Safe Natural Weight Loss Aids - Part One

By Dr. George Best

Some products promoted as natural weight loss aids are not particularly safe. Products that act as stimulants, even if they are "natural" can be hazardous and despite the fact that they may promote fast weight loss early on, because they cause the body to overproduce the stres hormone cortisol, they actually promote weight gain in the long run.

There are some natural weight loss products that are safe to use and can effectively enhance the effects of diet and exercise. You'll notice that I said that they enhance the effects of diet and execise - no weight loss product should be considered a stand-alone weight loss program. Even the most effective natural weight loss products are minimally effective at promoting weight loss when used by themselves and without diet and exercise.

In order to get maximum benefit from any natural weight loss product, you must combine it with diet and exercise. No matter how good the advertising sounds and no matter how much you want to believe that a pill or potion is all you need to lose weight, the simple truth is that diet and exercise are absolutely necessary to effective lasting weight loss.

That being said, there are some herbs and nutrients that do appear to enhance the weight loss effects of diet and exercise through either appetite suppression, increased metabolism, or the blocking of fat absorption from the digestive tract. Here's a rundown of things that may help:

Chitosan is a fat-blocking agent derived from the shells of shrimp and other shellfish. Needless to say, this is not a good supplement for someone with shellfish allergies. Chitosan can have the side-effect of loose stools and a loss of bowel control. In addition, in addition to blocking fat absorption, it can also block the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E, and K, so it is a good idea to supplement with these between meals. Chitosan is generally considered safe at doses of 1500 to 3000 mg per day separated into doses to be taken just before each meal along with 8 ounces of water.

The suggested dosage for chromium nicotinate assist with weight loss is about 200 to 400 mg per day, which is best taken divided into two or more doses taken with food. Although chromium picolinate has been more widely promoted as a weight loss aid, chromium nicotinate has had more consistent results with weight loss in the research studies that have been done.

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is questionable in whether or not it helps with weight loss in humans. Animal studies did show fat burning effects and enhanced lean muscle development, but the effects in humans are still under investigation. Even so, it does appear to be relatively safe in daily doses not exceeding 1800 mg, and 300 to 600 mg can be taken before each meal to hopefully enhance weight loss.

Green tea extract can be taken in total dosages of 100 to 400 mg per day, recommended to be split into two or more doses per day and taken between meals. Look for standardized extracts containing at least 90% total catechins for best results. Catechins from green tea appear to increase metabolism, and this occurs separately from the metabolic effects from the caffeine in the tea. Although the naturally-occurring caffeine in green tea tends to increase the effects of the catechins, because of the previously mentioned adverse long-term effects on weight loss from the use of stimulants, it is recommended that decaffeinated green tea extract be used.

In part 2 of this article, I'll continue with more popular natural weight loss aids.

About the Author:

Dr. George Best has been assisting people with weight loss since 1992. For additional resources, please visit his site on natural weight loss. For diet cooking tips, go to healthy eating meal plan.

Foods That Make You Naturally Slim

By Chaszey Sandhriel

When was the last time you decided to put your car on a gasoline diet? Especially since gas has gotten so expensive, this would make all the sense in the world. Except your car would stop in the middle of freeway traffic. How could it not without fuel? This happens to people every day. Funny enough, as a sophisticated society educated about all types of diets, we stop giving our bodies the fuel it so desperately needs, and yet we want it to work longer hours and with more oomph and energy than it did before.

How ludicrous and illogical!

Yet somehow feeding our bodies and losing weight seems to have hit a wall and we try diet after diet, none of which work. In fact we know that 90% of all diets fail.

So instead of depriving your body from food, what about simply adding three powerful weight loss enhancing foods, that can encourage your natural weight loss. There are no foods to cut out, only foods to add, here they are:

1. Take two pink grapefruits, squeeze them and drink them on an empty stomach. Do not add anything to the juice, such as sugars or other sweeteners and don't eat for the next half hour. Fruits need no digestive juices and are light on your stomach. Many times eating fruits with your main meal can cause the fruit to sit in your stomach, unable to pass. This causes the fruit to ferment, and that causes stomach cramping.

