Can Cleanses Really Work?

If you watch TV or been on social media lately chances are you see advertisements for a detox diet or colon cleanse. These practices can seem very alluring when they promise both immense weight loss and the ridding of toxic chemicals in your body. We all know modern people face exposure to chemicals every day, so it would seem like ridding ourselves of toxins is the best way to go.

Let’s take a look at these common cleanses and detox diets to see what kind of toxins they can get rid of, if any. Before we do that, let’s learn a little more about toxins.

All About Toxins.

Toxins can range in definition depending on whom you talk to. Many people believe that toxins are abundant in processed foods in the form of preservatives, and in our natural environment. Cleanses offer you a way to rid yourself of these toxins. Unfortunately, toxins aren’t usually found trapped in your digestive tract.
Toxins can be present in the food you take in, the water you drink, and the air you breathe. For detox diets and cleanses that advocate eating only raw organic fruits and vegetables, it’s important to know that even these are not safe from toxins. Frequently organic produce is tainted with toxins like E. coli and salmonella.

The Body Dumps Toxins.

Live Science notes that your body is already well-equipped to get rid of toxins on its own. The liver and kidneys are your body’s own toxin regulation system. Many detoxes and cleanses that claim to rid the liver of harmful chemicals and toxins may contain damaging diuretics or other substances.

The liver will break down toxins into water-soluble chemicals that can sweat out of the body. The kidneys filter other harmful chemicals. Berkeley Wellness also points out that your skin does a wonderful job of protecting you from most toxins that you would absorb.

What do Cleanses do?

There are several types of cleanses advertised. Some are colon cleanses, juice cleanses, and fasting cleanses. These cleanses all do different things to the body while not actually cleaning out toxins.

Colon cleanses provide the dieter with high amounts of fiber and laxatives, or water gets injected into the colon to clean it out. This serves to empty the bowels of any of their contents. While users of a colon cleanse may often see temporary weight loss results, but as soon as they begin to eat again, and natural digestive processes take over, the weight will come back on.

Colon cleanses can be harmful because they can get rid of the healthy bacteria in the colon. In some colon cleanses harmful substances are used. The Mayo Clinic points to a particularly crazy method that uses coffee enemas, which has been linked to numerous deaths. Colon cleanses can also cause nausea and vomiting along with cramping and bloating.

Juice Fasts encourage users to juice fruits and vegetables as their primary source of nutrition. Juice cleanses can be effective when they are done right because they help you to get an influx of vegetable nutrients, especially antioxidants that fight free radicals that cause oxidative stress.

However, Prevention magazine notes that “juice detoxes” are not actually detoxing anything because our bodies already have filtration systems, like the liver and kidneys, in place to remove toxins. However, the nutrients from juicing and smoothies can help improve your nutritional profile and kickstart a healthy diet that will support your body’s natural detoxification systems.

Finally, there are people who believe that water fasting is the perfect way to cleanse your body. Lifehack points out that during a water fast a breakdown in electrolyte cell homeostasis can occur, if  that happens you can have hypotension, anemia, gout, and even cardiac arrest.

The bottom line is when trying to detox your body the best thing you can do is eat whole, minimally processed foods that will allow your body to function to the best of its ability. No juice fast, colon cleanse or water fast is going to rid your body of excess toxins. They may just leave you sicker than when you started. But, if you are seriously thinking of doing a detox; Start out slow first for about 2  days to see how you feel.

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Acceptance-Based Behavioral Treatment (ABT) – The Mindfulness Diet - Lose More Weight And Keep It Off Longer

There are hundreds of purported ways to lose weight, and the list will only get bigger the longer we live. However, a new modality of treatment- known as Acceptance Based behavioral Therapy (ABT) seeks to address weight loss by incorporating mindfulness to the attempt.

Yes, this new modality of treatment has a lot to do with your mindset when attempting to lose weight, and has proven itself quite effective in studies.

