Anytime after 30, hopefully as late as 40 or 45, some of that muscle we were so proud of begins to be replaced with fat. Where that fat is most likely to accumulate is around our middles. Even if we are the same weight we were 10 years earlier, gradually we begin to notice the development of a “spare tire” or “love handles;” namely, just plain “belly fat.”

When we were younger, our bodies produced hormones: estrogen in women, testosterone in men. These hormones helped regulate the “flow” of fat, spreading it to our arms, legs, and hips. As we age, those hormones are no longer being produced, and fat starts to accumulate more deeply inside our bodies, most notably around our middles.

The purpose of body fat is that it helps to regulate our body’s temperature and it also provides shock absorption for our bones and organs, and if we were forced to fast for a long period of time, it would supply food to maintain our bodily functions. The layer of fat closest to our skin is called subcutaneous fat. It poses no health threat, unless we are obese.

The fat that resides deeper in our bodies is called visceral fat, and it can harm us. This visceral fat, later in life, tends to collect around our tummies, and creates the spare tire effect. It can interfere with liver function, and the processing of cholesterol and insulin, and is associated with an increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, and even some forms of cancer.

Holly St. Lifer, a health and fitness writer, wrote an article titled “How to Lose Your Spare Tire,” which appeared in the July/August 2007 edition of the AARP magazine. She gives us some useful suggestions about how to better keep our youthful figures, and especially how to prevent the build-up of excessive belly fat.

It’s no surprise that we need to first eliminate what Ms St. Lifer calls the “five C’s: candy, cookies, cake, cola, and chips.” She also suggests limiting fried foods to once a month, and warns against heavy indulgence of any snack foods like chips, crackers and processed breads.

That’s the easy part of how to avoid a spare tire. The going gets rougher from there. Regular, at least moderate, exercise needs to play a big role in our daily schedules. Strength training and aerobic exercise are especially effective to stem the growth of belly fat.

Strength training can work all your major muscle groups: arms, shoulders, chest, abs, back and legs. Researchers found that it reduced belly fat by 10 to 15 percent in two groups of 50 to 70 year olds, even when there was no weight loss. Increase the length of your workout slowly. If you increase the weight you are working with more than 5 to 10 percent every couple of weeks you will risk undue strain on your muscles, tendons and ligaments.

If you are trying to not only lose weight, but to also lose more fat than you would through just through dieting, aerobic exercise can be the solution. St. Lifer’s article stated that “research from the University of Arkansas found that study participants who did 90 minutes of moderate exercise, five days a week, lost twice the amount of visceral fat as those who just dieted.” A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2003 found that participants who moderately exercised 90 minutes a day, five days a week lost 3 to 6 percent of their belly fat, while those who only dieted lost just half that amount.

Exercise works, and the more you exercise, the more it works. You might start at 30 minutes a day, or 30 minutes at least several times a week. Work up until you can comfortably exercise for an hour, three to five times a week. If all that is too much for you, start by walking a half hour a day, every day. Remember, we have to start somewhere and you are only in competition with yourself.

Belly dancing is called Danse Orientale (Oriental Dance) in Turkish and it is a social dance performed in parties, family get-togethers and during rites of passage. The belly dancing that we now know in the US today is a mixture of the traditional dances from the countries of Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Greece, Morocco, Spain and Russia. It’s sensual moves celebrate the female form and contrary to the popular belief, it is a dance performed by women for other women.

Belly dancing is a complete body workout for it exercises not just the abs but also the legs, waist, knees, hips, pelvic muscles and thighs. It could also minimize menstrual pains and lower backache. Keep in mind that belly dancing’s weight loss benefits can vary depending on the length and the intensity of the workout. Belly dancing can also be good for cardiovascular conditioning and for building strong bones.

As its popularity grows stronger, many gyms and fitness centers now offer belly dance lessons for fitness and weight loss. Classes are open for beginners and advanced students alike. Participants rave about the variety and the effectiveness of their routines which makes them stick to it compared to other programs they have tried before. Women who belly dance swear on the fact that the activity helps them in their fitness and weight loss goals.

If you prefer to try belly dancing in the privacy of your home, there are also many instructional videos on belly dancing which you can purchase online and on fitness stores.

If you’re looking for a new exercise routine, then why don’t you try the art of belly dance for fitness and weight loss?

Rule # 1:

Drink plenty of water . I know, you’ve probably heard this a million times but it’s true, this is a key ingredient of a healthy lifestyle.

If you are the kind of person who just can’t stand drinking water because it doesn’t taste like anything, try adding a lemon wedge to give it a little twist in flavor.

Rule # 2:

Lay off the booze. We all know about the beer bellies but what many don’t know is that it has been proven that alcohol has elements which actually make it more difficult to burn off fat.

