How to Keep The Stress of Sports Participation From Affecting Your Kids

How to Keep The Stress of Sports Participation From Affecting Your Kids
Athletics is a big part of growing up. Kids get to play in
all sorts of sports from kick ball and dodge ball to tag,
hopscotch, four corners and jump rope to more traditional
and competitive sports like football, soccer, hockey and
baseball. No matter the sport, there always remains a
constant: fun.

However, in today's society there is a problem. More and
more emphasis is being put on athletics then there was ten
or twenty years ago. This is due, in part, by big money
contracts as well as the decline in jobs and income.
Families in poverty-stricken areas of the country rely on
their children's athletic prowess to bring them up from the
ghetto. This way of thinking makes children spend more time
worrying about their performance than education - athletics
being more of a "quick fix" solution.

Coaches sometimes push student-athletes because winning
games means they get to keep their jobs and feed their
families. Sports bring more money into the school than any
other curriculum. A good coach will try to maintain a
proper balance between pressure and the challenge of the
sport. People need challenge in order to push themselves to
improve upon the tools they already possess. Parents and
Coaches can push their kids too far though by setting
unrealistic expectations. After all, if it was easy -
everyone would be playing in the NFL or the NBA.

Unfortunately, winning is not within the grasp of every
player. The only thing that the player has any real control
over is how hard they play. Parents and coaches neglect
this aspect of sports and fail to reward hard work.

Another stress factor is trying to juggle a busy athletic
season with school. If you are a parent who likes that your
child is active in a sport that is great unless their
school work suffers. This can cause a tremendous amount of
stress and both school and sports will both suffer in the
end.

Being able to manage the stress of school and sports is not
very easy to do. The best thing that one can do is to
realize again that sports are not as important as
schooling. You can go to college, get a degree and a great
job. The likelihood of someone making it in professional
sports is very slim and should not be an emphasis over
education.

The participation in various sports by young people growing
up can have very positive long term effect. Self-esteem
and discipline can all benefit greatly. However, sports
have to be taken for exactly what they are "an
extra-curricular activity". If the child excels at sports,
then support the important aspects of it such as fair play
and hard work. Too many kids are lost in today's world
because they placed or had placed on them a higher value
towards sports than education.

----------------------------------------------------
Scott Becker is an expert in the fields of health and
nutrition and has been writing on numerous topics for the
past 10 years. Along with writing, he now owns
scottbeckerlive.com, a sports nutrition company serving the
weekend athlete. For more information go to
http://healthfitnessvitamins.com

How You Benefit After You Stop Smoking

How You Benefit After You Stop Smoking
Although many smokers might think that the damage is
already present or that it is too late to bother,
scientific studies show us otherwise. Studies say that the
benefits are immediate, while being long lasting in results.

Do you know that in just the first hour after you stop
smoking your pulse rate and blood pressure decrease, while
the internal temperature of your hands and feet will
increase? Smoking on the other hand constricts blood
vessels, while raising the heart rate, because of the
compounds produced within the body. Once you flush these
toxins from the body, it will return to its normal state of
being.

Within just a few hours, the levels of carbon monoxide in
the blood will return to normal. Smoking exposes you to CO,
which binds with hemoglobin - the molecule that helps
transport oxygen through the blood stream. However, this
will reduce the amount of oxygen available. The CO levels
will decrease, which will increase the available oxygen,
while encouraging it to do its job properly, but feeding
all the tissues, which work to sustain your life.

The risk of a heart attack will be on a downswing after the
first 24 hours. Your nerve endings change, 48 hours after
you stop smoking, since the stimulation induced by soaking
them in nicotine reduces drastically. You begin to recover
your natural sensations, while at the same time, your sense
of smell and taste begins its recovery. You sense of smell
is much sharper, while you notice that food tastes fresher
than it has in a long while.

Within a couple of weeks, the craving for nicotine tapers
off, only to return, if at all at random times over the
following months. The circulatory system begins to recover,
while gradually the ability to exercise without a shortness
of breath or wheezing occurs. You will be able to once
again exercise normally within the next few weeks and
months, as you commence with a regular exercise routine.