2. It is essential to drink a full gallon of water each day. Yes, you heard right, one gallon. My first concern was that I would have to use the restroom everywhere I went and I felt embarrassed, however, once I saw the weight come off rapidly, I also realized that I was hungry a lot less. Frequently people think they are hungry, when in fact their bodies are signaling them that they are in fact thirsty. Try drinking your water without adding anything, such as lemon and ice, room temperature is best.

3. Drink as many high-water content foods as you can. Especially for snack. High-water content foods are natural foods that are juice and contain a lot of natural water such as celery sticks, dikon radish, little red radishes, apples, iceberg lettuce and so on. Eat them raw, not cooked. High-water content foods give you that full feeling and their juices are the best natural way to flush out toxins and unnecessary fat cells.

About the Author:

About Chaszey: She went from a size 18 to a size 6 all without starving herself. She offers free >weight loss reports along with pictures at http://www.itsmyweightloss.com/products. You can also see her "amazing photos" >weight loss photos on her blog at http://itsmyweightloss.blogspot.c

Old Fashioned Exercises Are Not The Fastest Way To Build Muscle

By Tyler Whitman

It really is incredible how science has helped to advance our understanding of how our bodies burn fat and build muscle. In fact, there have been many so many amazing new discoveries over the past twenty years that scientific opinion on the fastest way to build muscle has changed considerably.

Regrettably, although science has made great progress in the field of physiology, it seems that there are a lot of people completely unfamiliar with this progress. In fact, there are a great many people who have no idea that views on how the body operates and our ability to control it with diet and exercise have changed drastically.

These people continue to utilize outdated forms of exercise that we now know are inefficient and are not the fastest way to build muscle. By failing to take advantage of the advances in physiology, they waste needless amounts of time and energy with things like hour-long aerobics video workouts.

No one is saying that the old ways to work-out do not work. Exercises like aerobics certainly do burn fat and build muscle. It is just that we know now that they are not the most efficient of burning fat and they are not the fastest way of building muscle.

Not everyone who persists in utilizing outdated forms of exercise is ignorant of the fact that these types of exercise have been determined to be inefficient. They either do not care, or they simply enjoy working out the way they always have in the past. Some people feel it is a waste of time learning new ways to exercise when they are perfectly happy with the results they get from their current workouts.

There are many people that exercise for the sole purpose of their health. They have no interest at all in the fastest way to build muscle, and they could care less about maximizing their workouts.

While everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinions, it just does not make sense to ignore the facts and waste their time with exercises that require them to work twice as hard and twice as long for the same results as those people utilizing more efficient forms of exercise. And it is just plain ridiculous for those people that are actually trying to build pure muscle to continue exercising in ways that have been proven to be inefficient.

Life is short, so why waste time you could be spending having fun on old-fashioned, inefficient workouts? Take advantage of the knowledge the scientific community has provided us with stop wasting your time and energy on exercises that are not the fastest way to build muscle or burn fat. Maximize your time by maximizing your workouts with more efficient forms of exercise. You'll feel better, look better, and have more time to enjoy your life.

About the Author:

Learn the fastest way to build muscle today by checking out thefastestwaytobuildmuscles.blogspot.com to get your copies of the Build Muscle Fast mini-course and the Turbulence Training Bodyweight Workout FREE!

Weight Loss By Watching What To Eat, When To Eat

By WebDiet.US

You are fat and out of shape and look like a football and people often call you a couch potato. Is this what you want to be? Or you want to look fit and healthy always full of life and vigor. The choice is yours. The only way out is to add a regular exercise regime in your everyday routine for gradual weight loss. Just exercising without any guidance and proper diet control is not going to take you anywhere close to your goal.

The aim of leading a healthy life should start with a proper plan of exercising and diet control. As a beginner for achieving a healthy body does not restrict you from getting the maximum out of your workout regime. The plan compulsion include a chart of 'What to eat When to eat' and a idea of 'When to exercise' to enable you to get the maximum out of the workout plan you want to follow for weight loss.

You must understand that choosing a proper time to eat is equally important as eating a cooking. Eating before an exercise will always make you feel worse salt away problems like sleepiness, indigestion, sluggishness and even cramps and an overall champion health. Similarly if you have no food at all you will be too impotent for exercise and may faint or feet empty all the time. True is important to follow some guidelines for eating if you have the application of weight loss. Following are some basic guidelines but these may be modified depending upon your body response and singular experience.

