Understanding Hoodia Gordonii and it's Effects on Weight Loss

Among the many weight loss supplements out in the market, this “miracle plant” is suddenly skyrocketing in sales everywhere. From capsules and powders to flavored-lollipops, Hoodia is another phenomenal weight loss sensation for people aiming to shed pounds easily.

So what is Hoodia? And why do so many people say it’s the real “diet wonder”?

The Wonder Pill

This so-called wonder pill is actually derived from a cactus-like plant that grows wild in south Africa. Tribesmen from the Kalahari desert have known about Hoodia for thousands of years, eating its stem as they walk across the barren desert land to hunt without getting hungry or thirsty. And because of recent development and discovery of the appetite-suppressant properties of this rare plant, it is now considered to be a must-have ingredient for many weight loss products.

Hoodia Gordonii works simply on the hypothalamus of the brain and suppresses the appetite. So if you have the intention to lose weight, hoodia pills would definitely help. But don’t get me wrong. It’s not like you will just pop a pill and you will lose weight. You still have to work out to achieve better results. Hoodia is just an addition to a person’s weight loss program. The rest is simply a matter of healthy choices and lifestyle.

Dieting Tips

As instructed, Hoodia pills or any of its form must be taken at least an hour prior to mealtime. Taking hoodia prior to eating can lead to a decreased appetite. You will expect to eat lesser than the usual servings you have without feeling dissatisfaction from the meal.

Some experts advise consumers not to take the product in the morning. The thought is, if you take Hoodia first thing in the morning, you will eat less of your breakfast. While this may sound good, the body however, will go into starvation mode. And once it is on starvation mode, the metabolic rate will be drastically reduced and you’ll never be able to lose weight in such state. You have to eat enough calories per day for the body metabolism to function properly.

For an effective diet plan, the trick is to take Hoodia one to two hours before lunch and dinner. But take it with caution. Because even though there were no reported side effects with pure Hoodia, some products may contain additives like caffeine that may cause certain reactions in some individuals. Another technique is to take Hoodia when you are craving for food that will lead you to eat excessively. But take note, don’t ever take Hoodia along with other weight loss supplements that have the same diet-suppressing effects. This will only cause you to eat very few and bring about a slow metabolism, which, of course, we do not want to happen.

Weight Loss Tips with Hoodia

While Hoodia will keep you in control of your caloric intake, keep in mind that it will not help in feeding your muscle not even in fat-burning because your capacity to burn calories and fat will most likely depend on the kind of activity you will perform. Most people, even though they are taking diet supplements, will not lose weight while living a sedentary lifestyle. Hence, a regular exercise regimen will definitely be necessary to achieve best weight loss results.

Exercise will cause the body to burn more calories. And with the decreased caloric intake caused by hoodia, it will cause a calorie deficit which is why the body will be forced to use its fat reserves for energy consumption. Having a regular exercise will also help tone your skin and muscles and keep you looking fit and trim.

It is also very important that you follow carefully the dosage instruction of your purchased Hoodia product. This will help keep the levels of Hoodia in the blood at a constant level, causing the brain to think that the person is not hungry, and that person will end up not eating as much as he used to.

To effectively loose weight, it is essential that you are taking authentic Hoodia products. Pure Hoodia doesn’t contain other additives, so one can be assured that the risk for developing adverse effects is kept to a minimum. But if you have a sensitive medical condition, it is advised that you refer your plans on taking Hoodia to your physician first. You must also make sure that you are taking the south African Hoodia specie, because only this variety contains the P57 molecule that fends off hunger and thirst.

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Arena responds to FDA concerns on weight loss drug

San Diego: Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Tuesday it submitted an official response addressing safety concerns of US health regulators over the company`s experimental weight loss drug lorcaserin, and believes it will gain US approval.

Lorcaserin, which is being developed in partnership with Japanese drugmaker Eisai Co Ltd, is one of three new potential obesity treatments rejected by the Food and Drug Administration over safety issues.

New data included in Arena`s response to the FDA`s complete response letter is intended to alleviate agency concerns over cancerous tumors found in rats in two-year animal studies of lorcaserin.

"With these last group of experiments, which had to do with mammary tumors in female rats, we believe that we have addressed all of the issues that the FDA raised in the complete response letter," Christy Anderson, head of Arena`s lorcaserin development program, said in a telephone interview.

However, the companies cautioned that "the FDA may analyze or weigh the data differently than Arena and Eisai."

Arena expects that the FDA later this month will confirm acceptance of the official response and set a new action date for an approval decision, likely about six months from the time of submission.

Obesity, a leading cause of diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems, has reached epidemic proportions in the United States with nearly a third of the population falling into the growing category. But the FDA has set a very high approval bar for weight loss drugs because such a large portion of the general population is likely to want to take them.

Many industry observers believe approval of any new weight loss drug is a longshot. Arena`s Chief Executive Jack Lief, however, remains optimistic.
"We believe that lorcaserin will be approved both in this country as well as in Europe and other countries," Lief said.

Vivus Inc and Orexigen Therapeutics are also working to convince the FDA of the worth of their weight loss drugs after initial rejections.

In data submitted to the FDA last week, Arena said it found that the rats that received the highest dose of lorcaserin without developing malignant tumors were getting 24 times more of the drug than a person taking the recommended dose. The rats that did develop tumors were taking even more of the drug than that, Anderson explained.

In addition to demonstrating what they called a safety margin of 24, the companies believe they have shown that the mechanism for tumor formation was relevant to rats but not humans. The drug leads to an increase in the hormone prolactin.

"Prolactin is a hormone that can cause mammary tumors in rats but is not known to cause mammary tumors in people," Anderson said.

In clinical trials of some 7,000 patients taking lorcaserin for up to two years there was "no excess of any sort of tumors in humans," Lief said.

