Top 5 Health and Weight Loss Benefits of Omega 3′s

Essential fatty acids are vital to a healthy diet and lifestyle and most of these essential fats must be acquired from outside sources, as the human body is not capable of making them in suitable quantities. Omega-9 fatty acids can be manufactured by the human body; however, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids cannot. Therefore, they must be obtained through food sources. Essential fatty acids regulate blood lipid levels, blood pressure, and blood clotting, as well as the way a person’s body responds to infection and injury. Deficiencies in essential fatty acids create a burden on the body’s cardiovascular system, which increases the risk of hypertension–high blood pressure–cardiac arrest, and high cholesterol.

Heart Health

Omega-3 fatty acids are poly-unsaturated fats. Research indicates that adhering to a diet high in Omega-3 fatty acids helps to increase HDL cholesterol–good cholesterol–and also lowers triglycerides. Omega-3s also contain anticoagulant properties which prevent blood clots, and this benefit is vital to the prevention of heart attacks and strokes. It is for this reason that essential fatty acids are closely associated with heart health.

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Alzheimer’s Disease

Studies indicate that Omega-3 fatty acids and Omega-6 fatty acids may offer considerable protection from the excessive accumulation of the protein believed to be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease. One such study investigated the benefits of an Omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid–DHA–on Alzheimer’s patients and the results were optimistic.

Depression

Countries with the highest consumption of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids also have the lowest incidence of bipolar disorder, major depression, suicide and homicide. Additionally, when used in the treatment of depression, essential fatty acids have also resulted in a decrease in symptoms in those undergoing a comprehensive treatment plan. In 2002, a placebo-controlled, double-blind study found that taking just one gram per day of Omega-3 fish oils decreased depression in patients who had remained depressed even after being treated with prescription medication.

Hypertension

Uncontrolled hypertension increases an individual’s risk for heart disease, which is considered by some experts to be a major health problem in the western world. Research indicates that when the appropriate amount of Omega-3 fatty acids are added to a person’s diet, a reduction in blood pressure of approximately 2-5 mm/hg can be expected, and those with severely high blood pressure can expect an even greater drop. These benefits appear to be dose-related, as the greatest benefits were seen in the group taking the maximum recommended daily dose of 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day.

Weight Loss

In ancient times, humans hunted for some foods and grew others, but everything they ate came from a natural source. It is for this reason that diabetes and heart disease were essentially rare occurrences hundred of years ago. As time went on, processed foods and saturated fats replaced goods fats and caused the aforementioned conditions to become much more prevalent.

There is a strong association between Omega-3 fats and weight loss. A 12-week study done in 2009 confirmed the suspicion that a daily dose of Omega-3 fish oil combined with four sessions of aerobic exercise a week can help one to quickly reach his or her weight loss goals. The participants in the study who took the fish oil supplement lost weight faster than those who simply followed a healthy diet and exercised. The group taking the fish oil supplement also experienced greater weight loss around the middle. This is a considerable benefit, as most experts agree that those with excess belly fat are at a higher risk for heart disease and diabetes than overweight individuals whose weight is more evenly distributed.

Dietary Sources of Essential Fatty Acids

As with any supplement, it is best if one can obtain the recommended daily allowance of essential fatty acids from his or her diet. Foods that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids include the following:

  • Hemp seed oil
  • Flax oil
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Flax seeds
  • Grapeseed oil
  • Salmon
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Walnuts
  • Soybeans
  • Green leafy vegetables

Dietary sources of Omega-6 fatty acids include:

  • Corn, sunflower, and canola oils
  • Salmon
  • Sardines
  • Tuna
  • Herring
  • Halibut
  • Trout
  • Mackerel

Those to whom the aforementioned foods do not appeal will be pleased to know that there are many supplements available on today’s market that contain essential fatty acids. Such supplements are easily found in capsule form at most health food or grocery stores. Anyone choosing to take Omega-3 or Omega-6 fatty acid supplements is taking a positive step toward a healthier diet.

