Archive for the Rid Cellulite category
“Like anyone else, there are days I feel beautiful and days I don’t, and when I don’t, I do something about it.” Cheryl Tiegs, O Magazine, May 2004
US actress & model
There is no magic wand which will help get rid of all imperfections immediately, but you can improve your skin a lot using somo knowledge. First of all the principle of fighting age signs is to choose the right target. There are two huge weak points - slow skin cell regeneration and thickening of the top skin layer. Let me explain how the skin works. Our skin looks as key lime pie does.The top layer, called the epidermis, isn’t very thick. The epidermis is what is actually visible. At the bottom of this layer sits basal cells. They lay in the nourishing intercellular “soup” delivered to them by our capillary system. Every living creature produces some sort of solution through metabolism which flushes away the sewage under the skin – lymphatic system. These are live cells which divide all the time, letting one cell to travel up to the surface and the other one remains for future reproduction. The cell’s journey to the skins surface takes approximately 28 days. These cells, which are filled with intercellular fluid, undergo some drastic changes while getting further and further from home. The cell changes from a living one to a dead one with a hard shell – keranocite.These hard flat cells are the very top protective layer of our skin. Eventually they fall off and are washed away during our usual skin care routine. As the cell travels its shape changes from a puffy square to a hard flat appearance. When you look at the skin through a microscope you can see the distinctive layers of different shaped cells. Normally these layers have a certain thickness according to the time needed for the cell to pass each changing stage. With age this process changes and the layers of the cells are no longer even. The bottom layers of living cells gets thinner and the top layer of dead cells gets thicker.This abnormality causes the aged look of our skin. Thick top layers begin to fold which we see as wrinkles. The middle layer of our skin-pie is the dermis. This layer is much thicker because it houses all capillaries, the lymphatic system, sebaceous glands, hair follicles, nerves and others. This layer is reinforced with collagen and elastin fibers. The cells which are responsible for this fiber production are called fibroblasts. The production cycle of the collagen fiber is about 15 days (T1/2). Everyone has heard about collagen and how important it is for our skin. The main function of collagen is to create a strong, flexible frame which is the “floor” for the upper layer. When it is firm and stretched flat is gives a young, smooth appearance to our skin. But unfortunately with age the collagen production drops.Not only does the collagen production slow down with age but the percentage of old collagen continues to increase or build up. Normally collagen which has grown older and has lost its flexibility gets destroyed by “wiper” – ferment collagenaza. This ferment recognizes and processes old collagen fibers and then redirects what is left as a building material. But sometimes collagen fibers undergo changes that make them unrecognizable for the “wiper”. With age we have more and more these bad “leftovers” which are not replaced by new collagen. Together with slower collagen production this makes the most important part of the collagen carcase – the top flexible membrane (basal membrane)- sag in the places where the skin folds have been created. These sagging depressions are actual wrinkle formations. And finally the bottom layer of our pie, the crust, is the gypodermis. It is formed by fat cells – our storage supplies. This layer varies over our entire body. You can see the “extra cells” over certain parts of the body such as our hips, belly, etc…we know these areas well - they are prone to cellulite, which is caused by changes in this specific layer. So, let’s look around again and point out the problems.
Rule number ONE – Exfoliate.
Looking at the very top we see the thick dead cell layer which looks exactly like a junk yard, where old cars discarded one on top of the other. Old cells, glued together, form an uneven layer which isn’t able to reflect light – what we see is skin that is gray, dull and lacking natural glow. There are temporary remedies such as filling the hollows between cells. Creams with a substance such as lipids, applied to the skin will let the surface reflect light much better. That is why the skin looks much smoother and fresher after we’ve applied these creams. The other decorative method is to apply “decorative cosmetics” which simply consists of reflecting particles.Does this sound familiar? Yes, it should. It’s like painting directly over an old rusted car without removing the rust first.
Rule number TWO – Exercise.
As we look deeper into the skin we notice that the quality of basal cell’s life expectancy depends on two important factors – the delivery of nutrients and the proper removal of waste. Building material for new cells; proteins, amino acids, macro and micro elements and others, are mainly delivered by the capillary system. These tiny capillaries are vital to our skins proper function but unfortunately they are too easy destroyed by smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and lack of exercise. Another important factor is the removal of those end, or waste, products. Our lymphatic system is responsible for this significant mission. As toxic waste can damage our environment in the world around us, it too has the same effects on our inner-world – it poisons our bodies. Because of certain life-styles, environmental problems and bad eating habits, the amount of waste becomes too much for the lymphatic system to handle and it becomes clogged. Imagine what would happen if the drainage in your house failed – same idea. This is why stimulating massages are so important. They increase blood and lymph flow which then helps restore normal circulation and prevents stagnation.
Rule number THREE – Nourish.
Still another problem which may affect the natural skin rejuvenation process is the lack of building materials. The ancients came up with a method by which they were able to diagnose illness based on the skins condition and appearance. This means that if we have problems with our inner organs – our skin suffers first. All nutrients whether they come from food or additional supplements are first used by our vital organs. What is left over goes to our skin.That is why a balanced diet is so important for our appearance. Along with a well balanced diet the use of nourishing skin care products is a must. These products supply the necessary components directly to skin cells. This is why it is so important to use active concentrates and other skin care products.
Rule number FOUR – Stimulate.
