April 2008
You are currently browsing the articles from The Enhancement Blog written in the month of April 2008.
Men and women are not built the same way. There is something different in our bodies due to the way hormones change the balance between muscle and fat and shape the size of our bones to respond to different needs later on. In men, the testosterone hormone determines the size of bones, causes hair growth and deepens the voice. It also regulates the size of the muscle mass, which it turn regulates the metabolism. The more muscle mass, the faster a person burns the calories obtained from food, which is one of the big differences between men and women and between overweight people and those who are fit.
It-s an easily recognizable fact that men and women training side by side do not have the same results. Recent studies have found that women gain weight faster than men and that they have a harder time getting rid of it through exercise. It seems that women have the misfortune of being stuck with the worst part of the weight loss process and also with having to work twice as hard as men to stay in shape. And since this is no easy task for men, you can imagine how bad the ladies have it.
Another thing that makes it even worse for the ladies is the modern obsession with a thin body. Repeated attempts to drop the extra pounds teach the body to hang on to the existing fat and so weight loss becomes harder and harder as the years pass, while the women become more and more desperate and willing to try even half-baked ideas that should simply be avoided. This leads to dieting that makes the person thinner, but not healthier. Quite on the contrary actually, since there are enough emaciated, rail-thin ladies around to serve as example.
A recent study published by the BBC showed that 62 obese women who exercised 4 hours per week and learnt how to cook healthier meals felt a tremendous improvement in their self-image. They lost only 9 pounds over three months, but their blood pressure, cholesterol and heart rates were far better. And they felt much better. So, maybe women should start to move away from achieving a certain weight to just staying healthy and feeling good regardless of weight. Maybe this is indeed the future of the weight loss industry- to help people feel better about themselves instead of harming their bodies while chasing a dream.
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Written by on April 30th, 2008 with no comments.
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Once again we have a good example of a polarizing diet. Some people love eDiets.com and want to spread the word, while others loathe it and vow to spread the word. It-s the clash of dieters over who-s right and who-s wrong about this program. While this is also the case with many other diets, eDiets.com has been particularly good at annoying both existing and prospective customers due to their -creative- approach to billing. However, this problem is not related to the dieting itself and if you don-t mind spending some cash, you might have a very good dieting experience.
The really good part of the diet is the flexibility. eDiets.com is based on the idea that different people need different approaches to dieting and strives to provide alternatives. Those who cannot stick to the eDiets.com eating plan are free to choose the Atkins, The Zone or other eating plans, which are included in the eDiets.com website. Some people find it better to go with a combination of eating plans or simply to make up their diet as they go. We are all different beings so this is a very good idea. On the other hand, dieters don-t get a lot of information on which foods are good and which are bad outside the eating plan.
The really bad part of the eDiets.com is the unfortunate manner in which they handle the financial part of their business. From discounts which are not taken into account, to fees and charges that are not readily apparent during the sign-up process and on to the auto payment deduction that goes on even after one has cancelled the subscription and the staff members who claim they never got any cancellation order, this is one diet you want to be careful about. While it-s true that many clients did not complain about such practices, there is a vocal minority of dieters who had to fight to get their money back from eDiets.com.
In the end you are the judge. If you don-t mind the costs and if you don-t plan on dropping out after a couple of days then you might actually get along with the eating plan and lose a lot of weight. If, on the other hand, you don-t like what they recommend you, then you are going to have some problems with the $25 early cancellation fee, not to mention having to make sure they are not going to charge you again and again after the cancellation.
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Written by on April 30th, 2008 with no comments.
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Every now and them we all tend to look into the mirror and cast a critical eye on our bodies. The internal monologue goes something like this- -I-d say that my ass looks- biggish. Could be the clothes are badly designed. Oh, who am I kidding? I-ve been eating a lot of sweets and junk food lately, so no wonder I-m putting on weight.- The usual result of these pangs of culinary guilt is a hasty decision to swear off junk food and an evening or two spent searching the Internet for diets and eating plans. This is the way people run into the latest dieting craze that can make anybody slim and vastly improve the quality of life, too.
Unfortunately, the first thing people do when they accept that a couple of extra pounds have found their way around the waist is to panic and look for the fastest way to get rid of them. This is a big mistake. The quick fix is just that and it will always and forever be nothing else. And any problem that gets a quick fix is not really going away at all. So, instead of going for the latest diet that will make you lose and incredible number of pounds in just a few days or weeks, try to chose a diet that takes a little longer and is not nearly as hard on you.
