This guest post is contributed by Maryanne Osberg, who writes on the topic of RN to MSN Online.

We all know that water sustains life, but how many of us know the many ways that it helps you lose weight as well? It’s a truly miraculous liquid in many ways – not only would we be dead without water, we would also invite disease and illness into our lives.

Exercise and diet are important aspects of weight loss no doubt, but the secret to really easy and effective weight loss is water. If you want to know how water helps you lose weight, read on:

• When you drink a few glasses of water before a meal, you tend to eat less because you feel full sooner. Water acts as an appetite suppressor and helps you to reduce the amount you consume during every meal. Repeat this for all your meals and your total calorific count for the day reduces by a large number, thus enabling you to lose weight.

• When your body is dehydrated be even 1 percent, your metabolism tends to drop significantly. This means your body burns fewer calories than it should normally, so you don’t lose weight as fast as you should. Drinking enough water helps you prevent dehydration and consequently a drop in metabolism.

• When you’re not really hungry but just feel the need to snack, a few glasses of water can help get rid of those cravings and prevent you from adding to your daily calorific count.

• Foods that are made up mostly of water help in your weight loss efforts because they not only ensure that you feel full, but also bring down your total calorie count – soups, vegetables and fruits are examples of foods that are great for people looking to lose weight on a healthy diet. They provide your body with adequate nutrients and simulate the feeling of fullness, yet don’t add pounds to your frame.

• When you don’t drink enough water, your kidneys don’t function properly. When this happens, your liver tends to do part of the work that the kidneys do, and because of this, fat is not metabolized effectively in your body. The liver’s function is to metabolize fat, but when it has to assist in kidney function as well, it fails to do its job adequately, and you tend to put on weight. When fat is not metabolized effectively, it tends to get stored in various parts of your body, even when you eat only the bare minimum.

• The amount of water each person should drink varies according to local climate conditions and their lifestyles  if you live in hot and humid places, you will need more water than in cold and dry areas. If you tend to sweat a lot, you need to replace the fluid you’ve lost with water. In general, it’s not a good sign to feel thirsty; that in itself is a sign of dehydration. So drink a glass of water every hour, it should keep your body healthy and hydrated, and help you lose weight in no time too.

email mary.anne579(AT)gmail(DOT)com.

Post from: Weight Loss Blog (Lose That Tyre)

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This is a repost by kind permission of Penny Thomas of How To Become A Physical Therapist

According to WebMD, there are over one hundred forms of arthritis. Common symptoms include inflammation, stiffness, and pain in the joint areas. Because medicine and health care are both getting more expensive, more people are looking to their diets.

With certain foods and supplements touting joint health abilities and others having negative effects, the only way to know for sure is to try.

To aid in your quest for better movement, we have gathered the 20 best and worst foods for joint health. We have even added a little bit on the vitamins and supplements that can be easily added to any diet for even more benefits.

10 Best Foods for Joint Health

Add these foods to your diet to help better joint health, lose weight, and/or even more.

1. Shrimp : Choose this shellfish as your next appetizer or entrée. Its shells contain high levels of glucosamine, a known vitamin to help combat inflammation of the joints. The same is true for shells of lobsters or crab. They also contain high levels of selenium and are a low fat source of protein.

2. Salmon : If unable to eat shellfish, check out this super food. A regular of “top foods” list, salmon is an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids that have benefits for weight, heart health, and of course, joints. In fact, the fat composition of salmon has recently been evaluated as superior not only because of its rich omega 3 content, but also because of its great ratio of omega 3s to omega 6s and its health-supportive balance of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats.

3. Almonds : If you are a vegan looking to improve their joint health, this is the food for you. Almonds are also high in the omega 3 fatty acids found in salmon. They also have loads of vitamin E and manganese. Adding manganese into your diet will help the glucosamine in your body, as well as speed up and increase its productivity. You can also switch out a jar of peanut butter for almond butter to make it easy to get into your diet.

4. Pineapples : The spiky fruit has long thought to have had healing powers. Containing an element called bromelain, it has remarkable healing properties. According to Boulder Natural Labs, bromelain and its ability as an anti-inflammatory is superior to that of a comparable drug. It can also help with sprains, cuts, bruises, and much more.

5. Extra Virgin Olive Oil : Because extra virgin olive oil is derived from the first pressing of olives, it has the most antioxidant benefits. These work to extract the free radicals in your body that can lead to inflammation and joint pain. As an added bonus, it also has the most flavor. Simply use it instead of butter or other oils when cooking or as a topping for salads.