Can your mind really offer the ultimate weapon in controlling your weight? Read on and decide for yourself.

Also Known As The Mindfulness Diet

Mindfulness can be a powerful tool when incorporated into any facet of this. Weight loss isn’t any different. A study conducted in 2016 focused on making goal based choices and incorporating mindfulness when choosing foods to eat.

The key goal of the researchers was to prove that this model of treatment is superior to regular behavioral therapy for weight loss and they were right.

On average, persons who followed the new Acceptance Based Therapy lost 13 pounds during their first year, compared to others who followed regular behavioral therapy that lost between 5and 8 pounds over the same period.

The biggest difference with acceptance based behavioral treatment? Accepting. Accepting the fact that temptations and pitfalls will occur, but finding suitable ways to deal with it and recover.

What Specifically Does ABT Focus On?

Acceptance based therapy’s key goal was helping identify and remedy situations that pave the way for poor eating and bad habits. At the core of the plan is:

• Attaching A Major Goal To The Weight Loss- many plans already do this, but sometimes the magnitude of your motivation is what makes it effective or not. For example, ABT could focus on getting healthier so that you can see you grandkid’s wedding, as opposed to just fitting in a dress you’ve wanted to for a long  time. As you can guess, the wedding is a much stronger motivator than a silly dress.

• Make Notes Of Situations That Cause Junk Food Eating- if you notice that anytime you stay up after midnight you end up eating too many snacks, or when an exam rolls around, you can take necessary steps to remedy the situations. For example, rarely stay up after midnight, and spread you exam studying for longer periods so you do not cramp all that work into a few short days.

• Treat Deprivation With A Reward- for example, instead of curling up into a ball and going to sleep when the sugar rush hits you, reward yourself with an apple. At its core, it is trying to retrain bad habits and reprogram reward mechanisms.

• Stop Eating When You First Feel Satisfied- normally, before you reach the point of utter stomach suffocation, you get a little nudge that you’ve had enough to eat. In obese persons, however, this instinct is usually over-ridden until the point of utter satisfaction and discomfort is achieved. This needs to be retrained as well, you do not need to fill your stomach to capacity.

• Make Eating A Meal An Experience- we get it- you are busy and have things to do. However, you need to make time for eating. Eating is not merely stuffing calories into your body in the least amount of time, but rather satisfying your brain. By taking the time to have all (or most) of your senses experience the food; let it roll over all areas of your tongue to experience new tastes, you develop a greater appreciation for your food. This is the basic tenet of mindfulness and could pave the way for great things to come.

Conclusion

ABT holds great promise, and is bound to spread and become accepted by many quarters of the medical field. The mind truly is a powerful tool, one which you can train to do bidding in your real best interest.

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10 Things You Should Never Do To Lose Weight

Losing weight seems to be getting harder and harder in this day and age, where media is obsessed with a certain type of look; one that’s thin, flawless, and perfect. This drives people to search high and low for a quick way to lose weight. Unfortunately, things are rarely that simple.

Compromising your health and well-being isn’t going to guarantee that you lose any weight. In fact, all that’s guaranteed is that you’re taking a toll on your health, which can lead to serious side effects, and even death. Read on to find out 10 things that should never be done when fighting the battle of the bulge.

1. Doubt yourself
If you believe it, it will happen. Doubting yourself is counterintuitive and kills off your self-confidence, and without self-confidence, it’s unlikely you’ll be motivated to lose any weight.

2. Compare
Everyone is different in how their bodies react to different foods because of genes, family history, and eating habits that go as far back as when you were in your mother’s womb. So don’t waste your time comparing your weight progress with other anyone else’s.

3. Expect miracles
Setting yourself up for unrealistic goals will only waste your time and energy. Listen to your body and be honest with yourself, and most importantly, don’t try to impress anyone but yourself. Be proud of all of your achievements, big and small, and focus on all the health benefits you’re reaping each single week.