The sinus congestion and hacking cough, common among
smokers begins to decrease considerably over the next few
months. Your overall energy level increases, while smoke
induced fatigue begins to drop as your body systems
regenerate to a peak level of functioning.

The risk of stroke drops suddenly, while you keep to your
long-term commitment to stop smoking. Do you know that the
risk doubles for smokers in comparison to non-smokers?
Within a year, it drops by half. Within five to fifteen
years, the risk drops down to the level of those who have
never even picked up a cigarette.

Similar risks of larynx or lung cancer, pancreas, bladder
and others will drop to that of a lifelong non-smoker.
Studies show that 87% of lung cancers are those who are a
long-term heavy smoker. When you stop smoking, you remove
yourself from that group within a few short years.

Stopping smoking is a permanent commitment to long-term
health. Its alternative leads to an increased risk of
stroke, coronary disease, various cancers, COPD and other
acute medical complications. You can beat the odds, when
you stop smoking now!

----------------------------------------------------
Grab some encouragement to help you stop smoking at
http://stopsmokingprogramsplus.com . There's also lots of
tips and advice how to quit smoking, why it's good to quit,
and more.

Lose the stress and lose the fat

Lose the stress and lose the fat
It may sound ridiculous but your exercise routine may be
causing you to store fat rather than lose fat. Next time
you visit the gym take a look at the guy that's always on
the same cross trainer for what seems like hours at a time
and yet he never seems to change his body shape.

Why is that? It is most probably due to the amount of
stress that person is under and the excessive amounts of
cortisol within their body. Your body produces cortisol in
response to stress, physical, mental or emotional. This can
include extremely low calorie diets, intense training, high
volume training, lack of quality sleep as well as common
daily stresses such as job pressures, or being caught in a
traffic jam.

What does cortisol do? Cortisol is part of the fight or
flight response. Faced with a "life or death" situation,
cortisol increases the flow of glucose (as well as protein
and fat) out of your tissues and into the bloodstream in
order to increase energy and physical readiness to handle
the stressful situation or threat.

Therefore, the body is forced to breakdown muscle and fat
to be converted to sugar. This may sound good ' breaking
down fat. However, unlike our ancestors who used all that
newly converted blood sugar hunting for food or running
from a bear, we stay sitting at our desks, in our cars or
on the couch.

All of this inactivity means our bodies have no need for
the sugar in the blood. As a result, much of it is
converted back to triglycerides to be stored as body fat.
So, although stress does cause the breakdown of fat, it
produces even more in the end ' leaving most people with
more fat and less muscle.

In an attempt to lose body fat, some people perform aerobic
exercises (like running, biking, swimming, etc.) For many,
this type of exercise won't decrease body fat, especially
if the diet remains unchanged. Exercise is a form of
stress. And, as with all other types of stress, cortisol
levels are increased.

The problem is that the blood already has high quantities
of cortisol and sugar. Exercising aerobically only further
increases the amount of cortisol and sugar in the blood
without creating enough demand by the muscles for the
circulating blood sugar. So, again, that excess sugar is
converted into fat!

Resistance training and some forms of yoga are two
activities that lower cortisol and raise the demand by the
muscles for sugar. The end result is less fat storage and
more muscle production. The ultimate goal, however, is
relaxation. Relaxation substantially reduces cortisol
levels and that alone can have a profound effect on weight
loss.

The two factors that cause fat storage are stress and the
break down of muscle tissue.

Stress does not make you fat. Stress may lead to increased
appetite& increased appetite may lead to eating too much&
Eating too much makes you gain fat. Make sense?

Reducing the amount of lean muscle tissue your body has
will in turn reduce your metabolism and your body's ability
to burn body fat. Simply put more lean muscle tissue =
faster metabolism, faster metabolism = less body fat.

----------------------------------------------------
David Osgathorp Owner, All About You Performance &
Wellbeing. Unit 3 Broadbent Close, Highgate, London, N6
5JW. Tel: 020 8348 9706, Mob: 07779 729122. If you would
like more information then pleas contact us via the
website: http://aayou.co.uk/default.aspx

What Are Dental Implants and Why Should I Have Them?