6. Bell Peppers : All peppers are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, but red peppers are the best choice, including for naturally fighting joint pain. Antioxidant in peppers help to prevent cell damage, cancer, and diseases related to aging, and they also reduce inflammation like that found in arthritis and asthma. Peppers are also high in fiber and can help in weight loss.

7. Go Bananas : If weight loss is part of your quest to obtain better joint health, this is the fruit for you. One of nature’s best sources of potassium, bananas help you feel fuller on less calories. They also contain loads of the vitamins found in the above peppers.

8. Avocado : Good news for everyone who loves guacamole: it can help you joint health. In fact, it has been referred to as “the most nutritious of all the fruit.” It provides about twice as high a proportion of the daily needs for antioxidant vitamins as its calorie proportion. Avocados can also be useful for staving off cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and even eye cataracts.

9. Turmeric : This super spice is one of nature’s most powerful healers. Orange in color and often used in Indian cooking, it is long known for its anti-inflammatory properties. The site Health Diaries has 19 other reasons to add turmeric to your diet, in addition to fighting off arthritis. They include using it as a disinfectant, preventing cancer, and even improving mood.

10. Ginger : That garnish for your sushi might actually just be the key to better joint health. Denmark researchers have discovered that ginger can block the effects of prostaglandins. These are substances that cause inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain, which leads to migraines. Just a half teaspoon of ginger in your tea can lead to marked relief in arthritis pain.

Worst Foods for Joint Health

Now that you have a piece of salmon, cooked in extra virgin olive oil and topped with avocados, ginger, and turmeric, here is a list of foods to not add to your diet.

11. Red Meat : We all love a good steak, but did you know that it can lead to joint pain? According to British researchers, eating a diet high in red meats could actually lead to rheumatoid arthritis. The study linked the amount of protein taking in with higher risk. Other meats and too much protein also lead to similar results.

12. Dairy : In an entry from PCRM Health, they tell the story of a woman who was completely cured of arthritis after eliminating dairy products from her diet. With the theory that it has similar properties to the above, the protein found in dairy may have been the cause of her joint pain. If you suspect dairy may be causing your arthritis pain, try cutting it out of your diet or substituting for soy milk and other alternatives to dairy.

13. Saturated Fat : Because this is a main source of weight gain and has inflammatory properties, saturated fat can be a bad choice for those with joint pain. Butter, cheese, fatty meats, and more all contain high levels. It is also linked to high cholesterol and increased risk of heart disease. About.com has more on how reduce fat, cook better, and learn more about fats.

14. Caffeine : This stimulant may be doing more than help you get going in the morning. Like anything, taking in too much caffeine can have negative side effects, including in the joints. It can also interact badly with medication you are taking. Remember that caffeine is also found in colas, energy drinks, chocolate, and over the counter medicines.

15. Trans Fats : These fats increase the shelf life of food but unfortunately also lead to other more serious problems than spoiled food. According to The Examiner, trans fats are linked to belly fat, ADHD, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis. These fats are commonly known as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and can be found by reading the nutrition label. The article has more on what foods truly contain zero grams of trans fats.

Best Supplements for Joint Health

Can a pill help with joint health? The below have more.

16. Multi-vitamin : Everyone including those who suffer from joint pain should consider taking a multivitamin. They offer many essential nutrients in addition to other compounds that can be missing from the average diet. They include folic acid, vitamin B, D, A, and more. A doctor also weighs in on the downside to taking too many vitamins.

17. Fish Oil : If you can’t eat it every day, why not try taking it? The magazine “Arthritis Today” has a mini guide for all those wishing to learn more about it. Dosage, claims, and studies are all included.

18. Proteolytic Enzymes : These enzymes aid in the digestive process. Taken for both RA and Sjorgen’s syndrome, they reduce the level of circulating immune complexes and reduce inflammation. Because dosage and quantity varies with everyone, be sure and speak to your doctor before taking this one..

19. Vitamin D : A research project by Dr. Michael Holick and others has found a link between vitamin D deficiency and arthritis. It followed a group of older women and found that those who had the highest intake of vitamin D also had the lowest risk of arthritis. The vitamin has also been linked to helping preventing certain cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and more.

