consumption usually for weight control or for the treatment of obesity.

Foods high in digestible carbohydrates (e.g. bread, pasta) are limited or replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of proteins and fats (e.g. meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds and peanuts) and other foods low in carbohydrates (e.g. most salad vegetables), although other vegetables and fruits (especially berries) are often allowed.

The amount of carbohydrate allowed varies with different low-carbohydrate diets."

" In addition to obesity, low-carbohydrate diets are used as treatments for some other conditions, notably diabetes, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome and polycystic ovarian syndrome." wikipedia.org - low carb diets

A recent report found that women who banished carbohydrates for two days a week and ate normally the rest of the time lost about nine pounds in four months, compared to the five pounds lost by women who cut back to roughly 1,500 calories every day.

Researchers from the Cancer Therapy and Research Center at UT Health Science Center San Antonio, the American Association for Cancer Research, and Baylor College of Medicine followed 88 women, all at high risk for breast cancer based on family histories. One third of the women ate a Mediterranean-type diet that restricted calories to about 1,500 per day.

The second group was told to eat normally most of the time, but two days a week to cut carbs and also reduce calories to about 650. The third group also cut carbs two days a week, but had no calorie restrictions. On the low-carb days, the women in the two-day low-carb groups could eat protein and healthy fats, but had to pass on bread, pasta, and root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and parsnips. One piece of fruit was permitted.

Other foods on the low-carb days included nuts and green, leafy vegetables, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, eggplant, and cauliflower.

The women in both two-day low-carb groups lost more weight than the women who ate low calorie meals every day of the week. It's an attractive alternative to all-out dieting, though it may be a challenge to stick to the 650-calorie limit two days a week.

conclution

The beauty of this diet is that it not only help you lose weight, it also help reduce risks of heart diseases, cardiovascular diseases.

However, one thing to always consider is that, you should always be withing your preferences. What works for one person might not work for another person. So always watch out for what works for you and stick to it.

If you like this article, consider subscribing to my rrs feed or subscribe by email to receive interesting and informative articles like this one.

Also if you have any questions, opinions or comments, please leave your thoughts in the comments section.

BODY MASS INDEX 101

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR BODY MASS. INDEX AND DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE A HEALTHY WEIGHT

Hi all, this is a tutorial on how to calculate your body mass index ( BMI ) so you can determine if you have the optimal weight or healthy weight.

I will also cover the general information on bmi to keep you informed so that you will know what the bmi is all about.

In this post, I'm going to cover :

• The general information and questions related to the BMI. This will come first, but if you only want to calculate your weight using bmi then you can stroll down to the second part with the steps.

• Step by step guide on how to calculate your bmi using kilograms per squared meters, using your home tools to calculate or simply use the link in the body of this post to calculate your bmi www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/bmi.php
WARNINGS:

• Bmi measurement is a good indicator for the average person from 25 to 65 years of age. But there are limitations. Bmi calculation does not take into consideration muscle mass or your overall body type ( there are 'apple' and 'pear' of body types).

• Recent research has shown that the waist to hip ratio measurement is much more better than bmi to determine whether an individual has too much body fat. Generally the waist to hip ratio should not exceed about 0.9 for the average men and 0.8 for women. Higher ratios indicate higher risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes.

• BMI SCALE:

Bmi less than 18 indicate underweight
Bmi of less than 18.5 indicate that you are thin for your health
Bmi of between 18.6 to 24.9 indicates you are at a healthy weight
Bmi of 25 to 29.9 indicates you are overweight for your health
Bmi of 30 indicates obesity

GENERAL INFORMATION AND QUESTIONS RELATED TO BMI

WHAT IS BODY MASS INDEX ( BMI ) ?

The body mass index is a measurement tool that compares your height to your weight and gives you an indication whether you are underweight, overweight, obese, at an optimal or healthy weight.

" Bmi provides a simple numeric measure of a person's ' thickness ' or ' thinness ', allowing health professionals to discuss over- and under-weight problems more objectively with their patients. www.wikiedia.org

WHO INVENTED BODY MASS INDEX?

The modern day body mass index is based on the work of a belgian mathematician called Lambert Adolphe Jacques quetelet who published the study of the average man entitled " a treaties on man and the development of his faculties"

ARE THERE ANY HEALTH ORGANISATIONS THAT RECOMMENDS BMI AS A WEIGHT LOSS MEASUREMENT?