What Are Dental Implants and Why Should I Have Them?
Over the past twenty years, dental implants have been
constantly improving. The science and technology for dental
implants now makes implants as predictable and reliable as
more traditional dental restorative procedures like crowns
and bridges.

Implants are a two stage process. A titanium artificial
tooth root is surgically placed into the jaw bone by an
oral surgeon, periodontist or general dentist with
specialized training. The titanium implant is just below
the level of gum tissue and a small hole is left in the gum
over the top of the implant. A "healing cap" is screwed
into the threads of the implant to prevent the gum tissue
from growing over or into the implant.

A period of 6 weeks to several months is required for the
titanium implant to "integrate" with the jaw bone. That
means that the bone actually attaches to the implant to
provide stability. It should be realized that this
attachment is NOT the same as with a natural tooth. There
is no periodontal ligament involved, which is the feature
in bone to tooth attachment that allows for tooth movement
through bone. Implants cannot be moved orthodontically nor
be exposed to forces that cause natural teeth to move in
response. For this reason, if implants are being considered
with multiple missing teeth, your dentist must plan the
number of implants and type of restoration placed on the
implants carefully.

The type of restoration placed on the implant are varied.
In the case of a single tooth, a piece called an abutment
is screwed into the implant to replace the healing cap when
osseo-integration of the implant has been accomplished. A
crown (or cap) is then cemented over the abutment just as
if this were a natural tooth that had been prepared for a
crown.

There can be several single tooth implants placed either
adjacent to one another or in various locations around the
mouth where teeth are missing. However, when the span of
missing teeth is too great, it becomes more cost effective
as well as biologically supportable to place two or three
implants and link them together with a fixed bridge. There
will be more teeth showing on the bridge than there are
implants, just like with traditional bridges on natural
teeth. These are also supported be abutments screwed into
the implants as with single tooth implants.

When there are many missing teeth (or all of them) implants
are usually used to support a removable denture. When this
is done, instead of an abutment screwed into the implant, a
post is used and the posts for several implants are linked
together with a cast metal bar. The denture is then made
with clip inserts that clip onto the bar between the
implants. A denture made this way is vastly more
comfortable than a traditional denture because it largely
rests on the bar instead of the tissue, thus eliminating
many of the sore spots caused by dentures. Additionally,
the denture is locked into place by the clips and is
extremely stable, unlike dentures which tend to slip and
shift or come completely out much more easily.

Although implants can be very expensive by comparison with
other more traditional dental prosthetics, the potential
benefits make them equally valuable. Most patients who have
had traditional dental prosthetics replaced by implant
supported prosthetics are so happy that they would never go
back.

----------------------------------------------------
Steven J. Brazis DDS is a family and cosmetic dentist in
Sacramento, CA. He has been practicing for 35 years and has
written one book and many articles on dentistry. You can
visit his web site at:
http://www.toothhaven.com

Bodybuilding Workout Program For Beginners

Bodybuilding Workout Program For Beginners
"Lee, I'm new to working out and I'd like to build muscle
and get in shape as fast as possible. But everyone that I
talk to keeps telling me different ways to go about it.
Please help me, I need advice on what I should do."

This is one of the most common questions that floods my
e-mail inbox on a daily basis. For people who are just
getting started with a bodybuilding workout program the
whole process can be a mind boggling experience. There is
so much conflicting advice out there about weight training
and exercise that you really don't know who or what to
believe anymore.

I understand what you are going through because I went
through the same thing when I began bodybuilding over 17
years ago. People always have a tendency to make things
more complicated then they really are. But when you put
aside all of the hype and get down to the basics you can
see that building muscle and getting in shape is not very
complex.

Don't get hung up on having the perfect training routine,
with the precise number of sets and reps, or following the
perfect eating plan, etc. Just get started and do it. You
can figure out the details and find ways to improve as you
go.

I am going to outline a good beginners bodybuilding weight
training program that you can follow. You do not need to
have any fancy exercise equipment. In fact you could follow
this routine with a basic home gym set up. But if you have
the option, I would recommend that you join a commercial
gym. In addition to having higher quality exercise
equipment to choose from, there is a lot more energy in a
commercial gym. And this will help motivate you to stick to
your workouts and make improvements.