This isn’t to say you can never drink again but you shouldn’t exceed 1-2 drinks if you are looking to be healthy. Our liver is one of the organs mainly responsible for metabolizing fat. Since alcohol seriously impinges on proper liver function, too much alcohol means your body isn’t being able to metabolize fat and therefore, you’re not burning fat like you should.

Drinking alcohol also dehydrates the body which completely defeats the whole idea of drinking enough water. Not to mention the fact that alcohol contains almost as many calories per gram as fat.

The fact is that if you are serious about getting in shape and losing the extra pounds, you have to lay off the serious drinking. If you must drink, try light beer or a small glass of wine.

Rule # 3:

Try not to drink too much coffee. Although coffee is very controversial, the truth is that a couple of cups a day isn’t going to do too much harm.

Coffee does, however, dehydrate the body as well and extra water should be consumed if you want to keep hydrated.

If you are looking to lose weight quicker, then stay away from the creamy latte’s that are packed with fat milk and creams and loaded with too much sugar.

Rule # 4:

Don’t over due low-fat drinks. The fact is that diet beverages, be it tea, soda, sports drinks, etc., often bring a lot of sugar which, as we all know, is completely detrimental to losing weight . Again, the best way to hydrate is water.

Anyhow, diet drinks haven’t been proven to help you lose weight and sometmies they may even cause cravings for real sugar which can work against you.

The article is posted and written by John Scott, the researcher and writer for compareop .com (Phentermine OPs Reports and Discussion board). Remember that the consumption of excessive liquid may cause the onset of Cellulite. Read more about Cellulite

Globe and Mail Update

Read Bio | Latest Columns
July 11, 2007 at 8:39 AM EDT

We’ve all heard it’s important to drink plenty of water, especially in the summer, to replenish the fluids lost due to heat and physical activities.

But if you wait until you’re thirsty to reach for your water bottle, chances are you’re already becoming dehydrated.

Losing as little as 1 to 2 per cent of your body weight from fluids can impair your physical performance and your ability to think, not to mention increase your risk for heat stroke.

Normally, an average adult loses more than 10 cups (roughly 2.5 litres) of water each day just by breathing, sweating and excreting wastes. When it’s hot outside, your body loses even more water through sweat, especially if you’re active. For instance, an hour of singles tennis can drain one to 2.5 litres of water from your body, and a round of golf as many as four litres.

Water is the most abundant compound in the human body, making up roughly 60 per cent of our weight. Your body needs water to regulate its temperature, transport oxygen and nutrients to your cells, keep your skin moist and cushion your joints.

Water can keep you healthy in other ways, too. Research suggests that drinking adequate water can guard against kidney stones, constipation, some cancers and possibly heart disease.

Because your body is constantly losing water, you need to replace it by drinking fluids and, to a lesser degree, eating watery foods such as fruit and vegetables. If you don’t consume enough fluids to replace losses, you’ll start to feel dizzy, lightheaded or fatigued, and may get a headache and develop muscle cramps.

Other signs of mild to moderate dehydration include thirst, decreased urine output, flushed skin, dry mouth and eyes, nausea and loss of appetite. A child’s irritability on a hot day may also indicate he or she is dehydrated.

If dehydration progresses, extreme thirst, lack of sweating, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, muscle spasms and heat injury can occur. At its most serious, it can lead to life-threatening heat stroke.

Some people are at greater risk of suffering the effects of dehydration. Young children, older adults, people working outdoors in hot weather and people with poorly controlled diabetes or other chronic illnesses are more susceptible to becoming dehydrated.

And there’s the exercise factor. If you don’t drink enough before, during and after exercise, your heart beats harder, your body temperature rises and, ultimately, your performance suffers.

But it is possible, if uncommon, to have too much of a good thing.

If you drink too much water, the kidneys can’t keep up and are unable to excrete the excess. Your blood becomes diluted, resulting in low blood sodium (hyponatremia), which can lead to swelling of the brain.

Even if you drink a lot of water, you’re unlikely to experience hyponatremia as long as you do it over the course of the day as opposed to drinking an enormous volume at one time. Endurance athletes such as marathon runners and triathletes, who drink large amounts of water, are at greater risk.

It turns out that all beverages - excluding alcoholic ones - count toward your daily water requirements: water, fruit juice, milk, soy beverages, soft drinks, even coffee and tea.

(While older studies demonstrated caffeine to have a weak, short-term diuretic effect, recent studies do not. The body adjusts to caffeine within five days of regular use, greatly reducing its mild effect of fluid loss.)

Even so, there are some better fluid choices, particularly if you’re counting calories. Research suggests that we don’t register the calories we drink as well as the ones we eat.

A U.S. research panel reviewed studies on beverages and health, and has proposed a guide for choosing what to drink. Published last year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the “beverage guidance system” ranks drinks based on their calorie and nutrient content.

