Video - The Ketogenic Diet Explained in Under 5 Minutes

The Keto Diet is often misunderstood. What is it? How does it work? What are the pros and cons? PictureFit explain so well in this breif video. Take a look now and see if this might benefit you.

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Video - Eat More Fat? -- Amazing Results

Is Fat really the demon it's cracked up to be when it comes to your weight? Watch this video and learn the truth.

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10 Things Coca Cola Does To Your Body

Do you know what soda (fizzy sugary drinks) can do to your body? This might shock you. Over 2 million views on you tube alone. Share this video with your family and friends with the link below.

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Digestion Explained

Cardiff personal trainer, explains how digestion occurs in the body:

Image courtesy of Ben Schonewille at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Different macronutrients get digested at different speeds, carbohydrates are digested the quickest and fats and proteins are usually slower. The absorption of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, varies from 1.3 to 10 grams per hour, for a typical serving of protein that would be 3-4 hours to be absorbed. The rate of absorption of a raw egg is 1.3 grams an hour this is the slowest of all proteins to be digested, Whey protein isolate, which is commonly found in protein drinks and bars gets absorbed at 8-10 grams an hour. There is little known information about the absorption rates of protein from whole foods, such as meat and fish, from anecdotal evidence these proteins would be digested at a rate between that of the raw egg and whey protein isolate.

Fat is the slowest of all macronutrients to be digested and can take anywhere between 1 and 6 hours to be digested, more fat and a larger meal will take longer to be digested. Fat takes so long to be digested because it is not released from the stomach until it can be properly digested. Fat is then either burnt for energy, stored as adipose tissue or forms part of other cells. The rate at which carbohydrates are digested and stored as glycogen (energy stores) in the muscle depends on, the timing of them being eaten, the type of carbohydrate being equal, the amount of carbohydrate eaten and the combination with other nutrients. If carbohydrate is eaten after exercise then it is absorbed up three times quicker, the sooner to exercise the quicker it will be absorbed. For maximum carbohydrate storage it needs to be eaten within 15 minutes of finishing exercise.

Foods with a higher GI will be absorbed quicker, and will cause blood sugar to rise. If carbohydrate is eaten with fat or fibre it will slow down the rate of digestion and keep blood sugar more stable. We will use the knowledge gained to compare the differences between the digestion of an apple and a doughnut. An apple is 80% water, 15% carbohydrate and a small amount of protein and fibre. The apple is broken down in the mouth, when it reaches the stomach the protein is broken down, in the small intestine the carbohydrate is broken down. Now that the digestive processes have finished the body has nutrients to help the body repair and fuel it. Amino acids, which the protein has been broken down into, are sent into a pool to repair cells, carbohydrate is used to fuel our muscles and nervous system. Because the sugar in the apple is fructose or fruit sugar, blood sugar remains relatively level. The apple also contains an abundance of nutrients for the body. Just under the skin of the apple there is half the Vitamin C content of the apple, it also contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, Vitamin A and potassium.

Phytochemicals and flavonoids help fight against cancer and the fibre helps digestive transit. The doughnut however is a different proposition altogether, it is loaded with saturated fat, trans fat and refined sugar. The carbohydrate content will digested in the same parts of the body as the apple, but it will cause a much bigger rise in blood sugar and an ensuing dip. Saturated fat and trans (man made fat) take a different path to digestion than healthy unsaturated fats. They are absorbed through the intestines (rather than through the liver as are healthy fats) and turned into triglycerides the storage form of fat. They are then coated in cholesterol, which raises bad cholesterol LDL, and lower the good HDL. Trans fats are worse again, they raise bad cholesterol, increase the risk of heart disease and cause weight gain even when there is no excess in calories. Although a small amount of trans fats are created in nature the majority of trans fat in our diet comes from processed foods for example cakes, biscuits and pastries, they are used because they prolong the shelf life of products but should be avoided at all costs.

Cardiff personal trainer, Sam O'Sullivan is a nutrition and weight loss Cardiff expert. http://www.SOSpersonaltraining.com

If your looking for 1:1 personal training in Cardiff, a cardiff personal trainer or weight loss classes in Cardiff then be sure to check out the website: http://www.SOSpersonaltraining.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sam_O'Sullivan/583974

Image courtesy of Ben Schonewille at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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The Real Dangers of Sugar

How healthy is our food nowadays?

As modern society continues to find ways to make food production cheaper and faster, the quality of our food also continues to decline.

There is a very real reason why there are now advocacies against processed food. It seems that food manufacturers have completely forgotten their ethical obligation to consumer health by ignoring warnings from the medical establishment about adding too much sugar and preservatives to food.

What's happening to processed food?

These past few years, consumer wellness organizations have monitored a steady climb in the amount of additives that manufacturers add to common food items and beverages like bread, soda and even yogurt.

That's why it's best to keep away from any food or beverage that lasts more than a week in the cupboard. Imagine what they put in food that can last for 2 years in storage!

How much sugar are we really consuming?

The amount of sugar present in our food nowadays is especially worrying because current medical studies have uncovered some very real dangers of regularly consuming table sugar.

Refined sugars and HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) can be found in pancake mixes, chocolate, candies, cured meats, potato snacks, cupcakes, marshmallows and almost any other food or beverage that you can think of.

A single serving of regular soda contains an average of 10 teaspoons of table sugar. If you think that isn't much, try consuming 10 teaspoons of sugar at home. Do you feel nauseated already? That's what soda companies have been using to flavor sodas for more than four decades now.