James McGrath is the owner and editor of Supplement-Deals.co.uk, which provides price comparisons of bodybuilding supplements including the popular CNP Pro Mass and other whey powders, creatine’s and fat loss products.

Get More Opportunities with an Attractive Body

Our society is based on beauty and beautiful people. A harsh reality is that many job opportunities
only await those that are attractive. Women are scrambling for ways to enhance their appearance in
order to get the job advancement that they desire. One avenue that women are using is having larger
breasts.

Seizing Opportunities

An attractive woman is going to have more attention than one that does not care about their
appearance. Increasing the size of your breasts naturally will help you advance in the workplace. You
will look better in work clothes, have more self-confidence and have a higher sense of self-worth.

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> Women that do not pay attention to their appearance are less likely to be presented with
prime opportunities.
> Looking attractive lets you advance in your career.

The key to an attractive body is to use natural methods that do not put your health in danger.
Increasing Breast Size

Women can find all sorts of procedures and pills to increase the size of their breasts — everything from
creams, exercises, devices, and procedures can be found on the internet. However, you need to be
aware of the costs and risks associated with them. Cosmetic surgeries are expensive procedures and
require a lot of time off from work and many nonsurgical methods are ineffective.

One product has helped thousands of women increase their breasts size quickly and safely — Triactol!
It is a breast serum that does not contain any harmful chemicals, toxins or hormones, as it contains
only all-natural ingredients. These types of harmful toxins and hormones have lead weight gain,
insomnia, heart disease and other health matters.

The main ingredient in Triactol is Mirofirm, which is made from the purified extract of Pueraria Mirifica.
This plant is known as the Elixir of Youth, which comes from Thailand.

The product is applied to the breasts by using an airless bottle. The breasts quickly absorb the serum
into the body. Women are able to increase their breast size discreetly and will notice an increase in
size in as little as seven days.

Customers that are already using this product find that their breasts are firmer, well-shaped and
youthful because the serum has reduced the appearance of stretch marks and wrinkles.

You can experience wonderful opportunities with an attractive body. Do not hesitate another
moment to order your very own supply of Triactol. It can make the difference between having self-
confidence and having to continue to live with inadequacies. Place your order now!

Yoga for Geeks

Like a lot of things, yoga isn’t quite what it’s made out to be in the mass media. Super-bendy, bottle-tanned beauties in lyrca, sitting on the floor and chanting ‘Ommm’ over and over again? Far from it. Most modern yoga classes are aimed squarely towards toning the muscles, increasing flexibility, and reducing stress and tension. They’re populated by the people who need that kind of thing the most- older men and women who are beginning to find that they aren’t as supple as they once were and young professional types who spend long hours hunched over keyboards.

Sure, there’s still the odd fitness fanatic in any sport and some yoga instructors do insist on the chanting, but it’s not difficult to find a class that’s perfectly suited to practical minds looking to drop a little weight. The ones run in gyms and neighborhood sports centres are usually the best place to look for maximum workout with minimal ‘Ommm’.

One of the best things about yoga is that most classes cater for all fitness levels. You bend as far as you’re comfortable bending and you hold the postures for as long as you’re happy doing so. The fitter folks can go further and hold it for longer and most instructors include both easy and difficult options for the tricker postures.

It is a completely no-competitive sport. There is no team, no big game to worry about, and nobody to judge your performance. No matter how unfit you are, there will probably be weaker people in the class, even if they are grannies. You don’t need any special gear or fancy clothes. Yoga is not a sport. It’s just an instructor helping a bunch of people improve their fitness, lose weight, and relax.

It won’t be long before you start to see improvements in both strength and flexibility. Yoga works the core muscles (back and stomach) as well as the limbs and it’s usually the core that benefits most, especially in those who spend a lot of their working day and leisure time sitting down. Very probably, the first thing you’ll notice is abs- hard muscle appearing where a couple of weeks ago there was only belly flab.

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For many geeky yoga practitioners fitness is a side benefit. The big draw is improved posture and muscle relaxation. After a long day at even the best workstation your neck and back will get knotted up and the shoulders tend to roll forward. An hour of yoga will straighten your posture and get rid of that tension but there is no doubt that it’ll knock off some fat and give you a little extra muscle tone too.