As we age, the speed in which our cells divide slows. This decrease is dependent on many factors but the decrease of inductive substances in the blood and intercellular liquids is primary.This is a normal process that together with photo aging and the natural oxidation- causes irreversible changes in the skin structure.There are many methods used to stimulate cells, to make them work as though they were in a “younger” mode. Biochemistry.and.physiotherapy are the main resources for such a solution.
Rule number FIVE – Hydrate and Protect.
The skins appearance depends upon the look of the skin’s top layer which is no more than a layer of flat scales or keranocyte which are “glued” together by their lipid membranes. Each scales length is approx. 10mMk , width 0.07-10mMk.There are many micro-channels in between these cells that ensure the “breathing” (2-5% of the daily dose of the gas exchange is provided by skin). Along with the skins exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen there is also the process of water evaporation within the intercellular liquid commonly known as “dehydration”. With this we want to seal in the skins normal moisture content but at the same time allow the skin to breathe.The final task of skin care routine is to introduce cosmetics consisting of hyaluronic acid, collagen and other effective hydrating components which do not create heavy non-breathable membrane, and protect from UV-UA radiation.
Rose Hollis
http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/the-theory-of-skin-care-737209.html
“She’s not Fat, she’s just a Big Girl”
Just because it doesn’t jiggle doesn’t mean it’s not fat !
If I could just have a dollar for every time I have heard a girl say that she doesn’t like to train legs because they get too big, or a gentleman tell me how he’s not fat, he’s just solid. I have news for you all … it is FAT!
There are different ways in which our body stores fat.
1. SUBCUTANEOUS.. The most obvious in fat that is held underneath the skin. This subcutaneous fat (under the skin) is what we see as rolls or that dimpled cellulite. It has mind of its own and you cannot flex it or suck it in. You cannot hold your breath and have a double chin tighten or a flabby arm feel firm. This fat is the ugly stuff that is shunned by society.
2. IMTG … INTRAMUSCULAR TRIGLYCERIDES. Droplets of fat can also be stored in muscle and it gives the appearance of a more ’solid’ physique, it is this fat that is often mistaken for muscle. Fat is also stored in the not so pretty muscles, like your heart and other organs.
Men and women matched for training experience and performance ran for 90 minutes at 65% of their VO2 max. 42% of the calories used in the women were from fat, of the calories used by the men only 20% came from fat (Tarnopolsky et al 1990)
Interestingly women are known to burn more fat (as a percentage of total energy expenditure) than men during exercise.
We are able to know this as we can test the ‘Respiratory Exchange Ratio’ (RER). The RER tells us the rate of carbohydrate and fat utilization based upon how much carbon dioxide is produced in our breath compared with how much oxygen we consume.
During exercise up to 50% of the fat used as energy comes from fat that is held within muscle (IMTG) the rest comes from that fat held under the skin and from the fat in our blood. In women there is strong evidence to show that women use a greater amount of IMTG during exercise. This will all be explained when I discuss how fat is actually broken down and vanished from the body, but for now, consider this. If women do indeed burn more intra muscular fat during exercise than do men, then wouldn’t that explain the frustration that we feel when we see very little difference for all our hours of training. We only see that subcutaneous fat that sits as rolls underneath our skin and we are less appreciative of the fat breakdown that occurs within the muscle.
VISCERAL FAT You cant pinch it and it wont jiggle or have dimples. Visceral fat sits deep inside the abdominal cavity and it surrounds your vital organs.
It is absolutely the most dangerous fat to have,
yet ironically it is not the ’stubborn’ kind of fat that hangs around despite all efforts. Duke University concluded that moderate exercise (30 minute brisk walk) can keep visceral fat at bay and by increasing the intensity you are able to get rid of the toxic tissue all together.
Sedentary people will see visceral fat accumulate year after year, this is no joke. It might be great to balance your beer can on but visceral fat is undisputedly a precursor for Insulin resistance (and so Type II diabetes), hypertension and cardiovascular heart disease. This is the stuff that will affect your quality of life and ultimately the length of your life.
There seems to be a strong hormonal influence with multiple endocrine associations being linked to visceral fat. Elevated cortisol and insulin levels are the villans but they are accompanied by higher androgen levels (in women) lower testosterone levels (in men) and lower growth hormone levels in both men and women.
Both men and women have androgens. Androgens are thought of as steroid hormones that are responsible for the masculine traits, but everyone has them and they are in fact a precursor for all estrogens. However in some women the androgen levels may be higher and then we see more of the ‘apple’ shape, the women with slimmer hips but wider waists. It is therefore also linked to estrogen levels and when estrogen levels drop (menopause) women experience the ‘middle aged’ spread when they add weight to their mid section, an area where they had been unaccustomed to holding onto weight. Estrogen hormone therapy can reverse this affect but the shift to abdominal weight is a common occurrence in both men and women as they age. As we age men see their testosterone levels drop and women experience a drop in estrogen. In both cases our own growth hormone levels are declining from about the age of 30 onwards. While this downward shift is taking place we might unknowingly be adding to the problem with elevated insulin and cortisol levels.
