BURN FAT, LOSE WEIGHT - Permanently Burn Your Belly Fat in a Few Simple Steps - I Did It!

When it comes to weight loss, diets, fitness and nutrition, you have to remember that it won’t be an easy journey, especially at the beginning, but it will be very well worth your time, for your long term fitness and overall health.

You must eat highly nutritious whole foods, watch carefully your portion size, like half a sandwich every couple of hours, and most importantly, you must move around, like walking fast for half an hour 5 days per week, which happens to be the easiest and best exercise for overall weight loss, especially if you don’t like exercising.

The more you move, the faster you’ll burn your body fat … if you remember one thing, then just remember this: oxygen is the number one fat burner, and the more you move, the more oxygen enters your body, the more body fat you will burn … plain and simple!

I limit myself to 3 exercise routines I love most, and you should too, which are doing the trick for me and it will for you too, because the more types of exercise you try to incorporate into your daily or 3 times per week routine, the less likely you're going to do them all, and eventually you'll give them all up.

My 3 favorite exercises are the following:

a) Power Walking … half an hour or more per day, 5 days a week. Half an hour real fast walk is more than enough.

b) Toe Raises … standing in place, raise your entire self on your toes, as high up as you can, as fast as you can, for 1 minute each day or 5 days per week. This will very much improve your peripheral and overall body circulation. Peripheral circulation is very important, especially if you sit behind a desk all day, and more so when you get older, as the tiny veins in your extremities, tend to narrow with age, especially if you suffer from diabetes.

Don't forget, another benefit is stronger calf muscles … and don't get scared after 1 minute of raises, if you can't feel your calves … they'll feel very heavy, and you'll feel strange standing and moving, but this goes away in about 5 minutes, or so.

c) The Ski Walk … that's what I call this one … make believe you're moving forward with your skies on, and of course, each time you move, you have to raise your hand and move the stick forward, one hand for each step, in order to advance.

So, stand straight up, your feet about 6-8 inches apart, lower your body forward, at about 45 degree angle, straighten your lower back, legs straight as a board, and start swinging forwards and backwards, one arm at a time, as high forward as you can, like above your head, and as high up backwards as you can, with an 8 to 10 lb. dumbbell in each hand.

Do this while standing firmly in place, for about 30 to 50 times, or until you get tired. Of course, tighten your abdominal muscles, as you do this, as it will be easier for you to swing … either way, the 6 pack does get a good workout here, and your entire body gets a full strength workout, as well … the perfect body toning exercise … a pleasant and simple one, too.

Bottom line … the 3 overly simplistic, not time consuming exercises, together with eating real foods and watching portion size, is all you need to lose and keep your weight off forever … trust me, I did it - I know it!

Good luck, God Bless you and stay healthy …

Catherine Haensen

WeightLossInfopedia.com

(Over 2,000 free articles and videos)

Home of my “Burn Your Body Fat” eBook

PS:

I have been involved with weight loss for over 3 decades, having had a weight issue, which of course, I no longer do, and I’ve also written an eBook describing in detail how I lost over 50 lbs. quite a while ago, and have never regained it back, and includes my 3 powerhouse foods that helped me burn my body fat, together with advanced nutrition information!

Please visit my website at WeightLossInfopedia.com for more information and to order my 'Burn Your Body Fat – Lose Weight Now!' eBook.

My Infopedia site is a bit slow loading, since it contains over 2,000 free articles and videos, so, please be a bit patient.

Thank you and enjoy your day!

Catherine Haensen

Happy Thanksgiving To All Our Readers

Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers from all of us, and don't eat too much ... LOL!!!

Walnuts and Melatonin

Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland. It is believed to play a role in anti aging, as well as helping with jet lag and insomnia. 

But caution is well advised with using melatonin as a supplement, given how powerful its effects are.

One of the problems with melatonin is that most of the studies were done on animals, like rats, and not humans. 

Animal studies are used by the scientific community to indicate whether a substance has promise, and can yield valuable results even though they are ethically reprehensible and other alternatives exist. 

One such study was done and the scientists were able to establish not only that walnuts contained melatonin, but that it was able to be absorbed - at least by rats. 

But they believe humans would also be able to absorb the melatonin from walnuts. 

