Every now and then we see a video that truly inspires. Like this one featuring a young woman who was getting ready to have her stomach stapled.
She was hugely obese and yet started to lose eight only to realize that she could do so without surgery. Check out her video here
Filed under Weight Loss by on Aug 14th, 2009. 
Going WITHOUT Nutrition? The Revealed Benefits of Intermittent Fasting!
by Lani Muelrath, M.A. aka The Fitness DreamMaker
If you think IMF means "impossible missions force", then think again! If you think it means "international monetary fund", well, you might be right but actually not on this occasion!
It is the NEW acronym I've invented for what I call intermittent mini fasts.
I NEVER thought I'd say this, but….I have become a big fan of the intermittent mini!
WHAAT you say? Settle down! And I'll tell you all about it.
How it came up, what I learned, and what I did about it.
Taking Another Look
First, some personal history. Years ago, I dabbled in fasting as a weight loss tool. Horribly unguided, white-knuckle fasting that would pretty much go on as long as I could tolerate it. Then I'd try to "break the fast slowly" as all the experts advised, but I would run fast lane into binges and overeating. Stuff-starve at its worst!
Interestingly enough, over the past couple of years, as I am an avid reader and researcher of what's going on in the health and fitness fields, the idea of fasting seemed to be resurfacing as a health and longevity tool.
Because of my prior experience, and all the work that I had done to heal my relationship with food, eating, and my body, I dismissed and ignored all of these references. Did NOT want to go THERE! And as a foodie, someone who enjoys everything they eat (and won't eat anything I don't like, so there!) I was especially, shall we say, trepidacious!
However, references persisted, and I thought, OK Lani, let's take an objective look at see what this is all about. After all I am a new person, different from those years way back when. I've learned from experience, but I've also become able to look at things more objectively than ever before.
What Caught My Eye
As I began to let the material about fasting filter into my domain, I saw references that made me sit up and take attention. Particularly these phrases:
~ reduce inflammation
~ increase insulin sensitivity
~ decrease stress hormones
~ increase human growth hormone production
And of course:
~ reduce body fat stores without sacrificing muscle.
What? I'd been thinking since forever that fasting eats into our muscle mass. That it decreases your metabolism, and does all kinds of other things to wonk up our efforts to be trim!
NEW Research Proves "Fitness Fasting Mythology" Wrong!
There is lots of documentation out there that refutes these common beliefs about fasting.
But let me show you an easy place to find out a little bit for yourself.
The simplest, most direct presentation of this information is by my friend Brad Pilon, who has written a book about intermittent fasting called Eat Stop Eat. Brad is a nutrition researcher who did exhaustive, objective research on fairly recent studies done with intermittent fasting on a variety of subjects. It is all very well documented in his book, and it is an impressive collection, I must say!
Evidence To The Contrary
Here's what Brad found out.
First, many of the ill effects that we may associate with fasting occur after extended periods of fasting. Short-term fasts, as Brad details in his book, do NOT demonstrate negative effects and have been shown to improve many of the biomarkers as I have listed above. His documented research and "sciency" audio files available had me sit up and take notice!
Brad's "Fasting Files", as I call them, which are part of the Eat Stop Eat book, include all kinds of nuggets, such as this one: after several hours without caloric intake of any kind, there is a marked increase of fatty acids in the blood stream. If no food has been recently eaten to account for this, then where do the fatty acids come from? Possibly stores in the body?
The Benefits Are In The "Intermittent Mini"
In Eat Stop Eat, Brad promotes fasts of no longer than 24 hours. And only one or two times a week, depending on your goals. The beauty of this is you never go a day without eating! A common pattern is dinner to dinner, or lunch to lunch. So, if you ate dinner at 6 one day, your IMF would be until dinner at 6 the next day. And it is very flexible – you can work your way up!
I have found intermittent minis to deliver to me personally in many ways:
~ great energy on fast days
~ trimmer in my middle
~ PHENOMENAL returns for my clients who have been utilizing this technique themselves.
Great deliver in terms of gentle weight loss, good energy, improved relationship with food and
eating, appetite moderation (quite possibly the increased insulin sensitivity), and detected
decrease of inflammation in the system.
Now, you might be thinking – as I did – if you were to fast for the day up to dinner, that all you-know-what would break lose when it came time for dinner. C'mon, I know that's what you're thinking! Because I was certain of it.
But you know what? That didn't happen. And it hasn't happened for me during the several weeks that I have been enjoying the many benefits of the IMF. As I already, said, I never thought I'd say it, but….me likey!
Filed under ADD & ADHD, Allergies, Arthritis, Asthma, Cancer, Colon Health, Healthy Foods, Menopause, Migraines, Weight Loss by on Nov 3rd, 2008.
by Lani Muelrath, M.A., aka the Fitness DreamMaker
Let me ask you something.
What if you could find exercise that:
1) challenges your cardiovascular fitness (of course!)
2) builds muscle (anabolic activity)
3) invigorates and provides stress reduction at the same time
4) can be finished in 20 minutes 2-3 times per week.
Tada, it exists! And it’s right here at your fingertips and footprints. And it’s been here all along, it just got buried under all the “long, s-l-o-w” cardio information we’ve been presented with for the last few years.
The good news is, you needn’t do long, s-l-o-w to get the best benefits from cardio exercise, quite to the contrary! If you are willing to put a little more muscle and mind into the equation, you can slice your cardio time by huge chunks and come out ahead as well.
Interested? Here’s more….
What Exactly IS Interval Training?