The first principle of healthy eating is that a large meal should be always eaten at least three to four hours before the exercise and where you are in for a light meal you must have a two to three hours gap between the meal and exercise.

The assistance principle of healthy eating is simply avoiding eating fat in any form due to much as abeyant.

The third principle of well thought eating is to drink a lot of water allotment you exercise for this bequeath not allow you to dehydrate and keep your body cool.

About the Author:

Read More on Top 10 Diets and Online Diet Plans!

Have You Tried A Pre-made Diet Plan?

By Healthy Herbal Guy

It may be difficult to believe, but today, over 30% of Americans are obese. So if you are trying to lose some weight yourself, then you are certainly not alone. Many people are struggling to successfuly lose weight and unfortunately, a majority of them are losing that battle. Being overweight can have far reaching negative effects including your health, and more importantly your self worth. There is hope for those unfortunate individuals that are overweight. With the hundreds of diets out there, finding the correct one for you is key to helping you to lose weight. Often in cases like this, it is essential to simplify your weight loss in order to achieve your weight loss goals.

There are a broad assortment of diets available today, which makes choosing the proper diet for you personally, a complex process. There are diets with a restricted consumption of carbohydrates, and some with a limited intake of meats, along with those that advise that only a couple of certain foods are eaten, and even diets which come in liquid form. With such a wide variety of diets out there, it can make the process hard to determine which one would be the optimal choice for you personally. This creates a lot of confusion which results in many people determining it such a great undertaking to start, that they never begin.

When you decide upon beginning a diet to lose weight, it is essential that you simplify things, so that you have a plan which can be followed in the easiest way. This is where pre-packaged diets and special pre-packaged diet plans come into effect. Certain diets, such as Jenny Craig and Weight Waters, help to make the entire process easier for you.

When you follow diet plans like the Jenny Craig diet, you have an eating plan which is prescribed and must be followed. You do this by purchasing foods diretly from the company. You do not have the worry of having to plan and cook meals as with other diets. Weight Watchers, which is another option, can also be a helpful diet, as it provides very simple solutions and plans to assist you. As with these two examples pre-packaged diet plans may be an ideal choice for you, if you are searching for a plan that is simple to follow.

There are, of course, pros and cons included with both of these types of diet programs. While it is certain to make dieting more simple, it is difficult for some individuals to deal with the same type of food repeatedly. Another disadvantage of these diet programs is that they can be rather expensive. However, if you personally think that the pros outweigh the cons, then these particular diets may be worth considering.

While it is important to lose weight when you go on a diet, it is essential that you do not lose the weight, only to gain it again after a short space of time. You want to have long term success in your weight loss, not just short term results. If you do happen to gain the weight that you have worked so hard for to lose, then it becomes more difficult to lose that weight again. So, a weight loss plan which assists you in losing weight and keeping it off is something which is required. If a particular diet cannot provide you with long term weight loss, then it might not be the right diet for you.

Therefore, it is time to try a different kind of weight loss program if you are feeling frustrated and confused with the program that you are currently following. It may be worth your while trying a pre-made diet plan, rather than following the latest fad diet. You will certainly find that the diet is simpler to follow, which will make it a higher possibility in you losing the weight that you desire. It is important to remember that the best diet is the one that will give you your desired results.

About the Author:

For a cost effective and potent diet plan that thousands have used successfully, try Herbalife Shapeworks Programs. You can find them at DecideHealth.com. Shapeworks is made by Herbalife, a world leading weight loss company.

Weight Limits And Chair Safety

By Amy Nutt

Just about every person in the entire world owns at least one chair. Even if it's an upside-down milk crate, we have to sit somewhere, right? I happen to be a person who thinks a lot about chairs. I like the way they look, the amazing varieties in which they are made, the way designs cross cultures and time.

I'd like to take a moment to discuss an issue that's been on my mind lately. It might seem a bit odd or off-center, but I think you'll see the logic behind my concerns.

For good or ill, we live in a very litigious society. People sue each other all the time, whether they have good cause or not. Millions, possibly billions of dollars are spent every year paying legal fees and settlements for these lawsuits, especially in personal injury cases. I guess a lot of people see these cases as get-rich-quick schemes. Sadly, they're right.