Yes! There are;

The U.S. National heart, lung and blood institute and national health institutes and the world health organization recommends bmi to classify obesity.

DOES BMI HAVE ANY CLASSIFICATION ?

A bmi of less than 18.5 is underweight, normal weight is between 18.5 and 25, overweight is between 25 and obesity is greater than 30.

DOES BMI HAVE LIMITATIONS ?

There are certain limitations to the body mass index measurement.

Bmi does not make a distinction between fat and muscle. A person with a massive muscle may be classified into the unhealthy category range of bmi. But still be healthy and have little risk of developing heart diseases and diabetes.

DOES BMI CORRELATES WITH BODY FAT RATIO ?

Bmi does not directly measure body fat percentage

DISTRIBUTION OF BODY WEIGHT IN RELATION TO BMI ?

Is the distribution weight important?

Excess weight is not the only risk factor to your health as do the location of fat in your body. If fat is stored mainly around your waist, you are more likely to develop health problems than you would if you carry fat around your hips and thighs.

CAN BMI DETECTS IF MY BODY HAS EXCESS WEIGHT. AND WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF IT?

The BMI measurement could detect excess body weight...

The dangers of excess weight can put you at risk of contacting diseases and serious illness. And it is very serious.

Extra weight can put you at the risk of the following health problems - type 2 diabetes ( high blood sugar), high blood pressure, heart diseases and stroke, some types of cancers, sleep apnea ( when breathing stops at short period during sleep, ostheoarthritis ( wearing away of joints), gall bladder disease, liver disease and irregular menstrual periods.

ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES TO BMI ?

The alternatives to bmi for calculating body weight ranges from waist to hip ratio, body waist measurement and body fat percentage measurement. Each of these will be covered in future post.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR BMI

The basic formula for using BMI to calculate body weight is as follows:

Mathematically bmi = km/m2 ( kilometre per square. meter.

Bmi = ( body weight in kg)
( Body weight in meters)2. =
( Weight in kg)

Bmi formula = ( height in meters) * ( height in meters)

Example:

A person is 175 cm tall and has a weight of 70kg

Bmi =
70
1752
=

70
175*175

= 70
30625

= 22.66 ( normal weight)

Note that this is calculation using kilograms and health squared per meter.

If you find it difficult to use this method, then you can use this simple step to calculate your BMI:

Grab your bathroom measuring scale, yardstick or measuring tape, pencil, paper and calculator.

Now do the following :
Using bathroom scale and yardstick:

• Weigh yourself with your bathroom scale. Note that this calculated in pounds.

• Measure your height in inches using the yardstick or measuring tape. Stand against the wall and use a pencil to mark the top of your head, then measure.

Using your pencil, paper and calculator

• Take your height in inches and square the number

• Divide your weight in pounds with the result of your height in inches

• Multiply the answer with 703

The answer you get, is your body mass index.

If you are still confused or do not have the tools mentioned above, use this online calculator from www.dietandfitnesstoday.com

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you have any question or you have any constructive criticism, please comment on that in the comment section.

Thank you for your time.

DISCLAIMER: the information contained in this post is for educational purposes only. It is not to replace your doctors recommendations.

DO YOU KNOW THE BENEFITS OF LOSING WEIGHT?

PART TWO

If you miss the previous post on this topic, you can find it here

This is the second instalment of the two part series of posts on the health benefits of weight loss. Continuation of the previous post:


Some people are reported to have been supported and motivated by their doctors who offer occasional advice and guides to keep them motivated and continue with their quest of losing weight.

You can adopt one of the above examples to keep you motivated. You can also go out daily with friends and family to interesting place such as going on a picnic or seeing your long seen friends so as to be busy and keep the worry and stress associated with losing weight out of mind.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF LOSING WEIGHT ?


As has been mentioned in the title and first paragraph of this post these are the notable benefits of losing weight:

• Losing weight requires consistent determination, motivation and the strong desire to keep going.

When you are determined, you develop the proper mind set to achieve what you want to achieve no matter what setback or difficulties you face. Motivation keeps you strong, far-sighted about your goal and helps you develop a strong desire for your goal.


• When you lose weight, you will experience increase in energy and body image. If you are overweight, you will constantly experience tiredness and fatigue. This will make you to be buggled down whenever you want to do something that is important to you...

The experience of feeling tiredness and laziness will seize when there is an increase in your energy level because you will be able to achieve more and reduce procrastination.