Arena does not believe the FDA will require a lengthy, expensive study to show that its drug does not cause heart problems -- a so-called outcomes study -- as a condition of approval.
"We think that is not likely primarily because we haven`t shown any increase in any risk factors in clinical trials," Lief said.

Added Anderson: "We Showed beneficial effects on blood pressure and heart rate in some of our Phase III studies, so there would be no reason to pursue an outcomes study based on data."

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The world is fascinated with weight loss, some for health reasons and others for cosmetic. No matter the reason, many people try harsh diets that never work, extreme exercise regimens that result in injuries or other weight loss program that end without success. The reason that none of these weight loss methods seem to work is because in order to stay with a program, you have to enjoy it. Not only that, but it has to be safe as well.

Below are 5 genuine tips to weight loss, which almost anyone can do without tossing out their favorite food or spending every spare minute in the gym. Realistically, any weight loss program will take time. If anyone promises you different, they are either not being completely honest or are simply uninformed. Follow one single weight loss program for 30 days, whatever it may be, and see if you have results. If not, move on to something else. In the meantime, check out several tips to getting started today.

Tip # 1
Walking. If you can set aside 30 minutes every day to enjoy a leisurely stroll, you will be strengthening your legs and your heart while burning some calories in the process.

Tip # 2
Use a mini cycle. These portable little exercise units offer the look of bicycle pedals set up on a metal bar, but without the high price or weight of a standard exercise bike. With a min cycle, you can pedal at your desk, on the couch or anywhere else that you can comfortably set and reach the pedals.

Tip # 3
Walk or take the stairs instead of an elevator. This is a terrific weight loss exercise without even noticing the extra effort. Something as simple as a few extra steps every day can go a long way where weight loss is concerned. The next time you go to the store, park in the middle of the parking lot and walk to the store. Avoid parking in the closest spot to the door, which is tempting, but opt to walk instead.

Tip # 4
You don’t necessarily have to cut out all of your favorite foods, but you should eat them in moderation. There is no single food that will completely hinder your weight loss attempt but, if consumed excessively, it may. For instance, simply limit your intake to one candy bar or, if you are being really careful, a miniature candy. There is no reason to cut out your favorite food when a conservative amount of the things we love can still have a place in our lives, including during the times that we are focusing on weight loss.

Tip # 5
Whatever your exercise routine, set aside a certain time each day to do it. Individuals who set a routine are much more likely to stay with it and find success than those who simply exercise whenever they have time. The goal to successful weight loss is to make time.

This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or a doctor’s recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

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How to Lose Weight Just by Walking

One of the hardest things about trying to lose weight is motivating yourself to get up and go. In an ideal world, it would be easy to lose weight without having to put much work into it, but the unfortunate fact is that there is no quick and easy way to shed those pounds. It requires persistent effort and a long-term commitment, and you have to be motivated to get moving on a daily basis.

This is the main reason why so many people fail in their weight-loss programs. Not only do you need to keep yourself motivated to eat well over a period of months, but you also have get yourself up and moving on a daily basis, and exercise isn’t always the most fun thing in the world.

Weight loss through walking

The good news is that with dedication and persistence you don’t actually need vigorous exercise in order to lose weight. With a light and balanced diet, you can actually shed your unwanted pounds just by walking on a daily basis. And what could be easier than walking? You don’t get out of breath. It’s useful for getting places. It’s scenic and refreshing. All in all, it’s one of the best weight-loss strategies out there.

But of course, no exercise program is perfect, and walking for weight loss does have its down sides. For one thing, you have to have patience. Losing weight through walking takes a lot longer than other weight-loss program, and you have to be willing to give it months before seeing the results. You can pick things up by increasing your daily distance walked, going faster, or introducing other exercise to your routine, but if you’re just doing basic walking, it’s going to take a while.

The American National Institutes of Health has found that adults require at least 10,000 steps per day in order to keep a healthy weight. However, the key component about this recommendation is that the 10,000 steps is for maintaining weight, not losing it. If you want to shrink your waistline through walking, it’s best to up this total to 12,000 or so, or else eat less food. Depending on the length of your stride, 10,000 steps works out to around 4 to 6 miles, or 60 to 90 minutes of walking.

Effective walking weight-loss program

The key to losing weight through walking is to make it a part of your everyday lifestyle. You’re not going to have success if it always seems like you’re forcing yourself to walk. This routine gets old after a while and can be hard to keep up. For real results, it’s important to adopt a more walking-based lifestyle. This is harder for those of us who live in areas that are not very pedestrian-friendly, but it can be done.

Everyone’s life is different, so it’s ultimately up to you to determine the best ways to integrate everyday walking into your life. But as a general guide, here are some important ideas that you might want to consider:

• Drive less, walk more: Look for aspects of your daily routine where your driving can be reduced in favor of walking. Unfortunately, many of us simply have to use our cars to get to work and even just to the store, but if you’re lucky enough to live in an area where walking places is safe and easy, then give up your car wherever possible. Meanwhile, you can increase your daily steps by parking further away from your destinations.

• Pedometer: If you respond well to goals, then you might want to actually count your steps by wearing a pedometer throughout the day. This way, if you get toward the end of your day and your pedometer shows 8,000, you’ll know to take a quick walk before dark.

• Walk early: If you save your walking until the end of the day, the pressure to get those steps can become a stressful hassle. Make things easier on yourself by walking early. Even if you don’t get your full 10,000 steps first thing in the morning, your morning progress will take away the strain.

• Give it time: Again, the only way to lose weight through walking is to give the program enough time to work. It’s going to take months, so keep it up and have faith that your efforts will pay off.