Interval Training (IT) involves changing speed or resistance – and thus intensity – within the course of a cardiovascular workout. Thus, instead of a slow, long distance – or long, slow time – within your aerobic intensity aerobic training “zone”, you intersperse short, intense periods into otherwise more moderate minutes.
This approach – intermittent bouts of intensity systematically built in – works better for f*at loss and muscle building than long and slow does.
Bottom line, what I best like about IT is that it aligns beautifully with my preference for “short and to the point” fitness. Bang for your buck is essential with my busy life, and IT fits the bill.
AND (there’s more!) IT creates a huge afterburn effect, in terms of elevated metabolic advantage. I’m talking for HOURS after the exercise itself…not to mention that which comes along with the added muscle from this type of exercise. Now THAT is what I call great ROI! (return on investment!)
Simply put, the easiest way to do interval training is to start off at a good pace for about 5 minutes. A variety of modalities can be utilized: stationary bicycle, eliptical trainer, jogging/walking, for example.
Then, you pick up the intensity and go hard and as fast for a minute and then bring it back down for a minute or two – however long it takes for you to recover enough to do it again. Then you repeat the process for a total of only 15-20 minutes, including warmup and cool down. It is advisable to start with one interval a session, then progress to two, and so on.
The intervals can feel more intense than you might imagine. Jack LaLanne refers to it as imagining “you are running for your life” -that’s tough stuff! And also not for the foolhardy who may have been out of condition for a long time. Doctor’s clearance is always recommended. (I always think it’s funny that a doctor’s clearance isn’t required for laying around on the couch for years at a time! )
Another way to practice interval training is simply to keep changing your speed and intensity level every two minutes or so – go up and down – challenge yourself…
…Read MORE about Interval Training and Part 2 of this article here
Filed under ADD & ADHD, Blog, Men's Health, Menopause, Motivation, Weight Loss by on Sep 7th, 2008.
by Lani Muelrath M.A., the Fitness Dream Maker
Need to get clear about planning a nutritious eating plan? There is some breakthrough software that completely simplifies the process for you!
We know – or we SHOULD all know by now – that we build our health – and dig our graves – with our eating utensils. As a holistic fitness coach, I find that my clients come to me with a broad spectrum of understanding regarding what does constitute a healthy and balanced diet.
At the same time, they can have been so inundated with conflicting information that they don't know where to begin – so they just throw up their hands (and forks!) and eat what I call "chaotically".
And more often than not, chaotic eating delivers chaotic results.
I have just reviewed some very simple software that is designed for in-home (as well as professional) use. Meal Plans 101 is easily down loadable upon purchase or can be bought as a hard copy CD as well.
Here's how it works, once you've down loaded the software.
1) Enter your personal data: height, weight, weight goals (lose, maintain, or gain?)
2) Select what ratio of macro nutrients to which you wish to aspire with your dietary balance
3) Select from the food lists provided desired options for each exchange. In other words, you are building a daily balanced diet from foods that YOU like!
4) Click "enter", and a printable page with your day's selection and appropriate quantities to your weight goals is produced.
There you have it! You can also go in and change preferences at any time, if your goals need adjusting. It thus becomes an organic tool that grows with you as your weight loss, health, and dietary needs change. Simple!
For anyone who desires to get back on track with balanced structure to their eating day, this may be just the ticket. This provides convenience and support for anyone considering improving their dietary intake – whether for weight, allergy, or preventative diabetes, for example.
Lots more details – and easy online ordering – at Meal Plans 101.
Claim your FR*EE "7 Surefire Solutions for Fitness, Energy, and Weight Loss That LASTS!" Special Report AND weekly Lani's FitDream eZine, with fitness info, insights, motivation, and inspiration!
Filed under Allergies, Blog, Diabetes, Healthy Foods, Men's Health, Menopause, Motivation, Weight Loss by on Aug 19th, 2008.
by Lani Muelrath, M.A.
According to a recent study published by the British Journal of Nutrition, eating a small handful of almonds daily can powerfully protect one against appetite surges, increase satiety -thus enhancing weight control – as well as lower LDL cholesterol.
I always have a jar of raw almonds in my fridge and most days will enjoy a few as an appetizer before a meal. For some time I have been aware of their strong nutritional profile and blood sugar stabilizing qualities. Thus, I am always pleased to read about new research underscoring the benefits of this relatively unmined gem.
As a matter of fact, "the researchers found that when people were eating the 344 calories worth of almonds every day they were, in total, only taking in an extra 77 calories. This is because the participants naturally compensate for the great majority of the calories in almonds, about 74 percent, as they found them to be satiating, or satisfying. A further portion of these extra daily 77 calories was offset because the fibre structure of almonds blocked the fat in almonds from being fully absorbed." (Medical News Today)
Almonds are also an excellent dietary source of vitamin E, magnesium, and fatty acids. This contributes to the satiety factor of nibbling some almonts daily as a nutritional boost AND as a natural appetite management tool. The deep nutrition and dietary fiber in almonds are a powerful dietary ally!
Some personal commentary? When it comes right down to it, studies such as this underscore the value of whole, unprocessed, natural foods and the nutrient density of same. With almonds, you are enjoying a tidy package of quality fats, protein, fiber, and micronutrients. Let this be a guiding light for other elements of your dietary intake.
Read the overview of the British Journal of Nutrition almond study here:
P.S. Be sure to claim your FREE Special Report AND weekly FitDream eZine, with fitness info, insights, motivation, and inspiration!
Filed under Fiber Health Facts, Healthy Foods, Men's Health, Vitamin E, Weight Loss by on Aug 9th, 2008. 1 Comment.
