Healthy Lifestyle Habits

We all like to stay young and healthy forever. But unfortunately, that isn’t
entirely possible. Longevity is a hot topic these days, and there are many
lifestyle habits, natural and pharmaceutical based supplements and
treatments on the market that can be used as tools to slow down the aging
process.
The anti-aging industry is a fast-growing industry. Successful aging is on the rise
for many people, with our fast-aging population. There are currently 671 million
people worldwide who are over the age of 60.

People are living longer, partly because our success in preventing childhood diseases,
like polio, as well as finding new treatments and prevention strategies for
adult conditions such as heart disease.
But it’s also because scientists are unlocking the secrets of aging itself.
We have found out why our bodies break down and how to put the brakes on
our own destruction.
In the process we are expanding not only our life spans, but also what scientists call:
our health span. “we are living too short and dying too long,” – Dr. Myron Wentz.

The Antioxidant Power  
Researchers discovered that one of the most important causes of heart disease,
cancer, wrinkles, arthritis and many of the other problems that comes with aging
is the same process that makes an apple turn brown and our body cells to break
down and age, it’s called oxidation.

Through a series of chemical changes, oxygen molecules in our bodies lose
electrons, making them unstable. These unstable molecules are called free radicals.
By raving attempts to stabilize themselves, free radicals steel electrons
from healthy cells throughout your body. Every time they steal an electron,
two things happen: A healthy molecule is damaged, and more free radicals are
created. Free radicals can damage the DNA of your cells, proteins in tissues
throughout your body, and other components that make you function properly.
Unless the process is stopped, more and more cells are damaged every day,
and your health pays the price.

Nature provides an enormous arsenal of antioxidants in order to keep this
damaging process under control.
These are compounds in foods that can stop free radicals from doing harm.
Antioxidants come between free radicals and your body’s healthy cells,
offering up their own electrons and preventing yours of being stolen.

Although your body maintains its own antioxidant system naturally,
the antioxidants in foods gives you a powerful boost of extra protection against
free radicals. “But if you understand the tremendous damage that oxidative
stress inflicts during normal daily life on the human body, you realize how
important it is to optimize your own natural defense system.
Your health and life depend on it.
Through my research I learned that the strongest defense against these diseases
is our bodies’ own natural antioxidant and immune systems. These are far
superior to drugs I can prescribe.”

“I concluded after much study that using nutritional supplementation on patents
is not alternative medicine but is instead complementary medicine.” Dr. Ray Strand M. D.

Some studies have found that vitamin E may help to protect you from heart
disease, (and beta-carotene and selenium is a mineral that’s an ingredient in
some of your body’s antioxidant enzymes) may help lower your risks of some
cancers.

What is Longevity?
Longevity is not just about living as long as possible, but living the longest,
healthiest life possible – free of chronic diseases.
This is where the term “health span” comes in. Many may agree that a person’s
health span is far more important than the life span. However, being “healthy”
means different things to different people. A better definition of longevity might
include being free from serious disease, having energy and cognitive processes,
as well as physical mobility and strength.
Successful aging means having a healthy physical body and good mental health.
What’s interesting however, is hat when we do things that are healthy for our
physical bodies, these actions benefit our brain health as well. And visa versa.

We die not of old age, but of the cumulative failures within our cells. These
failures are not inevitable breakdowns, but instead are the reversible elements
of aging.

Lifestyle habits accumulate, and those habits can either have a negative effect
on health or a positive one. Small daily habits can be cumulative and build up
to big things over a lifetime. The best habits to include in your day-to-day life
right now are a healthy diet, regular exercise, maintaining your steady blood
sugar level, regular social contact, and a good sleep on a regular basis.
Building on top of these foundational healthy habits are some ground breaking
scientific treatments worth mentioning, which I will discuss in a following
article. They all point towards increased health and longevity.

Many people are in search for healthy living. But what are really the essentials for health and fitness? And how do you achieve good health and overall well-being?

When we have a closer look at the concept, it all boils down to the following four components, which are crucial for healthy living:

1. Good nutrition 2. Regular exercise 3. A good night sleep 4. High-quality nutritional supplementation

Healthy living means: keeping a balanced, healthy diet Avoid smoking and excessive use of alcohol and toxic chemicals.

If we choose to make good nutrition, including supplementation, and an active lifestyle a daily habit, we could add five to fifteen healthy years to our lives.