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How to Lose Weight for Busy Professionals

One of the hardest things to do when one’s schedule is swamped with presentations and deadlines and lots of overtime is to lose weight. After all, the busy employee would not even have enough time to get his reports done, much less to get on an exercise bike to sweat out the extra calories he wolfed down during a high-stress lunch meeting! Also, the high-stress days usually call for extra food to calm the nerves, particularly for women professionals.
But if you are that person, there is still a way to lose weight without stretching yourself too thin. The key is simply for you to know the basics in order to make the right food choices and incorporate motion naturally into your daily routine. The following guidelines should get you started on the right track to lose weight while still turning in a superb performance everyday:

1. Stock up on fruits or whole-wheat breads. This stocking process will keep you from buying a candy bar from the vending machine or a high-fat bag of chips when you get hungry. Snacking on an apple before a stressful presentation will even make you feel calmer instead of the usual chocolate bar that women turn to in high-anxiety situations. Also, fruits and high-fiber bread are nice to chew on to calm the nerves instead of depending on chips for that relaxing feel to which you may have become accustomed.

2. Keep a bottle of water or fresh fruit juice at hand. This will save you money as well as extra calories when you gulp it down instead of buying cola from the vending machine. If you are used to cold water, keep your bottle inside the refrigerator in the pantry, and just remember to swing by for it on your way out to lunch so you would not have an excuse to pair your sandwich lunch with a can of soda. These sweetened drinks are, after all, among the major causes of excess weight for both adults and children.

3. Instead of calling the errand boy every time you need to run something to the Photostat machine, you can consider it a quick break from whatever you are finishing and go there yourself. Sure, you may worry about wasting time, but in reality, giving your brain a break and your legs a little stretch can do wonders both to your work output and to your body.

4. Before you go on lunch break, take a quick drink of water or eat a small piece of whole-wheat bread. That way, when you join the lunch line, you will not feel your stomach gurgling as much and you will not feel compelled to stock up on the fatty food you are craving. You will be able to pick healthier alternatives such as food high in veggies instead of meat, and since you do not feel as hungry, you will not even buy extra servings like you usually would. For dessert, you can opt for a smaller piece instead of the usual large portion you enjoy.

5. Use stressful scenarios as an opportunity to take a quick walk. The walk could be simply out of your cubicle and down to the lobby, or even within your floor. It can be as quick as only two minutes, but the walk will not only cool your brain, but it will also keep you from stuffing your face out of the emotional strain. When you come back, you will feel refreshed and ready to get back to work without depending on food.

When you manage to incorporate these little changes into your daily routine, chances are, you will feel more active and healthier on the overall. Now you can see that it is perfectly possible to keep a healthy lifestyle even when you are too busy to go on a serious exercise program or to watch your food intake with extreme diligence. All it takes is a little knowledge about the best food items to pick to keep one’s mind at peak performance while not adding strain to your body, and adding a little extra movement to keep your body agile and active throughout a day of being stuck sitting behind a desk all day.

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Fruit, veggie lovers not immune to weight gain

New York: A large new European study finds that simply eating a lot of fruits and vegetables may not be enough to stave off the weight gain that often comes with age -- except for people who recently quit smoking.

Researchers found that of nearly 374,000 adults in 10 European countries, who were followed for five years, those who ate the most fruits and vegetables were no less likely to gain weight once other factors -- like calorie intake and exercise habits -- were taken into account.


The results, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, are not an excuse to skip the fruits and veggies, however.

Plant foods are full of nutrients that may help ward off chronic diseases like heart disease and some cancers, note the researchers, led by Anne-Claire Vergnaud of Imperial College London in the UK.

And in some past studies that assigned overweight people to eat more fruits and vegetables, the diet change has seemed to help.

But the current findings do point to the importance of overall lifestyle in maintaining weight as one ages.

For the study, Vergnaud`s team looked at diet and weight information collected from adults between 25 and 70 years old.

Over five years, the study participants gained about one pound per year, on average.

Among men, weight gain generally dipped somewhat as their fruit and vegetable intake rose. But that link disappeared when the researchers accounted for other factors, like the men`s daily calories, exercise habits and education levels.

Among overweight women, those who said they ate the most vegetables tended to gain more weight over the next five years.

That, the researchers speculate, could be because some of those women were on weight-loss diets that encourage eating a lot of vegetables. Many people who go on special diets notoriously see their weight yo-yo over time.

There was one group for whom higher fruit and vegetable intake was linked to less weight gain: people who quit smoking during the study period. The reasons are not clear, Vergnaud`s team says.

But they speculate that healthy eating habits may help prevent the weight gain that many smokers experience when they try to kick the habit.

If that`s true, they write, "this finding may have important public health implications because weight gain after smoking cessation is a frequent reason for relapse."

In general, experts urge people to get plenty of fruits and vegetables for the good of overall health. The "DASH" diet recommended for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol suggests four to five servings of fruit and the same number of vegetable servings each day.

A half-cup of cooked vegetables or a medium-sized piece of fresh fruit would be examples of a serving.

Studies suggest that the average adult in the U.S. gets only two or three servings of fruits and vegetables combined each day.

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Top 10 habits for successful weight loss

What you need is a bagful of wisdom, some clever and well thought out strategies and you are good to go. Today, we have for you the top 10, most invaluable habits for successful weight loss. Read on...

Never eat straight from a multi-serve packet or container. We suggest you pour out the amount you intend to eat, and stop when it's over.
Try and fight against the subliminal message of 'no one can eat just one'. Also, keep snacks out of sight as out of sight is out of mind. Visual control is a highly recommended practice when it comes to weight loss. Stock up on healthy snacks instead, and ensure that any chips or other unhealthy snacks are stored in places that you don't see every few minutes.

Don't forget to eat your breakfast: Each morning, your body needs to rev up its metabolic rate and breakfast does exactly that. One of the biggest advantages of eating breakfast is that it helps stabilise your hormones and keeps potential overeating and bingeing at bay.