Cortisol in the simplest of terms is our stress hormone. Stress can be emotional and/or physiological. As cruel as life can be sometimes both of these hormones prove challenging as we age. Stress with work, family, health and the environment adds up and our bodies ability to deal with insulin can be reduced also. Poor diet exacerbates the insulin issue with the sugary foods and sodas creating an enormous strain on our physiological well being. You can read a lot more about insulin in by Carbohydrate E bood (www.joannelee.com) but to drastically summarize, Insulin is produced in response to a rise in our blood sugar. When we consume high carbohydrate foods (especially refined sugars) we elevate our blood sugar and insulin is produced to regulate and bring our blood sugar back down. Inactivity and poor nutrition demand an unhealthy overproduction of insulin, eventually even insulin cannot deal with the problem and we become insulin resistant … Type II diabetes.
The problem as I see it is that people don’t think that they are sick unless they have something tangible, like a cough or a broken bone. The most dangerous conditions are fermenting on the inside and as a society we are happy to take a pill if the doctor says our blood pressure is too high and maybe another pill is our cholesterol is a concern. The problems linked to type II diabetes include blindness, kidney, nerve and heart disorders. Type II diabetes used to be called ‘Adult onset Diabetes’ as it was a condition linked to advancing age. It is outrageous that it had to be renamed to Type II diabetes as too many younger people were being struck down as a result of lifestyle choices.
Visceral fat is dangerous; it has strong links to hormonal changes. Specific conditions because of their hormonal challenges are linked to visceral fat, conditions such as Polycystic ovary Syndrome, menopause, growth hormone deficiency, depression, Cushing Syndrome and of course aging. The avoidable conditions include smoking, excess food and/or alcohol and lack of regular exercise.
The good news is that, unlike ’stubborn’ fat, visceral fat is much more responsive to exercise. 175 men and women (all overweight and sedentary) were split into four groups. All of the people in the study were starting to show signs of fat accumulation problems.
Group 1 … No exercise
Group 2 …Low dose moderate (walked 12 miles per week)
Group 3 … Low dose intense activity (12 miles jogging per week)
Group 4 … High dose vigorous intensity activity (20 miles jogging per week)
No one in the study changed their diets
The study lasted 6 months for the inactive group, the other 3 groups had to do 8 months as they spent 2 months getting fit enough to participate in the study.
(Duke University author Dr Chris Slentz) The study concluded that there was no significant difference in visceral fat levels in the low dose exercise groups but as the intensity increased the faster they lost their visceral fat. At first it was thought that to ask inactive people to run 20 miles per week might be too much, but all of the people in group 4 were able to get to this level quite easily.
Group 4 saw visceral fat levels drop by 6.9% in 6 months; they also lost 7% of their subcutaneous fat (the jiggly stuff under the skin) Group 1 didn’t change anything and all participants gained visceral fat!
As a general rule then we can say that if you don’t want to add to the visceral fat you have already then daily moderate exercise should be implemented, but if you want to lose that deadly pot belly then it’s time to turn up the intensity and not to be held back by preconceived ideas of what you are capable of.
Joanne Lee
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/all-fat-does-not-jiggle-686255.html
Amazing New Technology for Fat Removal
If you’re looking to get rid of those obstinate fat pockets, SmartLipo laser liposuction is a procedure that guarantees fast, visible results. Besides being the first and sole laser aided lipolysis machine to remove fat in a minimally invasive and innovative manner, SmartLipo is associated with fewer side-effects and a shorter downtime when compared to traditional liposuction.
A Winning Option
Whatever may be the color, age, skin type or shape of the person, SmartLipo emerges as a winning option. Included among the many body areas that can be effectively treated with SmartLipo are small regions of the face, arms, neck, male breasts, tummy, ankles, and knees. Any person with fat in these areas and who is not more than 25 lbs above the most correct weight for him/her, can stand to gain from SmartLipo.
Multiple Benefits
Here are some of the other benefits of SmartLipo laser liposuction:
• Only a minimal degree of bruising, discomfort, and pain.
• Results are visible soon after the procedure and would continue to get better over the months.
• Enhances body contour.
• Tautens sagging skin.
• Causes a certain level of cellulite enhancement.
• Stitches not required.
SmartLipo is more advantageous than other liposuction modalities that are laser assisted because of its use of a dual laser MPX - the SmartLipo MPX. The utilization of two wavelengths by the SmartLipo MPX helps to decrease the treatment time.
Fat Doesn’t Return
Usually, one treatment is all that’s required to get the desired results. What’s more, once the treatment is over, you will not develop fresh fat cells. If fat is to develop, most of it would be concentrated in regions where the treatment was not done. It’s no surprise then that so many people are going the SmartLipo way.
Spero J Theodorou
http://www.articlesbase.com/plastic-surgeries-articles/smartlipo-laser-liposuction-fast-visible-results-700643.html
Last year as a nation we spent $30 billion on weight loss programs and products. This year 50 million Americans will go on a diet … 95% of those people will fail at keeping the weight off.
What other industry could survive, let alone flourish with a failure rate of 95% ? Even more astounding, what industry has repeat business clientele with such a rate of failure.
It makes no sense ! If you blame yourself for a product or program not working, then maybe you will go back over and over again. Maybe you will go back when you see all the commercials, adverts and billboards that show all the people it has (supposedly) worked for. Most weight loss programs and products count on you blaming yourself (and not them) when results are not forthcoming or not long lived.
This gets me a little ticked off and I know it applies just as much to men as it does for women, but for women every failure erodes their own self perception. Year in and year out their self concept is chipped away at until they feel they have no control whatsoever. They may be treated badly at work or by their family. Aspirations are a thing of their past, they just exist with the cards they have been dealt and fail to dream yet alone realize anything better than that which they have already. It is a hateful scenario and it is a hateful cycle with a ripple effect that just ruins a person’s life.
