FAT Away

The difference between the Atkins and the South Beach diet is within the amount of restriction. Low carb diets restrict the consumption of carbohydrates. The induction phase of the Atkins diet restricts most carbohydrates while the South Beach diet allows ‘good’ carbohydrate consumption. These diets can really put one’s will power to the test. Why?

The human body’s primary source of energy is glucose. Glucose is derived from the breakdown or hydrolysis of carbohydrates that are consumed. Limiting carbohydrate consumption forces the body to use fat or protein as an energy source. Decreased carbohydrate consumption may leave you feeling tired and easily fatigued until the body adjusts to the change.

The word carbohydrate arose because molecular formulas of these compounds can be expressed as hydrates of carbons which yield a basic carbohydrate empiric formula of (CH2O)n. Carbohydrates consist mainly of the combination of two chemistry functional groups: the carbonyl and the hydroxyl group. Carbohydrates exist in different forms such as monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides.

Monosaccharides are usually called simple sugars. These simple sugars cannot be broken down or hydrolyzed into a simpler form (glucose). A complex carbohydrate refers to one or more linked simple sugars that require digestion for absorption.

Oligosaccharides contain at least two monosaccharide units. Oligosaccharides may be referred to as disaccharides or trisaccharides depending on how many units of monosaccharides the compound contains. Maltose and sucrose (table sugar) are considered disaccharides.

Polysaccharides contain many monosaccharide units. In order for the body to use polysaccharides, these compounds must be broken down into a simpler monosaccharide form. Examples of polysaccharides are starch and cellulose (fiber).

Dietary carbohydrate digestion occurs mainly in the mouth and small intestine. During mastication (chewing) the salivary glands secrete the enzyme alpha-amylase which is referred to as ptyalin. Alpha-amylase briefly acts on dietary carbohydrates in the mouth to hydrolyze starch into simple sugars such as glucose. In fact, if you chew on a carbohydrate long enough you may taste sugar. This is a result of salivary amylase hydrolyzing the carbohydrate into a simpler sugar.

Mastication increases the surface area of the food for alpha-amylase to act upon. This allows the enzyme alpha-amylase to work more efficiently in carbohydrate digestion. However, the food does not remain in the mouth for a long time so only a small portion of starch is hydrolyzed there.

Once the chewed food has been swallowed into the stomach, carbohydrate digestion halts temporarily. This occurs because alpha-amylase is inactivated by the high acidic environment of the stomach. However, carbohydrate digestion will resume once the chyme (food mass and gastric juices of the stomach) enters the small intestine.

The acidic contents emptied into the small intestine are neutralized by bicarbonate secreted by the pancreas. The pancreas will then secrete alpha-amylase to continue carbohydrate digestion. Carbohydrate digestion is finished when the mucosal lining of the upper jejunum and duodenum absorb the bulk of the dietary sugars in the form of monosaccharides.

Now that we have a good understanding of what a carbohydrate is and the importance of the carbohydrate in the body, maybe an extreme low carb diet isn’t the answer for weight loss. Extreme diets whether they are low carb or high protein can put the body to the test. Carbohydrates may be a necessary evil, but the body relies heavily on carbohydrates for energy. Instead of testing one’s will power, using a weight loss supplement called a carb blocker may be a better option.

Carb blockers are a weight loss supplement recently introduced into the weight loss world. Carb blockers claim to block the enzyme alpha-amylase. If the enzyme alpha-amylase is blocked, then carbohydrate hydrolysis is affected. By blocking the enzyme, you block the breakdown of the carbohydrate which affects absorption of the monosaccharide. How so? If the carbohydrate is of complex origin, the enzyme must be secreted to break down the carbohydrate into a simpler form for absorption. In theory, the carb blocker should indeed help to block carbohydrates from being absorbed.

Phaseolus vulgaris is the active ingredient in carb blockers that comes from the white kidney bean. Phaseolus vulgaris interferes with the pancreas’ ability to secrete the enzyme alpha-amylase. Subsequent studies do prove that Phaseolus vulgaris does in fact inhibit the enzyme alpha-amylase.