20. Glucosamine and Chondroitin : Both of these vitamins are part of the cartilage found in between the bones and joints. Both can be found in seafood or are available as supplements. Many sufferers of joint pain take one or both to aid, but according to WebMD, they may be doing it in vain. Three studies are linked to and have more. The good news is that if you are currently taking them or thinking about it, the main damage they do is to your wallet.

If looking to ease your joint pain, be sure to talk to your doctor before following any of the advice you have read in the above 20 best and worst foods for joint health. As illustrated in the dairy story, some choices work well for some, poorly for others, or not at all. Only a doctor can tell you if dietary changes can affect the medications you are taking or depriving you of a much needed food source.

Source site and article The 20 Best and Worst Foods for Joint Health

Post from: Weight Loss Blog (Lose That Tyre)

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It’s all about the stairs today and I’m not talking about stair stepper machines, I mean regular ol’ stairs. Chances are you have stairs in your home but if not, I’m sure you can find a location that has them whether it is a gym or other area. Climbing up and down stairs can be an awesome way to workout.

If you have ever climbed several flights of stairs and became winded, then you can imagine how intense an actual workout up and down flights of stairs would feel like. It’s important to improve your conditioning with each workout. Don’t expect to climb 20 flights of stairs with no problem. Ease your way into it by walking first and as you feel comfortable, add more of a challenge like walking one flight, running another, etc.

Benefits of Stair Exercises

• Great aerobic and anaerobic workout
• Free to use
• Shorter workouts because they are difficult
• Strengthens the lower body
• Improves blance & coordination

Check out the types of exercises you can do going up and down stairs:

• Walking
• Running
• Hopping
• Lunges
• Skipping steps

For more advanced workouts you can wear a weighted vest or carry someone on your back they way it is demonstrated in the video below. You can jump rope in between sets. Rubber exercise bands around the ankles and climbing steps side-to-side can be a great resistance exercise.

Of course, if you plan on utilizing stairs, be careful because it is easy to take a tumble if you miss a step. Also, remember to warm-up before diving into your workout. Check out the video below of stair exercises. It provides good sample exercises as well as being motivational:

Resources:
Stair Exercises Training Clinic (Video)
Using Stair Exercises to Improve Strength, Power, Flexibility & Conditioning

Caroline Manzo has been looking pretty fabulous recently. Not only does she have a more fashionable hairstyle, she’s recently lost 25 pounds, according to the Huffington Post. The reality TV star of Real Housewives of New Jersey got her weight down the old fashioned way, by eating less and exercising more.

But Caroline isn’t into denying herself her favorite foods, she’s just been paying close attention to portion control. “I eat what I want. I just eat the bad things earlier on in the day,” she told People Magazine. “If I want pasta, I have it for lunch instead of for dinner. That’s all. If I want a piece of cheesecake, I have half instead of a whole.” She’s also cut down on liquid calories. “I stopped drinking soda and juice … [I drink] just one coffee a day and buckets and buckets and buckets of water.”

The weight is coming off slowly, and that’s the way she wants it. “I think that’s healthy,” she says. “That’s the way to do it, so it’s not like yo-yo dieting.” Caroline is only five-foot-one, so 25 pounds makes a big difference. “Now I really have to start thinking about [my weight] because the metabolism is slowing down. And health issues could start kicking in now. So I just want to be aware of my body and start taking really good care of it.”

Also Read:

4 Ways to Stay Healthy Watching Reality TV

Watching Your Weight? Start with Portion Control

Jersey Shore Beach Workouts

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Caroline Manzo Drops 25 Pounds on an Old Fashioned Diet

One of the eating guidelines in Michael Pollan’s Food Rules is to eat things that will eventually rot. Things like meat, fruits and vegetables, all eventually decompose, returning them to the organic cycle from which they came. Foods that don’t go bad, from Twinkies to Spam, have been highly processed. Not only are processed foods often full of synthetic chemicals, they’ve also be stripped of many of the nutrients that your body needs yet are still full of empty calories.

So, with this rule in mind, should you eat a McDonald’s hamburger and fries? New York photographer Sally Davies has set out to answer this question. She’s been photographing a Happy Meal every day, to demonstrate how long it will take to decompose. She began the Happy Meal Project on April 10, 2010. Today is 145 days later and the meal looks nearly identical to day one. That’s some serious preservatives in action. Imagine that next to an unprocessed piece of beef that was fresh on April 10th. It would be rotten and festering.

McDonald’s meals are highly engineered to appeal to our senses of sight and smell. The taste is a secondary consideration and the nutritional value is hardly factored in.