• One of the benefits that comes with losing weight is decrease in the use of drugs prescribed by your doctor or medical practisional. Being overweight increases the risks of developing a number of diseases such as type 2 diabetic and cardiovascular disease. Because of this, your doctor will provide different drugs for you so that you can minimize the risk associted with obesity.

We all know the stress that's involve in consuming a lot of different drugs daily. But losing weight and gaining a normal weight will help you to reduce or even stop your drug intake on daily bases.

• It has also been proven by research studies that losing a moderate amount of weight if you are overweight or obese lowers blood pressure. This helps to reduce the risk of heart diseases.

• Another study has shown that losing 5-10 percent of weight will have a positive effect on the metabolic and physical complication of obesity.

• It has been observed from individuals who have losed weight, the increase in the immune defence against high blood presure and coronary heart diseases.

• When you lose the proper amount of weight, you reduce the risk of knee ostheoarthritis. Being overweight excert stress on the knee which increases the risk of developing knee ostheoarthritis.

• Research studies have shown that substantial cases of diabetes could be prevented if you lose a moderate amount of weight.

• It has also been discovered that if you lose a moderate amount of weight, you could prevent a substantial number of cases of diabetes.

• If you occassionally lose your breath while you are doing the morning jug or climbing the steps, then losing weight will help you prevent this occurences. Imagine climbing the steps at the fast pace without haing to lose your breath. This is what losing weight can do for you.

If you are skeptical about losing weight to achieve your ideal body image, you should consider the benefits listed above and do it with determination

Disclaimer:

The information contained in this post applies only to those who are overweight and obese. It is not mearnt for those who have a normal weight.

The information on this post is not meant for recommendation purposes. It only serves an an educational tool to educate our readers. You should contact your doctor or medical practisional for more information.

DO YOU KNOW THE BENEFITS OF LOSING WEIGHT?

PART ONE

Note: this post is a little long, so I have decided to devide it into two post. This is the first part of the post.

Have you ever wondered if there are benefits to shedding that extra pounds?. Have you ever ask yourself if there is any underlying benefits to losing weight and gaining that ideal weight you have dreamt of?. Read on as I have some secrets I want to reveal to you that you might not have seen before.

Most people who are overweight and obese ( very overweight) suffer from inferiority complex. They are depressed as a result of their obese state.

Low self esteem, lack of confidence and the decrease in positive body image has plagued many individuals as a result of their condition ( being obese and overweight).

The cause of these problems is not being overweight in the proper sense of the word. A person who is not over weight can also develop these symptoms...

So it is probably wrong to think that these problems ( such as poor body image, lack of confidence, inferiority complex) can be reverted if you lose certain amount of weight. You can lose weight and gain the ideal body weight that you have always dreamt of, but this will not solve these symptoms- and others like them - for you.

If you have or know anyone that have these symptoms, you should look for ways to solve them and not attribute them to being overweight. You can get a self development expert to help you with these symptoms so that you can overcome them.


I know you would be thinking by now what I'm talking about and how it relates to our subject of discussion here.

Yes, you are right!... But I need to warn you about the wrong impression that some people have such as those describe above. People who are overweight do live a much more fulfilling life than even those who claim to have the ideal body weight.

The risk associated with being obese may include development of various diabetic diseases especially type 2 diabetic and cardiovascular diseases. Because of this, individual who are obese needs to lose a moderate amount of weight to prevent the occurrenc of these diseases.

But some individuals are afraid of losing weight as a result of being duped before by those advertising weight loss diets that don't work. Some are sceptical about losing weight as a result of misinformation.

For those who need motivation and are entertaining the thought of losing weight, we have compiled decent number of benefits associated with losing weight and other advices to keep them going and help them make the right decision.

HOW MUCH WEIGHT DO YOU NEED TO LOSE TO BE HEALTHIER?

First of all, the amount of weight that each individual need to lose depend on the body size, the level of weight, the amount of fat present in the body, the eating habit and the lifestyle of the individual.

There are individuals who are already overweight and eat lesser food than most people. The fact that these individuals eat less do not make them to lose weight. Now consider some other individuals who are slim and consume much more food than the first set of people, yet they do not gain additional weight than they already have.

You should also know that your weight is not as important as the amount of fat in your body. An example of this is given below:

• A body-builder who has gained a heavy muscle as a result of various activities that he/she has engaged in may have the same BMI ( body mass index) with a an ordinary person who is overweight.
So the heavy muscle do no mean that the person is overweight.