4. Starvation, extreme fasting and skipping meals
Cutting back on too many calories in a short amount of time can lead to severe malnutrition, loss of muscle mass and even type 2 diabetes. Sure, there will be some weight loss, but it’ll quickly backfire. This is because when your daily caloric intake drops below a certain level, mainly 1200, then the body starts storing fat for fear of starvation. It goes back to our hunting days when people weren’t sure, when their next meal was going to be.

So, anything less than 1200 calories per day won’t provide you with the amount of nutrients you need for healthy development and to be able to sustain your energy levels throughout the day.

The same goes for skipping meals, which may make sense at first, but science has proven that it’s one of the worst ways to lose weight. This is because your metabolism increases after eating. Therefore, eating healthy foods means you’re consuming less or the same amount of energy being burned so nothing gets stored away as fat. On the other hand, if you skip meals, your metabolism slows down, so much so that if you repeatedly skip meals in an effort to burn off fat, you’ll find yourself gaining weight, rather than losing it.

5. Laxatives
Laxatives can come in the form of pills, powders, suppositories, and even tea. Even though they can result in the loss of a few pounds, laxatives can cause complications in the abdomen and can damage the digestive system. One of the side effects of laxatives is that those using them on a regular basis quickly find out that their bodies have become dependent on them and that they can’t have a bowel movement without taking a laxative.

Other side effects include an imbalance of electrolytes in the body, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain.

6. Supplements
Companies that manufacture supplements aren’t required to prove the safety or effectiveness before putting them on the market. This means that what they claim to do is, more often than not, completely untrue. And just like any other type of medication, they have serious risks and side effects, some of which include flatulence, diarrhea, headaches, insomnia, and constipation just to name a few.

7. Diet Pills
It’s time to be honest about things: there is no pill that will magically make you thin and physically fit. The only thing these drugs are good for is wreaking havoc on your nervous system, damaging brain cells and causing heart problems. Other side effects include insomnia, high blood pressure, dizziness, stroke, blurred vision, and unhealthy bowel movements, among others.

If supplements or certain pills are taken to aid in the fat-burning process, they must be prescribed by your doctor and they must be go hand-in-hand with regular exercise and healthy food choices.

They can come in the form of pills, as appetite suppressants and caffeine, or herbal supplements. Yet no matter what forms they come in, they stimulate the nervous system, which can be an extreme health hazard with severe risks and side effects.

8. Detox and Cleanses
Getting rid of harmful toxins and processed chemicals is a great idea, but done via a diet that hasn’t been health certified is another matter. While cleansing may help you shed a couple of pounds, the truth is, you’re only losing water and actual fat.

Moreover, in the process, you’re subjecting your body to vitamin deficiencies, heart palpitations, hair fall, mood swings, and abdominal pain. All of that plus the fact that you’ll eventually gain back the weight you lost, if not more. Moreover, there are medical experts who aren’t fully convinced that these plans actually remove toxins from your body or improve your health in any way.

9. Diuretics
Also known as, ‘water pills’, diuretics increase the amount of urine you produce and discharge. However, all these pills do is get rid of extra fluids in your body, as well as electrolytes and vital minerals, as zinc. One of the most serious and common side effects of diuretics is dehydration, which can quickly become a life-threatening situation if not taken care of in time.

10. Quit
No matter how slow you may think your progress is, never give up. Slow progress is better than no progress at all. Have faith in yourself and know that all your hard work will pay off sooner or later.

Conclusion
Focusing on moderation and mindful eating is more important than reaching a certain number on the scale. Your health is your most precious commodity, and reaching lasting weight-loss and a healthy, happy lifestyle.

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7 Steps To Detox From Junk Food

Junk food can be a nasty habit. Especially if you’re eating it several times a day. Some people even go so far as to have a junk food addiction. If you are craving junk food and can’t seem to say no, then you may need to detox from that junk food.