With such a enormous failure rate how is it then that we always seem to think that the blame lies with us ?
At one end of the spectrum there are the people that fund the infomercial business. They buy that 5 minute a day exercise machine or that cellulite cream, at 3 in the morning they are punching in their credit card details for that fat zapper or carb blocker. They are looking for minimal effort on their part and in return they want dramatic results. Deep down though, do they really expect those results, I doubt it, I think that they just feel better as in some way they are feeling pro active.
Sure you can give away control but you can never give away responsibility. If you think that you will be rewarded just by the purchase decision then you are fooling yourself. The client that tells me that they have worked with several personal trainers and not seen the results they had expected is the client that is putting in sub maximal effort. A trainer can only be responsible for your behavior one hour at a time and even then they cannot do the work for you.
The body is wiser than our conscious mind. Treat it badly and it will find ways to counter act your poor choices. I used to compete and that backlash was one of the main reasons that I left the sport of bodybuilding. I would spend months dieting my weight down to the single digit body fat percentages demanded by the sport but right after show time I would start regaining those pounds at an alarming speed. When I first started competing it did not phase me as I was certainly rewarding myself in the ‘off season’ with foods that I knew would pack on some pounds. I knew I would be dieting soon enough for the next show so a little indulgence in the interim seemed just fine by me. Then as I competed year in year out that cycle became really old, the joke about having two closets, one for pre contest clothes and one for off season clothes was wearing a little thin. The weight fluctuations bothered me and so I changed things around. I dieted for my shows with my usual discipline (nothing like having to wear a bikini in front of a room full of people to keep you on track) but afterwards I kept my diet super strict but not quite so calorie restrictive. The result, I still ended up heavier, I might just as well have enjoyed the gain as I ended up in the same place anyway.
“for every action there is an opposite reaction of equal force”
Our bodies like ‘homeostasis.’ Our bodies prefer to keep and even keel and seek to maintain that steady state. When we go too far off track our bodies control center has the ability to adjust and adapt despite the external influences we are imposing. One of the ways our bodies can counter act our own behavior is to increase or decrease our metabolic rate. We know we have genetic metabolic factors, we also know we can enhance our metabolism by eating the right foods and by being physically active. However sometimes with good intentions we push too hard and it is then that our body has the ability to shove right back by slowing our metabolic rate to preserve the very energy we are trying to burn.
Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD) are a major culprit. A study published in ‘Medicine & Science in Exercise & Sport’ monitored a number of female gymnasts and runners. The athletes who ate the fewest calories per day had the highest body fat percentages. Due to low calories the body had the ability to slow down its own metabolic rate to conserve energy. We have known for decades about this “Starvation Mode” but it doesn’t seem to stop people from cutting calories to ’starvation’ levels.
As a species mankind needs to be able to do this. Food supplies were not always constant. Certain foods were only available certain times of the year and other foods were only available when the opportunity arose (hunting). Our bodies have always known to adapt when food supplies were low and we are not a million years away from the times when this was a good thing. The leading cause of death until the 20th Century was starvation. Mankind has been on this planet for about 5 million years, so the concept of dieting to look better is a pretty recent thing. It was about 3.2 million years ago that we eventually got ourselves upright. ‘Lucy’ was found in Ethiopa back in 1974. If it took almost 2 million years to get off all fours then it could easily take just as long for us to feel comfortable existing with minimal body fat and eating foods that are not born of the land. Evolution or no evolution we must accept that our bodies are smarter and less superficial than us.
With VLCD our metabolism is able to slow down to conserve energy. At first these diets do indeed work and we will see our weight reduce. What we do is a mere inconvenience, we might deem our VLCD as something almost admirable, something that takes huge self discipline, but in the great scheme of things our inner working can correct our misbehaving and give us a slap on the wrist as a reminder.
We reduce our calories and often the calories we do eat come from poor sources. We lose weight for a while and then our metabolism slows down and we ‘plateau.’ We may cut our calories even farther to try to lose the weight but this just digs us even deeper into the whole. If the number on the scale is now moving downwards it is now because you are losing muscle. Fat is more energy dense (9 calories a gram) and so if your body feels like it is starving it is unlikely to give up its densest energy source. It is more likely to give up the tissue that is using up energy. Muscle is metabolically active, it needs energy just to exist. If you get rid of some of the muscle then your body can conserve even more energy on the limited number of calories you are giving it. If you choose to eat too few calories you will lose weight (note I say ‘weight’ not ‘fat’) eventually you will suffer from a depressed metabolism and the weight loss will halt. Your body will seek to hold onto its stash of energy and rid itself of the muscle tissue that has its own energy requirement.
At some point the dieter either reaches their desired weight or they have become very disheartened (and just plain hungry), they may relax their calorie restriction a little or they may quit altogether. At this point they have a slower metabolism than before the onset of the diet and they have less muscle. Before they started reducing their calories they may have had a basal metabolic rate of 1800 calories a day, since then they have lost muscle and now their BMR might only be 1500. By simply returning to their normal way of eating they are going to gain weight just because their daily energy requirement has been reduced.
Joanne Lee
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/are-you-destoying-your-metabolism-678548.html
Posted under
Rid Cellulite by admin on February 26th, 2010 11:07 pm
Last year as a nation we spent $30 billion on weight loss programs and products. This year 50 million Americans will go on a diet … 95% of those people will fail at keeping the weight off.
