Intermittent Fasting: Amazing health benefits

Intermitent Fasting: Amazing health benefits

Intermittent fasting and calorie restriction are two ways of reducing your calorie intake to obtain health benefits (1).

Intermittant fasting might be accomplished by eating every other day, for example, while calorie restriction means eating every day, but eating less. In both cases, you have to make sure your intake of micronutrients is optimal, and your physician agrees, as for any sane dietary choice.

On the scientific side:
Both calorie restriction and intermittent fasting produce significant health and longevity benefits in shorter-lived mammals such as mice, and at least significant health benefits in primates, including humans.

Far more research has been accomplished for calorie restriction, and uncertainty remains as to whether intermittent fasting is as good, definitely increases longevity, has a preferred method of practice, or whether it could even be harmful to long-term health if done incorrectly.

It seems plausible that calorie restriction and intermittent fasting produce their benefits in similar but different ways, based on research in lower animals, but I know of no research confirming this in mammals.

From the point of view of actively practicing either intermittent fasting or calorie restriction, intermittent fasting is much easier for anyone whose eating habits interact with those of other people, or who is already fairly set in his ways with good dietary habits.

You just don't eat some days - very simple, and few other changes to the routines of life are needed.

Starting to practice calorie restriction, on the other hand, requires greater effort and more thought in terms of changing your diet. It's not hard, especially given the good resources available to walk you through the obvious pitfalls, but it isn't as simple as just saying "I'm not eating right now."

So the traditional trade-off in labor and knowledge:
Intermittent fasting is usually much easier to introduce into your life, but has far less scientific support or a body of research to indicate the optimum methodology.
Calorie restriction requires more initiative to organize, but has a great weight of science backing it up, and a wide range of resources based on decades of practical experience.
Given what I know of human nature, I suspect that intermittent fasting will rapidly become more popular than calorie restriction as soon as it accumulates a little more research in mammals than presently exists.

(1)Beneficial effects of intermittent fasting and caloric restriction on the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems

by Mattson MP, Wan R. Laboratory of Neurosciences,

National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program,

Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. mattsonm@grc.nia.nih.govJ Nutr Biochem. 2005 Mar;16(3):129-37.

ABSTRACT

Intermittent fasting (IF; reduced meal frequency) and caloric restriction (CR) extend lifespan and increase resistance to age-related diseases in rodents and monkeys and improve the health of overweight humans. Both IF and CR enhance cardiovascular and brain functions and improve several risk factors for coronary artery disease and stroke including a reduction in blood pressure and increased insulin sensitivity.

Cardiovascular stress adaptation is improved and heart rate variability is increased in rodents maintained on an IF or a CR diet. Moreover, rodents maintained on an IF regimen exhibit increased resistance of heart and brain cells to ischemic injury in experimental models of myocardial infarction and stroke.

The beneficial effects of IF and CR result from at least two mechanisms--reduced oxidative damage and increased cellular stress resistance. Recent findings suggest that some of the beneficial effects of IF on both the cardiovascular system and the brain are mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling in the brain. Interestingly, cellular and molecular effects of IF and CR on the cardiovascular system and the brain are similar to those of regular physical exercise, suggesting shared mechanisms.

A better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which IF and CR affect the blood vessels and heart and brain cells will likely lead to novel preventative and therapeutic strategies for extending health span.

Exercise: Cardio that burns Belly Fat Fast!

Exercise: Cardio That Burns Belly Fat - Cardio Workouts


Everyone knows that cardio burns belly fat. But still most people who do cardiovascular workouts fail to get real results, even if they exercise for hours each week.

The reason is that all cardio is not made equal. If you want to get real results, you need to focus on maximum fat burning cardio workouts and do them in a way that helps you achieve optimal results.

Here are 2 tips:

1. Focus on the the kind of workouts which tend to be more intensive as these workouts will generally burn more fat faster in a shorter time, allowing you to spend less time at the gym and still achieve better results.