Right about now, you might be wondering what all of these concerns have to do with chairs. Well, I'll tell you.

Along with the increasing number of lawsuits, another unfortunate trend on the rise is obesity. More and more Americans are crossing the line between being healthy and being overweight, and the trend is getting worse. Fatter people are heavier people. I know enough about chairs to say that not every chair is built to hold very large person. In fact, many common chairs are not safe for people over a certain weight.

By not acknowledging this, you are putting yourself at risk for being sued by a person who comes to your property and hurts himself when he sits in one of your chairs and it buckles underneath him.

Here are two examples of types of chairs that are most susceptible to this problem.

Anything suspended: Chairs that hang from the ceiling, hammocks, or porch-swing like chairs are particularly high risk. If you purchase one of these chairs, be sure to check the packaging for the weight limit. You might be surprised at how low it is! Take heed of the number, and stick to it. You might regret it if you don't. If you have built your own hammock or swing, use good judgment and be sure your guests don't overload it.

Folding chairs: That rickety folding lounge chair you've had since 1972 may be a loved favorite, but it can pose a risk. Many low-cost folding chairs (especially beach chairs, camping chairs and other outdoor chairs) are not very sturdy and can easily buckle under unexpectedly. If you have old beach chairs, you might want to invest in some new ones before you have your hefty in-laws over for a backyard barbeque. Also, many indoor-use folding chairs can break easily when their weight limits are exceeded. Again, older, cheaply manufactured chairs are most susceptible.

Most wood, metal or hybrid wood-and-metal chairs are sturdy and have high weight limits. If you primarily use these types of chairs then you probably have little to worry about. Even so, whenever you buy new chairs of any kind, be sure and know their weight limits. Adhere to them, and you and your guests will always sit in comfort and safety.

About the Author:

Seat your guests in comfort and style with high quality Banquet Chairs available in a variety of colours and styles. Made with the highest standards of quality in mind, metal banquet chairs are made to stand the test of time. Great for catered events, conferences and conventions. http://www.millbrookindustries.com/

How To Get Rid Of Cellulite - You've Been Lied To

By Sydney Jaclynn

Everyone likes to see a cute, dimpled smile. What nobody wants to see or have is a dimpled BUTT. Cellulite is infamous for giving us dimples on our thighs, butts, and hips. Yeah, blech.

Fortunately, there are lots of ways to learn how to get rid of cellulite. But today, we will concentrate on what doesn't work. Too often we'll see commercials and advertisements promoting some product that's supposed to erase our cellulite and make us look as sexy as a Hollywood actress. And, of course, most of them are rip-offs! Here's a list of the things that don't work.

Creams and Lotions - They say that they know how to get rid of cellulite: Just rub this cream on your thighs and watch the cellulite disappear. Which is just false advertising! Sometimes they work, but only for a little while. They temporarily shrink the fatty cells. Before you know it, the cellulite returns like an ex-boyfriend who can't take a hint.

Body Wraps - Again, these may provide a temporary fix but the truth is that it is very temporary. Actually, body wraps may not even be healthy for you. Next time you see an advertisement for these, just turn the television off!

Electric Muscle Stimulation - Ah, these sound like a dream come true, right? All you have to do is put on this device, switch it on, and sit back down on the couch to watch more television. Keep it up and your cellulite is all gone. Nope, sorry, that's a hoax too.

If you truly want to learn how to get rid of cellulite, you have to learn what to eat, what to avoid, and what exercises will help shrink those fat cells. This is the only effective way to reduce cellulite and make our skin look smoother and slimmer.

It's a tough call, sure, but we can do it. All it takes is commitment, drive, and determination to eliminate those dimples once and for all!

About the Author:

Sick of Cellulite? Visit Getting Rid of Cellulite and discover How To Get Rid of Cellulite without the hype and without the fuss.

Nutritional Supplements - Should You Be Taking Them?

By Kelvin Gilberte

Diet is a very important aspect of our health and wellbeing. Unfortunately for most people their diets significantly lack the necessary nutrients required for optimal health. Most processed and 'junk' foods simply do not contain appropriate levels of nutrition yet this is what most people consume on a daily basis simply because they are easily accessible and cheap.