Plain water outranked all other beverages because it has no calories, no sugar, no sodium and may provide some calcium, magnesium and fluoride.

Water was followed by, in order, unsweetened coffee and tea, low-fat milk and soy beverages, diet drinks, calorie beverages with some nutrients (fruit juices, sports drinks) and sugary beverages (soft drinks, fruit drinks).

To avoid consuming too many calories from beverages, the panel recommends limiting drinks to at most 10 per cent of daily calories. In other words, you shouldn’t sip more than 200 calories, if you follow a 2,000-calorie diet.

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based

dietitian at the Medcan Clinic,

is on CTV’s Canada AM every Wednesday. Visit her website at lesliebeck.com.

*****

How much to drink

The U.S.-based Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences recommends the following daily intake of water:

Adult men: 13 cups (3.2 litres);

Adult women: nine cups (2.2 litres);

Children ages 4 to 8: five cups (1.2 litres);

Children ages 9 to 13: eight cups (two litres);

Teenaged girls: eight cups (two litres);

Teenaged boys: 11 cups (2.6 litres);

Pregnant women: add one cup (250 millilitres);

Breastfeeding women: add four cups (one litre).

When exercising

Before: two cups (500 ml) fluids;

During: one-half to one cup (125 to 250 ml) fluids every 15 to 20 minutes. Sports drinks are recommended if exercising longer than an hour;

After: Two cups (500 ml) fluids for every pound of body weight lost.

Leslie Beck

How to fight fluid loss

Know the signs of dehydration.

Have a glass of water when you first get up.

Drink fluids with each meal and throughout the day.

Keep a pitcher of water on your desk as a reminder.

If you don’t like plain water, flavour it with a splash of blueberry or pomegranate juice. Or add a slice of lemon.

When you travel, carry a bottle of water with you.

Have a water bottle handy when you exercise.

* Potatoes are good, as long as they are eaten in moderate amounts.

* Ideally, no more than five ounces of meat, beans and other sources of proteins (e.g., peas, nuts and fish) should be consumed per day to ensure that your diet has sufficient amount of protein. Bake, grill or broil meat instead of frying it.

* Consuming six ounces of grain each day is ideal. You can do this by consuming 3 ounces of whole grain breads, whole grain cereals, rice, pasta or crackers every day. A slice of bread and a cup of cereal roughly contain about one ounce of grain each.

* A nutritious meal consists of health foods rich in vitamins and other nutrients, which is why it is important to incorporate fruits and vegetables in your meals. Eat more of dark vegetables (e.g., broccoli and spinach). Sweet potatoes and carrots are rich sources of vitamins and nutrients too, and so are dry beans (e.g., peas, kidney beans and pinto beans. Instead of eating ice cream for dessert, try eating fruits, at least two cups per day. Eat a variety of fresh, frozen, canned and dried fruits.

* Fats, in reality, are essential to our health. Fats adversely affect the body and our health if they are consumed in excessive quantities. Among the adverse affects are high cholesterol levels, weight gain, cancer and heart disease. When cooking, avoid using solid fats (e.g., butter, margarine, shortening and lard). Use olive oil or canola oil instead. Learn to read food labels and check how much saturated fat and trans fat, as well as sodium, canned goods contain.

* Pay attention to serving sizes. A lot of people eat more than they actually need. Avoid making the same mistake; eat in accordance to your daily activities. For instance, reduce your serving size on days when you aren’t doing any type of physical activity. You can increase meal portions when your schedule includes doing physical activities, as you will need the energy. Take also into consideration the particular needs of your family members when cooking a meal.

If you decide to follow the advice above, you’ll discover that cooking healthy meals is, in fact, extremely easy. Here’s an example of a healthy, well balanced meal (one serving):

* grilled or barbecued chicken breast (5-oz. per person)
* 1/2 baked potato
* mixed green salad
* fruits and frozen yogurt for dessert

With a little bit of will, consuming the right health food, vitamins and minerals your body requires is not going to be too hard at all.

Vitamin A: The Vitamin for the Eyes

A fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin A plays an important part in eyesight, helping us to distinguish things around us when there isn’t enough light. Vitamin A also contributes to the creation of skin, hair and mucous membranes and keeps them in good condition. Vitamin A strengthens the immune system and it is also connected with the development of bones, teeth, and epithelial cells, the cells situated on the inside and outside of body cavities such as the nose, mouth, throat, lungs, stomach, intestines, urinary tract.

Sources:Foods that contain high levels of vitamin A include orange and yellow vegetables and fruits (e.g., nectarines, cantaloupe, carrots), spinach, broccoli, butter, eggs, milk, fish oil and liver (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb).