Mindful cooking: Any meal of the day can be made nutritious with mindful cooking. Finding ways to make a gradual shift in eating more of fruits and vegetables is an ideal way of sticking to your weight loss plan. One of the oldest and most basic rule of thumb when buying fruits and vegetables is to go for fresh produce. Avoid anything which has soft spots, bruises, blemishes or cuts.

Eat carbs for weight loss: Other than fiber, good carbs are also rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients. They have low glycemic index levels, which helps in regulating blood sugar levels and insulin production. They are low in energy-density levels i.e. they provide sustained energy maximizing health benefits. Food items which are rich in good carbs are vegetables, whole grain products, fruits, potatoes, brown rice, lentils and beans.

Make exercise a priority: Exercise has to be a non-negotiable part of your daily routine. It helps you in managing your weight and gives you a healthy lifestyle in the truest sense of the term. Most people tend to relegate exercise to the background of daily life. Set all your excuses aside by getting up just an hour earlier than usual each morning or pushing back the evening's social scene by an hour.

Focus on your target: Do you have a pair of jeans that you would like to fit into? A little colourful sundress you dream of wearing one day? Hang it up in front of your eyes! Yes, believe us when we say- motivation is half the battle won. Every time you're struck by that sinister craving for indulging in those fries, picture the dress, and feel the steely resolve come back.

Portion control your meals: Portion control is essentially about having an estimate of what portions of which foods you're eating. Each meal's portion size determines its calorie content. The more you eat, the more you add to your calorie count for the day. In order to lose or maintain a healthy level of weight, it is vital to control your meal portions.

Eat bananas: Bananas are part of a healthy diet, and should also be part of a fat loss diet, however no food by itself helps one to lose weight. To lose weight one has to create a caloric deficit i.e to burn more calories than what they consume in a day. For most cases a caloric deficit of 10-15% works best and ones that create a greater caloric deficit generally causes more muscle loss rather than fat loss. Banana is a nutritionally dense food rich in carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals and energy. As with all foods, one should consume bananas within the required calorie intake. A 100 gms of banana contain about 90 calories.

Measure your fitness level: For starters, it's a great way to keep a tab on your progress levels and set short term practical fitness goals. So, if you're game to kick start a new fitness program, then size up your fitness level by taking simple fitness tests like checking your flexibility levels by doing a Sit-and-Reach test, checking your aerobic fitness level by brisk walking, and keeping a record of your body composition.

Overcome exercise insecurities: Everybody who has reaped the benefits of fitness has at some point in time, started with baby steps just like you. Buy proper clothing. Go for a t-shirt which is a size loose so that you don't feel awkward while exercising. Pick a place you're comfortable with. Find an exercise buddy. Play a sport with your better half. Sign up for a sport like squash, tennis, or basketball. Go for the right gym and trainer. Ask if your trainers are certified. Arm yourself with confidences that won't disappear in the face of weight loss trials.

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Festive weight gains take 3 months to lose

London: The extra pounds piled on over the festive period take a depressing three months to shift, a new study has found.

According to research by MSN, for Christmas lunch alone the average Brit feasted on two to three servings, consuming 2,300 calories across one meal.

That accounts for 115 percent of the recommended daily intake for women, and 92 percent for men - and that’s before taking into account the nuts, chocolates and alcohol people consume.

According to the MSN survey, three quarters of those polled admit they over-indulge with abandon at Christmas, knowing they will suffer the consequences later as their waistbands begin to bulge.

Nutritionist Dora Walsh said the key to not putting on weight over Christmas might be to eat slowly.

“You can still enjoy your food at Christmas without going overboard and gaining weight,” a newspaper quoted Walsh as saying.

“They key is to eat slowly and enjoy what you are eating without over filling, and also stay active over the Christmas period to help burn off any excess calories.

“It’s about moderation, which will help avoid the extremes of gorging at Christmas and starving after.

“Any post-Christmas diet plan needs to be sensible and balanced because crash diets don’t work and quick fixes won’t last,” she added.

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Weight Loss for Teenage Girls

Teenage obesity is a major problem today not only in the United States but in all over the world. According to experts, more than forty percent of teenagers in the US alone are overweight. This is such an alarming percentage but what makes obesity a real dilemma is that it affects teenage girls not just physically but also emotionally.

Furthermore, there’s a huge chance that girls who are obese during their teenage years would grow to be overweight adults. They also have a higher risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart problems, diabetes, and even cancer, and dying from them in their middle years. The problem lies in the fact that as girls reach adolescence, they become much less physically active. Most teenage girls are conscious of how they look and would rather sit than join physical activities and risk sweating or have their hair messed up in front of other people.

According to experts, the teenage years are a very crucial time for young girls to really get involved in physical activities. Many young girls today are overweight simply because they give little or no time at all for exercise. If you’re a teenage girl wanting to lose or maintain weight, you should spend at least 30 minutes to an hour exercising or involving yourself in physical activities like sports or dancing. Such activities can boost up your metabolism and allow you to shed off excess weight fast.

School is one of the best places where you can have the opportunity to join sports activities. Swimming, volleyball, and badminton are just some of the many sports activities that can help you get moving. The more you move, the more chances you have of achieving a healthy weight. Joining dance classes is also an excellent way to lose weight. In fact, experts encourage teenage girls to find time to involve themselves in healthy activities like this one to prevent obesity and its consequences.

Aside from lack of physical activity, another contributing factor to obesity among teenage girls is poor eating habits. A healthy diet is prerequisite to a healthy weight, and it should go hand in hand with exercise in battling obesity. While it’s a fact that eating junk foods is a major contributor to obesity, the real problem lies when teenage girls don’t eat on the right time.

Most girls have a habit of skipping their breakfast, thinking that by doing so, they would lose weight and fast. Nothing could be further from the truth because breakfast is not considered the most important meal of the day for nothing. When you skip eating in the morning, chances are, you will get hungry and tend to snack out a few hours before lunchtime. When lunchtime comes, you will tend to eat more than you should, consuming more calories than you are required.