It has been said that we are what we eat, but a more accurate definition would be: we are what we can get out of our food. Because it’s the bio-availability of the nutrients we inject, and more importantly, the cell’s ability to absorb those nutrients, which are the crucial factors that determine a person’s health and well-being. These two are often overlooked facts. These are the keys to optimal nutrition. That’s why most supplements miss the mark. They simply do not address the cellular condition of the body. Even worse, many are in a form which are unacceptable to the cells themselves. There is however, one remarkable exception to this depressing trend, and that are the supplements manufactured by USANA Health Sciences. When we age, we must eat well and adjust our eating habits. As we get older, our needs for certain nutrients will change significantly. To be healthy for life, it’s important to consume eight to ten servings of fruits and vegetables daily. And many of these should be raw, because they contain those natural digestive enzymes. But the quality of our foods has depleted, due to modern farming techniques. For example, the use of hybrids. Unfortunately, economics is the driving force behind the American agriculture, causing farmers to be more concerned about bushels per acre, than the nutrient content of the food they harvest. Physicians are biased against nutritional supplements. They learn very little about nutrition in their study on medical school. They would tell you: taking supplements is a waste of money.

But Dr. Ray Strand’s title of his book: ”What your doctor doesn’t know about Nutritional Medicine may be killing you.” Says it all. He was converted when his wife became sick. She suffered from fibromyalgia, and no drugs could cure her. As a last resource she tried nutritional supplements, and after three months she was cured. Dr. Strand learned about oxidative stress, which is the underlying cause of degenerative diseases. Oxidative stress is caused by cell damage of free radicals. It is the root cause of more than seventy chronic degenerative diseases. The same process that causes iron to rust and a cut apple to turn brown. It’s the underlying cause of diseases like: coronary artery disease, cancer, stroke, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer dementia, and macular degeneration. We are actually rusting on the inside. In fact, oxidative stress is the leading theory behind the aging process. In addition to this, our bodies are under constant attack from an army of pollutants in air food, and water. Our stress filled live styles also take a toll. If we do not counteract these processes, the result will be cell deterioration and ultimately disease. When you understand the tremendous damage that oxidative stress inflicts during normal daily life on the human body, you will realize how important it is to optimize your own natural antioxidant and immune system.

Dr Strand concluded after much study, that using nutritional supplements on patients, is not alternative medicine, but instead complementary medicine. After reviewing medical research studies, he was certain, that his patients, who take high quality nutritional supplements, have a health benefit over those who don’t. This he called: cellular nutrition. The purpose of my book is to make people aware of the factors that cause illnesses and diseases, and to learn how to adapt a healthy lifestyle. What I want readers to take away from my book is to understand that degenerative diseases are not the natural consequence of old age but can be avoided by adapting a healthy lifestyle.

My book “Recipe for a Long, Healthy Life” is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Related Articles – healthy lifestyle, good nutrition, nutritional supplements, oxidative stress, complementary medicine, cellular nutrition,

When we age, we must eat well and adjust our eating habits.
As we get older, our needs for certain nutrients will change significantly.

Most people know that vegetables are better for our health than potato chips,
and that lean protein is better than fried food. and alcohol and sweets
 should be taken in moderation.
Yet, we are still struggling with degenerative diseases like obesity, heart disease,
stroke, arthritis diabetes and dementia.
 
To live healthy, we have to keep a balanced, healthy diet
Avoid smoking and excessive use of alcohol and toxic chemicals, take regular exercise,
a good night sleep, and supplement your diet with high quality nutritional supplements.

Why are taking high quality supplements important?

It has been said that we are what we eat, but a more accurate definition would be: we are what we can get out of our food. Because it’s the bio-availability of the nutrients we inject, and more importantly, the cell’s ability to absorb those nutrients, which are the crucial factors that determine a person’s health and well-being. These two are often overlooked facts. These are the keys to optimal nutrition.
That’s why most supplements miss the mark.  They simply do not address the cellular condition of the body. Even worse, many are in a form which are unacceptable to the cells themselves.

There is however, one remarkable exception to this depressing trend, and that are the supplements manufactured by USANA Health Sciences.

To be healthy for life, it’s important to consume eight to ten servings of fruits and vegetables daily. And many of these should be raw, because they contain those natural digestive enzymes.

The American diet lacks essential nutrients. A healthy diet must contain the right carbohydrates, protein, fats, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements, according to your body type.

It’s a sad fact that about one third of American adults are overweight. But people can change that by adapting a live style with the right diet. There are foods that raise metabolism and burn extra fat.

If you understand the damage caused by processed food, it will motivate you to change your diet, if you are aiming for a high level of health and freedom from degenerative diseases.

It’s a tragic fact that most people these days only begin to take an intelligent look at their health
after they have lost it.

Why do seniors have different nutritional needs?
 Here are some of the most important reasons why:

1. Slower metabolic rate:
 As your metabolism slows down, and perhaps you become less active,
you don’t need as many calories. As your body’s food digesting and processing changes, you may notice fluctuation in weight and energy levels.