Some of these workouts include:

Running
Rowing
Kickboxing
Spinning
Rock climbing (also a strength workout)

Some of the less effective workouts (which are still better than nothing) are:

The elliptical machine
Walking at a slow pace
stationary bike riding (if not spinning)

A good way to increase results is to change your workouts from time to time so that your body doesn't get used to a specific workout.

2. When you do your workouts, you need to do them as intensively and as time efficient as possible. The old belief that the longer you do cardio the better is obsolete. You need to focus on making the most of your time and this means that you need to work hard.

For your cardio to burn belly fat, you should make each workout count. The best way to do that is to do interval training. This means that you change the pace and intensity of the workout you do every few minutes.
For instance, you can sprint for one moment, walk the next, run at a medium pace the following moment and so on. After all, you can't sprint for 10 minutes straight, so changing your pace allows you to sprint at high intensity, and still be able to do a long enough workout to burn off fat.

The kind of cardio that burns the most belly fat fast, combine high intensity workouts with interval training. You will get the best results.

Explosive Cardio Workout

If you are looking for a way to gain superior cardiovascular fitness then you have got to attempt the following workout.

The old mindset of "cardio" being thought of as only "aerobic in nature" is thrown out the window right here. Keep reading to learn what I am talking about.

First of all, if you want to achieve REAL cardiovascular fitness then you have got to ramp up your intensity. Cardiovascular training doesn't only consist of "aerobic" training.

For this workout you will need 2 items. You will need a set of stairs or bleachers and a single barbell or a pair of dumbells of moderately heavy resistance.
Start out the drill on flat ground with the barbell.

Squat and pick up the bell with both hands.
Next perform a series of double-arm overhead swings for 30 repetitions.

As soon as you are finished set the barbell down and sprint up the flight of stairs or bleachers. Try to sprint a height of about 2 to 3 stories if possible. If the bleachers or stairs you are using are less than the recommended height then sprint more times. Learn to manage with what you have.

This is a great barbell cardio workout. By combining both of these drills you stand to make some serious gains in your cardiovascular fitness.

Trust me, if you want to step up your cardiovascular conditioning then you have got to step up your cardiovascular exercise! Train hard and give it a try!

The Way You Eat Affect Your Risk for Breast Cancer

The Way You Eat Affect Your Risk for Breast Cancer

How you eat may be just as important as how much you eat, if mice studies are any clue.

Cancer researchers have long studied the role of diet on breast cancer risk, but results to date have been mixed. New findings published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggest the method by which calories are restricted may be more important for cancer protection than the actual overall degree of calorie restriction.

“Understanding how calorie restriction provides protection against the development of mammary tumors should help us identify pathways that could be targeted for chemoprevention studies,” said Margot P. Cleary, Ph.D., professor at The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota.

“Further identification of serum factors that are involved in tumor development would possibly provide a way to identify at risk individuals and target interventions to these people.”

Previous studies have shown that intermittent calorie restriction provided greater protection from mammary tumor development than did the same overall degree of restriction, which was implemented in a chronic fashion. The researchers compared changes of a growth factor (IGF-1) in relationship to these two calorie restriction methods — chronic and intermittent — and tumor development beginning in 10-week old female mice at risk to develop mammary tumors. Their hope was to explain why intermittent restriction is more effective.

The overall degree of restriction was 25 percent reduction compared to control mice. Mammary tumor incidence was 71 percent in the control mice who ate the amount of food they wanted, 35 percent among those who were chronically restricted and only nine percent in those who intermittently restricted calories.

The researchers were initially surprised by these findings for several reasons. First, the prevailing wisdom is that the degree of protection from calorie restriction is proportional to the degree of mammary tumor prevention. Second, they originally thought that intermittent calorie restriction might enhance tumor growth due to growth factors being secreted in response to re-feeding, Cleary said.