When you skip breakfast, you are actually starving yourself so that your body is not producing enough enzymes it needs to metabolize fat in order for you to lose weight. To feel less hungry all day, make it a habit of eating your breakfast. A good breakfast rich in low-fat protein, low fat dairy, whole grains, and fruits should help jumpstart your metabolism, helping you burn fat throughout the day without any problem.

Finally, find time to de-stress and have fun. According to experts, stress is one of the major contributors to obesity among teenage girls. It can make any girl’s hormones go crazy and mess up her metabolism. Stress in itself is not the problem, but how you deal with it what is going to put you into trouble. In their attempt to fight stress, most girls turn to comfort eating, which makes them more likely to store body fat and gain weight.

To beat stress without compromising your weight, try exercise instead of food. Light to moderate exercises are found to boost the mood and help get rid of stress, and if you come to think of it, it’s like hitting two birds in one stone, because when you exercise, you’re not just de-stressing but losing weight as well.

A healthy weight is difficult to maintain especially for teenage girls, but if you put your heart, mind, and body into it, there’s no stopping you from achieving the ideal weight you should have.

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Try a personal trainer to shed fat

A mentor, a motivator and the key to weight loss - wake up to the wonders of a personal trainer who will help you get that enviable body.

Gyms these days encourage people to avail themselves of the services of a personal trainer who can figure out their body type and make them exercise accordingly, experts say.

"People are mostly unaware of their movements and mistakes they make while exercising or even after maintaining their goals. So this is where a personal trainer comes in. His job is to keep them on track with diet and exercises," Aashu, Arora's personal trainer, said.

"A personal trainer is a help facility providing you necessary direction with the correct vision to attain your target logically in minimum time as he has the expertise to understand your body movements. The most important part is that he starts thinking and planning where you stop for yourself," he added.

The trainer can easily charge anything between Rs.2,000 and Rs.5,000 per hour.

"It all depends on the experience and also how extensive and complex the fitness programme is. You can always get a better rate as a group or if you sign up for a package," said Aashu.

Fitness guru Sheru Aangrish believes the trainer is "a motivator and a mentor".

"At the beginners' level, the trainer is a motivator and mentor. At the intermediate level the trainer is still a motivator but now more in the role of a partner. The intermediate level is where most people usually feel most comfortable, healthy and fit," Aangrish said.

"In the case of extreme fitness such as competitive bodybuilding, the trainer is no longer a motivator. He is there to spot you, to avoid injury, stretch and massage you, in some cases give advice and administer nutrition," Aangrish said.

Initially, celebrities and sportspersons used to hire the services of a personal trainer but of late common people too have realised their importance.

The moment one takes up a gym membership, they are encouraged to hire a trainer, but Althea Shah, vice president and fitness expert at Gold's Gym in Mumbai, says it is just a matter of choice.

"Certain people like to work out on their own and some cannot work out without a personal trainer. It is purely a personal choice if you want to continue with a trainer or not," said Shah.

Certain professionals like people in the glamour world and in sports always keep a trainer as they have to stay in shape, she added.

"A trainer is needed when you have specific goals to achieve as you will need a concentrated effort on a continuous basis if you want to see long-term benefits," said Shah.

But Aangrish believes personal trainers are the "latest fitness craze".

So, what are the qualities a personal trainer must have?

Knowledge and experience are the most significant, Aangrish said.

"Depending on the knowledge and experience, they should be able to put together a fitness programme in any condition or environment. They should be able to make exercise a fun activity by introducing things like kick-boxing, Salsa dancing and spinning," he added.

"A trainer should be fit and have a positive attitude. After all, it is the trainer's duty to have a happy customer," Aangrish added.

"Creativity" is also an asset, he noted.

"If you have to invest in fitness you should be getting the most up-to-date information on exercise and fitness," said Aangrish.

Practical experience is more important than a professional trainer's degree, he stated.

"Nothing prepares you better than practical experience. It's one of those things you can only get with time. A degree would be a welcome addition to the experience," he added.

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Healthy dietary habit benefits go beyond weight loss

Washington: Researchers have revealed that improvements to health remain even if weight is regained after long-term healthy dietary interventions.

Long-term healthy dietary interventions frequently induce a rapid weight decline, mainly in the first four to six months, followed by weight stabilization or regain, despite continued dieting.

The partial regain may discourage people from adhering to healthier habits, but research now shows that improvements to health remain, regardless of partial weight regain.

The study identified two distinct biomarker patterns that correspond to weight change, one of which continues to improve with time.

The study was conducted among 322 participants during the two-year Dietary Intervention Randomized Controlled Trial (DIRECT) performed by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev at the Nuclear Research Center Negev, Israel (New England Journal of Medicine).

The population was randomised to three different, but healthy interventions: low-fat, Mediterranean or low-carbohydrate diets, and unprecedented adherence rates were maintained throughout the entire two-year period.

“This study tells us that we may all have tunnel vision on weight when it comes to healthy dieting. Although maintaining ideal body weight is linked to better health, when it comes to adopting healthier dietary habits in mild to moderately obese people, there are benefits beyond weight loss, such as decreasing inflammatory tone and elevating the ‘good cholesterol’ HDL,” said BGU Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Assaf Rudich.


Rudich explains that switching to healthier dieting extends benefits beyond the single outcome of weight loss. In fact, important improvements that likely signify decreased risk for cardiovascular disease occur even despite weight regain, as long as dieting continues.

The researchers identified two distinct patterns:

“Pattern-A” includes biomarkers [insulin, triglycerides, leptin, chemerin, monocyte-chemotactic-protein-1(MCP-1), and retinol-binding-protein-4(RBP4)] whose dynamics tightly corresponded to changes in body weight.