Jess Spate spends a lot of her life on a computer, working on behalf of sites like Outdoor Equipment Online, Appalachian Outdoors, and Sustainablog. She goes to a yoga class at least once a week and swears she comes out an inch taller than she goes in, every time.

What’s In That Bag? McDonald’s Food Dissected

What’s In That Bag? McDonald’s Food Dissected

People are increasingly afraid of the contents of processed foods. While there are easy targets, none seem to come as easy as McDonald’s, the epitome of corporate expansion, stereotypes surrounding malnourishment and obesity, and all-consuming dead-endness. Recently a woman named Sally Davies purchased a Happy Meal—a hamburger and fries—and discovered that it didn’t change at all in appearance in six months, simply losing its water content and petrifying instead of molding or rotting. 

McDonalds’ beverages and the boneless pork McRib, which will be back for a month and a half this fall, are not excluded from this. All of their shakes are made from reduced fat ice cream and a flavor syrup, but the Triple Thick shakes have a much longer ingredient list: in addition to ice cream, the shake contains nonfat milk solids, corn syrup solids, mono and diglycerides, guar gum, dextrose, sodium citrate, artificial vanilla, sodium phosphate, carrageenan, disodium phosphate, cellulose gum, and vitamin A palmitate. The flavor syrups add additional corn syrup, sodium benzoate, and artificial colors. Many of these help to bind the mixture together to ensure consistency in the product and prevent it from souring or spoiling. 

McDonalds’ smoothies seem innocuous enough when described as a fruit blend, low fat yogurt, and ice. However, the “low fat yogurt” includes protein concentrate, fructose, cornstarch, and kosher gelatin (making it vegetarian-unfriendly) to affect its flavor and sweetness when none of those ingredients are necessary to make a yogurt. The fruit blends also include cellulose powder, “natural and artificial flavors,” and xanthan gum which affects the beverages’ viscosity. 

The McRib is described as consisting of “McRib Patty, McRib Bun, and McRib Sauce.” The patty, beyond just pork and salt, contains dextrose and a mountain of preservatives: BHA, BHT, propyl gallate and citric acid (perhaps they’re made several months or years in advance). The Sauce isn’t so much made from ingredients as it is things that resemble ingredients: it includes high fructose corn syrup but also tomato paste, “natural smoke flavor,” modified starches, onion powder, garlic powder, chili pepper, sodium benzoate, beet powder, and caramel coloring, none of which apparently qualify under the catch-all “spices” listed as an ingredient. The McRib Bun is a whole lot of enriched flour, high fructose corn syrup, about a dozen oils, binding agents, preservatives, and modified soys.

While McDonald’s has to load their food up with preservatives and additives for obvious reasons—so as to ensure consistency and to ensure they don’t get sued by someone who gets a spoiled McRib—it’s alarming to think in terms of the mass production here, and if a picture says a thousand words, Davies’ Happy Meal photo can be boiled down to three: “Don’t eat this.” 

Andrew Hall is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and maintains a list of online degrees for Guide to Online Schools.

Can HCG Help You Lose Weight?

The weight loss industry is rife with fads, and every other day, I see a new fad coming up. Even more surprising than the rapid innovation of fads is how easily the common people are accepting these fads without thinking twice abut possible repercussions. People hope to lose weight quickly with the help of these fad products, but if you ask me, I never believe in fads, and never will! In this article I will tell you about the latest weight loss fad called HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) and how far it can help you lose weight.

To start with, if you are wondering that HCG is just another drug, you are dead wrong! It is just a hormone which is already present in the human body. The hormone is found in abundance in the body of pregnant women. This is the reason why any woman who tests positive for it is confirmed to be pregnant.