Unfortunately, they don't know how many walnuts you'd have to eat to get the benefits they established as a potential in this study. 

It might be a lot! But using food as a source of melatonin is a good option given that it is much safer, particularly if suffering from serious illnesses.

Scientists have also found that melatonin had an antioxidant effect. Antioxidants protect our cells from damage by oxidation. 

Antioxidants slow down the aging process, and interestingly, melatonin levels often decrease with age. 

The antioxidant effect of melatonin has been presented before, and it is believed it can protect the central nervous system as well as the body generally from free radicals. 

Melatonin can increase the body's own production of another antioxidant, glutathione peroxidase.

People who should not take melatonin supplements are:

* children
* pregnant women
* breastfeeding mothers
* couples trying to conceive
* people with serious allergies
* HIV and cancer patients

Whilst it is not recommended that people with cancer take melatonin, this is primarily for the reasons that not enough research has been done on humans. 

But some of the research that has been done with people suggests that melatonin may be very helpful - if it is taken with the supervision of a doctor. 

And herein lies the crux of the problem - melatonin is a very powerful substance. 

Only small doses are needed to create improvements, like 2 to 3 mg only, for some people suffering of insomnia, for example.
Overall, melatonin is very promising, and may well help people with serious illnesses like cancer and multiple sclerosis. 

In the meantime, increasing our dietary intake of foods like walnuts that potentially supply us with this wonderful nutrient, as well as a full spectrum of minerals and Omega 3 oils, may have a host of protective health benefits as well as slowing down the aging process.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net, by: africa

Avocados and Skin Care

Avocado, also known as Alligator Pear originated in southern Mexico. 

It has become a useful ingredient for our daily skin care routine. 

It is rich in fat as well as protein, but mostly fat.

These fats are monounsaturated which are good for a healthy heart. 

The provision of vitamin E and mono oils in avocado helps the heart remain fit. 

It is also known to supply 60% more potassium in comparison to banana.

It is also rich in fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin B6, iron, copper and magnesium. 

Other than applying avocado on your skin, consuming it in salad form can also be beneficial for your skin, plus the benefits of mono fat, just like Olive Oil, for example.

Avocado contains vitamins like A, D, and E which has penetrating qualities to improve your skin. 

Avocado oil is also very useful for skin care. The oil is useful to remove any sun damage or age spots. 

It also softens the skin and provides a moisturizing effect and can do wonders on damaged, undernourished and dehydrated skin.

Simple Recipes for Skin Care

Puffed Eyes

Cut avocado into slices and place it under each eye and relax with it for next 20 minutes. The changes would be remarkable.

Eye Cream

Make an eye cream by mixing 5 drops of almond oil in 3 ripe slices of avocado. Blend this mixture and dab it around your eyes. Keep it for five minutes then rinse.

Another method of making the eye cream is by using 1/4 cup avocado oil with 1/4 cup Aloe Vera gel. You could also use apricot kernel, grape seed or sesame oil.

Facial Mask

This facial mask is useful for dry skin. Mash half avocado and apply it leisurely on your face. Keep it for 15 minutes and then rinse it off with warm water.

Make a paste of ½ ripe avocado mixed with 1 tsp vegetable oil. 

Apply this paste on a washed and clean face. 

Leave it for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse it with warm water. This masque is very good for dry skin.

Smooth and Beautiful Hands

Make a paste by mixing 1/4 peeled & smashed avocado, 1 egg white, 2 tbsp. oatmeal and 1 tsp lemon juice. 

Apply this paste on your hand and leave it for 20 minutes. 

Rinse it with warm water and pat it dry. 

You would be thrilled by the results by using it regularly.

Facial Scrub

You would need 2 tbsp. flax seeds, 1/2 mashed banana and 1/2 avocado peel. 

Use a small bowl to mix flax seeds and banana. Scoop the banana and flax seed by using avocado peel. 

Massage this scoop on your face in circular motion, slowly and gently. Rinse it with warm water.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautions while following instructions on the recipes from this article. 

Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. 

The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site and/or the writer of this article/s.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net, by Grant Cochrane.

A Bit About Vitamin C

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) may possibly be a "wonder vitamin" in some people's books. 

A lot of claims have been made for it in the past few years, not the least of which was Dr. Linus Pauling's claims for its ability to prevent and lessen the duration and intensity of the common cold when taken in large doses.