“Pattern B” that includes high-molecular-weight (HMW) [adiponectin, HDL-cholesterol, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), fetuin-A, progranulin, and vaspin], which displayed a continued, cumulative improvement throughout the intervention, despite the partial weight regain observed during months 7-24 of continued dieting, a totally different pattern of biomarkers.

These patterns were similar, although of different magnitude, across the low-carb, Mediterranean and low-fat diets.

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Suryanamaskar is more than weight loss

Not surprising, the world is going crackers over this ancient yogic tradition of worshipping the rising sun. What with the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham and Kareena Kapoor endorsing it over gym workouts and bizarre diets.

From improving your posture, strengthening muscles to whittling extra inches around the waist, the benefits of Suryanamaskar are many, provided you adapt it the right way. A set of 12 fixed, cyclic postures define Suryanamaskar which when performed repeatedly at an easy pace can bring a sense of well being, almost immediately. However, those with a heart condition, arthritis or slip-disk, need their doctor's consent before starting the routine. Suryanamaskar's surging popularity notwithstanding, jumpstarting a schedule is most definitely not the best thing to do for a fitness novice. If you have been gravely out of form in a way that you haven't stretched your muscles in ages, first give your body some time to open up, which you can do with some flexibility and stamina-building exercises before embarking on the more arduous 'Suryanamaskar'.

And once your body has registered a certain fitness level, you can begin with a set of three Suryanamaskars in the first instance and increase it to five then ten and more depending on your stamina. Anymore than clocking up numbers, it is important to get each posture right, for the very essence of this yogic ritual lies in perfecting every move. To say the least, it can be an uphill task for beginners. But our expert-backed warm-up exercises are sure to make Suryanamaskar less strenuous and ever so graceful.

1. Neck: Breathe in while you turn your neck to the right and breathe out as you come back to the starting position. Again, breathe in while turning your neck to the left and breathe out in the centre. Repeat this movement thrice. Rotate your neck first clockwise and then anti-clockwise.

2. Arm and shoulder: Stretch your arms out in front of your chest and move your palms up and down, then sideways. Further on, rotate your fist clockwise and anti-clockwise. To relax your arms, place your palm on your shoulder and move your shoulders first clockwise then anti-clockwise.

3. Knee: Bend forwards with your palms resting on your knees, join your knees and move forwards and backwards. End the routine by rotating your knees clockwise and anti-clockwise.

4. Stomach and back: Interlock your fingers over your chest and slowly raise your hands upwards while you breathe in and stand on your toes. Return to Position 1 as you breathe out. Repeat this cycle three times.

5. Legs and waist: Stretch your legs wide in standing position, touch you left toe with the right hand, then the right toe with the left. Keep your knees straight while you do so. Repeat a few times.

By now your body is suitably warmed up to begin the Suryanamaskar routine. Here is a step-by-step account of the 12 postures. Don't try this routine on a mat, you are better off on the bare floor or on the grass.

Posture 1# Stand erect, ideally facing the morning sun. Fold your hands in prayer close to your chest and chant 'Om Suryadevaya Namah' thrice.

Posture 2# With your hands together raise your arms up in the air while you breathe in. Bend over backwards forming an arch from the hands to your feet. The flexibility of the spine is ensured in this posture.

Posture 3# Bring your hands down while you breathe out to touch the floor on either side of your feet. In this posture, it is imperative to keep your knees straight as you bend forward from the waist, and your head as close as possible to the knee. This posture helps melt the excess fat around the stomach by aiding digestion.

Posture 4# While breathing in, put your hands flush with the floor and lower your hips and stretch your left leg back, allowing it to balance on your toes, and your right leg bent in a crouching stance. With your hands firmly on the ground and your arms straight as a die, raise your head upwards to face the sky. This one is for the flexibility of spine and leg muscles, and boosts immunity from diseases.

Posture 5# As you breathe out, let your hands stay firmly on the ground and push your right leg back parallel to the left. Make sure your feet firmly touch the ground and your hip raised high. With your arms and knees straight lower your head to face your navel.

Posture 6# Hold your breath as you bring your hips down while keeping your hands and feet in the same position, and stretch your whole body near the floor. With your face downward, bring your chest and knees to lightly brush the floor, and hold your hips slightly high. At this juncture, 8 points of your body are touching the floor - your palms, forehead, chest, knees and toes.

Posture 7# This posture is a mere extension of Posture 6, in that you breathe in and straighten your arms and lift your chest upward in an arching stance, and your head thrown back facing the sky. Your arms, at this point, carry the weight of your body, with you knees and toes resting on the floor.

Posture 8# Bring your body back to Posture 5 by raising your hips and lowering your chest and head. Keep your arms and knees straight while you do so, and place your feet flush with the floor. Then lower you head to face your navel.

Posture 9# As you breathe in, return to a similar position as Posture 4, only this time you will be crouching on the left knee and stretching back your right leg. Place your hands firmly on the ground, and with the weight of your body on your arms move your chest forward and arch your head up to face the sky.

Posture 10# From here, flow back to Posture 3 while keeping your hands flush with the floor and bringing your right foot side by side with your left one. As you straighten your knee, raise your back to arch in a standing position with your head as close as possible to the knee and your hands on either side of your feet.

Posture 11# Take a deep breathe and raise your arms up in the air as you straighten your back and gradually bend over backwards, akin to Posture 2. Your knees stay straight all the while.

Posture 12# Bring yourself to Posture 1 from here with your hands folded before your chest in prayer, and your spine erect, your knees straight and your eyes shut in meditation.

With Posture 12 you complete one full circle of Suryanamaskar. From here you can flow back to Posture 2 to continue the routine. However, always follow up your Suryanamaskar regime with Savasana, better known as Corpse Pose. In this posture, you lay down on the floor with your legs and arms apart, your palms facing the sky, and eyes deep shut. Breathe in and out heavily and try to focus your thoughts on something happy. Stay on this way for a few minutes and you will feel a sense of calm run down your body like a drug.