Also Read:

McDonald’s Happy Meal Makeover

McSmoothie Push Back: The Cheeseburger Chill

McDonald’s Angus Burgers Are a Nutritional Nightmare on a Bun

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

A McDonald’s Hamburger: 145 Days Later

If you are a food company that sells baby carrots, how do you get kids interested in your healthy product, when what they really want are those Fruit Roll-Ups, or some other snack with a flashy cartoon character and brightly colored logos?

As they say, if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em.

It’s back-to-school time, so there’s no better time than now to make a bold move to be the choice snack for kids’ brown bag lunches. So, basically the entire baby carrot industry is making radical changes to their presentation, mimicking the junk food packaging that is so successful.

This week, about 50 companies in the baby carrot industry unveiled their plan which comes at cost of $25 million. That’s a pretty big bet. Not to mention it’s a David and Goliath story – baby carrots are a $1 billion industry as compared to the $18 billion salty snack industry.

“It’s not an anti-junk-food campaign,” says Jeff Dunn, Bolthouse Farms CEO and a former North America president at Coca-Cola. “It takes a page out of junk food’s playbook and applies it to baby carrots.”

So, what is the strategy?

• Package their carrots in potato chip-style bags, with three different planned designs.

• They will be sold in school vending machines. Tests are already underway in a couple markets (Cincinnati, Ohio and Syracuse, New York)

• Use provocative slogans like on billboards and packaging, like “The original orange doodles.”

• Use seasonal tie-ins, most notably Halloween.

• Running TV ads that use some of the over-the-top descriptions that junk foods get.

• Even offer a phone app with the sound of people crunching carrots.

Will it work, or will people see through the well-intentioned attempt, and revert to their Cheetoos? The campaign has its detractors. And people in the junk food industry seem to be passively mocking it.

“We’re happy to serve as an inspiration,” says Frito Lays spokesman Chris Kuechenmeister. “We know people don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. We applaud any effort to provide consumers with a wider range of snacking options.”

(via: USA Today)

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Baby Carrots Getting Junk Food Marketing Makeover

One of the first things I figured out when I got home from the Biggest Loser ranch is that it all happened so fast it was hard to remember it all. Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels had done so many awesome workouts with us, but amidst the sweat, tears and pain I had forgotten exactly how they went.

I also realized that journaling my food intake on the ranch was always the sure way to predict my weight loss for the week. I searched high and low for something that could help me in this area and what I found was short of amazing… the Fitbook! It’s a goal setting, journaling, reminder, planner and motivator all in one. It tracks your workouts and your food. It helps you set daily, weekly, and long term goals. It helps you when you are having those blah weeks to look back to your killer weeks. It is a great tool and I think it has helped me so much that it might you as well!

Watch my video below to learn more about Fitbook.

Also Read:

Biggest Loser Food Journal review

Keeping a Food Journal for Weight Loss is Beneficial

A Love/Hate Relationship with Food Journals

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Try Fitbook for Food Journaling

Lifestyle change is difficult work and often requires the support of others. When undertaking a major life change, it is generally important to seek the assistance and guidance of professionals to encourage you and equip you with new tools and information to help.

When trying to lose weight, change eating habits, or increase exercise, you may need a coach, therapist, trainer, and/or a nutritionist, all of whom can help you in different ways. Even better, you can assemble a team of professionals that surround you with support, information, tools, and techniques to get your best results.

Coach: A coach collaborates with you to help you achieve the goals that you set through a structured, solution-focused process. Coaching differs from traditional therapy in that the focus is on what can be done today to improve your future, rather than working through the difficulties of the past or the present. Coaching generally involves homework and accountability and coaches are often able to be more flexible in working with clients over the phone or online.

Therapist: A therapist can help you in the same ways that a coach may; however, a therapist may also be able to help you process events or emotions of the past, including things that may be contributing to your current difficulty. Working with a therapist may be important if your habit change involves an eating disorder, trauma, or any anxiety or mood symptoms that interfere with your daily life.

Personal trainer: A personal trainer can focus on your physical fitness by creating an exercise routine, teaching you proper form, holding you accountable, and monitoring your progress. A physical therapist or masseuse may be important if you develop any exercise-related injuries. Be sure that your personal trainer is certified by an accredited certification program, as it is not against the law to market yourself as a trainer with absolutely no schooling or experience.

Nutritionist: A nutritionist or registered dietitian can help you create a healthy food plan that works for you and adjust it based on your personal needs.