People didn’t know about the benefits of HCG on overweight people until a notorious author called Kevin Trudeau came up with a book that claimed that HCG can indeed help people lose weight. For those who don’t know, Kevin Trudeau has already spent a considerable amount of time in jail for several violations of FTC guidelines. While Kevin Trudeau claims that HCG is a miraculous hormone that can help people lose weight quicker than any other weight loss supplement, there is no medical or scientific evidence that backs up this claim. Not even the manufacturers who produce a synthesized version of this hormone claim that it is beneficial for obese people. It is only a handful of doctors and experts who are claiming that they have proof of its effectiveness on overweight people.

For almost forty years, several tests and studies were done on HCG to prove the validity of these claims. A lot of research was done regarding the effectiveness of HCG on overweight people. No study or research done till date has been able to prove that HCG indeed helps one lose weight. So how can the doctors claim the opposite?

Well, in case you don’t know, if you opt for HCG treatment, doctors will also ask you to follow a low calorie diet. So whether it is the low calorie diet or the HCG hormone that is helping people to lose weight is not clear.
Last but not the least, HCG has been banned in the US long time ago. If you want to purchase synthetic HCG, you will need to purchase it either from the black market or import it from another country, both of which can prove very costly for you!

If you take my advice, I would recommend that until the effectiveness of HCG is fully proved, you should just follow the old method of healthy food plan and exercises. Health food plan doesn’t mean that you will have to diet; just eat lost of raw vegetables and fruits, and drink lots of water, and make sure that you avoid the fatty and junk foods as much as possible! This is a proven way to weight loss success.

4 Exercise Tips For the Working Mom

With the pressures of daily life, sometimes working out regularly can become difficult for a working mom. I know it because I am a working mother myself. I have been working even before marriage. The excessive stress at office, coupled with the stress of taking care of my family, sometimes make it impossible for me to stick to my weight loss plan.

That said, I don’t let stress become an excuse for avoiding exercises altogether! Every one of us has only 24 hours allotted in a day, so if you can fit in all of your daily activities within that 24-hour period, how is it that you cannot find time for exercises? Don’t you brush teeth, or take a shower everyday? Why do you do these? Because they are part of your daily routine. You know that if you don’t brush your teeth regularly, you will suffer from tooth decay. Similarly, if you don’t take a shower regularly, you will have skin diseases. But do you know that if you don’t workout regularly, you will become fat?

It is not right to use the ‘lack of time’ as an excuse for avoiding exercises. Let’s be honest here: you are probably either afraid of exercises or just don’t know where to start! In either case, this article will help you achieve your fitness goals!

1. Find a friend to workout with: Working out alone is not always an enjoyable experience. However, if you can have a friend workout with you, chances are that you will start loving your workouts instead of hating them! Plus seeing someone else working out in the gym will motivate you to continue with your exercise routine! If you know another working mom who has the same fitness goals as you, then rope in her as well!

2. Get an IPOD: Take an IPOD with you whenever you hit the gym. This is a great way of kicking out the boredom out of your workout routine!

3. Do what you love: There are exercises that you probably don’t love to do; if you force yourself to do these exorcises it is only a matter of time before you become bored with them! If, instead, you find exercises that you actually love, then it becomes easier!

4. Start it slow: If you have never exercised in life, it is only natural that you will be afraid to hit the gym. Ignore people who say that you have to exercise daily in order to lose weight. Instead, try to take it easy: start by working out only for fifteen to twenty minutes per day, for two or three days a week. As your body gets accustomed to your new workout routine, you can scale up the intensity of your workouts!

Losing Weight the Healthy Way

Maintaining a healthy weight has always been a battle for me. I guess a lot of women can probably relate to that. In high school and college I was always really active, and I seemed to be able to stay pretty fit and healthy because of an active lifestyle. Yet, once I graduated and got into the working class, my lifestyle and my weight changed pretty drastically.

In the couple years after graduating college, I stopped working out regularly and ended up eating fast food at least four times a week, and because of that I gained around thirty pounds. At first I just tried to ignore the weight gain and go on with my sedentary lifestyle. Then the inevitable happened…I had a wedding to go to! My sister’s wedding was really the motivation I needed to lose weight. But it made me think, “why do I need a wedding to motivate me to get healthy?” Instead of crash dieting two weeks before the wedding, I decided to really try to lose weight the healthy way.