Weight loss is just one consequence; you can so much as put your life together with this ancient yogic tradition.

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MORE THAN MIND OVER MATTER & WEIGHT LOSS REGIME

It's a small world, and it caters to consumers and producers alike. Time is money and it is the one thing that most of us are short of today. Most weight watchers find it increasingly hard to get any time off raking in the moolah to follow a weight loss regime, but as has often been said; it is the most natural way out. What's more? You could have your own weight loss program, for as little as your will power. You could follow some of these easy steps to healthy and safe weight loss that you can sustain over time.

• Wake up early – Walk, run, jog...get tired, sweat it out. This will get you reasonably hungry.

• Eat healthy – Do away with the jam, pick marmalade, get soy milk instead of its fattening counterpart. There are a host of healthy food choices readily available at your local supermarket.

• Maintain a fitness journal – Track the amount of weight you lose on a weekly basis. This will boost your morale and keep you going, motivated. • Steer clear of extra munching – Get your three meals a day at the right time, and cease all the high calorie snack munching.

Keep up with this, and the results will be for you to see. 

Among other ways to lose weight for those of us who can at most pop in a pill for immediate results, there are the diet pills – Apidex, Didrex, Phentermine and a host of others that work on special formulae, as appetite suppressants or hormonal manipulators to control the excess appetite. If you must choose among these, go for the Prescription ones, they are definitely safer. 

There are weight loss supplements to boot, but the bottom line remains: Weight loss has many ways, what you need to count wisely is the number of days!

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How Fat Loss 4 Idiots Work for Fat Loss and Weight Loss ?

When you acquire the eating habits you will be offered access equally to an e-book and also to a menu generator. The menu generator results in meal strategies for you that are created to differ the different types of foods and quantity of calories you are consuming each day. The purpose for various the food from daily has to accomplish with tricking your metabolism.

The Excess fat Loss 4 Idiots program is web primarily based and presents very tiny in one-on-one assistance. The eating plan is quite simple to view. With this program, like many other people, it will depend on your dedication to stick with confirmed tested means to consume our each day bread. This plan will give you some additional nuggets of information and facts that with each other having a reasonable physical exercise program and constructive assist can make a significant big difference with your existence.

The fact about Body fat Loss four Idiots is always that it can be filled with outstanding procedures and guides on burning extra fat and obtaining in shape like never previously. It will get you motivated, it will get you on the route and it gets you started out around the road to accomplishment. Reducing weight has hardly ever been so easy. And that's the fact.

With all the Fat Loss 4 Idiots eating habits, some days are very low calorie and other folks have extra calories so your system doesn't go into starvation mode and cling to your body fat you are trying to lose. In addition to just varying the sum of calories you consume each day, the plan also differs the sorts of foods which you eat each day. The combination of these two aspects is intended to maintain your metabolic process from slowing down. 

The only downside that I can see to this plan is they do not strain including substantially work out to their diet plan. Though there is certainly not genuinely any specific work out strategy using the diet regime, you'd probably almost certainly see more quickly success by including some strolling or other light workout on the program.

If you are considerable about losing weight and would like to come to feel the complete effect of a pounds loss program which will burn body fat off of your respective physique in the make a difference of days then you definately need to test out Fat Loss 4 Idiots opinions that are somewhat additional thorough to decide if it's truly perfect to suit your needs.

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Do vitamin supplements encourage fat burning efficiency ?

Everybody knows that a healthy diet and an active exercise program are the best ways to lose weight and to the tendency to put on extra pounds under control. What do you do during those times where you have tried everything that you can? You eat a balanced diet, and you work out on a regular basis, but the weight just does not seem to be coming off as fast as it seems like it should. Sometimes the best solution doesn’t lie in getting involved in the latest crash diet or chugging down nasty food replacement shakes. Sometimes the extra push you body needs is a vitamin supplement.

Some studies have shown that certain vitamins help the body in the carbohydrate to sugar and starch processing functions by making sure that the body is able to process the most fuel for your body as possible, eliminating the need for the body to retain the food instead as fat stored in all of the wrong places.

Another benefit of the use of vitamin supplements is that for people on the go, the limited availability of certain food choices allows them to use supplements to replace used nutrients in the body that are missing in the person’s diet.

While the use of vitamin supplements has shown great promise, the idea that taking a multi vitamin in hopes of better body intake processing can simply be dismissed off hand. The ability to make vitamin supplements work for you is to research the body processes that you wish to be affected and which vitamins have shown to progress this process. By targeting specific functions and the vitamins that affect them is not only more effective but more efficient, as you might be getting too much or too little of a specific vitamin with the use of general multi vitamin combinations on your local store shelves.

Know what you nutritional goals are and take the correct vitamin combination to promote it. You can have adverse side effects from taking too much of one kind of vitamin, so be sure to also keep track of the nutritional intake of the foods that you eat on a daily basis, so tat you can accurately manage the amounts of specific vitamins that you put into your system.

Remember, that vitamin supplements are just that, supplements. Do not use them as a food substitute or expect positive results without proper diet and exercise.

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Why Is Slow Weight Loss Better Than Fast Weight Loss?

Temptation to try fast weight loss diets is very high if you have been trying to shed weight for a long time. However I must say that taking a slow and steady approach to weight loss is much better than fast weight loss. What really makes fast diets ineffective in the long run is their inability to speed up your metabolism. Most diet plan that promise quick results, rely on water weight loss therefore you regain your weight very soon.

On the other hand taking a holistic approach to overall health takes care of your weight naturally. You will see some remarkable results if you focus on your overall health instead of your weight. In fact weight gain is a result of your poor internal health. Fixing your digestion, metabolism, liver functions and immune system will trigger your fat burning mechanism naturally.