Start off by working out every second day. This will give
your body plenty of time for recuperation and muscle
growth. Lifting weights will cause minor damage to the
muscles and then the body reacts by building the muscles
bigger and stronger in order to handle the demands that are
being placed upon them. Muscles do not grow while you are
working out; they grow while you are resting. Once you
workout you have to give your body time to repair and build
the muscles. Then you repeat the process of working out and
rest.

A common mistake that a lot of novice bodybuilders make is
thinking that the more they workout, the better results
they will get. This is not true because what happens is the
muscles get broken down, but they never get a chance to
build back up. This is what is referred to in bodybuilding
as "over training". When you over train your body can't
build new muscle and you may even lose some of the muscle
mass that you have now.

Here is a good solid workout routine that you can follow.
With this routine you split up your workouts by exercising
your upper body during the first workout, and then
exercising your lower body during the second workout.

WORKOUT 1: (upper body)

Bench Press 3 sets of 10 reps (for the chest)

Lat Pull Downs 3 sets of 10 reps (for the back)

Seated Shoulder Press 3 sets of 10 reps (for the shoulders)

Bicep Barbell Curls 3 sets of 10 reps (for the biceps)

Triceps Push Downs 3 sets of 10 reps (for the triceps)

WORKOUT 2: (lower body)

Leg Press 3 sets of 10 reps (for the quadriceps)

Leg Curls 3 sets of 10 reps (for the hamstrings)

Leg Extensions 3 sets of 10 reps (for the quadriceps)

Standing Calve Raises 3 sets of 15 reps (for the calves)

Abdominal Crunches 3 sets of 25-50 reps (for the abdominals)

With this routine you workout every-other-day and alternate
the two workout routines. So for example: Perform Workout
1, Take a day of rest, Perform Workout 2, Take a day of
rest, and then repeat the cycle with Workout 1.

Prior to each exercise do 1 or 2 light warm up sets using
about half of the weight that you would normally use for
your working sets. The weight that you lift for the first
couple of weeks should be light enough so you can complete
the repetitions with ease. Then gradually, over time
increase the amount of weight that you are lifting.

A good goal would be to add 5 lbs. to each exercise each
week. For bigger exercises like bench presses, pull downs,
leg presses, etc. this will be fairly easy to do, but for
smaller exercises like bicep curls and tricep push downs
you may not always be able to make those 5 lb. jumps in
weight. There is a big difference between adding 5 lbs. to
a 250 lb. leg press compared to adding 5 lbs. to a 25 lb.
bicep curl. So just keep that in mind and do your best to
increase your strength whenever possible.

At the beginning stages of your bodybuilding training it is
best not to complicate things. Keep your workout routine
simple and just focus on being consistent. The biggest
factor with success in bodybuilding is to just stick with
it and focus on making small frequent improvements overtime.

"inch by inch life is a synch... yard by yard life is hard"

----------------------------------------------------
Lee Hayward is a Physique Transformation Specialist who is
committed to helping aspiring bodybuilders and fitness
enthusiasts gain muscle, burn bodyfat, and develop the lean
muscular body that they desire. Visit Lee's website to
download a F.R.E.E. copy of his "Bodybuilding Nutrition
Made Simple" e-Report.
http://www.leehayward.com

Your Eating Guide To A Better Body And A Better Life

Your Eating Guide To A Better Body And A Better Life
Every single new years 1 out of 2 people set out to do
something great - something challenging - and something
that will possibly change our life forever - all through a
New Year's Resolution.

Among the top resolutions: eating healthier, starting a
fitness plan, and weight loss.

Fitness themed and Eating resolutions are the most widely
pursued new-year goals - making up over half of the
proposed new year's resolutions. All too often these
half-hazard resolutions are nothing more than proposed
Eating dreams - hopes of accomplishments - never to see the
light of fulfillment.

In a recent study - after just 7 days into the new year -
1/4 of the crowd has already dropped out.