Getting healthy became my goal. Once I began to concentrate on nutrition and fitness and not on the number on the scale, I realized that getting healthy was truly a lifestyle change. I cut fast food out of my diet, and I started packing my lunch and bringing it to work. Instead of driving everywhere, I started walking. It ended up being the little choices that I made that made the biggest difference in getting healthy. One of the best decisions I made was to not put anything fattening or unhealthy in the refrigerator or cupboard that I would be tempted to eat or drink. If it’s not around, you can’t eat it!

I also surrounded myself with people who supported me in getting healthy and losing weight. I truly believe that you need a support system in order to accomplish your goals, whether it is losing weight or getting out of debt or any other goal. I also bought a pair of leg weights and dumbbells, and I used them to burn extra calories at home while I was cleaning or watching TV. I realized that if getting healthy was important to me, I would make time for working out, even if it meant just taking advantage of fifteen minutes of downtime at home. In trying to get healthy and stay healthy, I have had my moments of unhealthy decisions.

Whether I slip up and go to Taco Bell for lunch or sleep in past my workout, I had to realize that I was going to make mistakes. I realized that I have to remember that I am human, and that just because I slip up doesn’t mean that all my effort is ruined. It is okay if you make mistakes in your weight loss journey and you can’t beat yourself up about it. You just have to let it go and keep working. Making the little choices to be healthy is really what makes the biggest difference in the end.

There is more to Weight Loss than Dieting

Dieting is a myth. Unless you change your behaviors and make firm personal commitments to be more mindful about what you’re eating, you will ultimately fail with your weight loss goals. Sure, you might loose a few pounds doing these fads but strictly relying on abstinence from foods you enjoy can be quite detrimental to yourself.

There needs to be a balance of positive thought, physical exertion and mindful eating. What is mindful eating and how does it work in your weight loss regime? Simply put, mindful eating is the science of learning about what we eat and how it affects our body. We can gain nourishment from things we already enjoy but the trick is learning how to train ourselves to stop eating when we get a sense of fullness.

The first step is recognizing your daily stress level and how you can control triggers throughout your day. For example, I know that rushing around in the morning with the kids before I head out for work is going to be a hassle. Instead of dwelling on the stress, I’ll accept it as a truth and it gives the stress less power over me. I used to have a habit of stress eating which always showed it’s ugly head during stressful situations. Before I learned how to be mindful with my eating, I would get a breakfast sandwich or a donut to satisfy that morning stress. It’s like an alcoholic getting a beer to calm his or her nerves as a means of justification.

Now I’ll rely on an english muffin with some peanut butter or perhaps a banana for some potassium. Not only do I feel nourished, but I also know these foods will help me be more productive and provide me with a better sense of self. These small little meal adjustments play a vital role with weight loss. So where does exercise play into this? When you’ve learned how to be more mindful with your food, you’ll naturally gain more energy. More energy means more calories burned!

Simple daily activities like walking or taking the stairs instead of the elevator will ensure natural weight loss with no resulting fatigue or nausea feeling you might experience after taking a diet pill. There is also hope for those who work at a desk job or those who are slaves to their computer all day. Take some time to get up from your chair, stretch and get the blood circulating. Take a moment to gently flex and feel your leg muscles starting with your calves, hamstrings and quads. Interlock your fingers and move your arms up and down a few times and take notice of the movements in your muscles.

If you’re feeling especially energized, stand in front of your desk and squat up and down a few times to get your legs and glutes moving. This simple thing not only speeds up your metabolism but also caters to a clear mental focus so when lunch or dinnertime rolls around, you’ll make wise food decisions. Mindful eating is about learning to have a relationship with your food so these meal decisions become a natural part of your daily life and not a hindrance. When you have a clear mental picture of your personal nutritional goals, you’re going to feel more certain and confident about your weight loss regimen. Stop spending your hard earned money on pills, weight loss gimmicks and diet kits that ultimately will fail you. Instead, rely on mindful eating and enjoy the freedom of eating well while having a sustainable and more enjoyable life.