Did you know that what regulates your weight, eating habits and metabolism is not your stomach but your brain? Healthy whole food sends messages to the brain to turn off hunger and cravings, while processed junk food sends the opposite messages that propagate out of control cravings.

Junk food is addicting, as it activates pleasure centers in the brain, much like cocaine and heroin. You can break food addictions habits, and get on track with a healthy lifestyle.

There are several approaches that you can take for detoxing from junk food. Cold turkey is always an option, but many people find it difficult to ditch junk, so taking a step-by-step approach is much more prudent.

Evaluate.
Junk food is also often used as crutch and hunger is often not real but motivated by something else.

When you have cravings, it is important to stop and evaluate what you are feeling and what you really need. For example, are you tired, do you need a nap? Are you stressed, do you need to relax?

Are you really hungry? If so, then a chicken breast and vegetables will sound good, but if you are craving behind something other than hunger, then you will likely only want candy, chips, or some other junk.

Eat Real Whole Food.
Fats and proteins help keep you satisfied. Whole food including meats, chicken, vegetables, legumes, beans, seeds, and others satisfy hunger, and maintain steady blood sugar levels. When you eat regularly scheduled small meals about every three to four hours that include whole food, you keep your mind and body stable and satisfied.

Reduce Stress.
Nothing fuels cravings for junk like stress. Stress eating is a major problem for many people, so when you take the time to manage your stress, you can eliminate this pitfall.

Don’t Eat From The Bag.
Eating snacks in front of the TV your while at your desk is a common occurrence. However, Dr. Oz recommends that you avoid eating straight from the bag. Studies show that people consume more food when they have access to a larger portion. This is extremely true when you are distracted. Combining a large bag of chips with the distraction of television just means you will eat way more than you intended to.

Let’s face it, how many of us have ended up at the bottom of the Cheetos bag and wondered how we got there?

Meal Prep.
If you are addicted to junk food, then chances are you’ll find any excuse to head over to the fast food drive in. This is why prepping your meals and snacks ahead of time is vitally important. It is really easy to prep a whole week’s worth of food in an afternoon. You can prepackage your meals so that they are easy to grab out of the refrigerator and head out the door.

One of the biggest things to remember when trying to ditch junk food is to be patient with yourself and consistent in your nutrition. Remembering your meal prep days are important and scheduling them on your calendar may be an easy way to ensure you don’t skip this vital step.

5 Ingredients.
Learning what ingredients are good for you and what ingredients mean a food is bad can take a lot of time. That’s one reason that Readers Digest suggests that you practice the five-ingredient rule. This rule simply states that if a packaged product has more than five ingredients, you shouldn’t eat it. This is a simple way to avoid impulse buys like chips and cookies. It also helps you understand that minimally processed foods are better for you.

Once you have the five-ingredient rule down, you can venture out by learning different ingredients and how they affect your body. For example, one ingredient, maltodextrin, is a sweetener with a higher glycemic index than table sugar. Often packages will say sugar-free when maltodextrin is present. Just because it’s sugar-free doesn’t mean it won’t affect your body like a sugar laden snack.

Healthy swaps.
When initially cutting out junk food from your diet you may notice that you have extreme cravings for sugar. This isn’t uncommon for many people who ditch junk food and kick the habit. One thing you will need to do is indulge a little.
This means enjoying snacks like frozen grapes, fresh fruit, and dark chocolate. It doesn’t mean indulging in a hot fudge Sundae from your favorite frozen treats restaurant. You can give yourself a healthy swap for sweets almost every day without damaging your attempt to ditch junk food.

If you follow these steps, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to step away from the junk food and drive-ins. You might find that you have more energy as you no longer consume tons of junk. Your body will thank you for slowly weaning yourself away from the junk food.

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5 Major Problems With Fad Diets

The dictionary definition of “fad” is “an activity or topic of interest that is very popular for a short time, but which people become very bored with very quickly.” That describes “fad diets” to a T. They’re popular at first because the weight seems to melt away, but they fall out of favor when people realize there is no quick fix for sustained weight loss.