2. Body changes:
Aging brings important changes to your biology and slight differences in organ functions
( kidneys, heart, etc.) can affect the way hormones associated with nutrition and
digestion work.

3. Dental changes:
Dental issues, like sensitive teeth or dentures that don’t fit well can lead you to avoid eating
some foods, especially those that require a strong bite or chewing, such as apples.

4. Chronic digestive issues:
If you have digestive problems, such as excess gas, diarrhea, or other digestive discomforts,
you may have to avoid foods that contribute to that condition, even if they are good for you.

5. Chronic medical conditions:
Some conditions makes it necessary for a restricted diet – such as low-sodium, low-carbohydrate, or soft diets – which in turn can affect the quality of your nutritional intake.

6. Living alone:
If you live alone, you may have lost the motivation to shop, prepare or regularly eat good food.
It’s easy to fall into a habit of grabbing what’s there.

Nutrients seniors need.
When you age, you need more of certain nutrients.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – the world’s largest of food and nutrition professionals –
recommends seniors increase consumption of the following:
* Calcium and Vitamin D to enhance bone health
* Vitamin B12 to boost red blood cell development and function
* Potassium to reduce the risk of high blood pressure
* Fiber to lower risk of heart disease, help prevent diabetes,
  and maintain regular bowel health

It’s common for seniors to develop deficiencies in these areas.
Proper nutrition and supplements can help reverse or prevent this.

The brain is very sensitive to the level of glucose in the blood.
Both high and low levels can cause problems with your mood and memory.
Low levels may cause symptoms of depression, poor memory and low concentration.
While high levels of blood glucose also unpair the brain and increase the risk of dementia.

Monitor your calorie intake  
Let’s start with what you need to provide your body with enough energy on a daily basis.
The dietary guidelines for the United States has a calorie chart divided by gender, age, and
amount of activity (sedentary, moderately active, or active). The table linked above provides
a breakdown of how many calories you need, depending on those factors.

For example, a 65-year-old sedentary male needs 2000 calories per day, a 65-year-old
woman needs 1600 calories per day. For a moderate active man and woman, this increases
to 2,400 and 1,800, If they are active, the counts increase to 2,800 and 1,800 respectively.

That doesn’t mean you should use a calorie counter and obsess over your total calorie intake
each day. But it’s good to have a starting place and know how many calories the foods contain
you eat mostly, and see how you stack up against your daily recommended intake.
If you want to get more involved, try one of the following five recommended calorie-counting apps,
according to Healthline:
* MyFitnessPal
* Lose it!
* Fatsecret
* Cronometer
* SparkPeople  

Healthy Eating Tips
Don’t feel like you have to accomplish everything at once. It’s better to change a few small
things at a time and increase effort as you go, rather than getting yourself overwhelmed
by a radical diet change.

Maintain a Balanced Diet
Once you have checked out calories, work on making yourself more aware of the nutrients
in the foods you eat. Tufts University has created a MyPlate for Older Adults that’s an interactive
plate, divided into appropriately sized food groups. Fruits make up 25 percent of the plate,
vegetables another 25 percent, whole grains 25 percent, and the final 25 percent is made up of
lean protein and dairy.
In addition, the National Institute of Aging offers sample menus for 2,000-calories for seniors.
Their online page includes links to recipes, a shopping list, and two weeks’ worth of possible menus.

Healthy and Unhealthy Foods
In short, food you should eat more in your diet include:
Fruit ( if you buy canned fruit or juice in bottles, be sure that it’s not sugar-sweetened)
Vegetables, whole-grain bread and pastas,
Lean poultry, fish, and shellfish,
Nuts, beans and legumes,
Olive oil (or another monounsaturated oil to cook with)
Low-fat dairy

Foods you should limit in your diet include:
Fried foods, trans- and saturated fats, red meat, high-sugar foods,
refined bread and pasta products, full fat dairy

Your emphases should be to cut out processed foods as much as possible;
they tend to contain high amounts of salt and sugar (which masquerades under many names,
including high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, glucose, sucrose, fructose, and more).

The Importance of a Healthy Nutrition Routine
Every personwho is fortunate enough to live a long life will have a few health concerns,
but if you knew you could limit those going forward, wouldn’t it worth it?
That’s why a routine is important. It can not only ease some of the medical issues
you have now, but it can also improve your health in the years ahead.

