Family Outtings

With the weather beginning to warm up it's a great time to get the whole family outside! Combat the growing nature-deficiency in your kiddos' generation or let the dog escape the confines of the yard for an afternoon. Spontaneous family games can be a great way to burn a few extra calories without even thinking about it - throw a baseball around, start a pick-up soccer game with the kids, play keep-away with your dog. The idea is just to get out and get moving! Combat the pale that's accumulated during the winter and get some good ol' vitamin D from the sunshine.

Weight Loss Lesson from Europe

People love to talk about the obesity problem in America, but has anyone ever stopped to consider why this isn't such an epidemic in other first world countries? What about in Italy - with a diet full of pasta, bread, and cheeses, why is their population not suffering the same widespread weight gain as Americans?

The answer may be simpler than you think.

As many study abroad students can testify, Europeans do considerably more walking than Americans. Even on the confines of smaller college campuses here in the states, students can be seen driving from their dorms to the academic buildings just to avoid a 15 minute walk. In many European cities, including Paris and Florence, walking or biking to a destination is the main mode of transportation for locals. Walking to the grocery or a restaurant, or out to the pharmacy or the bus station can easily provide a few miles of easy exercise.

Many doctors even advocate walking over jogging or running for patients looking to incorporate a little extra physical activity into their day. Walking places less stress on your joints than the two more intense exercises, resulting in fewer injuries and long-term damage. Yet a couple-mile walk still provides adequate exercise for the body. Managing to take the stairs at work or make the 15-20 minute walk to the post office, grocery, or classroom (where safe pedestrian walk-ways have been provided) could mean all the difference to your overall goals - further boosting a fitness plan that incorporates a healthy diet and regular physical activity.

Taking regular walks in conjunction with eating smaller portions at mealtime and drinking lots of water have positive effects on overall weight loss. Putting your food on smaller plates can sometimes help with portion control, tricking your brain into thinking you're eating a lot more food since your plate is full. Growing up it's likely you heard the 8 x 8 rule for drinking water "Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses a day". The Institute of Medicine determined even more precise amounts to be consumed, as well as the differences between genders, placing adequate daily intake at 3 liters (13 cups) for men, and 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) for women. Keeping your body well-hydrated can have a positive impact on your body's weight loss by ensuring all of your body's essential functions run at their optimal levels.

Many students who studied abroad in Europe experienced this gradual weight loss to shed a total of 10 or more pounds upon their return to the U.S.. In my own personal experience while studying abroad in Florence, my inevitable daily walks on my way to class, running errands, or simply exploring the city, combined with my higher water intake and smaller portions at mealtimes, resulted in a loss of 30 pounds. My two other American roommates also reported weight loss numbers around 15 pounds.

We discovered just how all the Italian women around us stayed so skinny- the lack of fast food in our diets, a lot more water, and just a little walking.

The Paelo Diet and Mental Disorders

In Dr. David Perlmutter's book, "Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar," featured on U.S. News, this neurologist explores the affects of a high-carb diet on the brain.

In his book, he explains that the human body is not meant to be able to digest the high amounts of gluten found in today's processed foods. When the body encounters gluten in the bloodstream your sugar levels spike, causing inflammation and severe harm to the brain which can ultimately result in degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer's or dementia.

 To avoid such horrible illnesses, Dr. Perlmutter advocates a diet very similar to the Paelo diet, one of the most popular low-carb diets today. In opposition to the rule of no dairy products or grains found in some of the most strict Paelo diets, he instead suggests small amounts of dairy and gluten-free grains as part of a weekly meal plan.

Some nutritionists oppose a diet absent of grain products, insisting that this food group is essential to a balanced diet. However, Perlmutter quoted to U.S. News:

'"The idea that people are nutritionally deprived because they don't eat grain has no scientific basis," he says, adding that the nutritional value of grain products is nothing more than a marketing ploy.'

As with many other suggestions for a healthy lifestyle, the neurologist suggests incorporating consistent exercise, a diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, and (if red, grass-fed) meats, plenty of sleep, and a few added supplements for a healthy brain.

Crash Diet Fad

Diets can be tough to stand by. By now a significant portion of people have already given up on their New Year's Resolutions, resigning themselves to old habits and crushed aspirations. But you still have plenty of time to put in the hard work now to reveal that bikini body or six-pack abs in time for Spring Break or summer vacations!

With the warmer weather just around the corner, some people will resort to "Emergency Beach Body" plans or more appropriately dubbed crash diet fads. These sorts of diet regiments are never fun and the least healthy paths toward a slimmer figure.