Dietitian Robin Steagall of the Calorie Control Council tells WebMD that fad diets, on the face of it “offer ‘new’ ways to beat the boring mathematical reality of long-term weight loss.”

She goes on to say that every diet works on the principle of cutting calories, but fad diets claim that they have found a new magic bullet, for example, eating at specified times, taking a “specially formulated” supplement; eating piles of cabbage; or not eating at all.

There is nothing new to these diets, other than the fact that some of them can seriously harm your health. Here are five problems with fad diets:

1. Rapid loss of weight
Cool, where do I sign up? Not so fast, friend. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) warns that if you lose weight quickly, you’ll lose muscle, bone and water and you’re much more likely to pile the weight back on after you finish the diet. The Center for Diseases control advises you to aim to lose between one and two pounds a week.  That’s not a whole lot but it is far more realistic. Think about it, you didn’t put on all your weight overnight, so you’re not likely to lose it overnight, either.

2. Magic ingredients
Watch out for diets that allow you unlimited quantities of any one ingredient, such as cabbage or grapefruit. The academy points out that it is boring to stick to one food for breakfast lunch and supper, and you’re much more likely to break you diet. By the same token, be careful of diets that eliminate or severely an entire food group, like carbohydrates. You’re much more likely to miss out on important nutrients your body needs for its wellbeing this way. Dietitians always advise you to eat a wide range of food across all food groups.

3. Rigid eating plans
Weight-loss programs that don’t allow a bit of wiggle room are doomed to fail. According to WebMD, most sensible diets nowadays allow the occasional splurge if you don’t go completely overboard.  The Mayo Clinic says that if the diet is overly restrictive, you’re probably not going to stick to it and you won’t lose weight over the long term

4. Short-term goals
A lot of fad diets focus your mind on losing a specific amount of weight in the short-term, but don’t plan for what comes afterwards. You need to look for a weight-loss program that helps you make permanent lifestyle choices, according to WebMD. Good programs will teach you how to live, not just to eat. As the academy says, you must ask yourself whether you can eat this way for the rest of your life. If not, find a program that offers lifelong benefits.

5. No need to exercise
Beware diets that promise weight-loss without your getting up from the couch. Regular physical activity is essential for good health and healthy weight management. The key, says the academy, is to aim for 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week. And you don’t have to spend those 30 minutes on the treadmill. Do something you enjoy, like gardening, or walking the dogs the park. People who exercise are more likely to maintain the weight loss.

There is no secret ingredient or short cut to losing weight.  It’s a lifelong commitment that takes hard work and motivation. 

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5 Key Ways To Make Your Weight Loss Efforts Safe

Weight loss is a concern for millions of people around the world. In fact, in the US, obesity is at epidemic levels, with 2/3 of all adults either overweight or obese. Why is it so hard to lose weight? And why do so many seek extreme measures that may be more detrimental to their health than being overweight is?

The truth is many of us want easy and fast fixes, and some really don’t want to work for it. But, safe and lasting weight loss requires time and effort, and safety is key when you consider the many extreme fad diets out there that can do a lot more harm than good.

Before starting a weight-loss program speak to your doctor, especially – but not only – if you have an underlying condition, such as type 2 diabetes. The American Heart Association advises that your healthcare provider will be able to assess your weight loss needs, risk factors and help you to set realistic and safe goals.

This plan of action is also encouraged by the Mayo Clinic, which emphasizes that your doctor is one of the best sources of information and referrals, as he or she can recommend safe weight loss plans, support groups or a competent dietician.

Stay away from supplements

The American Heart Association warns that dietary supplements sold for rapid weight loss are mostly unproven and make claims that they cannot back up. And just because it’s a natural health supplement, doesn’t mean it’s safe. Many of these products have not tested for safety by the FDA.