Unfortunately, although vitamin C is anti-viral and does support the immune system, it is not necessarily a magic bullet that will defeat the common cold or even cancer!  
In fact, some recent studies seem to be indicating that Dr. Pauling's claims might be a little overstated.

Vitamin C, like most other vitamins and mineral supplements primarily helps the body do its job effectively.  
Deficiencies of vitamin C can predispose the body to certain ills, and proper intake either through daily diet or vitamin supplementation can HELP prevent certain conditions and illnesses.  

Vitamins and mineral supplements should never be used as the only path to health, but should be part of a lifestyle that includes overall attention to nutrition, activity (okay, exercise), proper rest and sleep, and enjoyable forms of recreation and relaxation.  

SOURCES

Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, and, as such, is not stored in the body.  
This means it must be regularly replaced by diet and/or supplementation. 
The most commonly recognized sources of vitamin C are citrus and other fruits - oranges, tangerines, limes, guava, lemons, papayas, strawberries, black currants, grapefruit and mangoes - as well as a wide range of vegetables. 

Some vegetables which contain Vitamin C include collard greens, sweet and hot peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, cabbage, potatoes, kale, spinach, and watercress.

AFFECTS

Vitamin C is a nutrient valuable for tissue growth, protection of cell membranes from toxic wastes, wound healing, and, as mentioned, support of the immune system.  
It supports the growth of collagen and cartilage, protecting in this way against many of the effects of aging.
As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps combat free radicals, and it may help with cancer, high cholesterol, cataracts, diabetes, allergies, asthma, and periodontal disease.
The effectiveness of vitamin C is believed to be increased when taken with vitamin E.

DOSES

The recommended daily intake of Vitamin C is 60 mg per day for adults, although many people, following Dr. Pauling's lead, take much higher doses in hopes of preventing colds and warding off the effects of aging.  
However, in higher doses there may be some toxicity with one of the side effects being diarrhea.  

In some cases, higher doses of vitamin C may cause kidney stones or anemia, due to an interference with the absorption of vitamin B12.
A reminder:  vitamin C is water soluble, and unused portions will be flushed from the body, so daily intake of foods rich in vitamin C or supplementation with a multivitamin may be of value.

While there do not seem to be major problems associated with an high doses of Vitamin C, it might a good idea to stick within recommended daily allowances since the jury is still out on side effects.

DEFICIENCIES

The most well-known result of a vitamin C deficiency is scurvy, a condition characterized by weakness, anemia, gum disease, and skin lesions.  
Fortunately, scurvy is very rare in our modern society although still found to a greater degree in areas of poor nutrition.
Frequent infections, severe colds, nose bleeds, tiredness, and painful joints may also indicate a deficiency.

Image courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net, by: Ambro

Steps To A Fit Family

It's no secret that many parents and their children are overweight. 

These 10 simple 'secrets' can help you change your family's lifestyle so that you can all become fit and healthy.

1) Eat Whole Grain Foods

Processed and refined grains, such as white bread, white rice, cereal, pasta, and other foods made with white flour have a high Glycemic Index, low amounts of fiber, and less vitamins and minerals as foods made with whole grains. 

Making the switch to whole grain foods, including whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, and cereals made with whole grains, are an easy and healthy way to make your family's diet more nutritious.

2) Limit Soda and Fruit Drinks

Soda and fruit drinks have low nutritional value and a lot of calories. 

At about 150 calories per 12 ounce serving, your kids will gain an extra pound about every 3 weeks if they drink just one can of soda each day.
Cutting back or eliminating soda, fruit drinks, and even fruit juice, can be a good way to get rid of a lot of extra calories and leave room for your kids to eat more nutritious foods.

3) Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Most children don't eat enough fruits and vegetables and that usually means that they are eating other less nutritious foods. 

With a high fiber content and lots of vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. 

And because they have lots of water in them, eating fruits and vegetables can help you to feel full and satisfied so that you don't overeat.

4) Eat More Foods with Calcium

A common mistake people make when trying to lose weight is that they stop drinking milk, eating cheese and yogurt. 

Calcium is important to build healthy bones and to help you lose weight. 

You should encourage your kids to drink low-fat milk, eat portioned amounts of cheese and yogurt to help lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.