What other industry could survive, let alone flourish with a failure rate of 95% ? Even more astounding, what industry has repeat business clientele with such a rate of failure.
It makes no sense ! If you blame yourself for a product or program not working, then maybe you will go back over and over again. Maybe you will go back when you see all the commercials, adverts and billboards that show all the people it has (supposedly) worked for. Most weight loss programs and products count on you blaming yourself (and not them) when results are not forthcoming or not long lived.
This gets me a little ticked off and I know it applies just as much to men as it does for women, but for women every failure erodes their own self perception. Year in and year out their self concept is chipped away at until they feel they have no control whatsoever. They may be treated badly at work or by their family. Aspirations are a thing of their past, they just exist with the cards they have been dealt and fail to dream yet alone realize anything better than that which they have already. It is a hateful scenario and it is a hateful cycle with a ripple effect that just ruins a person’s life.
With such a enormous failure rate how is it then that we always seem to think that the blame lies with us ?
At one end of the spectrum there are the people that fund the infomercial business. They buy that 5 minute a day exercise machine or that cellulite cream, at 3 in the morning they are punching in their credit card details for that fat zapper or carb blocker. They are looking for minimal effort on their part and in return they want dramatic results. Deep down though, do they really expect those results, I doubt it, I think that they just feel better as in some way they are feeling pro active.
Sure you can give away control but you can never give away responsibility. If you think that you will be rewarded just by the purchase decision then you are fooling yourself. The client that tells me that they have worked with several personal trainers and not seen the results they had expected is the client that is putting in sub maximal effort. A trainer can only be responsible for your behavior one hour at a time and even then they cannot do the work for you.
The body is wiser than our conscious mind. Treat it badly and it will find ways to counter act your poor choices. I used to compete and that backlash was one of the main reasons that I left the sport of bodybuilding. I would spend months dieting my weight down to the single digit body fat percentages demanded by the sport but right after show time I would start regaining those pounds at an alarming speed. When I first started competing it did not phase me as I was certainly rewarding myself in the ‘off season’ with foods that I knew would pack on some pounds. I knew I would be dieting soon enough for the next show so a little indulgence in the interim seemed just fine by me. Then as I competed year in year out that cycle became really old, the joke about having two closets, one for pre contest clothes and one for off season clothes was wearing a little thin. The weight fluctuations bothered me and so I changed things around. I dieted for my shows with my usual discipline (nothing like having to wear a bikini in front of a room full of people to keep you on track) but afterwards I kept my diet super strict but not quite so calorie restrictive. The result, I still ended up heavier, I might just as well have enjoyed the gain as I ended up in the same place anyway.
“for every action there is an opposite reaction of equal force”
Our bodies like ‘homeostasis.’ Our bodies prefer to keep and even keel and seek to maintain that steady state. When we go too far off track our bodies control center has the ability to adjust and adapt despite the external influences we are imposing. One of the ways our bodies can counter act our own behavior is to increase or decrease our metabolic rate. We know we have genetic metabolic factors, we also know we can enhance our metabolism by eating the right foods and by being physically active. However sometimes with good intentions we push too hard and it is then that our body has the ability to shove right back by slowing our metabolic rate to preserve the very energy we are trying to burn.
Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD) are a major culprit. A study published in ‘Medicine & Science in Exercise & Sport’ monitored a number of female gymnasts and runners. The athletes who ate the fewest calories per day had the highest body fat percentages. Due to low calories the body had the ability to slow down its own metabolic rate to conserve energy. We have known for decades about this “Starvation Mode” but it doesn’t seem to stop people from cutting calories to ’starvation’ levels.
As a species mankind needs to be able to do this. Food supplies were not always constant. Certain foods were only available certain times of the year and other foods were only available when the opportunity arose (hunting). Our bodies have always known to adapt when food supplies were low and we are not a million years away from the times when this was a good thing. The leading cause of death until the 20th Century was starvation. Mankind has been on this planet for about 5 million years, so the concept of dieting to look better is a pretty recent thing. It was about 3.2 million years ago that we eventually got ourselves upright. ‘Lucy’ was found in Ethiopa back in 1974. If it took almost 2 million years to get off all fours then it could easily take just as long for us to feel comfortable existing with minimal body fat and eating foods that are not born of the land. Evolution or no evolution we must accept that our bodies are smarter and less superficial than us.
With VLCD our metabolism is able to slow down to conserve energy. At first these diets do indeed work and we will see our weight reduce. What we do is a mere inconvenience, we might deem our VLCD as something almost admirable, something that takes huge self discipline, but in the great scheme of things our inner working can correct our misbehaving and give us a slap on the wrist as a reminder.
We reduce our calories and often the calories we do eat come from poor sources. We lose weight for a while and then our metabolism slows down and we ‘plateau.’ We may cut our calories even farther to try to lose the weight but this just digs us even deeper into the whole. If the number on the scale is now moving downwards it is now because you are losing muscle. Fat is more energy dense (9 calories a gram) and so if your body feels like it is starving it is unlikely to give up its densest energy source. It is more likely to give up the tissue that is using up energy. Muscle is metabolically active, it needs energy just to exist. If you get rid of some of the muscle then your body can conserve even more energy on the limited number of calories you are giving it. If you choose to eat too few calories you will lose weight (note I say ‘weight’ not ‘fat’) eventually you will suffer from a depressed metabolism and the weight loss will halt. Your body will seek to hold onto its stash of energy and rid itself of the muscle tissue that has its own energy requirement.