Here are some tips to help you create and stick to a nutrition routine that supports
your health goals:

• Create a master shopping list
• Shop for a week at a time
• Shop on the same day every week, and pick a day that’s easiest for you.
• Wash and prepare your groceries before putting them away
• Consider buying a vegetable steamer to make veggie cooking more convenient
  
  “Healthy aging is a hot topic,” writes the Mayo Clinic. “Whether you’re
  concerned about weight gain, sex drive or chronic diseases, the key to
  healthy aging is a healthy lifestyle.
  Eating a variety of nutritious foods, practicing portion control and
  including physical activity in your daily routine can go a long way
  toward promoting healthy aging.”
  
  Sign up for your FREE Nutrition and Weight loss reports:
  

Is your weight gain a concern?

Maintaining a healthy weight is important when you get older.
It’s wise to make good food choices, watch how much protein
you take and be active.

Fast weight loss is not healthy. When you lose weight quickly
you can lose muscle and this can affect your health.
Remember that adults come in a variety of sizes and shapes.

Try to eat at least the minimum number of servings from all
four foods groups each day.
Grain products (6 – 7 servings)
Vegetables and Fruits (7 servings)
Milk and Alternatives (3servings)
Meat and Alternatives (2 – 3) 

Canada’s Food Guide (www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide
provides good advice on what foods to choose and
how much you need to eat to be healthy.

Follow Canada’s Food Guide for the correct serving size.
Eat regularly. Include three meals each day. If you are hungry,
add a small snack in between meals.
Limit high fat and high sugar foods.
Eat your meals slowly and enjoy each bite.
Choose fruit instead of fruit juice.
Eat when you are hungry. Stop when you are full.
Don’t overeat, you don’t have to finish all the food on your plate.

With efficient metabolism food gets shut to the furnace
to be burned quickly.

Coffee can speed-up your metabolism and increase the efficiency
of your metabolism.

Skipping a meal, especially breakfast, will make it harder to get
all the nutrients you need each day.

Eat at regular times every day.
Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time.   
If you don’t feel like cooking, replace a meal with 2 or 3 easy snacks.
Meals don’t have to be complex or require cooking
Have a toast with peanut butter, fruit and a glass of milk.
Aim for at least three food groups for your meals.
Pack healthy snacks to take with you when you are away from home.

How is your appetite?  If you live alone, sitting down to eat a meal
by yourself can be hard.
You may not feel like making meals for just yourself.
Food may not interest you and may not taste as good.
Here are some ideas to help you to increase your appetite:
Choose a comfortable place to eat.
Exercise or take a walk before meals.
Add flavour to your food by adding herbs and spices.
Eat meals with family and friends, if possible.
Try a new recipe
Join a cooking club or community kitchen.
Ask your health care provider if your medications
are causing appetite or taste problems

Do you get enough protein in your diet?
Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes such as beans, peas and lentils, tofu,
nuts and seeds are excellent sources of protein, iron and B vitamins.
You don’t always need meat, fish or poultry to meet your protein needs.
Try other foods that are good sources of protein such as nuts, legumes,
eggs or tofu. They are quick and easy and make great snacks!
Try to eat 2-3 servings of protein rich foods per day.

Discover how you can lose your stubborn belly fat quick and easy
with this amazing weight loss program:   www.weightlossplanforwomen.com

Being a natural whole food, but much too concentrated to eat in large quantities, garlic can be considered as a natural supplement because of its outstanding qualities. Garlic has many benefits, mainly due to its high natural sulphar content. It is considered to be nature’s antibiotic and helps prevent disease.

Dr. Earl Mindell in his book: ‘Garlic, The Miracle Nutrient’, lists the benefits of garlic as: * acts as an antiseptic * helps the body overcome infection * stimulates the immune system * act as a decongestant and expectorant * contains substances that help prevent cancer * thins he blood, reducing he risk of dangerous blood clotting: * tends to dissolve blood clots: * lowers blood pressure (at least partly the result of blood thinning): * reduces high cholesterol: * helps reduce high triglycerides (blood fats) Dr Mindell quotes a professor of medicine as saying that garlic is the most powerful agent for preventing blood from becoming sticky, even more powerful than low-dose aspirin. This may be part of the reason why people in Italy and France have less heart disease. The odorous compound in garlic is a sulpher compound called allicin, a highly effective antibiotic. However, there is no allicin in raw garlic. Raw garlic contains alliin, which, when garlic is crushed, converts to allicin. This is garlic’s way of protecting itself from microbial attack after injury. Unfortunately, allicin tends to damage not only bacteria, but healthy cells as well. When raw garlic is consumed in very large amounts, harmful effects can result, including irritation to the mouth, throat and stomach: anaemia: destruction of friendly gut bacteria: reduced absorption of nutrients, and impaired liver function. How much garlic is excessive and how much is safe to consume on a regular basis? The long held Natural Health view is a clove or wo a day. This is well below the amount that produces outright medicinal effects and possibly also harmful effects, which is around five gloves per day (approximately 25 grams) or more, on a regular basis. The bottom line is that any strong substance like allicin has to be broken down by the liver. Too much can significantly add to the load on the liver, which is already very high in a world of chemicals, alcohol, high-fat diet etc. One clove a day seems to be tolerable for most people.