Following are some valid reasons why slow weight loss is better than fast weight loss

Metabolism- Slow weight loss method speeds up your metabolism therefore you do not remain dependent on the ‘fast diet’. Moreover various other functions are regulated by your metabolism therefore you regain your overall health instead of shedding a few pounds.

No Nutrition Deficiency- Fast weight loss diets fortified with many ingredients that flush out nutrients from your body. Of course you lose some weight but often you end up disrupting your body’s nutrition balance which results in many other complications.

No Side Effects- Dehydration, lack of energy, fatigue and nausea are some of the side effects of fast weight loss formulas. A slow weight loss method saves you from these side effects.

No Expert Supervision is required – The moment you start suffering from above mentioned side effects, you need medical supervision. You must take expert advice while taking a fast weight loss diet anyway.  On the other hand you can lose weight slowly without worrying about medical supervision.

Cost- Fad diets are often expensive and unhealthy. You do not lose anything except your hard earned money.

Fast weight loss diet is effective only if it has been prescribed by qualified doctors or dietitians. Safety of these diets is very important therefore you must have yourself checked before trying them. Calorie controlled diet plans are good if your body responds to them without suffering from any side effects.

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Going Natural with Green Tea for Weight Loss

When you feel that its time to shed some weight a number of options will go through your mind- exercise, diet, fasting, pills and so on. Here we discuss another excellent natural option with no known side effects – the green tea.  More and more people go for green tea as an effective remedy for excess body weight.

How does green tea help to reduce weight?

It is scientifically proven that green tea burns extra calories and impedes fat  absorption in human body. Green tea contains an antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG) which stimulates metabolism and that results in weight loss. The combined effect of EGCG and caffeine causes release of fat into the blood stream which the body uses as fuel for various activities.

This process referred to as ‘thermogenesis’ ultimately leads to losing weight. This also helps in another way- by providing more energy to exercise more.

How is green tea different or more effective than other tea varieties

Like green tea, black tea and oolong tea are produced from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The major difference is that for green tea, leaves are not fermented before steaming and drying. Compared to other varieties, green tea has the highest concentration of catechin polyphenols, which accelerate fat oxidation and thermogenesis.

Right amount of intake for desired results

slimming green teaMaking green tea a part of your life is not that difficult. It’s just adding green tea to your daily diet. You can drink green tea instead of tea or coffee, before and after the meals. But in order to get the maximum results you must drink at least four to six cups. If you don’t like the flavor, you can add green tea concentrate to other food items and have it. Green tea capsules and pills are also available in the market.

Other health benefits of green tea

For thousands of years, green tea has been used as a health drink in many parts of the world. Besides aiding weight loss green tea is scientifically proven to reduce high blood pressure, lower blood sugar and cholesterol and fight cancer. Recent studies have shown that catechins- the powerful antioxidants contained in the green tea fight viruses, slow aging and destroy free radicals which cause cancer, heart disease etc.

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Conjugated Linoleic Acid(CLA) - Helps You Lose Weight

Conjugated Linoleic Acid is a type of fat that is marketed as a supplement to help people lose weight. It is most commonly referred to as CLA. There have been many studies done on the effects of CLA supplementation that indicate it can be a useful tool in weight loss.

Definition

Conjugated linoleic acid is a good fat that occurs naturally in beef and dairy products. The amount of CLA in dairy items has decreased over time. Many health practitioners believe that this decrease has contributed to the alarming increase in overweight Americans. The more processed a food is the less conjugate linoleic acid it has. Experts believe the rise in consumption of processed food can be correlated to the drop of CLA in people’s systems.

What It Does

Conjugated linoleic acid has been shown to speed up metabolism, which helps you burn fat more efficiently. CLA prevents your body from storing excess fat. Additionally, research participants reported that CLA helped to minimize their appetites.

CLA is recognized as being beneficial to your heart health. People have reported lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels when taking this supplement. Another reported benefit is lower blood sugar levels, which can make it beneficial for diabetics. These benefits are the reason that CLA is thought to improve the immune systems of people who take it.

CLA has been the subject of a variety of research in the past several years, and findings also suggest that some of the other benefits of CLA include the following:

• Increases metabolic rate -- This would obviously be a positive benefit for thyroid patients, as hypothyroidism -- even when treated -- can reduce the metabolic rate in some people.
• Decreases abdominal fat -- Adrenal imbalances and hormonal shifts that are common in thyroid patients frequently cause rapid accumulation of abdominal fat, so this benefit could be quite helpful.
• Enhances muscle growth -- Muscle burns fat, which also contributes to increased metabolism, which is useful in weight loss and management.
• Lowers cholesterol and triglycerides -- Since many thyroid patients have elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, even with treatment, this benefit can have an impact on a thyroid patient's health.
• Lowers insulin resistance -- Insulin resistance is a risk for some hypothyroid patients, and lowering it can also help prevent adult-onset diabetes and make it easier to control weight.
• Reduces food-induced allergic reactions -- Since food allergies can be at play when weight loss becomes difficult, this can be of help to thyroid patients.
• Enhances immune system -- Since most cases of thyroid disease are autoimmune in nature, enhancing the immune system's ability to function properly is a positive benefit.

If You Are Interested in Taking CLA

CLA is a supplement, and does not require a prescription. It is available at health food stores, and at online outlets like Drugstore.com. Experts recommend that you use a patented name brand, as some brands have inconsistent or insufficient amounts of CLA contained in them. The brand used in testing was "Tonalin" brand CLA, which comes in 1000 mg capsules. To obtain the level determined to be effective in the testing -- 3.4 g, or 3400 mg, per day -- you would need to take 4 of these capsules a day, with meals.

Please note also, that you should not think that CLA alone will help you lose weight. You still need to be, as I am, on a balanced, reduced-calorie, low-glycemic diet, and have to incorporate regular, vigorous exercise, and weight bearing activities, into your life. 

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