Nutritional supplements can offer you a great way to get the additional nutrients you need for good health. There are many supplements you can choose from and it can be quite easy to get confused. Perhaps the best nutritional supplements are the whole food supplements. These products are made from natural foods and are usually concentrated mixtures of several varieties of foods and super foods.

An example of a super food is bee pollen. It is called a super food because it contains all the nutrients necessary for life. Of course make sure to check the ingredients carefully on any supplement you choose to take to make sure that you have no allergies or any potential side effects with any medications you may be taking so be sure to consult with a doctor if you are not sure.

Whole food supplements such as green drinks can offer a significant source of nutrients. Unfortunately many normal multi vitamins do not get absorbed well into our bodies so their benefits can be very little. However many natural supplements like whole food supplements or herbal nutritional supplements have much higher absorption rates.

We all know we should be getting more green vegetables and fruits in our diets yet most of us fail to follow this advice. Using a whole food supplement like a green drink can help you get the necessary green foods and fruits you need. Many green drinks come with fruit concentrates added in. In addition it can be difficult if not impossible to consume enough fruits and vegetables before getting full which is why getting a concentrated supplement can be beneficial to provide the body with enough nutrients.

The reason green foods are so powerful is because they are alkaline. The alkalinity in green foods helps to neutralize the normally acidic or toxic environment in the bodies of most people so green foods can help to detoxify your body naturally with little or no negative side effects. You can find green drinks at most health food stores and also at most large supermarkets in the supplements section. The powdered ones are often the best and look for ones that have organic ingredients as they may offer the greatest health benefits.

Herbal nutritional supplements can also offer many potential health benefits. Some of the most popular herbal supplements are ginseng, aloe vera, gingko biloba and bee pollen. Each of these have their own set of unique benefits. Ginseng is effective at increasing energy levels and stamina. It can be great for athletes looking for a natural way to boost energy levels instead of resorting to risky drugs that could have many negative side effects.

Aloe vera is great for helping to clear the colon and keep it moving so if you suffer from constipation then this can be an effective solution. Gingko can be effective to help you sharpen your memory and bee pollen is a great energy enhancer and antioxidant. Antioxidants help to fight free radical damage which helps to prevent cancer and premature aging.

Bee pollen is rich in B vitamins which helps in aiding metabolism and energy production thus it can be effective at fighting fatigue. It is also potentially effective at reducing levels of bad cholesterol which will assist in the fight against heart disease. Consider natural nutritional supplements to help you get the essential vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy.

About the Author:

Kelvin is an online researcher, author and a regular contributor to a site that shows people how to attain better health and wellness. Be sure to stop by and learn how to lose weight too.

Some Natural Weight Loss Aids Can Actually Make You Gain Weight

By Dr. George Best

Natural weight loss products fill the market, but just because a weight loss aid is "natural", it does not mean that it is completely safe, nor is it a sure thing that it will help your weight loss efforts in the long run. The truth is, some very popular natural weight loss products pose some health risks, and even though they might stimulate quick weight loss at the beginning, in the long run they can actually cause you to gain weight.

The main products that can create problems are those that act as stimulants. Natural stimulants act much the same way that stimulant drugs work, and carry the same potential risks.

The most commonly used stimulants in natural weight loss products include ephedra (also called ma huang), kola nut, guarana, yerba mate' and caffeine. All of these are very strong stimulants, and are similar in effect to drugs like amphetamines. Most people are aware that taking amphetamines can be dangerous, but they may be lulled into thinking the natural stimulants are safe for the sole reason that they are natural products.

I strongly recommend that you avoid using any stimulant, natural or otherwise, to promote weight loss for two very good reasons. First, all of these products carry the risks of elevated heart rate, sleep disorders, high blood pressure, and stroke. The other reason is that even though stimulants can temporarily promote weight loss, in the long run they produce a hormonal imbalance that will actually cause weight gain.

Early on when taking stimulants, the effect is an increase in the production of adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that essentially speeds up the body by increasing heart rate and respiration and elevating blood pressure. An increase in adrenaline will speed up the metabolism and cause an increase in fat burning. These effects will only last for a short time though. In a matter of a few weeks, the body's ability to produce adrenaline will become burned out, and as adrenaline levels start to fall off, the metabolic rate and fat burning will begin to slow down.