Some forty years ago, people thought that consuming table sugar only increased your likelihood of developing bad teeth and diabetes.

Newer studies have now linked sugar to numerous health conditions, including metabolic syndrome and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

As a natural health advocate advocate, I want to emphasize the importance of having the latest information on the food that we eat to help people make better food choices every day.

What are the real dangers of sugar?

Sugar is one of the deadliest additives in food today. Here's why:

Heart Threat - Sugar has been shown to affect the involuntary muscle activity of the heart. A molecule found in ordinary table sugar called G6P has a negative impact on the heart tissue at the cellular level.

Excess consumption of sugar and a sedentary lifestyle can increase a person's risk of developing heart failure. Heart failure often claims people's lives in less than a decade after diagnosis.

Belly Fat - There has been an alarming rise in obesity rates in teenagers and small children these past few decades. One of the major contributing factors to this trend is an increase in the consumption of fructose. Fructose is an inexpensive form of sugar used in soda, ice cream, cookies and even bread products.

Fructose appears to boost the growth of visceral fat or the fat found in our midsections. When a child develops mature visceral fat early in life, he/she has a higher risk of being obese in adulthood.

Deadly Appetite - Our bodies are naturally equipped with mechanisms that tell us when to stop eating. Studies show that sugar has found a way to suspend those natural mechanisms. Consuming foods and beverages rich in sugar contributes to the development of a condition called leptin resistance.

When a person has leptin resistance, they don't feel full and satisfied with moderate amounts of food, so they continue consuming excessive amounts of food every time they eat.

Our bodies also have a tough time detecting the presence of sugar in beverages. It's difficult for the body to send a signal that you already consumed a lot of calories from soda or juices because this substance just doesn't register the same way as other types of food.

Toxic to the Liver - Excessive consumption of table sugar and other variants like high fructose corn syrup can disturb normal liver function, which can then lead to liver disease. Medical researchers have discovered that fructose and other sugars make use of the same metabolic channels that ethanol uses, which makes it just as dangerous as alcohol.

For more tips and strategies on how to lose weight permanently and be healthy and happy, get your free copy of Lose Weight With Yoga at http://www.joseesmith.com/yogaweightloss

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Josee_Smith/1677631

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Weight Training For Fat Loss - For More Than Just Your Appearance

I have been a fitness buff for over 30 years, and during that span, I have spent a considerable amount of time in gyms, lifting weights. One thing that has always stood out for me is that, for the most part, except for one or two other people, I'm usually alone with the weights. In the other room, the room that contains the treadmills, ellipticals, and the stationary bicycles, it's a battle to get your time in. Nobody wants to take part in weight training for fat loss, they'd rather just jump on a treadmill for a few minutes and then be on their way.

These people are missing the boat, and I hope that's not the case with you. It has been an accepted fact in the fitness world for many years that resistance training, or weight training for fat loss, is essential for weight loss and fat reduction. Doing an aerobic exercise, even every day, benefits you only temporarily. You burn the calories while performing your exercise, and then it stops there. Weight training for fat loss, where you firm up your body or actually pack on muscle, works to your benefit in several different ways. It's not just about your appearance.

In order for your body to carry out its daily functions, operating your circulatory, digestive, and respiratory systems to name a few, your body will take your food and turn it into energy, or fuel, in order to do its business. In order to perform these functions, it will burn a minimum number of calories, even if you do pretty much nothing on a particular day. In order to lose weight, you either need to burn more calories than you take in or take in fewer calories than your body burns. It is a numbers game. And you know how many calories you can burn up doing an aerobic exercise, or have a good idea, so how would weight training for fat loss benefit you?

The rate at which you burn calories will depend on many different variables, your level of activity and your size, to name a few. But let's use 2,500 calories as an example. At your fitness level at this moment, we will say that you burn 2,500 calories a day just existing. To lose weight, you do one of two things. You burn more than 2,500 calories through activity or you eat less than that amount of calories. I will assume you have tweaked your diet to the point that you are doing all you can in that department. So let's look at exercise, aerobic versus weight training for fat loss.

You spend half an hour on a stationary bicycle and you burn up 300 calories. So when looking at your 2,500 calories that you body uses, you can do one of two things. You can subtract the 300 and, if you do this every day for about two weeks, you will lose a pound. Or you can eat 300 calories more the day that you do the bicycle and not gain any weight.

So what about weight training for fat loss? You do resistance training for 45 minutes and burn the same 300 calories. It may sound the same, but in reality, you have made a permanent change in your body composition that will effect the numbers over time. You have ever so slightly changed the makeup of your body, transforming fat into muscle. A body that contains muscle as opposed to fat will burn calories faster, even when you are doing nothing. A person that takes part in weight training for fat loss will burn calories at a much higher level than a person who does just aerobic exercises. And that applies 24 hours a day. So even when you sleep, your body will burn calories at a higher rate. That's right, even when you sleep.

Muscle takes up less space than fat, giving you a smaller, leaner look. 

And because your body will now be using more calories every day to perform its duties, you will either lose weight at a faster rate or you can actually eat more. So if you are not happy with the results you are seeing from your current fitness program, consider weight training for fat loss. There's always plenty of space in the weight room for one more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Nick_Robertson/529556

Fat and Muscle Photo credit: Cloudfront.net

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