After 1 month that jumps to nearly half - still more
dropping as the year progresses.

In the end only an estimated 2 out of 10 resolution seekers
will stick with it to the end. Why is it that fitness
resolutions seem to drop like fly onto flypaper? There are
several common mistakes to avoid - that will not only help
you to keep on track - but nearly guarantee you stick with
your eating resolution until the end!!

A Department of Labor survey asked adults to identify the
single biggest issue that prevents them from achieving
their new year's resolutions and goals

The top 3 reasons stated were:

Procrastination Lack of discipline Not having a game plan -
not knowing what to do.

Let's dive into those a little further.

Procrastinating

Why do today what I can put off until tomorrow type of
attitude, wait shouldn't that be the other way around.

New dieters often fail because they never get started with
their Eating plan. Continuing with the infamous, "I'll
start tomorrow". Keep going with that philosophy and you'll
find that infamous tomorrow never comes. After all,
tomorrow, is never today.

Make a promise to yourself when you will start your eating
plan and stick to it.

Don't say the Smith's are having a party tomorrow so let's
wait until tomorrow. Then it's Saturday so might as well
start on Monday. Then Monday comes it's an office party.
Tuesday you have a family gathering. Wednesday, oh the week
is almost over already so let's just wait until next week.
Just get started - NOW.

Lack Of Discipline

Here's a tip - don't do it on your own. Have a positive
support system to help you with your Eating In .

In a study of beginning exercisers when people were held
accountable they were 20 times more likely to stick with
their fitness plan 6 months down the road.

A fitness coach or a friend can be a great help encouraging
you along your eating goals and giving you the discipline
that you need. Just be sure your support members are not
struggling with the same issues and are not willing to
commit themselves to such a plan.

No Game Plan

Have a specific eating action plan. Break it down and make
it less intimidating - specific action steps. Start your
new eating plan slowly - remain consistent and build up on
it. Make gradual and permanent changes that you can
maintain forever.

Are you familiar with the Chinese language? Did you know
there are over 2,000 Chinese characters used in writing?

What if I was to say you have to learn to write and speak
Chinese and I want it done by next week. That's the same as
losing 100 pounds by next week. Take that same scenario and
learn one chinese character a day for 6 days, then review
them all on the 7th. Repeat this pattern each week until
you learn language. While it would certainly take longer
you would surely get it done.

In the end only 20% of fitness resolution and eating goal
seekers follow through with their goals.

While we can't wave a magic wand and make a resolution come
true, there are easy steps to take that will indeed make it
easier and give us a much higher chance to fulfill our
promises to ourselves. Get started as soon as possible,
have a positive support system, and have a specific eating
plan of attack. These 3 simple strategies will see to it
that you will be one who is guaranteed to reach your
fitness resolution.

----------------------------------------------------
Zach Hunt is a eating expert, personal trainer and owner of
Physzique, a fitness coaching service in Spokane, WA. Go
here: http://www.spokanefitnesscoach.com/index.html
or you can go here for more eating tips:
http://www.spokanefitnesscoach.com/articles/spokane-eating-i
n-spokane.html

Organic Abundance - Beauty with a Conscience

Organic Abundance - Beauty with a Conscience
You know how it is, you see that something is organic and
you are drawn to it, it's just a nice feeling knowing that
it is real, not tampered with. Then when you use it, comes
the knowledge that you've done something true and right ~
and goodness only knows in this day and age ~ we all need
to feel that from time to time.

There is the cautionary tale of course, that the term can
and is frequently used , loosely, by manufacturers and the
like, to lure people into buying goods that are not in fact
truly organic, but rest assured there is organic treasure
out there, it's just a case of knowing where to look.

My quest was to find skin care that happily, beautifully
and reasonably~ (I had to stay in harmony with my bank
manager as well as nature!)~ reduced my biological
footprint on this planet, and so with a number of key
questions in the blueprint, the research began.

What defines Organic? 70% organic products, which are
produced under very strict guidelines, are the minimum
count that you should accept. Better to seek out 95%
organic content, which is then categorized as Certified
Organic, and give yourself not only peace of mind, but the
maximum benefits.