At some point the dieter either reaches their desired weight or they have become very disheartened (and just plain hungry), they may relax their calorie restriction a little or they may quit altogether. At this point they have a slower metabolism than before the onset of the diet and they have less muscle. Before they started reducing their calories they may have had a basal metabolic rate of 1800 calories a day, since then they have lost muscle and now their BMR might only be 1500. By simply returning to their normal way of eating they are going to gain weight just because their daily energy requirement has been reduced.
Joanne Lee
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/are-you-destoying-your-metabolism-678548.html
Posted under
Rid Cellulite by admin on February 24th, 2010 8:13 pm
Is cellulite keeping you from wearing those sexy shorts or that mini-skirt? Do you refrain from wearing swimsuits, for fear your cellulite will shine through?
Cellulite is a great frustration for many women. Out of desperation, many ladies turn to quick fixes such as creams, lotion, and potions that promise slimmer thighs in a matter of days.
Before you can eliminate the cellulite problem, you first have to identify what exactly it is.
Cellulite is a mass collection of fat deposits and toxins compacted beneath the skin, which has not been eliminated by the body.
Women are usually victims of this unsightly orange-peel and cottage cheese bulge can be on your arms, stomach, hips, thighs, buttocks, and other areas. Men can even have cellulite and it’s usually located on their neck and stomach area.
So does that mean only those individuals overweight get cellulite? Not necessarily. Slim women and those in their ideal weight range can still develop this unsightly condition. While having excess weight will be a contributing factor for cellulite, it’s not the resulting cause.
Fancy-smanchy cellulite creams on the market may help smooth the cellulite appearance temporarily, usually 8-24 hours, but these creams do not get to the source of the problem to get rid of cellulite.
Some Cellulite Busting Tactics
While banishing cellulite is not a one-shot approach, you can still have some success in diminishing it. Don’t expect to be cellulite-free in a matter of days. You didn’t develop the condition overnight and therefore it’s going to take some time to reverse the problem.
Drink Up Drinking
Water is a great way to get your body working properly. Ninety percent of the people walking around are dehydrated. A dehydrated body cannot function as nature intended.
Water aids in digestion, circulations, flushing fat and toxins out, and usually the single most missing element in most people’s diet.
Balanced Diet
Many people still have the no-fat mentality. Natural fat is absolutely essential for a healthy diet, mind, and body. Natural fat does not cause or contribute to cellulite. Natural fat is responsible for nutrient transportation and absorption, building hormones, and a whole host of other great functions. Trans fat is the enemy. Stay away from man-made fat if you want to beat cellulite.
Exercise
No doubt, exercise is beneficial for getting rid of cellulite, as it increases circulation and builds lean muscle tissue. You should include both aerobic (cardiovascular) and anaerobic (resistance training) exercise into your daily life.
Detoxing
Detoxing your body can greatly help in the cellulite battle. You’d be absolutely amazed at the garbage that’s trapped inside your cells and lodged in your fat stores. A good detox should include organic foods and filtered water. Avoid processed foods, colas, smoking and alcohol.
These are just a few of the basics to getting a step ahead of the cellulite game. If you are consistent and keep a healthy lifestyle, you can kick cellulite in its dimples and never have it return.
Karen Sessions
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-skinny-on-cellulite-705132.html
Posted under
Rid Cellulite by admin on February 22nd, 2010 8:12 pm
When you’re trying to lose cellulite but nothing seems to work, then maybe you need to discover which foods you need to be consuming, and which foods you should neglect. In this article, we’ll present you a simple diet plan you can use to get rid of that unwanted cellulite.
What foods to stay away from
Alcohol - Alcohol is definitely something that one should stay away from because not only is it toxic, but it can cause a whole lot of other issues as well. Alcohol has been known for affecting the liver as well as damaging numerous natural body chemicals that get rid of toxins on it’s own. It’s important to understand that your liver is a very important component in eliminating harmful toxins from the body, and you definitely don’t want to damage this process because it’s very vital to your overall health. Keep in mind that you are harming your liver when taking in alcohol on a regular basis, and this is something that must be stopped, not only to reduce cellulite, but for your own health as well!
Refined Foods & Common Food Additives - Junk foods are something you must completely stay away from if you want to have success in losing weight. Avoid any kind of sugary foods that are loaded with artificial flavors and coloring. Stay away from most foods that don’t contain only natural ingredients. Make sure that you are paying attention to the product labels when purchasing foods from the store so you know what you’re putting in your body.
Caffeine - Try avoiding beverages that contain caffeine such as coffee and sodas because drinking caffeine can help make cellulite problems worse than they already are. However, many of the common cellulite creams do contain caffeine, which is fine since it’s being absorbed through your skin rather than your digestive system.
Helpful Food and Substances for Cellulite Removal
Low fat Meats - Lean fish, poultry, and steaks are recommended when dieting for cellulite removal. Be sure and cut off all the fats in the meats, except for the fat on fish, because it is actually good for helping in reducing cellulite.
Produce - You can never go wrong with fruits and veggies in any sort of weight loss diet. Make sure your daily diet contains a good portion of fruits and vegetables because the fiber and antioxidants in these foods are essential for the health of the skin.