For women who like to lose weight, I can recommend the “Smoothie Diet”:Delicious, Easy-To-Make Smoothies for Rapid Weight Loss, Increased Energy, & Incredible Health! The Smoothie diet: https://tinyurl.com/2daeydp4

Australia leads the world as the country with the highest rate of skin cancer, about 140,000 new cases of non-melanomic skin cancer occur every year. Melanoma, which is the most dangerous form, causes 800 deaths 

each year. The rate has doubled over the last 40 years and the incidence of skin cancer has almost doubled in the last 10 years. 

The victims are getting younger each year, according to the Australian Journal of Public Health, from 40% to 70% of teenagers have permanent skin damage to some degree 

We can recognize three types of skin cancer. (Sun spots, the most common of all skin diseases in Australia, are not cancer but may be proceeding real cancer). 

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) 

This is the least dangerous form. It rarely spreads to other parts of the body and is seldom fatal. 

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) This type is also common and seldom fatal. However, it has to be treated as soon as possible, because it has a greater risk of spreading. 

Malignant Melanoma. (MM) 

This is the most rare kind of skin cancer, but the most dangerous. It behaves like an internal cancer and will spread to other parts of the body and has to be treated early. 

In the begin stage it looks like a mole, unusual freckle or a birth mark. Warning signs are: changes in colour, texture, seize or shape. It can bleed or become sore. 

The current skin cancer rates has reached epidemic proportions and is caused by ultraviolet radiation, which is more intense in areas where there is a hole in the ozone layer. As the hole gets larger and presumably the rest of the layer gets thinner, more UV rays reach the Earth’s surface. Including the very dangerous UVC radiation. As a result, our skin cop an extra severe battering when we are outdoors. 

We would expect skin cancer rates to be higher in Nth Queensland, but yet the mortality rates from Melanoma are higher in Tasmania and Brisbane. However, as the hole in the ozone layer sometimes reaches the Australian mainland and ozone thinning as far north as Brisbane, it is impossible to determine what is the greater factor: the ozone layer or r the tropical sun. 

Surprisingly, there is a higher number of people with melanoma among those who work indoors all year long compared to those who work outdoors all year. 

This removes any doubt that other factors play a part in it as the incidence of melanoma is increasing on parts of the body least exposed to sunlight. 

We can conclude that just over half of the present cases of melanoma can be explained as caused by the sun. Conventional wisdom can’t explain the remainder. 

There is strong evidence that melanoma ( skin cancer in general) is yet another ‘degenerative disease’. According to Professor Laura and John Aston in ‘Hidden Hazards’, Bantam Books, 1991. 

They say that sunlight is therapeutic and may help to prevent many diseases, including melanoma. Regular daily exposure to sunlight is an essential preventive measure, with the emphasis on ‘regular’. 

This explains why indoor workers, who go out in the sun only occasionally, will not have developed the protective mechanisms, including pigmentation. But there are still other factors then just the sun. 

Environmental factors. The research of Ronald Laura and John Aston in their report from 40 years ago, ‘Hidden Hazards’ 100 substances had already been recognized as being photosensitising agents. 

These agents include: * Many commonly used drugs, like some broad-spectrum antibiotics, tranquillisers, high blood pressure drugs and drugs for hypoglycaemia. * Some artificial sweeteners, including cyclamates * Deficiency of vitamin B6 – refining removes much of the B6 from grains, with white bread containing one-fifth as much as wholemeal. * Synthetic riboflavin (vitamin B2), which is used extensively to fortify cereals – it appears that natural riboflavin does not sensitise the skin. * Ethyl alcohol, which is used in beverages. * Some synthetic chemicals, including solublelisers, * Some fungicides and insecticides. 

The paradox of skin cancer now seems to be resolved. Regardless the hole in the ozone layer, the appearance of artificial chemicals in recent years that sensitise the skin to light exactly explains the explosion in skin cancer incidence. 

We don’t need to be in the tropics to be at risk. By using these chemicals, we increase our accessibility wherever we are. 

Hormonal factors. “The effect of light on the regulation of our hormonal system appears to have the greatest potential for explaining the melanoma enigma,” say Professor Laura and John Ashton. 

The existence of oestrogen receptors in melanoma cells may explain why oral contraceptives may increase the risk of melanoma, underscoring the important role of female sex hormones. 