But the problem goes beyond just a fall in adrenaline levels. Stimulants don't just cause the adrenal glands to produce high levels of adrenaline (for as long as they can), they also cause the adrenals to produce another hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is a potent stimulator of fat storage and will promote weight gain. The adrenal glands can produce cortisol in large quantities for a much longer time than they can produce high amounts of adrenaline. In the short-term, the high adrenaline levels will overcome the effects of the elevated cortisol levels, so there usually is fast weight loss at first. But over time, the adrenaline levels will fall, the cortisol levels will stay high, and weight gain will be the result in the long run.

If you were to discontinue using stimulants while high adrenaline levels were still being produced, the effects of cortisol would quickly take over and so fast weight gain is common after suddenly discontinuing stimulants. In any case, when using stimulants to facillitate weight loss, eventually the cortisol effects will predominate and weight gain will occur.

Even though the idea of fast weight loss through using natural weight loss aids that contain stimulants may be appealing, these products can only complicate your weight issues in the long term and may cause potentially serious damage to your overall health. Natural or not, weight loss aids that contain stimulants should be avoided.

About the Author:

Dr. George Best is a holistic healthcare provider in San Antonio, Texas. To access additional resources, you can visit his website for advice on a natural weight loss plan.

Some Natural Weight Loss Aids Hurt More Than They Help

By Dr. George Best

Natural weight loss products fill the market, but just because a weight loss aid is "natural", it does not mean that it is completely safe, nor is it a sure thing that it will help your weight loss efforts in the long run. The truth is, some very popular natural weight loss products pose some health risks, and even though they might stimulate quick weight loss at the beginning, in the long run they can actually cause you to gain weight.

The biggest problems are with the natural weight loss aids that contain stimulants. Natural weight loss aids that contain stimulants work very much like stimulant drugs, and they have the same risks.

The main ingredients that act as stimulants that are found in natural weight loss products are ma huang (ephedra), guarana, caffeine, yerba mate', and kola nut. These are all extremely strong stimulants. Their effects are quite similar to those of drugs such as amphetamines. While many people recognize that taking amphetamines can be risky, some may mistakenly assume that a natural product is safe.

I strongly recommend that you avoid using any stimulant, natural or otherwise, to promote weight loss for two very good reasons. First, all of these products carry the risks of elevated heart rate, sleep disorders, high blood pressure, and stroke. The other reason is that even though stimulants can temporarily promote weight loss, in the long run they produce a hormonal imbalance that will actually cause weight gain.

As you first start using stimulants, the adrenal glands produce large quantities of the hormone adrenaline. Adrenaline speeds up the metabolism and causes fat burning and weight loss. This may sound great if you are trying to lose weight, but the problem is that the adrenals cannot keep up with high adrenaline production for more than a few weeks. When the adrenal glands can no longer produce large quantities of adrenaline, the metabolism slows down and weight loss typically ceases.

But the problem goes beyond just a fall in adrenaline levels. Stimulants don't just cause the adrenal glands to produce high levels of adrenaline (for as long as they can), they also cause the adrenals to produce another hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is a potent stimulator of fat storage and will promote weight gain. The adrenal glands can produce cortisol in large quantities for a much longer time than they can produce high amounts of adrenaline. In the short-term, the high adrenaline levels will overcome the effects of the elevated cortisol levels, so there usually is fast weight loss at first. But over time, the adrenaline levels will fall, the cortisol levels will stay high, and weight gain will be the result in the long run.

Discontinuing the use of stimulants suddenly usually has the result of rapid weight gain, because the effects of cortisol will outlast the effects of the adrenaline. Whether or not stimulants are discontinued though, the eventual effect will be that adrenaline production will be exhausted long before cortisol production begins to fade, and sooner or later the effects of cortisol will win out and weight gain will result.

It might be tempting to purchase a natural weight loss aid that contains stimulants due to the promises of quick weight loss, but in the long run all of these products are counterproductive and may endanger your health. Regardless of whether a product is natural or not, the use of stimulants for weight loss is best to be avoided.

About the Author:

Dr. George Best is a holistic healthcare provider in San Antonio, Texas. For more information, please visit his website for ways to have a safe and effective natural weight loss plan.

Stress-related Weight Gain

By Dr. George Best

Chronic stress may produce any number of reactions, including weight gain or weight loss, depending on the specifics of the case. With regards to stress-related weight loss, in most cases this effect is a result of diminished appetite and eating and is therefore within our conscious control in most cases.