The -lose weight instantly- diets are based mostly on losing body water. This is a silly idea because you will put the weight right back on with a couple of glasses of water. You-re not trying to lose water, but body fat so stay away from these diets. Good diets need time to work for you and losing one pound per week is actually a good rate. Losing three pounds per week sounds way better, but it-s a big mistake. Anything more than two pounds per week is bound to be loss of lean tissues that make up the muscles. The basic idea is that the faster you go, the more muscle mass you lose- slow diets make sure that what goes out is fat.
The biggest problem is that quick weight loss schemes can turn into a vicious circle. The more muscles mass one has, the faster the metabolism and very little of the food intake gets to be stored as fat. But if the diet makes you lose muscle mass, then your metabolism slows down and the accumulated fat is burned slower and slower. As you can see, a bad diet makes it harder for you to lose weight. Starving yourself is a bad idea because your metabolism has to function at the proper speed in order to help you lose weight.
Not to mention that eating the right kind of food is important because you need calories to give your body the staying power it needs through the diet. There is a difference between feeling hungry while your body adjusts to less food and feeling starved because you-re not getting the required daily amount of calories. The food you eat also gives you the energy needed to burn fat through physical effort. You can-t go to the gym or run in the park if you-re about to faint every time you get up from the chair. So the next time you feel like diet time, chose wisely. There-s a big difference between dieting and starvation.
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Written by on April 30th, 2008 with no comments.
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Fast food. Wheither it is tacos or burgers, we all love it just the same. Fast food has become a way of life for some people. They eat it three meals a day. There is no difference between a Big Mac and a steak to some people these days. When I was growing up as a kid, I hardly ever ate any fast food. To be honest we were too poor to eat fast food. Sometimes I think that was a blessing. I mean, sure I love a bucket of fried chicken like the rest of you, but there is more to eating than fast food. We have come too dependant on ready serve meals. I don’t care if they are fast food or a meal in a frozen box. There should be no need for it, but I can see why it is appealing to many people.
I have to admit, I have ate my fair share of fast food. I used to spend a good amount of time away from the house and it wasn’t easy to grab a good meal. Most of us today live a lifestyle like this. For one reason or another, we don’t have time to prepare a good meal.
Here we will discuss some things you can get at your local fast food joints that are suprisingly healthy. I’m not going to tell you that they are better for you than a meal that you would cook on your own, but you already know that. If you are ordering a burger, get it without the mayo and the cheese. It might not sound like it, but you will cut a lot of fat out just by doing this. If the sandwich is too dry for you without the mayo, use mustard or ketchup. This will help it slide down easier.
The cheese that is used is the processed garbage loaded with oil and other junk. You think that cheese is made of milk, but not all of it is. Some of it is made from cooking oil. If you love cheese as much as I do, you can tell just by looking at it. Cheese that is made from oil will have a different look. It will look orange and oily. Avoid anything with bacon on it. I find that the bacon in fast food joints is very awful. They really don’t cook it, they just put it under lights until it gets hot. Avoid this at all costs. You will save calories and you will be happy you did.
A good rule of thumb is to stay away from sandwiches that are deep fried. You know the ones. The ones that have deep fried fish or chicken in them. The process of frying them in fat like this, makes them worse for your health. I would suggest that you go with chicken any time that you can. Generally chicken items will be lower in fat. Don’t get a chicken sandwich loaded with mayo or that has been deep fried. If the only chicken items they have are deep fried, look at the burgers they have you can choose from.
I would also suggest that you substitute french fries for a side salad. I know, what fun is fast food without fries? Well, from time to time they are okay. But, if you make a habit of eating fast food regularly, then you should stay away from them most of the time. Key thing to remember, I said most of the time. If you eat them from time to time, they won’t hurt you. But if you are eating so many french fries that you can slick back your hair with the access grease on your hands, you need to cut down a bit on them.
There seems to be a trend of meatless burgers that some fast food joints are carrying. I’m not sure if this is because there is a jump in the percent of people who don’t eat meat. That could be, but if you live near a college, that might have something to do with it too. It is a big phase with college kids to be ‘animal friendly’. This is of course until they get older and realize how much more tasty meat is compared to tofu.
At any rate, if they have meatless burgers at your local fast food joint, you can try them. Sometimes they will be less in fat than normal burgers. They might take a while to get used to. I can’t say that I care much for these. I can’t stand how they when you chew them. Just keep in mind just because its meatless, don’t mean you can add one the cheese and mayo. Some of these burgers aren’t THAT lower in fat. My favorite place to go is Subway. Well, any good sub shop will work just fine. You can load up your sandwich with tasty veggies instead of fatty stuff like mayo. I would still suggest that you go with chicken, though at most of these places you can find turkey as well.