The generally accepted way is to use( body mass index) and waist measurement to calculate your weight.
( Note: I will write a separate post on how to calculate your with body mass index (BMI) and waist measurement (WM) and will be linked to from here. Once it has been posted, you will not see this message again. Thank you for your patient...)

If you have a body weight of say 80kg, it is recommended that you lose 10-15kg, as suggested by the result of an recent research.

If you read my blog occasionally, you will know I only recommend research findings that will benefit you, but I would point out what you needed to do.

In this case, I will advice you to be careful when trying to lose weight. There are different recommendations out there. Most of them will not help you lose weight. It is you that can lose your weight. You know what your body want.

You know the perfect body weight that you want. You should be able to know when you have seen the recommendation on weight loss that will give you your ideal body image.

KEEP MOTIVATED

Along the way, as you take the journey to achieving your perfect body image, you will constantly feel de motivated, experience fatigue and become tired occasionally.

You might even feel lonely and ask yourself if losing weight worth the time spent on it the process involved. This is why this post is written for you to keep you motivated and revert the feelings of loneliness.

Some people are motivated when they joined others who are also trying to lose weight. They are happy that others too are interested in what they do.

I will halt here for now and leave you to digest what you have just read. I do this to prevent information over load. I promise you that the next post will be very interesting. So stay tuned.

FDA AND FTC SET TO COMBAT COMPANIES THAT PRODUCE HCG WEIGHT LOSS PRODUCTS

Companies that market over-the-counter hcg weight loss products have recently been hit by a joint legal action by the FDA and FTC...

A joint action has been taken by the U.S Food And Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission to combat the production of weight loss products containing the human chorionic gonadothropin (HCG).

HCG as is well-known is an hormone that is found and produced in human placenta. It is also found in the urine of pregnant women.
This hormone is one of the hormones that regulates metabolism in pregnant women.

HCG can also be used in the management and treatment of obesity. This was discovered by a british physician, Dr. ATW Simeons.

HCG has been approved by FDA as a prescription that can be used and injected as a treatment for some cases of female infertility and other medical conditions.

The FDA claims that the hcg weight loss products labelled as " HOMEOPATHIC" by the companies who produce them has recommended that the products be used with a low caloric diet. This according to FDA, does not increase weight loss from that resulting from the recommended caloric restriction. This restriction in caloric intake may expose consumers to health risks such as gall stones formation, electrolyte imbalance and heart problems.

In a post on the FDA site, the following excerpt is a reinforcement on this issue:


" The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today issued seven Warning Letters to companies marketing over-the counter (OTC) HCG products that are label ed as “homeopathic”
for weight loss.

Human Chorionic Gonadothropin......

(HCG) is a hormone produced by the human placenta and found in the urine of pregnant women. HCG is FDA-approved as an injectable prescription drug for the treatment of some cases of female infertility and other medical
conditions.

The letters warn the companies
that they are violating federal law by selling drugs that have not been approved, and by making unsupported claims for the substances. There are no FDA-approved HCG drug products for weight loss. "
Courtesy-
www.fda.gov


This is in no way misleading as some might thought. HCG is not an harmful drug for the treatment of obesity. Has mentioned before, in this post, the fda has approved hcg as an injectable prescription drug.

The problem here is the way those companies has presented it.

" The labelling for the *homeopathic* HCG products states that each product should be taken with a very low caloric diet."
Taken from the fda website.


The approach here is that consumers should be careful with the products they buy online. Thorough review or research should be done before setting to buy a product online.

Commenting on the issue, Isila Bernstein, acting director of the office of compliance in FDA's center for drug evaluation and research, says:

" These hcg products marketed over-the-counter are unproven to help with weight loss and are potentially dangerous even if taken as directed.
And a way a low calory diet should only be used is under proper medical supervision."


" Deceptive advertising about weight loss products is one of the most prevalent types of fraud." Said David Vladeck, director of the ftc's bureau of consumer protection. " Any advertiser who makes health claims is required by federal law to back them up with competent and reliable scientific, so consumers have the accurate information they need to make good decisions."

Wrapping it up, consider researching or reviewing whatever product you wish to buy online before buying. Be wise in your decision so you will not be duped by online criminals who have set trap for you, so you can open your wallet.
Before buying a weight loss product from a company, make sure you check out the company selling history. You should also consider checking out reviews about the company if there is any.
Thank you for your time.