Primary medical provider: Your primary medical provider can monitor your health and medication needs. Please always consult your PMP before adjusting any medications. While a PMP may prescribe anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, or anti-psychotic medications in most states, a psychiatrist may be more appropriate for monitoring those medications.

When choosing a professional with whom to work, the most important thing to keep in mind is your comfort. You are unlikely to follow through with suggestions, or even return to a professional, that you are not sure you trust. The best way to make this judgement is to meet with the professional face to face.

Other things to keep in mind are convenience, so find out if the professional offers appointments at times that will work with your schedule and what type of payment he or she accepts. Although cost should be low on the list of determining factors, it is something that can make a difference on your ability to work with a specific professional. Location is another important aspect of convenience for you to consider. Don’t forget to ask if there are costs for phone and email contact and ask how long the professional has been practicing and how many similar cases have they had to yours, and whether they would consider them successful. Don’t be afraid to ask for references.

If you are creating a team of professionals for yourself, it is important to know how willing each is to work with others and how they may communicate. Lastly, personal experience overcoming the same problem you are facing is something that many appreciate in a professional with whom they are working; however, his or her experience may be different from yours. The empathy may be helpful, but if the approach is limited to what worked for him or her, you may not get the best help possible.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

How to Choose the Right Professional to Help Meet Your Goals

While watching the Emmys this year, I was impressed by how fit and polished the stars looked as they walked the red carpet. Wearing Versace, Carolina Herrera or Donna Karan, walking in front of thousands of cameras, there’s no room for an unfit body to hide. How do they guarantee that every part of their image is smooth and flat, toned and fit and showing to their greatest advantage?

Celebrity trainer Jarett Del Bene, whose clients include Audrina Patridge, The Hills alum Lauren Conrad and Lindsay Lohan, shared many of the secrets that he uses to help whip bodies into shape fast.

Del Bene was quoted in USWeekly as saying, “For the Emmys, some of [celebrities] may have slacked during the summertime because of vacations and due to just having fun. Not everyone can stay consistent…then you do a quick shape up workout plan to get in shape in a matter of three to five weeks.”

How do they do it? Cardio is key. Del Bene’s client follow a recommended baseline of cardio three days a week. Five weeks before the red carpet walk, Del Bene adds an extra two hours of cardio a week for a total of five hours. He recommends “shocking the body” by changing up the routine with a variety of different exercise challenges.

“One day we’ll do a kickboxing session, the next day we’ll go running or for a hike in the hills, and then the next day we’ll do some biometric training, like jump squats, box jumps, agility drills with cones,” Del Bene said.

Diet is an important part of the shape up challenge, as well. De Bene is an advocate of lean protein and uses it as the basis of a strict 1500 calorie a day diet. His clients have their heaviest carbs in the morning, such as oatmeal, along with egg whites. Lunch is often a Muscle Milk Light shake, a favorite with many of his female clients. To round out the meal offerings, he recommends fish, veggies, and brown rice for dinner. They also have a snack during the day, which is typically a banana, apple, or other fruit.

All that, just to look fab on the red carpet. It doesn’t sound too restrictive, though. What do you think? Does it sound worth it to you?

Also Read:

Jimmy Fallon’s Pre-Emmy Diet

Salt’s Stunt Trainer Spills Angelina Jolie’s Secrets

4 Secrets to Celebrity Fitness

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Get in Shape Like the Stars of the Emmys

One of the biggest challenges of keeping a food journal is trying to figure out how many calories are in many of the foods we eat everyday. We know fruits and veggies are good for us, but how many calories are really in a serving? The new Calorie Count iPhone app, created by CalorieCount.com, makes food journaling super easy. It even gives each food a grade, so you can feel good about eating that “A” salad.

Once you download the free app, set up an account that has your vital stats, such as age and weight. Then search for the food you eat and them select how much, and Calorie Count figures out how many calories you ate for you. Then just save that amount to your daily log. Searching for foods at first can be a little tedious, but after you find something once, you can save it to your “favorite foods” for quick future use.

You can also track how many calories you’ve burned. The search for activities is just like the food search. Find the physical activity you did and enter the activity duration. At the end of the day, you can see how much you’ve eaten and how much you’ve burned. The app also gives you quick access to the Calorie Count blog, and tracks your weight loss over time.

Download the Calorie Count App here!

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Calorie Count App Makes Food Journaling Easy on Your iPhone