Water - Drink lots and lots of this stuff. Drinking lots of water will cleanse your body over time, and very much help in losing cellulite fat. Drinking water also helps flush the harmful toxins and pollutants in your body which can help aid in weight loss.
Fat Free Dairy Products - Yogurt and cottage cheese are two foods that are filled with essential amino acids which are very good for the body’s health.
If you follow the above diet plan, you should definitely start to notice a significant improvement in your cellulite reduction journey!
Daniel da Silva
http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/simple-anticellulite-diet-to-eliminate-cellulite-problems-fast-718385.html
Posted under
Rid Cellulite by admin on February 20th, 2010 6:36 pm
Cellulite reduction is one of the most sought after beauty and body goals for women of all ages. Unfortunately it’s also one of the most dishonest segments of both the beauty and fitness industries - costing women billions of dollars every year - with no cellulite reduction results to show for their efforts or their money.
Here is a recent interview on the subject of cellulite reduction through properly targeted exercise:
Reporter:
One of the most common questions I’ve been asked over the years is:
“Is Cellulite a special kind of body fat”?
What’s the unrevealed answer to that burning question?
Womens’ Fitness Expert:
Body fat is body fat - Doesn’t matter if it’s in your neck, your arms, your butt or your tummy. This issue has been laboritory tested several times - and every time the results show that “cellulite” is just regular body fat. But slick marketers have convinced many women otherwise. And by doing this - they are able to convince women with cellulite that the only possible way to get rid of it is by applying some sort of localized cream or special massage technique - or something along those lines.
Reporter:
Many ladies fall victim to the fast easy fix “sales pitches” in regards to their “Cellulite”. What do you find is the biggest misconception about Cellulite Treatments - and their side effects?
Womens’ Fitness Expert:
The biggest misconception is that “they’re supposed to work” - and when they don’t - the user thinks their genetics are the main reason for their ‘cellulite condition’…
Regarding side effects - there are so many gizmos, gimmicks and ‘magic’ creams - that they each present unique side effects… Best case scenario is you’ve wasted a lot of money and learned a very valuable lesson - and the worst case scenario is you’ve scarred yourself for life with a harsh skin treatment which leaves permanent damage.
Reporter:
What would you like to say to all the women out there who have painfully battled nasty cellulite and think that the only thing that might work, may be to have liposuction surgery?
Womens’ Fitness Expert:
First and foremost - Liposuction can only suck out fat - it can NOT suck out the dimpled skin…
Second - lipo can make a woman’s cellulite more pronounced - you’d be shocked to see how many women have experienced this. Not many of them are willing to step forward - because they are embarrassed.
Third - there’s only one proven way to get rid of the dimpled appearance of a woman’s trouble spots - and that’s by enhancing the muscle layers directly beneath the “cellulite” area.
Reporter:
Why do you think that women who know that exercise and healthy eating will make a difference with cellulite give up and don’t always get the results they want?
Womens’ Fitness Expert:
A cellulite reduction exercise program is very different than a ‘general fitness’ program. So when a woman decides to ‘try exercise’ to get rid of her cellulite - the majority of the time she is simply put on a general exercise program - which will not produce the desired end result.
Sure her general fitness will improve. But there will be elements missing from her program that specifically target the cellulite trouble zones in ways that stimulate those specific muscle layers to firm up and evenly ‘push out’ against the outer layer of the skin. Without those elements - the dimpled skin doesn’t go away.
With these specific exercises - the skin gets the tightly smoothed look.
Reporter:
What is the typical profile of a woman who only wants cellulite reduction?
Womens’ Fitness Expert:
There are women who love how they look when fully dressed. They are very happy with their weight… BUT - they can’t stand the thought of seeing themselves naked in the mirror - or being seen in public, in a bikini - or even making love with the lights on… All this type of woman wants is to get rid of the ‘cottage cheese’ looking skin.
She doesn’t want to lose weight - maybe just firm and lift a bit… And she really doesn’t want a full blown ‘gym routine’… Ideally, all she wants is something that targets the issue of her cellulite and gets rid of it.
Joey Atlas
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/get-rid-of-cellulite-from-legs-and-butt-targeted-exercises-get-rid-of-ugly-cellulite-686504.html
Posted under
Rid Cellulite by admin on February 18th, 2010 6:08 pm
Cellulite reduction is one of the most sought after beauty and body goals for women of all ages. Unfortunately it’s also one of the most dishonest segments of both the beauty and fitness industries - costing women billions of dollars every year - with no cellulite reduction results to show for their efforts or their money.
Here is a recent interview on the subject of cellulite reduction through properly targeted exercise:
Reporter:
One of the most common questions I’ve been asked over the years is:
“Is Cellulite a special kind of body fat”?
What’s the unrevealed answer to that burning question?
Womens’ Fitness Expert:
Body fat is body fat - Doesn’t matter if it’s in your neck, your arms, your butt or your tummy. This issue has been laboritory tested several times - and every time the results show that “cellulite” is just regular body fat. But slick marketers have convinced many women otherwise. And by doing this - they are able to convince women with cellulite that the only possible way to get rid of it is by applying some sort of localized cream or special massage technique - or something along those lines.
Reporter:
Many ladies fall victim to the fast easy fix “sales pitches” in regards to their “Cellulite”. What do you find is the biggest misconception about Cellulite Treatments - and their side effects?