Online Support and Tools for Weight Loss

Losing weight is not an easy task. The basics are taking in less calories than you burn. So everyone always says diet and exercise are the keys to successful weight loss. But in today’s society with all the new technology, weight loss has the possibility of being fun.

Most people these days are carrying around an iPhone or Droid. There are many applications with these new phones that can help you lose weight. A couple of the more popular ones on the iPhone are Calorie Tracker and Lose it. There are a ton of applications to choose from both phones. Not only that you since you have the internet at your fingertips you don’t have an excuse for not knowing how many calories any food item is. Now it is only a Google search away. Even the TV show Biggest Loser has created an application for the Blackberry.

Even if you do not carry a phone with the internet, accessing it from home can help your weight loss journey. There are an unlimited amount of fitness and diet websites. On these websites you log in daily and enter the food you’ve eaten so you can keep track of how many calories you have taken in. And then you enter your exercises and weight training so you can see how many calories you have burned. This is a fun way to keep a log during your diet. A lot of these website cost money, but you can find some free ones. You can even find websites that will let you take a test to figure out what kind of diet works for you.

Another great thing about the weight loss and diet websites is the community and support you will get. This is perfect for the person who is uncomfortable going to a group meeting. You will be able to read testimonies and get ideas from others who are losing weight. And some of the most motivational pages are the success stories. You can decide what level of connection you want to have whether it be reading or posting on a blog or taking part in a discussion in a chat room.

Whether you need nutrition advice or encouragement for the day, you will find it with your online dieting groups. So don’t feel like you need to be the most outgoing person who is comfortable in the gym and is already full of weight loss knowledge. Have fun with technology learning about weight loss and what works best for you. So log in, surf and start losing.

Can You Really Lose 10 Lbs A Week? Some Tips

If you find yourself in a situation where you feel you need to loose 10 pounds a week you may also find yourself failing. There are not many ways to accomplish this without making some serious changes, and even that depends on where you are starting out in terms of your current weight and lifestyle.

If you are over 100 pounds overweight and live a very sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle, then yes, it is possible to loose 10 pounds in a week without killing yourself in the process. However, if you are already fairly active, eat ok and are only a little overweight then you will have a much harder time. Aside from eating right and working out you may need to add in a weight loss drug like adipex to help the process. All of this is assuming you don’t have any other health issues causing problems- if you do then you need to talk to a doctor because your situation may need more changes.

One factor in your weight is sleep, this is almost as important as exercise in that the lack of sleep has been found to trigger three hormones that will increase your appetite- causing you to overeat and not eat the right foods. So step one would be making sure you are getting enough sleep.

Next you should try to eliminate sugar and starch from your diet, these are used first in making energy leaving the rest of your food to be turned to fat. By not taking these in to begin with your body is forced to work harder (burning more calories) and it has to use more of what we eat as energy.

As corny as it sounds, trying some deep breathing exercises for 10 minutes a day can really help increase oxygen and help your metabolism as well as overall functioning of your body which allows it to work it’s hardest on burning the calories we eat.

If you want to loose 10 pounds a week you will want to apply a lot of changes, everything from sleeping better to working out combined with eating right and possibly adding in a diet pill to jump start the process. Adipex worked really well for me, especially when I combined it with eating better and a little exercise- after about 6 months I have lost over 70 pounds.

So, in order to loose weight quickly we need to do a few things; sleep better, be more active, eat better food- staying away from junk food with lots of sugar and carbohydrates, drink lots of cold water through the day, and try a diet pill like Adipex if your in a big hurry. All of this will help in weight loss but in order to really loose ‘fat’ you have to keep going after your initial rapid weight drop.

By changing your entire lifestyle you will see and feel changes, both in the way you look but also in your concentration, energy and even your stamina. Weight loss can do more than make you look good- if done right that is- if you starve yourself and over work your body along with diet pills and other bad habits you can loose weight but feel horrible and that is no way to live. Do it the right way to keep the weight off and feel good about yourself.