Carb blockers are another option for weight loss. However, permanent weight loss requires you to make changes to your lifestyle. If you do not change your lifestyle then no matter what diet or supplement you choose, weight loss is temporary and short lived. This also means that if you choose a low carb diet, make sure that this diet can be done. Many people fail the low carb diet because of extreme commitments.

Diets to Weight Loss

Survey to adult population was either obese or overweigh by The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-2002 survey) determined that approximately 65% of the U.S. This survey also indicated that an estimated 16% of children between the ages of 6 and 19 years are overweight. And, there is no doubt that obesity is on the rise in our country!

Why the upwards trend in obesity?

As most of us are aware, Americans have fallen prey to high-fat, high-sugar, high-calorie diets (common in fast food restaurants). We’re typically eating way-y-y more calories each day than we need for our lifestyles! (But, oh! Those ‘comfort’ foods sure taste good and temporarily soothe our psyches, don’t they?!)

Let’s face it, though! If we constantly consume more calories than we burn, most likely we’ll eventually put on some extra weight!

, Americans often go through spurts of trying one fad diet after another or starting an exercise regimen, only to get bored with it and quit after only a few weeks or so is very Ironically.

We refer to a ‘fitness craze.’ Do we call it a ‘craze’ because we get so hyped up about it one minute, pour all our efforts into losing weight and getting into shape…yet, soon, throw our hands up in the air in defeat?

The U.S. has become a sedentary society…and, that’s a big contributor to the weight problems many of us have. When you combine the common American diet with sitting around endlessly on our derrieres, it’s no wonder that obesity is on the rise!

Unfortunately, Americans want a quick fix for everything that seems to be wrong in our lives. Being overweight is no exception. We want to find some miracle diet or supplement that will make those extra pounds magically fall off overnight! But, face it! That is NOT going to happen—at least, not anytime soon! So, for now, we must accept our own responsibility for doing what it takes to lose weight and get in shape!

Fad diets may help you initially drop some pounds in a short period of time. However, most of that is just water weight and is usually gained back (and, then some) just as quickly! If you’re serious about losing FAT and keeping it off, then you need to make some serious lifestyle changes!

I recommend a common sense approach to weight loss:

# Consult with your healthcare professional before beginning any exercise or weight loss program

# Set realistic goals

# Develop a healthy plan to help you achieve your goals (i.e. focus on eating a balanced, healthy diet and getting some sort of regular exercise)

# Get started and stick with it!

Note: if you fall behind on your workouts or blow your diet occasionally, do NOT get disheartened! Merely refocus and start over again the next day!

What should you eat? What kind of workouts should you do?

First of all, I encourage you to plan your diet based on the USDA’s Food Pyramid. The human body needs foods from every food group! I DO, however, suggest that you keep your intake of processed foods, simple carbohydrates, and saturated fats to a minimum.

Simple carbohydrates include sucrose, lactose, maltose, glucose, and fructose sugars. These are nutritionally lacking and full of ‘empty calories.’ If you wish to avoid carbohydrates, these are the carbohydrates to stay away from!

DO eat plenty of complex carbohydrates—those carbs found in fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads, and cereals. These are good carbohydrates, and they provide nutrients that are essential for good health. Complex carbohydrates have been associated with a low incidence of lung, colon, esophagus, and stomach cancer. They may also decrease your risk of heart disease, diabetes mellitus, diverticulosis, hypertension, and gallstones.

Despite what you may have heard about including fat in your diet, we actually NEED certain fats to keep our bodies functioning properly. Just remember that it is the saturated fats—fats that come primarily from animals (red meats, eggs, and dairy products), as well as from certain plants (such as coconut and palm oils)—that should be eaten in moderation.

Eating excessive amounts of saturated fats over a period of time has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer of the breast, prostate, and colon.