Also, the ovulatory cycle is regulated by light, both light entering the eyes,
which influences the pinal gland and light falling on the skin. 

Artificial light, which is inadequate and incomplete compared to natural light, tends to hinder these light dependent mechanisms, which lead ultimately
to the production in the skin of the protective pigment: melanin. 

Another unexpected effect of deprivation of natural light has been found in UV radiation, to increase the cholesterol content of the skin. Both light entering the eyes and light falling on the skin regulate blood cholesterol levels. The higher cholesterol content provide greater protection against the effects of the radiation, with less risk of tumor formation, 

Research has also raised the possibility that unnatural fat, like polyunsaturated margarine, affects the fat composition of the skin, disturbing the balance of the above mentioned mechanisms, thereby explaining another factor that can cause melanoma. 

There is strong evidence that vitamin D stimulates the entire hormone system to protect against melanoma and other cancers. It is important to know that vitamin D is made in the body, both when sunlight falls on the skin and when it enters the eyes to regulate pineal function, 

An Australian study revealed that working under fluorescent light doubles the risk of melanoma. Contrary to this, when sunlight strikes the skin, the UVB component in particular stimulates melanin production, which gives remarkable resistance against the damaging effect of ultraviolet radiation. 

It has been proposed that very moderate exposure to sunlight every day during late winter and spring might provide enough protective melanin to withstand the intense UV radiation during summer. 

Researchers continue to gather evidence regarding the GI’s far-reaching health benefits since the positive effects of a low-GI eating plan were discovered in the 1980’s.

Most nutritionists and health professionals agree today that a low-GI diet plan not only helps to keep you slim, but also lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer.
The diet has also proved to improve memory, concentration and mood.

GI means Glycemic Index. It is a measure of how long it takes to break your food down into glucose. The key to the low-GI diet is focused on slow-acting carbohydrate foods, which helps to keep your blood glucose level steady.

The Glycemic Index is a way to rank foods according to the effect they have on our blood glucose levels. This is especially true in regard to carbohydrates.

Specifically, the glycemic index measures how much a 50-gram portion of carbohydrates raises your blood sugar levels compared with a control. The control is either white bread or pure glucose.
All carbohydrates cause some temporary rise in your blood glucose level. This is called the glycemic response. And this response is affected by a variety of factors, including the amount of food eaten, the type of carbohydrates, the method used to prepare the food, as well as the degree of processing, to name just a few.

The slower your body processes the food, the slower the insulin is released, and the healthier the overall effect is on your body. And it’s the foods that raise your blood sugar level slowly, that you, as a person desiring to lose weight, want to eat. And there are several reasons for this.

First, these foods – many of which you’ll discover are high in fiber – will just keep you feeling fuller for a longer period of time. And any of you who have been on a diet can be thankful for this.

What effects the GI?
       1. Level of food processing
       2. Physical structure, starch, protein, acidity, soluble fiber and fat.

How can low GI carbs help with weight loss?
      1.  Delays hunger pangs
      2. Promote a faster fat loss
      3. Causes less drop in metabolic rate.
      4. It reduces dramatic fluctuations in blood glucose levels.
      5. It reduces insulin demands significantly.

Benefits from low GI diets.
1. Easy to follow
2. Greater variety of foods
3. Support exercise program
4. Benefits blood lipid profile
5. Environmentally friendly

Foods containing sugar are not necessary high GI. Sucrose (table sugar) has moderate GI.

The basics of a low GI diet:
Eat whole-grain bread, mountain bread of stone ground bread, Pasta, noodles, barley,
sweet potato, legumes, oats, muesli, low GI serials.

Long-term weight management.
1. Diet. Eating to appetite with the right foods.
2. Exercise regularly, incorporate more intense sessions
3. Be active in daily life.
4. Relation hip with food (women).  

Heart Health
When eating meals that cause blood glucose levels to spike, it tend to lower ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and raise triglycerides, harmful fats that increase your risk of heart disease.

High blood glucose also produces unstable forms of oxygen molecules, called free radicals,
that damage arteries and make cholesterol more likely to stick on artery walls..

The raised levels of insulin, produced to cope with surges of blood glucose, set in motion changes that raise your blood pressure. This makes your blood  more likely to form clots and increase inflammation, which doctors know is closely related to heart attack risks.

Cancer risk
According to the latest research, high blood glucose levels may increase your changes of getting cancer It seems that the high insulin levels promote an environment in which it is easier for certain tumors to grow. Research is still going on, and it is too early to be absolutely certain about the connection between blood glucose and cancer. Yet there is a reason for concern for the following types of cancer: colon and rectal, breast, endometrial (womb lining), prostate and pancreatic cancer.

