Lose Weight And Keep It Off--A New Source of Hope

Written by George Shears


The percentage of Americans who are overweight and obese is increasing very rapidly. "Overweight" is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) from 25.0 to 29.9 whereas a BMI of 30 or above is defined as "obese." According torepparttar National Center for Health Statistics, 56% ofrepparttar 113766 population was overweight duringrepparttar 113767 reporting period from 1988 through 1994, and 23% was obese. Duringrepparttar 113768 period from 1999 through 2002, these percentages had increased to 65% and 30%, respectively.

So obesity has clearly reached epidemic proportions inrepparttar 113769 U.S., andrepparttar 113770 healthcare costs associated with it now rival those attributable to smoking. These costs were estimated to be $92.6 billion in 2002--9.1% of all health care costs--and they continue to escalate rapidly. Comparable costs associated with smoking were estimated to be between 6.5% and 14.4% in 2002. The Centers for Disease Control have announced that obesity could becomerepparttar 113771 nation's leading cause of preventable deaths by 2005. According to a recent estimate, obesity accounts for approximately 280,000 deaths each year inrepparttar 113772 U.S.

This epidemic is not confined to adults but tragically is afflicting children as well. Childhood obesity increased from 5 percent in 1964 to 13 percent in 1994. Today, it is estimated to be about 20 percent--and rising.

Diseases for which obesity is a significant risk factor include: Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure, cancer, gallstones, gout, osteoarthritis, and sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, pulmonary problems, reproductive problems in women, and depression.

In this era of skyrocketing healthcare costs, it's urgently clear, then, that more effective methods are needed for preventing and reversing this very major contributor to our escalating healthcare crisis.

The above data are especially astounding inrepparttar 113773 face ofrepparttar 113774 fact that Americans are spending in excess of $50 billion annually on diet products. In view ofrepparttar 113775 ongoing epidemic summarized above, this investment has obviously been highly unsuccessful. As has been pointed out in one study, for example,repparttar 113776 price per pound lost in one well-known weight loss program amounts to $180!

Not only is there overwhelming evidence that diets don't work inrepparttar 113777 long run, but of even more concern isrepparttar 113778 strong evidence that they can actually contribute to further weight gain and decline in health. There is recent evidence, for example, that yo-yo dieting weakensrepparttar 113779 immune system by as much as 30%.

A search ofrepparttar 113780 research literature on weight loss strongly supportsrepparttar 113781 general conclusion that key lifestyle and dietary changes are absolutely necessary to long-term success. Here is a fairly comprehensive listing of these essential changes:

1. Eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits.

2. Boost protein intake to build and preserve lean muscle tissue.

3. Use fiber-rich foods, which are more filling and promote health.

4. Boost calcium and other minerals to help shed unwanted fat.

5. Increase intake of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids by eating fish, flax, and nuts.

6. Eat only minimal amounts of "junk" carbs, containing sugar and white flour.

7. Greatly reduce--or eliminate--saturated and trans fats that are loaded with harmful fatty acids.

8. Reduce or eliminate alcohol.

9. Reducerepparttar 113782 amount of food eaten gradually to avoidrepparttar 113783 adverse effects of sudden dieting.

10. Eat frequent, small snacks, instead of large meals, to maximize calories burned for energy.

11. Be sure to eat a healthy breakfast to avoid difficulty in controlling appetite later inrepparttar 113784 day.

12. Be sure to exercise for a half-hour, at least 3 times a week.

13. Gradually boost exercise frequency and intensity for even greater effects.

Enzymes and Nutrition, Part II

Written by Loring A. Windblad


This compilation of information is Copyright 2005 by http://www.organicgreens.us and Loring Windblad. This article may be freely copied and used on other web sites only if it is copied complete with all links and text, including this header, intact and unchanged except for minor improvements such as misspellings and typos.

It is important in understanding enzymes and nutrition to really have a firm grasp of what enzymes are, where they come from, what role they play in nutrition. We have already covered this area of nutrition in Part I. Here in Part II we will discuss which enzymes digest which type of food, whether I have an infinite supply of enzymes, what happens when I start to run low on digestive enzymes, what I can do to maintain my enzyme level and whether there are certain enzymes I can take for specific health conditions.

Which digestive enzymes digest food?

Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats arerepparttar three main food groups that make uprepparttar 113765 bulk of our daily diet. A "balanced" diet means we consumerepparttar 113766 proper proportions of these three basic food groups on a daily basis. This balance, when combined withrepparttar 113767 assurance that we also getrepparttar 113768 essential nutrients, can help provide a healthy life — if we properly process and metabolize these nutrients. To do this we also need an adequate source ofrepparttar 113769 major types of digestive enzymes: Proteases, Amylases and Lipases.

Let’s build a small chart and take a look at just what these food groups and enzymes are:

FOOD GROUP% OF DAILY DIETENZYME CLASSENZYME FUNCTION Proteins20-25%ProteaseDigests Protein Carbohydrates50-60%AmylaseDigests Carbohydrates Fats20-30%LipaseDigests Fats (Lipids)

There are numerous categories of digestive enzymes, but forrepparttar 113770 purpose of this discussion, we will coverrepparttar 113771 three primary classes of digestive enzymes that digest our food. [NOTE: generally speaking, enzymes end withrepparttar 113772 suffix "ase."]

Ifrepparttar 113773 proper QUANTITY and required TYPE of enzymes are not present, your body becomes TOXIC fromrepparttar 113774 left over WASTE of incomplete digestion. This isrepparttar 113775 reason why most illnesses and diseases are initially a dietary mistake. This can be prevented and it can be reversed. It’s all a matter of havingrepparttar 113776 right amount andrepparttar 113777 right kind of enzymes available atrepparttar 113778 right time to prevent your body from becoming a receptacle for pollution and waste — a receptacle that then breeds and harbors disease.

Do I have an infinite supply of enzymes?

No. Until recently, many withinrepparttar 113779 scientific community labored underrepparttar 113780 misconception thatrepparttar 113781 digestive enzymes in our body are constant and last forever; that they can be used and reused; that they never get old and never wear out.

Researchers now know that we lose digestive enzymes through sweat and body waste. Through constant use, enzymes lose their strength and ability to do their work. As we age,repparttar 113782 organs responsible for producing our digestive enzymes become less efficient. Today's environmental pollution, overly processed fast foods, genetically modified foods, high anti-biotic content and microwave cooking can result in free radical damage, which lowersrepparttar 113783 body's effectiveness to produce enzymes. To offset this loss, we need to supplement our system with oral digestive enzymes. One such enzyme supplement is an organic greens, Bio 88+ (Plus).

What are some ofrepparttar 113784 causes of low enzyme supply?

When our bodies are nutritionally out of balance, which may lead to chronic illness. Also, our digestive enzymes become depleted when we go on long-term restrictive diets which cut out one basic food group for too long a period, when we eat too many overcooked foods, when we eat foods that are laced with antibiotics, when we eat foods which have traces (or more) of artificial fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides.

Nor do those foods contain any systemic replenishing enzymes. Our body’s stock of beneficial organisms (metabolic and digestive enzymes) also becomes depleted when we are ill and must take antibiotics. In these instances we must have outside sources of enzyme replenishment.

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