Dietary supplements containing ephedra have been banned by the FDA, because of serious health risks including cardiovascular complications. Even supplements that contain no ephedra can be risky. Most of them contain caffeine, which can result in an increased heart rate and arrhythmia.
Slow and steady wins the race

Experts advise that safe weight loss is between one to two pounds a week. Such slow progress might appear discouraging to some, but it is safe and most important sustainable.

Rapid weight loss has side effects, which are exacerbated the longer you stay on the diet. These range from gallstones and malnutrition to fatigue and hair loss, according to WebMD. While short term calorie reduction may not cause much harm, the truth is drastic diets that greatly reduce caloric intake are not sustainable for the long term, and is it not permanent long-term results that you seek? In addition, research has shown that the slower you lose weight, the less likely you are to put it back on.

Avoid yo-yo dieting or weight cycling.

The problem with yo-yo-dieting is you seesaw back forth without any lasting results. You try one diet and lose some weight, only to put it back on again, so you go back on another diet, and the cycle repeats, for many people, this cycle repeats numerous times throughout their lives. Some research, according to WebMD, has linked yo-yo dieting to a reduction in HDL “good” cholesterol.

The jury is still out on just how bad yo-yo dieting is for you, but experts say that it does more harm than good. The benefits of a well-balanced diet far outweigh the possible harm of yo-yo dieting.
Balance is key

Many dietitians agree that cutting out an entire food group, like carbs, can be harmful to your health. The American Heart Association says that if you eliminate or drastically reduce carbs, you’ll miss out on many vitamins, minerals and fiber and your body will start looking for energy elsewhere.

It explains that if your body is low on glucose, it breaks down lean muscle mass to provide the stored glycogen. The stored glycogen contains water. Muscle breakdown and the water associated with it can cause rapid weight loss, which can lead to kidney damage. It is always advisable to eat a range of foods across all food groups.

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Healthy Morning Breakfast Drinks to assist with Weight-loss

Possibly your early morning hours are chaotic, or you do not feel especially hungry when you wake up. If you are aiming to lose weight, however, breakfast is crucial. Consuming breakfast avoids cravings later on, increases your energy and puts you on track to make smarter food options throughout your day. Think about whipping up a yummy, healthy and quick breakfast drink to start your early morning on the right foot.

PB and Banana

Peanut butter and other nut butters, such as almond, cashew and soy nut butter, are filled with protein, which help you feel fuller for a longer period. Blend 2 tablespoon. of your favorite nut butter with a medium banana, 6 oz. of fat-free milk and 1 tablespoon. honey for a breakfast beverage that is low in calories but high in protein, nutrition and taste.

Oatmeal Healthy smoothie

You've probably eaten oatmeal for breakfast, but you might not have ever thought about drinking it. Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which slows food digestion and helps you feel satiated till lunch time. Scoop three heaping tablespoons of uncooked oats into a cup of apple juice. Add a frozen banana or a cup of vanilla yogurt and a drizzle of light maple syrup. Blend everything together for a sweet, rewarding breakfast drink.

Drink Your Veggies

Green shakes are chock-full of vitamins, high in fiber, naturally low in calories and sweet enough to please the pickiest taste buds, making them an ideal breakfast beverage when you are trying to shed pounds. In addition, the combinations are limitless. Mix 3 parts fresh fruit with two parts leafy green veggies in a blender juicer, adding fresh fruit juice if the mix requires more liquid. Try combinations such as apples and pears with kale or bananas and berries with spinach.

Sip Some Squash

Another vegetable-based breakfast beverage idea is to utilize pumpkin in a smoothie. These orange gourds are fat-free, low in calories, fiber rich and mouth watering. Mix 1/2-cup canned or pureed pumpkin with a cup of milk and a couple of ice cubes. Stir in 2 tsp. brown sugar or sugar substitute, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. It will taste like you are sipping a slice of pumpkin pie.

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