The Road to Diabetes
It has been known since a long time that a diet high with fast-acting, high-GI foods will significantly increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes. In Type 2 diabetes, your body can’t make enough insulin to keep your blood glucose levels under control. Before you reach that stage, your body may develop insulin resistance and/or metabolic syndrome (syndrome X)
– a pre-diabetic state in which your body progressively struggles to control blood glucose.

Many people are unaware that they have these conditions, yet studies show that they are increasingly common in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK. More than 10% of adults have insulin resistance. Fortunately, you don’t develop diabetes overnight and the journey towards diabetes can be redirected at any point. Eating more slow-acting foods is one of the best ways of preventing or reversing this condition. The earlier you start, the better.    

Mood and Memory
The brain is very sensitive to the levels of glucose in the blood. Both high and low levels can cause problems with your mood and memory. Low levels may cause symptoms of depression, poor memory and low concentration, while high levels of blood glucose also impair the brain, shrinking the part that stores memories and increasing the risk of dementia.
The answer is to keep your blood glucose levels steady by eating a low-GI diet. 
To follow this diet is simple: there is no need of counting calories; no food is forbidden, and because the way you are eating, you are unlikely to feel hungry.
Focus on eating a low-GI meal. Although eating a medium-GI meal now and then will do your diet no harm.
This is not meant to be a strict dietary regime that is endured for a few weeks and dropped, but a healthy eating plan for life. So choose the meals that entice you.

Here follow Ten Tips to Lower the GI of Your Diet
The following are practical tips to help you make the change to low-GI eating. There is no specific order. Basically, you should attack the changes that you think you’ll find  easiest first. Make the changes gradually –  it can take 6 weeks  for a new behavior to become a habit.

1. Aim to eat 7 servings of fruit and vegetables every day. Preferable of 3 or more different colors.   Make sure you fill half your dinner plate with vegetables.

2. Cut back on potatoes. Have one or two boiled new potatoes, or make a cannellini bean and   potato mash, replacing half the potato with cannellini beans.
Try other lower GI starchy vegetables for a change, like a piece of sweet potato.

3. Choose a really grainy bread, such as stone ground whole meal, real sourdough bread, or a soy  and linseed bread. (Look for the GI symbol on the breads when you buy.

4. Start the day with smart carbs, like natural muesli or traditional (not instant) porridge oats, or one of the lower GI processed breakfast cereals that will trickle fuel into your engine.

5. Look for the lower-GI rices (basmali, Doongara Clever rice or Moolgirl) , and choose low-GI  whole grains such as pearl barley, buckwheat, burghul (bulgul) ,or quinoa.

6. Learn to love legumes and eat them often. Add red kidney beans to a chili, chickpeas to a stir-fry,    a 4-bean salad to a barbecue, and beans or lentils to a casserole or soup.

7. Include at least one low-GI carbohydrate food at every meal and choose low-GI snacks.

8. Incorporate a lean protein source with every meal, such ass lean meat, skinless chicken,
eggs, fish and seafood, or legumes and tofu if you are vegetarian.

9. Use the GI-lowering effect or acidic foods like vinegar, citrus fruit and sourdough.
   Add vinaigrette dressing to salads and sprinkle lemon juice on vegetables like asparagus.
   Acids slows down the digestion of carbs and lower the overall GI of the meal.

10.Limit (preferably avoid) high-GI refined flour products, whether from the supermarket
or home-baked, such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, crumpets, crackers and biscuits.

As a general rule of thumb, the less processed a food is, the lower it’s GI value.
The more work the body has to do in digesting it, that means the slower the sugar is released
and that is good news for keeping blood glucose levels steady. 

After a few weeks of eating the GI way you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner as you may feel
more energetic. And if the nutritionists are correct, adopting the low-GI eating plan may be the best thing you’ve ever done for your health.

Discover this amazing new diet for women to lose weight: https://tinyurl.com/2daeydp4

The detoxification of your body should be your primary goal.

Although it is sometimes not the most pleasant phase of creating an environment for weight loss, it is necessary. If detoxification is too fast it can create discomfort.

The building up of toxic waste in your body may have taken twenty up to fifty years, or more, so detoxification is not something that is achieved overnight.
It is absolutely essential for your system to be cleaned so that energy comes free to be used to reduce weight. As long there is toxic waste in your system, much of your energy will be used to eliminate it. The success of any weight loss program depends on your system being cleaned.
Detoxification is cleansing, which is the key to it all.

The possible degree of discomfort depends on how toxic your system is.
People with a high level of toxicity or have taken drugs, on a regular basis, are more likely to experience some temporary discomfort than those who are less toxic. The elimination of toxic wastes can be uncomfortable.
It’s important for a person’s diet to be such that cleansing can take place, but not at breakneck speed.