Increased eating due to stress can cause weight gain, but in many cases stress-related weight gain is a result of rising stress hormone levels and is not something one can take conscious control of.

In many cases, high stress levels, particularly over an extended period of time will lead to an increased level of the adrenal hormone, cortisol, in the blood. Cortisol has several effects, but in relation to weight issues, the primary effect is to promote the storage of fat in the lower abdomen. It is believed that this effect has a survival purpose in that if one were subjected to harsh conditions for a long period of time, the body would need to conserve energy and save it in the form of stored fat.

In many cases, the deposition of fat around the midsection will motivate people to severely restrict their diets and/or to begin working out harder than usual. This is often counterproductive when the underlying problem is high cortisol due to stress.

Heavy exercise and calorie restriction can cause further stress on the body, leading to even more cortisol production, and more deposition of fat in the belly.

It is best to go with a relatively low-intensity type of exercise such as walking or swimming when you are under a lot of stress, as this will minimize cortisol production. Heavy exercise will only increase the body's stress and lead to further cortisol production and weight gain. It is also a good idea to be sure to eat a reasonable amount of protein and consume a nutrient-rich diet made up mostly of vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts.

While it might be tempting to restrict calorie intake as a means of burning off the belly fat, severe calorie restriction leads to more cortisol production, so it is a better choice to eat a healthy diet with some protein in order to minimize cortisol levels. This will allow your body to gradually burn off the abdominal fat.

A healthy diet combined with a low-intensity exercise program will allow your body to handle stress better and over time your cortisol levels will normalize and you'll burn away the fat.

About the Author:

Dr. George Best is a holistic healthcare practitioner in San Antonio, Texas. For additional weight loss information and access to a revolutionary program to help you follow-through with your diet and exercise plans, please visit Dr. Best's site on natural weight loss.

Eating Disorders - Binge Eating Is On The Increase

By Kerris Samson

In the last few years the medical community has finally begun to recognize that just like bulimia and anorexia, binging is also an eating disorder. Yet we are all aware of what a person does when they are bulimic or anorexic, but very few actually under the implications relating to eating disorders like binge eating. Where as with the other two a person will either not eat sufficient amounts of food, or will eat food and then try to purge it from their body as soon as possible. With binge eating these problems are simply not there and so it is a completely different kind of eating disorder compared to the others.

Because this eating disorder is so different from the others we have mentioned many who suffer from this do not actually believe they have an eating disorder. Rather what they see is that this person has a choice of just what they do with their body and what they eat.

But when it comes to this particular eating disorder just because they are taking in food they do not actually feel that they are causing any damage to their body. But just as if they were to starve themselves or purge their body after eating they can still suffer from some very serious health problems.

For those who chose to binge eat they will not only be placing considerable amounts of strain on their body including the digestive system. But they also place considerable amounts of strain on to their heart as well. Where as with those who are bulimic or anorexic someone who binges is more prone to gain weight rather than lose it and will just be as unhealthy as those that suffer from the other eating disorders mentioned here.

When it comes to binge eating the biggest problem that those who suffer from this problem is that they do not actually realize that it is a problem. In many cases to avoid others realizing what is happening they will do their binge eating in secret, along with eating more food than would be considered normal. This is because they feel that they have complete control over the situation.

In fact in most cases of eating disorders today the biggest challenge a person will face suffer from these conditions is actually failing to recognize that they have a problem. Simply because they fail to recognize that they have no control over what they are doing in their lives.

We all eat a little more than normal at some stage especially during the Christmas and holiday periods, but this is considered to be quite normal. However for a binge eater the problem they have is that they will have no control over preventing themselves from eating too much on a very regular basis.

With binge eating their are problems associated with the person's health including weight gain, they will also be faced with psychological problems. Certainly with any types of eating disorders, including binge eating it is the psychological problems which can prevent a person from them improving and curing the problem they are faced with. In many cases they feel that they have the situation under control and it is their choice.

About the Author:

Above we have provided a little bit regarding what binge eating is and how it can affect a sufferer. If you would like to find out more regarding binge eating and other types of eating disorders then please visit CommonEatingDisorders.com by clicking on the link here.