In Australia, news.com.au actually took the initiative to poll the Dieticians Association of Australia (DAA) to find the worst diets in the country. Coming in at the number one spot was the Lemonade "Detox" Diet. Advocating no food at all for 10 full days, its no wonder the diet plan scored so poorly. Instead of a well balanced diet, this plan claims to be a "Master Cleanse" in which the participant drinks a concoction of water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper 6 to 12 times a day to "combat hunger", supplemented by an herbal laxative tea and saltwater drink. Sounds a lot more like a plan for an eating disorder than a healthy detoxifying cleanse. If the concoction itself sounds less than appealing to drink, that's because it is. While not horrible upon the first sip, I found that by the bottom of my first glass I never wanted to drink the mixture again. Yet it's supposed to be the sole source of consumption for a minimum of 10 days and a maximum of 40?! I think not.

Even the health professionals of WebMD made it clear that the Lemonade website's claims of a healthy detox was far from the truth. While you are essentially starving your body, you may lose weight but it will not be a lasting change. Not eating will also slow your metabolism - an obviously counter-productive effect to your weight loss aspirations. Because your body's lack of food intake is recognized as starvation, it automatically slows these processes and tries to store what calories it can.  This response is meant to conserve the resources it has to keep you functional for as long as possible without sustenance.

It is this same reason that breakfast is the most important meal of the day - you are literally breaking the mini fast your body has endured from dinner the previous night to breakfast time 7-10 hours later.

The much healthier alternative towards getting bikini-ready is to workout consistently and start a diet plan focusing on low-carb meals with lots of proteins and veggies. This way you can eat until you are fully satisfied without harming your body or hindering your weight loss progress. To help give your diet that extra kick, supplement it with something like the White Mulberry Leaf Extract. This awesome supplement combines the powers of white mulberry leaf extract, garcinia cambogia, green coffee bean extract, African mango extract and cinnamon for a powerful metabolism booster. With a full diet focused on the right foods, a little supplement boost and at least 3 days of exercise, you'll have your results in no time in a way that's HEALTHY and effective.

New Year, New You

With the start of the New Year everyone's looking to dedicate themselves to better diet and exercise habits in hopes of having a healthier, sexier bod. While some diets will advocate bland food and low calorie intake to achieve quick weight loss goals, a new menu scheme doesn't have to be devoid of flavor.

While many people get bogged down with all the "no's" of a new diet, there are plenty of delicious and nutritious alternatives that will still leave you with plenty of variety. Many health professionals are recommending high protein breakfasts and low carb diets to jump-start your metabolism and provide your body with all the right kinds of calories. Dr. Oz's new Two-Week Rapid Weight-Loss Plan for example, focuses on this very concept- starting with a protein-packed smoothie for breakfast and meat and vegetables at lunch and dinner to keep you satisfied throughout the day. If such shifts drastically alter your current diet, implementing small changes one at a time might be a good way to work towards implementing permanent healthy lifestyle habits. For instance, start with ensuring a high-protein breakfast as a staple of your every day routine. It's true what they say, breakfast really IS the most important meal of the day.

Websites like Eat Yourself Skinny and Fit, Fun & Delish! provide tons of great recipes for clean eating without skimping on flavor. With options like Egg White Zucchini Muffins (left) and Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps (above) you won't even miss the heavy fast food alternatives.

Taking dietary supplements such as Garcinia Cambogia Extract or Green Coffee Bean Extract can help to increase your metabolism and inhibit fat absorption from unused carbohydrates into the body. Sorvita Health Products offers plenty of information on many different dietary supplements from muscle builders to weight loss inducers. Sorvita also often offers coupons for their supplements on a regular basis to make their prices the best around. As with all healthy weight loss programs, these supplements are not miracle pills but helpful aids in a balanced plan of diet and exercise. These supplements are very helpful though, especially for the bored or emotional eaters and those of us who weren't blessed with super speedy metabolisms.

The Many Health Benefits of Triphala, a Traditional Herbal Remedy and Weight Loss Aid

Triphala Capsules

Triphala is a traditional herbal remedy in Ayurvedic medicine.  It is the mixture of three dried and powdered fruits - amla, myrobalan and belleric myrobalan which are medicinal plants. Triphala has been taken for centuries in India for a wide range of health benefits:

• Digestion - Triphala helps in digestion by stimulating the mucosal lining of the stomach and the intestinal tract.Due to this it effectively relieves constipation and can be used to regulate the proper functioning of the stomach and colon.It also helps in the cleansing of the bowels and is one of the best body detoxifiers.
• Acts as an appetizer - This is due to the ability to help in the proper digestion of food.
• Flatulence - It helps in dissolving toxic acids in the stomach and is therefore given to people with acidity, hyper acidity or acid influx.
• Gout - Has anti-inflammatory properties which help in curing or lessening the effects of gout.
• Assists in weight loss -This is due to the component amla which is known to break up the accumulation of fat in the body.
• Boosts the immune system - Triphala contains antioxidants which boost immunity and help fight bacteria that cause diseases.
• Reduction of blood pressure - Triphala has spasm releasing properties that helps in the reduction of high blood pressure and as a result aids easy flow of blood through arteries.It reduces plaque formation in the arteries and therefore reduces the risk of heart related problems.
• Cholesterol - Maintains the right cholesterol balance by promoting good cholesterol and inhibiting bad cholesterol in the body.
• Alleviates anemia - It helps in the production of red blood cells and aids in anemic situations.
• Rejuvenates tissue - Helps rejuvenate tissue as well as nourish tissue in the body.
• Respiratory system benefits - It increases immunity in the body and as a result helps to counter allergies.Has mucolytic actions and assists in expelling excess mucus that can accumulate and cause infections.
• Benefits to the eyes - Increases vision and is a powerful eye tonic for curing eye related problems.
• Headache relief - Recommended in chronic and acute headaches and even migraine due to the anti-inflammatory properties.
• Fights fatigue - Triphala fights fatigue by eradicating the lactic acid that is formed in the body.
• Urinary tract benefits - It helps in the treatment of urinary tract infections including dysuria where there is painful urination.
• Skin benefits - It can be used as a skin tonic and for various skin ailments due to it's antioxidant properties. It also prevents signs of aging like wrinkles and premature graying of the hair.
• Benefits on the liver - Stimulates the liver to function optimally and helps in the secretion of bile juices.It is also a blood purifier.

Triphala is typically taken in a powdered form, frequently in a tea.  It does however, have a very strong taste which many in the West find objectionable.  For those wanting the health benefits of this ancient remedy but want to avoid the taste, Triphala is available in capsule form which can be swallowed easily with water.  It is a very inexpensive dietary supplement which is widely available from online retailers like Amazon.

If you are interested in giving Triphala a try for yourself, be sure to find a product manufactured and tested in the USA in an FDA inspected facility.  Some foreign forms of the herbal mixture have been found to contain additional harmful elements due to poor quality control.

The Health Benefits of Tribulus Terrestris

Tribulus Terrestris

Tribulus Terrestris is a natural herb mostly found in China, India and North America. Its active ingredients are: tribulosin, harmine, kaempferol 3-glucoside and kaemoferol.  Its major active compounds are known as steroidal saponins; which are of two distinct types: spirostanol glycosides and furostanol glycosides which are found in the plant’s leaves.  In different regions of the world, the leaves are used as a dietary supplement for a variety of health benefits:

• Erectile Dysfunction - Tribulus Terrestris  is used to heighten sexual behavior as well as increasing intracavernous pressure due to its effect in increasing testosterone hormone. It has the ability to relax the smooth muscles and this increases the rate at which blood flows to the genitals. It is also used in the treatment of impotence and low libido in men. 
• Increased Exercise Performance - Due to its effect on testosterone levels, Tribulus Terrestris  is very efficient for increasing endurance and strengthening body muscles. It works against fatigue and lack of energy and hence it’s highly recommended for athletes and those involved in high amounts of physical activity.
• Liver Tonic Functions - Tribulus Terrestris has an efficient effect on liver as it aids in the regulation of hormones and accelerates the rate of conversion of fats into energy.
• Boosting Luteinizing Hormone - By increasing levels of this hormone, Tribulus Terrestris provides the body with the materials to produce testosterone, which in turn increases libido and natural fertility.
• Antioxidant - Due to its ability to show anti-tumor and anti-microbial properties, Tribulus Terrestris is taken to lower cholesterol levels in the body.
• Angina Pectoris - A recent study has shown that Tribulus Terrestris  can minimize the attacks of Angina pectoris.
• Boosting the circulation system - By helping to lower cholesterol levels, Tribulus Terrestris is believed to increase the ability of the heart to pump blood to other body parts and hence nutrients and oxygen are supplied efficiently. 
• Increasing Body Mass -  Because of its potential capability to trigger increased production of testosterone hormone, the testosterone produced increases the body mass as well as promoting nitrogen balance.
• Improving Sperm Motility - Sperm motility is the sperm’s ability to penetrate an ovum. Tribulus terrestris is very effective in the restoration of acrosome reactions and motility.
• Reduce Stress, Nervousness and Insomnia -  Tribulus terrestris promotes: good mood, balances the nervous system especially when combined with other related supplements, combats stress, and promotes deeper sleep as well as improving recovery from sports during sleep.

People from all over the world take Tribulus Terrestris primarily for hormonal balancing or sex drive enhancement.  Furthermore, body builders frequently take it to maintain testosterone and estrogen levels and for increasing their body mass.

Given the potential health benefits it may be time for you to give Tribulus Terrestris a try.  The supplement is fairly inexpensive and readily available from online retailers like Amazon.