In an accompanying editorial also published in Cancer Prevention Research, Michael Pollak, M.D., stated that some major challenges of pharmacologic approaches to cancer prevention and/or treatment include defining the underlying causes and determining the relevance of these caloric restriction methods.
Pollak is professor of oncology at McGill University and director of the Cancer Prevention Center at the Jewish General Hospital, both in Montreal.

This study “contributes to accumulating evidence that caloric restriction acts by altering hormone levels rather than by directly starving cancers of energy. In particular, lower levels of insulin are associated with reduced food intake, and this may be protective,” said Pollak, who is also an editorial board member for Cancer Prevention Research.

In the editorial Pollak wrote: “there is reason for concern that the ‘obesity epidemic’ may lead to an increased prevalence of a hormonal profile associated with elevated cancer risk and/or an adverse cancer prognosis. Therefore, in addition to its well-known general health benefits, maintaining an ideal body weight is also important in the specific contexts of cancer prevention and improving the prognosis of cancer patients.”

Based on varied findings from clinical trials, Pollak suggested that lifestyle and pharmacologic methods to reduce IGF-1 and insulin deserve ongoing investigations. Cleary agreed, stating that these results may provide interest to more aggressively pursue cancer prevention studies related to calorie restriction.

“Humans frequently regain lost weight discouraging the application of calorie restriction protocols for disease prevention,” she said. “We hope these studies will identify biomarkers and/or pathways that could be used in human studies to determine agents that would mimic calorie restriction.”

Additional Resources:
Subscribe to the Cancer Prevention Research RSS feed: http://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/rss/recent.xml

Fat Loss Every 10 Days - Getting Rid of Love Handles

Exercises: Fat Loss Every 10 Days - Getting Rid of Love Handles

Would you like to know more information on getting rid of love handles? Do you want to have a flat tummy and have a slimmer body without spending too much cash or even going through a painful surgery? I'm pretty sure you do. These might sound quite possible but if you try to follow these helpful tips, you'll be getting rid of love handles the soonest possible time.

Tip # 1: Try to do cardio and weight training

Getting rid of love handles will be much easier if you will try to do some cardiovascular exercise and also weight training.
You must try to do some cadio exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. In this way, you will burn more calories and you will surely lose more weight and will help you get rid of those love handles that make you look fat.

Tip # 2: Avoid eating foods that are high in calory.

If you will make yourself focus to the fact that you want to be healthy , then you should always keep in mind to avoid eating fatty foods. Getting rid of love handles will be made possible if you will stop eating foods that are high in calories and also try to avoid beverages that are rich in caffeine and those that are too sweet. This will only make you even more fat.

Tip # 3: Eat low carb veggies and fruits.

Getting rid of love handles will be considered an easy thing to do if you will try eating low carb vegetables and fruits. You will not only make yourself healthy but at the same time it help you a lot in losing those love handles. This is a very healthy way of losing those unwanted body fat.Looking good and getting rid of love handles might sound quite impossible, but believe me if you will be able to follow these tips, you will find it very easy to lose weight without spending a lot of money. I hope that you will look good and feel good sooner than you expected. You deserve it! Good Luck!

Exercise and Rehabilitate using Isometric Exercise

Exercise and rehabilitate using Isometric Exercise

Isometric exercises have been used for rehabilitation of joints and muscles for some time now. The benefit of doing isometrics as opposed to using weights is that isometrics are done in a fixed position so no movement takes place, and there is no weight bearing taking place.

These exercises can be safely done daily and no special equipment is required. For shoulder rehabilitation for example, you can push into a wall like you are doing push-ups in the standing position for 5 to 10 seconds. Side lateral raises can be done against a wall also, standing sideways to a wall just try to raise your arm outward against the wall. Depending on the injury, you should apply as much pressure as you feel you can do.

When performing isometrics you can do pushing and pulling movements. They can be done against a wall, doorway, sitting in a chair or any other situation you can think of. Also you may want to train the muscle from two or three positions so you can gain strength for more of the range of motion.