Is Natural the same thing? No, it really isn't. An item
can be labelled as natural, which might mean it is
processed as little as possible, but can also mean it's
been heavily processed. What it does not mean is that it
has been organically grown. There is no official regulation
in place for use of the term 'natural'.

Will labels confuse me? You bet they will! The whole
labelling law thing needs a major overhaul ~ manufacturers
only need use one organic ingredient to be able to boast
that term, and then they can pop whatever else they want in
there ~ often to the detriment of our precious skin. The
average person uses around 9 different care products each
day ~ as you step into your shower, start counting..., then
sit on the end of your bed, and read those labels. It will
come as no surprise now, when I reveal that you have
rubbed, smoothed and slathered a potential 126 toxic
chemicals into your body.

What benefits should I be looking for? Well we all want the
very best for ourselves, and when you consider that our
skin is the largest organ we possess, absorbing all we put
on it, then it really makes sense that what we choose is as
natural and nourishing as possible. Why subject our skin to
harmful toxins, when Mother Nature can provide us with a
pure alternative?

Does Organic really equal 'Green'? Undoubtedly! We are all
aware now of the impact and responsibility we have for our
world. At last an ethical approach is permeating our
consciousness, and consumer demand for organic industry is
steadily rising as we realise we are part of a Global
community, who need to put the Earth first.

My search for true organic products had to include issues
such as sustainable agriculture, the guarantee that damage
to the environment had not occurred with the poisonous
chemicals used in conventional agriculture. I had to be
sure that not only were the ingredients pure, the products
free from synthetic preservatives, colours and fragrances
but that any packaging may be recyclable or biodegradable.

After many weeks of reading, research, and dead ends, it
was an unassuming handout on decorated card, included in
the local school newsletter which would provide answers,
solutions and the path to a cornucopia of authentic organic
body care. This line of certified organics embraced the
bounty of nature and was as gentle on my purse as it was on
my skin! This range was so safe and pure that apparently,
should the urge take you, you could eat it! My sceptical
heart was stirred and I decided to investigate.

The handout had taken the form of an invite. There was a
promise of an aromatic cup of (organic!) coffee, an
explanation and showing of wonderful certified organic
products, along with a bit of a social get together. I was
ready to experience what sounded like a decidedly agreeable
and comfortable method of reviewing this range. So on a
sunny Saturday morning, in a pretty suburban cul de sac, I
rang the bell of an unpretentious house and was warmly
greeted by Stephanie. The coffee smelt great ~ and it
wasn't long before we were having a good chat about the
skin care products, which were invitingly arranged on a big
table, lids off, readily pokeable and slatherable! The
camaraderie that comes when a few people get together with
the same aim makes for such an easy atmosphere and
Stephanie was a mine of information about the goodies
tempting us. It was instantly apparent that these were
beautiful preparations soft, genuinely natural and
containing 100% organic ingredients. The claim that they
were as safe as to be edible, was absolutely true, and
whilst certain shampoos, lotions, and lip balms did smell
good enough to eat, everyone was too busy pampering
themselves to test the theory!

So far, the claims, the products and the prices were all
adding up, and I had gathered a small arsenal of lotions
and potions not only for myself, but for my husband and my
dedicated organic seeking daughters! But I needed to find
out about the company who provided the umbrella for this
plethora of nature's offerings. There were still questions
that had to be asked to convince me that this was the end
of my search. Hopefully Stephanie would come through for
me, because I can tell you now, I was more than eager to
get these babies paid for, get them home and get them
working! Ten minutes, and a potted history later about a
visionary company that cares for the environment and me, I
was satisfied, and happily stashing my haul into the boot
of my car.

With a wave and a smile Stephanie saw me off, and I drove
home with my harvest, eager to share the good news with my
family. I chuckled to myself at her last words, which
unwittingly underscored my original criteria:- 'Don't
forget to throw the packaging on the garden and water it ~
it's not just bio degradable ~ it's compostable!' Mission
Accomplished.