Womens’ Fitness Expert:
The biggest misconception is that “they’re supposed to work” - and when they don’t - the user thinks their genetics are the main reason for their ‘cellulite condition’…
Regarding side effects - there are so many gizmos, gimmicks and ‘magic’ creams - that they each present unique side effects… Best case scenario is you’ve wasted a lot of money and learned a very valuable lesson - and the worst case scenario is you’ve scarred yourself for life with a harsh skin treatment which leaves permanent damage.
Reporter:
What would you like to say to all the women out there who have painfully battled nasty cellulite and think that the only thing that might work, may be to have liposuction surgery?
Womens’ Fitness Expert:
First and foremost - Liposuction can only suck out fat - it can NOT suck out the dimpled skin…
Second - lipo can make a woman’s cellulite more pronounced - you’d be shocked to see how many women have experienced this. Not many of them are willing to step forward - because they are embarrassed.
Third - there’s only one proven way to get rid of the dimpled appearance of a woman’s trouble spots - and that’s by enhancing the muscle layers directly beneath the “cellulite” area.
Reporter:
Why do you think that women who know that exercise and healthy eating will make a difference with cellulite give up and don’t always get the results they want?
Womens’ Fitness Expert:
A cellulite reduction exercise program is very different than a ‘general fitness’ program. So when a woman decides to ‘try exercise’ to get rid of her cellulite - the majority of the time she is simply put on a general exercise program - which will not produce the desired end result.
Sure her general fitness will improve. But there will be elements missing from her program that specifically target the cellulite trouble zones in ways that stimulate those specific muscle layers to firm up and evenly ‘push out’ against the outer layer of the skin. Without those elements - the dimpled skin doesn’t go away.
With these specific exercises - the skin gets the tightly smoothed look.
Reporter:
What is the typical profile of a woman who only wants cellulite reduction?
Womens’ Fitness Expert:
There are women who love how they look when fully dressed. They are very happy with their weight… BUT - they can’t stand the thought of seeing themselves naked in the mirror - or being seen in public, in a bikini - or even making love with the lights on… All this type of woman wants is to get rid of the ‘cottage cheese’ looking skin.
She doesn’t want to lose weight - maybe just firm and lift a bit… And she really doesn’t want a full blown ‘gym routine’… Ideally, all she wants is something that targets the issue of her cellulite and gets rid of it.
Joey Atlas
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/get-rid-of-cellulite-from-legs-and-butt-targeted-exercises-get-rid-of-ugly-cellulite-686504.html
Posted under
Rid Cellulite by admin on February 16th, 2010 9:18 pm
In discussing the horrible issue of cellulite on a woman’s problem spots, such as the legs, butt, hips and thighs - there’s an endless source of lies and myths that prevent so many ladies of all ages and races from experiencing true cellulite elimination, or complete reduction. Here are five key facts you need to know before you can be successful in your quest to get rid of the cellulite dimples and lumps from your lower body problem areas and trouble spots.
ONE - You’ll never get rid of cellulite by rubbing any kind of reduction lotion or skin cream on your trouble spots.
Despite the sad fact that there are dozens of supposed anti-cellulite creams on the market - there is no possible way for any of them, no matter how costly or fancy, to get rid of your cellulite problem.
Cellulite is not a skin problem or a superficial condition. It’s an underlying structural issue, that can only be fixed by toning and firming the muscle structure directly below your cellulite trouble spots.
TWO - Outrageously Expensive beauty-spa treatments can only reduce your bank account balance - not your cellulite problem.
Painfully humiliating and uncomfortable salon services ranging from endermologie to body-wrapping have been proven ineffective when it comes to anti cellulite methods. However, sneaky advertising combined with marketing loopholes allow these ineffective services to be boldly marketed to desperate ladies who are at wits end with their life altering cellulite condition.
THREE - Cellulite is not caused by genetics and you are in no way “stuck with it” if you have the dimples and bumps.
These two twisted concepts are often passed around by neighborhood know-it-alls - and many women actually believe these 2 myths - especially if they haven’t discovered the correct way to get rid of the orange peel, cottage cheese textured appearance. What’s even more sickening are the surprising number of physicians who believe in and fuel these two misleading ideas.
FOUR - You can permanently get rid of cellulite in your lower body, regardless of your age, or when you started to show signs of.
Since cellulite is a physical, structural condition - it can surely be corrected with specific anti-cellulite exercises that aim directly at the cellulite affected areas.
These laser-targeted moves can be followed by any woman, regardless of her age or fitness ability. And it doesn’t matter if the cellulite texture started in the teen years, or after giving birth, or after menopause - it’s still a physical issue that results from weak, un-toned muscles behind the bumpy, dimpled skin areas.
FIVE - The only true and proven method to permanently get rid of cellulite is through a series of laser- targeted, anti-cellulite exercises.
But you’ll be hard pressed to find these in the local Y or your neighborhood health club. These cellulite reduction exercises are not done with dangerous weights and uncomfortable machine exercises.
In spite of what most ladies have been falsely led to believe, there is a glaring difference between a ‘general fitness regimen’ - and a specifically targeted, Anti Cellulite exercise program. The most powerfult benefit of this is that you don’t need a gym or fitness club to find success. Rather, these are simple exercises you can start doing today, right in the privacy of your own house or apartment. And if you do begin doing these cellulite busting exercises today - you will start seeing positive results within three to four weeks - with further improvements beyond that
Joey Atlas
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/proven-cellulite-reduction-5-crucial-facts-you-must-know-to-get-rid-of-cellulite-711442.html