There is nothing exciting about doing isometrics but they do have their benefits. Those benefits are primarily for rehabilitation but now they are being used more frequently for regular strength building. Being that it is a non weight bearing exercise it can be done on off days or light workout days as a supplemental weight training workout. For medical rehabilitation, your doctor can prescribe a set of workouts for you or if you just want to take it easy from your regular workouts you can try them on your own.

How do You do Isometric Exercises?

Isometric exercises are simple to do, for the chest place the palms of your hands together out in front of you. Push them together hard till you feel the tension in your chest. If you push hard enough you will start to shake a little, hold for five seconds or more. Vary the position you hold your hands in front of you to target the chest from different angles.

For your back you can place your hands palms down on a table and push down hard, you can feel the tension in the back. Again vary the position of the hands on the table to target the different muscle groups of the back.

For your biceps place your palms together one on top of the other in front of you and push together, alternate hands.If you do these from different angles you can give your muscles a more varied workout. You are only limited to your imagination as to what you can do for exercises, try anything.

Isometric Exercise for the Abs

You can effectively develop stronger abs by doing various isometric exercises.

Strengthening your abs or core will help stabilize your body and may relieve some back problems. Your abs and mid section are put into action in most of the movements you make. You have layers of abominable muscle that each have different functions.

The muscles at the outer layer assist with your movement while the deeper muscles help support the spine.

If you have not tried the Plank, your missing out on a good core exercise. It's simple to do, just lay face down while holding your self up on your toes and your forearms. You must keep your back as straight as possible and concentrate on pulling your stomach muscles in. It may not be comfortable at first and try to hold for a few second at least.

As you get stronger, you will find that you can hold the plank position for 30 seconds or more.If this is difficult for you to do you can support yourself on your knees instead of your toes. As you get stronger try to move to the toes.

Isometric Exercise Done With a Stick

Have you tried using a stick or broom handle to do your isometric exercises? Using a tool like this can add another dimension to your routine. You can use a stick by simply holding it in your hands and pushing and pulling with it in front of you, behind you and over your head.

Vary the distance between your hands from close together to far apart to hit the muscles at different angles. Try placing one end of the stick on the ground in front of you and pushing down on it with both hands or each hand separately, this will target your back and your abs. There are many ways you can do isometric exercises like this. You should hold each movement for at least 7 seconds.

Omega 3 with moderate exercise boosts weight loss

Omega 3 combined with moderate exercise boosts weight loss

Taking fish oil supplements on a daily basis along with some moderate exercise three times a week can help you lose weight according to the results of a study conducted by The University of South Australia and presented at the ISSFAL (International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids & Lipids) Congress in Cairns, Australia, in 2006.

The intervention study was conducted by PhD student Allison Hill and involved 75 overweight or obese men and women between the ages of 25 and 65 who had risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms linked to obesity that includes high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides in the blood and a resistance to insulin or increased levels of insulin, and together these increase the risk of developing heart disease and type two diabetes.

The Study
Those taking part in the study were split into two groups and given either fish oil (containing 2gr of Omega 3 fatty acids in the form of EPA and DHA), or sunflower oil, for a period of twelve weeks. No one participating in the study knew which group they were in. Half of the fish oil group and half of the sunflower oil group were then asked to take moderate exercise by walking or running for 45 minutes three times a week, the other half continued to take either fish oil or sunflower oil but with no exercise.

There was no difference in weight for those taking only fish oil or only sunflower oil, neither was there any difference in the group taking sunflower oil combined with exercise, however, those taking fish oil combined with exercise lost an average of 2 kg (4.5lb) over the course of the trial without making any modifications to their diet at all, they basically continued to eat what they wanted to eat. Furthermore, using Dual Energy X-ray Absoptiometry (DEXA), which is often used to measure body composition as it can differentiate between fat, muscle and bone, showed that those in the fish oil and exercise group, had a significant reduction in body fat.
It is not understood exactly why taking fish oil combined with exercise appears to make a difference to weight loss but a combination of factors is thought to be involved such as helping the blood to flow more efficiently throughout the body and to the muscles, and initiating metabolic changes involving the enzymes responsible for transporting the fat required by the body for energy.

