5 Superfoods to Help You Lose Weight, Get Lean and Build Muscle

Did you know that muscle is more metabolically active than fat. So if you are replacing your fat stores with muscle it will be much easier for your body to lose weight, maintain your body's weight and speed up metabolism. Also, building muscle mass is a key component of overall health. From preventing the onset of osteoporosis and diabetes to helping you burn calories even when you're standing still, muscles do it all. So here is my selection of 5 superfoods that will help you lose weight and achieve quicker and faster results.

Super Food #1 - Raw pumpkin seeds: Packed with magnesium, manganese, iron and copper which are all essential to build healthy muscle and to help it to function. I recommend consuming small handful a day. You can easily toss them into a salad, or eat them a snack.

Super Food #2 - Sweet potatoes: Great source of antioxidants, which help to rebuild muscle. This is also an excellent source of potassium. I recommend 3 servings of potassium rich foods (like sweet potatoes) with your 5-9 servings of vegetables and produce a day




Super Food #3 - Plain Kefir: Kefir can be purchased from many supermarkets nowadays, and if you can't find it go to your local health food store. Kefir is actually fermented yogurt. Extremely rich in probiotics and healthy bacteria, it is amazing when used as a case for shakes and smoothies. I recommend consuming a cup or more a day.

Super Food #4 - Quinoa: A complex carbohydrate, which fuels active muscles. I recommend consuming half a cup a day.

Super Food #5 - Acai Berry: Jam packed with antioxidants and nutrients, no wonder this super food was #1 on Dr. Perricone's list. This food also has lots of fiber in it, so it can gently cleanse your colon of any toxins while nourishing your body. Acai unfortunately is highly perishable and cannot be shipped from South America, so the easiest way to take it is in a capsule form.

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Ketosis Diets For Weight Loss And Other Health Benefits

Ketosis diets are sometimes called ketogenic diets or very low-carb diets. Ketosis is a biochemical phenomenon which occurs during starvation or extreme carbohydrate restriction, but the word is not supposed to be confused with ketoacidosis, which is something that happens to diabetics when their blood sugar goes out of control.

Ketoacidosis is dangerous, but only happens to diabetics. Ketosis is a natural phenomenon that is in no way dangerous and has some miraculous health benefits. Some people like to think that Ketosis is in some way harmful, but they are confusing these two terms.

Ketosis diets have been used in the past for controlling epileptic seizures in children who haven't responded to any sort of medication. These diets were in common use for this purpose earlier in the 20th century. Interest in this diet plan has been reestablished for diseases such as brain cancer, obesity, diabetes and many, many more.




Ketosis Diets and Obesity

Low-carb, ketogenic diets have been studied and well documented with regards to obesity, and participants usually notice an appetite suppressant effect. When researchers compare low-fat to low-carb diets, they need to actively restrict calories in the low-fat group in order to achieve comparable results.

Low-carb diets are often high in saturated fat, but are still able to improve biomarkers such as HDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, triglyceride levels, and have a positive effect on LDL cholesterol patterns, changing them to large, fluffy type (good) instead of small, dense type (bad).

There are often claims about ketogenic diets being restrictive, but in many studies the people following those diets have a higher chance of completing the studies than the comparison groups (usually low-fat/high-carb diets).

Ketosis Diets and Epilepsy

Most research studies on the benefits of ketosis diets for epileptic seizures in children show a large improvement, which is especially significant since these children usually did not respond to previous medication therapy. In one study, 38% of the kids on the ketosis diet had more than a 50% reduction in the frequency of seizures while 7% had greater than a 90% reduction. A modified Atkins diet, basically an extended Atkins induction phase, showed similar results.

Conclusion

There are many other diseases that may massively benefit from ketosis diets, and it is strange that these kinds of diets are not more often used for therapeutic purposes. The side effects of drugs, which are often not that effective, are most certainly a lot worse than the mild side effects and minor nuances of following a restricted diet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Kristjan_Gunnarsson/947942

Guide to Losing 20 Pounds Or More - Eating, Exercise, Mindset and Motivation

If you are tired of trying to lose the extra weight you are carrying and wish you had a guide to losing 20 pounds or more that would put everything together for you then this article was written for you. Losing the weight is not a simple matter of changing your eating and exercise routines, you must also get the right mindset and find the motivation to keep going in order to reach your goal. Read on to get the plan that will work for you.

Losing 20 pounds or more

1. Diet. Keep your eating simple and sane. You will need to cut back on your calories to lose weight but when you attempt to completely change the foods you eat or try a ton of different and confusing supplements you are setting yourself up for overwhelm and failure.




Keep your diet simple by learning how to divide your plate. Fill 1/2 of your plate with veggies or salad, 1/4 with protein and 1/4 with carbohydrate and you have a balanced meal that automatically keeps your calories under control.

2. Exercise. The basic fact is the more you move the more calories you burn. Aim to exercise with a mix of aerobic exercise and strength training and you will not only burn more calories but you will also stimulate your metabolism which means your body will burn more fat for the entire day.

3. Mindset. Losing 20 pounds or more will not come without some obstacles or challenges. You will reach your goal with more ease when you adopt the mindset that says you will do whatever it takes to get the weight off.

4. Motivation. You will explode your motivation by making big enough changes in your lifestyle to produce big results on the scale. Research proves that one of the most powerful motivators for those losing weight is getting results.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Becky_Gillaspy/94433

5 Best Exercises For Successful Weight Loss

When you're working on exercises to get a flat tummy, you have to remember that any routine needs commitment. The best workouts for belly fat are not just about what actually works but also what you can stick with and what you'll enjoy doing. Let's take a look at 5 exercise tips for successful weight loss.

1. Resistance Training.

This form of exercise is generally regarded one of the best to achieve successful weight loss. Sometimes women can be unsure about exercising with weights because they don't want to build big muscles. But resistance or strength training delivers one of the best exercises to get a flat tummy because muscles burn more calories, even while they are at rest. The best way to burn fat with resistance training and not develop big muscles is to do a combination of exercises that work your whole body.

2. Interval Style Training.




As well as resistance training, aerobic exercises contribute towards successful weight loss and a flat belly. These are exercises that are designed to condition the heart and lungs and use up fat stores all over the body for energy. To get the maximum results from your aerobic exercises, swap between higher intensity exercise with low intensity recovery periods. With this interval training method, you can build stamina and burn more calories.

3. Walking And Running.

This exercise helps you shed weight while keeping your heart rate up and giving your lungs a good work out. Walking and running are two great exercises to get a flat tummy. Furthermore, the only equipment you need is a good pair of training shoes. Obviously running burns more calories, but brisk walking is not too far behind. Integrate interval training into your running and walking routine and don't forget to warm up and cool down.

4. Swimming.

Most people enjoy a dip in the pool, so why not turn that dip into some laps as a form of exercise? Swimming is one of the best exercises to get a flat tummy because it makes you work many other parts of your body while working your midsection. Swimming helps your lungs build endurance so that you're able to hold your breath longer and it works your legs and arms at the same time.

5. Cycling.

Riding your bike is another one of the best exercises to get a flat tummy. Depending on the speed and intensity, the average person can burn between 250 to 500 calories during a 30-minute bike ride. Riding your bike gives your body a lot of variety. Cycling not only works your tummy, but your legs and arms as well. Remember when biking, always be safe; wear a helmet and reflective clothing and take a water bottle with you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jon_Allo/1079948