The  most frequent possible discomfort is bloating of the system, as the application of the principle of eating fruit on an empty stomach till 12 AM can stir up toxic wastes, creating gas and bloat. Generally, this bloating passes within forty-eight hours. The cleansing process of fruit washes impacted fecal matter from the intestinal walls and flushes it out of the system in the form of loose stools. You may also experience nausea as the toxins in your system are stirred up.

The total elimination of all toxicity from your body can take months or years,
but within days you will lose weight and feel enormously more energetic and vibrant. The ongoing elimination usually continues without any outward signs or discomforts.

The increase of fruits and vegetables in your diet can decrease the risk of cancer
and heart disease. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables not only neutralize
free radicals, but also increase your resistance to all kinds of toxins.

Sugar’s quick absorption into your blood stream causes an excess insulin burst from the pancreas. On reaching your liver, excess insulin, which is toxic, is converted to neutral triglycerides, which are the type of fats that are stored in all your adipose cells. Eat complex carbohydrates instead of sugar.

Alu is a toxic metal and causes multiple forms of brain damage and is strongly linked with Alzheimer’s disease. Eliminate it from your life in water cooking, utensils, antacids and personal care products, like anti-perspirants and shampoos. 
There are other toxic metals, Aluminium is just one of them.

Give your body a change to function it its highest possible level, unimpeded by toxic waste and overweight. Your body wants to shine, it does not want to be overweight.

It wants to have the shape you know it can have.  All you have to do is make it easy for the natural processes to work properly, and you can start to enjoy the body you can be proud of.

You can eat well and enjoy your food. Avoid of putting yourself through those self-depriving two or four weeks ordeals that bring you nothing but frustration and temporary results.  You now have a realistic, lifelong approach that you can live with – naturally!

– High fat diet.
Countless research has shown that fats help maintain and even increase testosterone levels. Omega-3’s, monounsaturated and even saturated fats in diet, have all shown to increase testosterone levels.

– Quality consistent sleep.
 Your body can’t recuperate it’s hormone levels if you don’t get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. People who work swing shifts or change the times of day they sleep constantly, also throw their hormones out of balance.

– Long term dieting.
When you are in a calorie deficit, you release cortisol and lower your testosterone levels. It also lowers other hormones such as Thyroid. During dieting, people generally aren’t as healthy or energetic.

– Don’t overtrain.
Excessive weight training and other exercise like cardio, eventually leads to a gradual build up cortisol and lowering of testosterone.

– Prescription / Over the counter drugs.
Find out if a prescription drug or over the counter drug interferes with testosterone or DHT. Some drugs for hair loss (Nizoral, proscar, etc), block or interfere with the conversion of testosterone to DHT and may cause side effects, since DHT is more responsible for masculinizing sex effects than testosterone in males.

– Zinc.
A few years ago, Zinc was shown to boost testosterone levels in football athletes, when taken together with Vitamin B6. This led to the ZMA craze among bodybuilders, which was a proprietary blend of Zinc and vitamin B6. Zinc prevents the conversion of testosterone to dht, helping to maintain healthy testosterone levels. It is also good for the prostate and if taken before bed, very helpful for getting a good deep sleep.
Most people are deficient to some degree in zinc. You can supplement with extra zinc even beyond your multi-vitamin. Taking ZMA specifically is not necessary for the benefits of Zinc, as vitamin B6 only helps aid in Zinc’s absorption.

– 6-OXO.

A anti-estrogen supplement developed by the well known bodybuilding supplement chemist Patrick Arnold. Anti-estrogen supplements available on the market today help boost natural testosterone production, by lowering the estrogen in your body. They should be safe for those over 21, as long as it is for brief occasional cycles. Unlike steroids, they do not shut down testosterone production or create supraphysiological levels many times that of natural levels. Instead they increase testosterone levels to a level moderately higher than you normally would have. When you get off of anti-estrogens, your testosterone levels will decrease again as your body goes back to equilibrium.

-Warmer weather.
I’ve come across studies that showed that in the cooler months, men’s testosterone levels dropped. I’m sure there is a genetic basis for this, so living in warmer weather most of the year is an advantage for maintaining testosterone levels.

– Lower bodyfat %.
The higher your bodyfat % is, most likely the lower your testosterone levels will go. Your fat cells aromatize testosterone to estrogen instead of DHT. Estrogen in the body tends to decrease natural testosterone levels.

– Exercise regularly.
Exercise helps keep your testosterone and other hormones at healthy levels, just don’t overtrain.

I hope you learned from this, how to effectively increase your testosterone levels.
This is the list I’ve compiled after reading research studies and bodybuilding articles for years.