5) Be More Active

Everyone knows that part of the cause of the current obesity epidemic is that people are much less active then they used to be. 

Getting kids involved in organized activities, which can be either team or individual sports, and cutting back on the amount of time in front of the TV, computer and playing video games will burn calories and improve fitness levels.

Family activities are also a good way to be more physically active. 

Even simple things, like walking across a parking lot, using stairs, and going for short family walks or bike rides, can make a big difference.

6) Know Where Calories Come From

While you don't necessarily need to do daily calorie counts, keep a diary of what your family eats for a few days can help you see where extra calories are coming from. 

Are your kids overweight because of the calories they get from a bedtime snack or those two glasses of soda he drinks? 

Or maybe because his portion sizes are too large?

If you know where your kids' calories are coming from, you will know where to make changes and how you can cut back, especially on foods that have a lot of empty calories.

7) Learn About Carbs

Carbs get a bad wrap, especially with all of the proponents of high protein diets. 

Not all carbs are created equal. While it is a good idea to avoid foods that have refined such as white bread, foods made with white flour, and foods and beverages sweetened with sugar, other carbs should be part of a balanced diet.

Instead of avoiding all carbs, just learn about how to choose foods with 'good' carbohydrates, which includes fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grain foods.

8) Learn About Fats

Like carbs, there are 'good' and 'bad' fats. Instead of making the mistake of trying to stick to a low fat diet, and simply substituting other foods that are often just as high in calories, you should eat foods that have 'good' fat in them. 

This includes foods with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. On the other hand, you should avoid saturated fats and trans fats.

9) Choose Healthy Meals when Eating Out

Even if your family eats healthy at home, if you eat super-sized fast food meals a few times a week, they are probably still at risk for becoming overweight. 

If you eat out a lot, review the nutritional facts of the restaurant's menu and watch your portion sizes. 

Calories and fat quickly adds up when eating out!

10) Stay Motivated!

Most people know what they need to do to be healthier however, eating healthy and exercising is not easy.   

Education about the specifics of a healthy diet, getting the whole family involved, and setting goals, can help your family stay healthy and fit.  

Hire a personal trainer or seek the counsel of a dietitian to keep you on the healthy track.


Image courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net, by: Grant Cochrane

Few More Weight Loss Tips

#1 Don't Skip Breakfast 

The morning meal jump starts your metabolism and helps to prevent binge eating later in the day.

A cup of coffee does not count – the caffeine and added sugar may give you a bit of energy and suppress your appetite for a little while it is sure to back fire into severe hunger and you will be more likely to overeat later.  
Breakfast should include complex carbohydrates like whole grain (granola or oatmeal), along with some protein and fat (low-fat yogurt or milk), will keep your energy levels even and hunger in check.

#2 Eat more often 

Get into the habit of eating every three to four hours or at least four times a day.  
Eating frequently stabilizes blood sugar, when blood sugar drops too low you want to eat…a lot.  
By keeping your blood sugar stable you can control your appetite and keep you metabolic rate high.  
When you go many hours without eating your body will compensate by slowing down to conserve energy…this effect hurts your weight loss efforts.

#3 Eat protein at every meal

Protein will help to reduce your appetite, it takes more energy and time to digest, in effect you feel full longer than eating carbohydrates alone.  
Research shows that eating more protein can help you lose weight without cutting calories.  
Try these protein possibilities: turkey on whole wheat; hummus and pita; vegetarian chili; fruit and nuts; or protein snack bars that contain 12 or more grams of protein.

#4 Hold off on snacking 

Many of us grab a snack for quick energy when we are feeling tired.  
But do not confuse true hunger with fatigue.  If you are feeling tired go for a 15-20 minute brisk walk.  
This will raise your heart rate and give you a boost of energy.  
Follow it up with a large glass of cool water.  If you are truly hungry have a protein and complex carbohydrate rich snack like; whole wheat crackers and peanut butter or cheese. 

#5 Consume enough for your body's needs

Eating too little slows your body's metabolism the same way eating to infrequently does.  If you want to lose weight, do not slash your calories too drastically.  
Instead, cut out some of the extras in your diet – things like soda, juice, packaged goods or candy.  
Processed foods tend to be high in fat and calories and low in vitamins, minerals and fiber.