----------------------------------------------------
Written for Stephanie Hopkins. Independent Representative
for ONE Group
http://www.origanon.com
http://www.origanon.miorganicfuture.com

The Grapefruit diet: Does it work?

The Grapefruit diet: Does it work?
The grapefruit diet works in the short-term, but does it
have any staying power? In other words, if your goal is to
drop weight quickly and gain it all back in a month, then
go for it. If, however, your goal is to have lasting
weight loss, the grapefruit diet is not for you. Here's
why.

The grapefruit diet has been around for many years. It's
been modified slightly over the years, but for the most
part, it's the same. The basic diet plan for the
grapefruit diet consists of four meals. Breakfast includes
a half a grapefruit, three eggs, and two slices of bacon.
Lunch is another half a grapefruit, a piece of meat (any
kind), and a salad with any type of dressing. Dinner is
again, a half a grapefruit, any piece of meat, salad and
then added to that a cup of coffee. The last meal isn't
really a meal, but either an 8 oz glass of tomato juice or
fat-free milk.

Proponents of the grapefruit diet tout the grapefruit as
having a fat-burning enzyme which is why it's added to all
but one meal. Grapefruit is a wonderful fruit and a good
healthy choice for fruit; but it's not magical! The
grapefruit diet helps a person drop weight quickly because
it's drastically low in calories. As with most fad diets a
gimmick (in this case the grapefruit) is used to promote an
extreme cut in calories. The grapefruit diet has a dieter
eating around 800 calories per day which is not an adequate
amount of calories to consume.

An average-sized woman who is moderately active needs
around 1800-2000 calories per day for the body to function
correctly. When the diet is varied and healthful, this
1800-2000 calories brings that woman optimum nutrition in
terms of receiving all the recommended daily allowances of
important vitamins, minerals and fiber. The grapefruit
diet is seriously lacking in fiber, calcium, iron and many
other important nutrients. Over time, this will cause and
contribute to serious nutritional deficiency related
problems such as anemia and osteoporosis. The lack of
fiber will lead to gastrointestinal problems such as
constipation. In addition, fiber has been shown to promote
weight loss, lower serum cholesterol and aid in colon
cancer prevention.

So, say hello to a thin body that will fit into the size
zero dress, but you might want to pick up some make-up to
cover the pale, sickly face you'll be sporting as well!
And whoever said a hunched neck as seen in osteoporosis
wasn't sexy? Healthy weight loss is not achieved with the
grapefruit diet, bottom line! And more than likely, you
should keep the tags on the size zero dress because the
weight will be back as soon as you start eating normally
again.

Seriously, lasting weight loss consists of slow, steady
weight loss resulting from a healthy, varied diet, exercise
and patience. The grapefruit diet contains none of these
things. Start by figuring out your daily caloric needs for
weight maintenance. There are many calorie calculators on
the internet that utilize your height, weight, age, sex and
activity level to determine the amount of calories needed
for weight maintenance.

Next, realize that one pound of body fat is equivalent to
roughly 3500 calories. Healthy weight loss is about one to
two pounds per week. Therefore, if you wish to lose one
pound per week, you'll need to decrease calorie intake and
burn calories to the tune of 500 calories per day. This
could be as simple as eliminating dessert at night and
taking a brisk 2.5 mile walk. Two pound per week requires
a debt of 1000 calories. This should only be achieved
through calorie reduction combined with exercise, or you'll
be right back to extreme calorie reduction seen in the
grapefruit diet. Ramp up that work-out! Go another mile,
use the incline, or increase resistance on the elliptical.

Lasting weight loss isn't about gimmicks and fads such as
the grapefruit diet. Lasting weight loss requires a person
to commit to changing their eating and exercise habits for
good.

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From a sickly little girl to a healthy chef to the stars,
Darlene Nicholson transformed herself into The "Kick in the
Butt" Healthy Lifestyle Expert and creator of the popular
DVD "The Healthy Grocery Store Tour". Visit her website
http://www.lifechanginghealthysoutions.com or grab a copy
of her free ebook "4 Steps to Permanent Weight
Loss"...guaranteed to open your eyes to how easy weight
loss can be with the right plan of attack.
http://free-weightloss-book.com/