The great thing about Subway is, the fat content and the calories are open for all to see. They advertise it all over their store how much the sandwiches contain. You can load up on all kinds of veggies and not even worry about missing cheese or mayo. One way that you can keep the calories low is by drinking water or diet sodas. Personally I hate diet soda, so I just drink water instead. Ask them if they have any lemon you can squirt into the water. That will give it a crisp taste that you will love and it will keep your mind off of the sodas. Of course you can go with the diet sodas, but to me they are way to sweet.
There you have it. An easy guide to fast food. The next time you go out to the hamburger joint, keep this article in mind.
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Written by on April 30th, 2008 with no comments.
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If you are a working man, you know how important lunch is. You can’t function without a good lunch. A good lunch is the difference between feeling great during the afternoon and feeling worn out. Many times we skip on lunch. We don’t either eat the right things, or don’t eat at all. I know several people who don’t eat any lunch at all. Especially women, they think they can skip this meal and not have to worry about it. I’m the type of person who can’t skip a meal. Maybe one of the reasons is that I can’t turn down a good meal. Though, if I don’t eat, I can feel it. Nothing will make you feel like shit quicker than skipping a meal. We all know what it feels like.
What do you do? You don’t have time to fix a good lunch before you go to work. Or do you? Of course you do. If you are in a relationship, you have more than enough time. One thing I would suggest is that you alternate fixing each others lunch. One day you fix both of your lunches, while the next day have her fix both of them. This will give you time to do the other things that you need to do.
You can also fix your lunch before you go to bed at night. By doing this, you don’t have to rush yourself. Which, will make your day that much better. I hate having to rush in the morning. What kinds of things should you fix? Here we will go into some simple things to fix.
Tuna and Bell Pepper Pocket
3 (6-ounce) cans drained, solid white tuna (in water) - cup chopped bell peppers - cup chopped celery - cup sliced onions 8-12 lettuce leaves (preferably green) 2 medium-size sliced tomatoes (8-12 slices total) 3 tbsp. fat-free Italian dressing 1 tbsp. dried oregano 1 tbsp. black pepper 4 (6-inch) pita breads Combine tuna, green peppers, celery and onions in a bowl. In another bowl, combine dressing, black pepper and oregano, pour it over the tuna mix and stir. Refrigerate for a few hours. When serving, put 2-3 tomato slices and 2-3 lettuce leaves in each pita bread. Add tuna mix to pitas. There’s enough for 4 servings.
I love this. I don’t think there is a better easier lunch item than this.
Black Bean Salad - (8-ounce) can drained black beans 1 (15-ounce) can drained whole kernel corn 4 chopped green onions - chopped green bell pepper 3 diced tomatoes - avocado peeled, pitted and diced - (2-ounce) jar pimentos 2 tbsp. lemon juice 3 ounces fat-free Italian salad dressing - tsp. garlic salt Combine Italian dressing, black beans, green onions, corn, bell pepper, avocado, pimento, tomatoes, and lemon juice in a bowl. Add and toss pepper, salt and garlic. Store in Tupperware and refrigerate. Offers up three delicious servings for that big appetite of yours.
This is another great one.
Smoked Chicken Sandwich - (8-ounce) loaf sourdough bread - tbsp. vinegar 2 tbsp. chopped parsley 1/8 cup low-fat mayonnaise or fat-free salad dressing - cup chopped bell peppers (you can’t go wrong with bell peppers) - small onion thinly sliced - medium sized tomato sliced 8 (1-ounce) slices low-fat mozzarella cheese 2 cloves minced garlic 8 (1-ounce) slices lean chicken 1 tbsp. black pepper Slice the loaf of bread horizontally. Remove some soft bread from inside each half. Stir mayonnaise and vinegar together. Add parsley, bell peppers, black peppers, and garlic to the mix. Let stand for 15 minutes. Layer the bottom of the loaf with 4 slices of chicken and cheese, then layer with half of the onions and half of the tomatoes. Spread half of the mayonnaise concoction and repeat the entire process from the start with the remaining ingredients. Close the sandwich with the second bread shell and chill until it’s ready to serve. When serving, cut loaf into 3 wedges (secure loaf with wooden sticks for a better cut). Makes 3 servings. There you have some easy lunch ideas. Try these, you are sure to love them.
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Written by on April 30th, 2008 with no comments.
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