On the other hand, unsaturated fats are thought to be less likely associated with cardiovascular disease, cancer, and obesity. Unsaturated fats include monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are primarily vegetable derivatives. Included among these fats are peanut oil, canola oil, and olive oil. Polyunsaturated fats include some fats from vegetable sources, as well as fats derived from fish. Among polyunsaturated fats are safflower and corn oils. These provide Omega-6 fats. We get Omega-3 fats from fish sources.

Some fat in your diet is necessary for optimal health. Unsaturated fats are believed to protect the body against certain types of cancer, as well as heart disease. These fats may also aid in memory function, protect against other diseases, and help keep the metabolism functioning properly.

The point I’d like to stress is that you should never completely eliminate any food group from your diet! To do so could have dire consequences, such as the development of anemia or osteoporosis. Include foods in your daily diet from each food group, but keep an eye on those portion sizes! To lose weight, you need to cut back on calories.

In addition to eating properly, a regular exercise program can greatly help you shed those extra pounds and is essential to good overall fitness. Exercise improves your metabolism and increases the number of calories your body burns each day, which is necessary for weight loss. And, regular exercise improves your cardiovascular fitness, your flexibility, your endurance, and your balance.

The type of exercise you do is up to you.

If you get the ‘go ahead’ from your doctor or nurse practitioner, you should begin slowly and work up to a minimum of 20-minute cardiovascular workouts, three times per week. Strength training and flexibility exercises are important, too.

Really Lose by Anna N. S.

The gradual, nonetheless impressively dramatic stages of weight loss the curvy sex kitten icon Anna N.S dropped purportedly from taking Trimspa - for a long while. Some naysayers argue that Ms. Anna had gastric bypass surgery, drastic liposuction or other plastic surgery to achieve such a huge weight loss in a short period without getting the sagging, loose skin that often goes with fast weight loss.

First, let me say, I have tried Trimspa a few times, and I generally like the way it cuts down my appetite and gives me an energy boost. But do I believe it can be solely responsible for such a drastic weight loss as Anna N.S, or any other individual who may be considered obese? I'm not so sure.

Now, couple a weight loss and appetite suppressant such as Trimspa with professional personal trainers and dietitians, or for us "normal" folks, just good old fashioned discipline and you've got yourself a winning weightloss combination. Anna Nicole was probably put on a strict diet and exercise regimen, along with Trimspa in order to shed so many pounds so fast.

Sure, Trimspa undoubtedly helped to suppress her appetite and give her an edge, but I don't think anyone is naive enough to think Trimspa alone was responsible for her dramatic transformation.

So, What Ingredients Does Trimspa Contain?

1. Glucosamine - This natural compound is supposed to prolong the amount of time glucose remains in the blood stream. In other words, it helps stabilize blood sugar levels, which also stabilizes the appetite.

2. Hoodia Gordonii - A native African cactus-like plant, which is now more widely advertised as a diet aid. Trimspa was actually the first to use this plant extract in a commercial weight loss formula. Hoodia Gordonii is most well known for it's abilities to suppress the appetite.

3. Vanadium - Another natural compound which aids in appetite suppression.

4. Green Tea Extract - Green Tea is supposed to have thermogenic (accelerated fat and calorie burning) capabilities, as well as sustain higher energy levels and help to eliminate free radicals.

5. Chromium - Another nutrient which helps stabilize blood sugar and control carb cravings.

6. Glucomannan - A natural root extract which purportedly helps to aid in feelings of fullness by acting essentially as a fiber "filler" in the stomach.

7. Theobromine - Acts as a mild diuretic (rids the body of excess water retention). Believe it or not, some different types of chocolate contain this organic compound also.

8. Citrus Naringen - Curbs appetite.

As you can see, Trimspa seems to have a pretty powerful combination of natural weight loss ingredients. And it does work well - for a while. But be warned, the effects do wear off after a while, and your appetite does return. I think the key to permanent weight loss and consistent weight maintenance lies in finding the right balance of foods that you enjoy which naturally lends themselves to a healthy weight.

So, did Anna N.S really lose it all through hard work, determination and a financial incentive from the folks at Trimspa, or did she have some help from doctors? I'm afraid we'll never know the real story, but it sure is fun to speculate!

Go to Trimspa, Now!