Eicosapentaenoic acid
The Omega 3 fatty acid EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) in particular has hit the headlines many times in recent years due to its reported ability to combat inflammation in the body and for the profound effect it can have on mood, mental function and behaviour. Consequently, it has been cited as being beneficial for everything from heart disease, arthritis, asthma, and allergies to anxiety, depression, ADHD, and Alzheimer's disease, to mention but a few. It seems there is hardly an area of health where EPA does not show some benefit, indicating the importance of having enough of this Omega 3 fatty acid in our daily diet.

How important is Omega 3?
Everyone knows that excess weight and obesity can lead to health problems and most of us already know that Omega 3 is good for health, but how many of us understand just how important the Omega 3 fatty acids actually are? The truth is, most of us don't get anywhere near enough EPA in our diet to make a difference to our health and nutritionists believe that the reason we are seeing a rise in health problems like heart disease, arthritis, depression, skin problems and even excess weight, is because over the past few decades we have drastically reduced our consumption of fish sources of Omega 3 and yet at the same time we have massively increased our intake of the pro-inflammatory Omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 6 is abundant in our diets, it can be found in vegetable oils, processed foods, and meat and dairy products, whereas EPA can only be found in any real quantities in oily fish and fish oil.
The indication that fish oil and moderate exercise can result in weight loss without altering the diet in any way is good news in itself, particularly for those who are struggling to lose weight, however, the most exciting prospect is that even better results might be obtained by controlling the diet and participating in more vigorous exercise.

Conclusion
There is no substitute for a healthy diet as part of any weight loss plan and anyone can achieve weight loss by restricting calories and increasing the amount of exercise they do provided they are burning off more energy than they are taking in. The evidence would seem to suggest that fish oil can help this process along so not only do you lose weight; you can boost your health and your mood at the same time.

Build Muscle, Burn Fat and Stop Aging

Build Muscle, Burn Fat and Stop Aging

Wouldn't be amazing if you could build lean muscle - burn fat and stop aging ?

For sometime Pro athletes, movie stars, regular men believe that they will become stronger and stay young by taking H.G.H ( human growth hormone ) and they could be risking their lives.
People will spends thousands of dollars to get stronger and younger no matter the cost they don't care- and they could pay with their lives.

H.G.H is produced by the pituitary gland and as we get older we simply don't produce a lot of H.G.H and we tend to lose muscle mass and put on more fat, but there is an answer.

Without spending money on drugs their is a effective way to produce H.G.H naturally with no side effects, and that is with short but intense bodyweight workouts, it has been know that one of best H.G.H boosters is short intense sprints and better yet, is hill sprints- and this is supported by research.

A better way to build even more H.G.H is combining bodyweight exercise with short but intense sprints, vigorous exercise pushes the body to release a surge of growth hormone; eating foods that keep your blood sugar stable and getting a good night sleep H.G.H is secreted most actively at night.

As you become more fit you will still produce H.G.H even when you don't exercise.

1. Short and Intense workouts.

2. Eat low glycemic foods.

3. A good nights sleep.

Look at a sprinter- almost all sprinters have a low percent of body fat and are very lean and muscular; distance runners are usually thin and don't have much muscle.

If we look at how the sprinter trains, he trains doing sprints he doesn't run long distances and the distance runner doesn't usually run sprints.

Try it for yourself:

Find a place you can run for 15 to 20 seconds, a soccer field, football field or a track.

1. Sprint for 15 to 20 seconds- then drop down and do 10 pushups as explosive as possible then 10 mountain climbers.

2. Walk for 15 to 20 seconds- repeat over for 15 to 20 minutes.

Do the best you can with this simple and basic workout, it will work wonders!