Vitamin B: The Vitamin for Metabolic Activities

Vitamin B consists of several vitamins: B1, B2, B6, B12, biotin, folic acid, niacin and pantothenic acid. The B vitamins have an essential role in the human metabolism. They are responsible for transporting red blood cells, which contain oxygen, throughout the body. The B vitamins also have a major role in the process of protein synthesis and creation of energy.

Sources: Vitamin B is present in whole grains (e.g., oats and wheats), peas, beans, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, seafood, eggs and dairy products such as milk and yogurt, and meat. A type of bacteria residing in the large intestine is also capable of producing some types of B vitamins.

Vitamin B deficiency is responsible for the occurrence of the so-called “Beri Beri” disease. Symptoms of vitamin B deficiency include weak muscles, cracked lips and malformed red blood cells. Vitamin B deficiency can affect a person’s normal growth and can create problems in the nervous system.

Vitamin C: The Antioxidant Vitamin

Vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid. It is a water -soluble vitamin with antioxidant properties. Vitamin C plays a key role in collagen production. Collagen is a type of protein that provides strength in the case of bones, cartilages, ligaments, tendons, muscle, teeth and blood vessels. Vitamin C helps keep the gums and muscles in good shape. Vitamin C is also responsible for accelerating the healing of various wounds. Vitamin C also prevents fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A and vitamin E, and other fatty acids from oxidizing.

Sources: High levels of vitamin C are present in citrus fruits (e.g., orange, lemon) and in other fruits (e.g., cantaloupe, strawberries) and vegetables (e.g.,  broccoli, tomatoes, cabbage).

For keep your skin healthy, have enough vitamin C in your diet. Deficiency in vitamin C can lead to poor wound healing and, in extreme cases, a disease known as scurvy.

Vitamin D: The Bone Vitamin

A fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin D aids in the process of calcium and phosphorous absorption from the intestine and in bone formation. Vitamin D regulates calcium movement from bone to blood and the other way around. Vitamin D also contributes to the development of strong teeth and bones as it helps the body absorb calcium.

Sources: Egg yolk, milk and fish liver oil are rich sources of vitamin D. In the presence of sunlight and ultraviolet light, the body can synthesize vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency causes weak bones. However, too much vitamin D in the body can also be toxic, causing appetite loss, nausea, weight loss, headaches and calcium deposits in the kidneys.

Vitamin E: The Vitamin for Oxidation

Vitamin E is a valuable anti-oxidant that prevents oxidation in body tissues, contributes to red blood cell formation and protects the lungs from polluted air.

Sources: Whole grains, wheat germ, cereals, bread, nuts, seeds, leafy green vegetables, egg yolks and sardines.

Vitamin E deficiency can lead to diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

The Time Crunch
Everyone is working to the max these days, so finding the time for food shopping is sometimes difficult enough not to mention the time to get meals ready at home.   Supermarkets are getting larger, and it’s taking more time to shop than ever before. Given the time crunch we are under, little wonder that fast food chains and restaurants are popping up on every street corner.  The result is the ever increasing waistline of the North American people.  So, the quest has to be finding healthy dinner recipes that are quick and easy.

Save Money and Eat Healthier
We’ve all seen those menus in restaurants showing pictures of meal choices that make your mouth water . They may look good, but are they really good for you?  Most restaurants cook with way too much fat in their preparations along with too many simple carbohydrate foods like white rice, potatoes, breads and pastas.  These foods cause your blood sugar to spike giving you the feel good feeling, but they don’t give your body the best quality for a healthy dinner choice.  Nor, do they necessarily save you time.  Dinner time line-ups along with wait times for meal service can sometimes take longer than if you were to cook at home.  When the bill comes you end up spending more of your hard earned money than buying the groceries on the way home.  There are plenty of healthy dinner recipes that you can easily prepare at home.

Pick Healthy Dinner Foods
Dinner recipes that have fresh vegetables like salads or steamed vegetables with whole grains and lean meats or fish are healthy dinner choices.  Foods that are closer to being picked or cured are the freshest and contain the most food value for your money and your body.  Organic foods are of course the best, because they have the highest nutrients and are grown without chemical pesticides. These are the foods you’ll want to order when eating out, or have at home when making dinner. If you don’t have time, or it’s not convenient to stop at the supermarket on your way home, why not try a home delivery service.  There are several organic food delivery services, so check to see who delivers in your area.  The secret is having the right food items on hand when preparing healthy dinners at home.  It’s always best to make a shopping list to match your dinner recipes.  No one needs the stress of having to rush out the door at the last minute to pick up missing ingredients.

Healthy Dinner Choices that are Quick & Easy
What could be easier than salads?  Sure, they have to be washed and cut, but doesn’t your body and health deserve it? There are lots of great cook books available with heart healthy dinner recipes that are quick and easy to prepare.  However, if you simply can’t find the time to prepare foods at home, supermarkets now have a good supply of pre-washed ready to eat lettuce and mixed salads in packages.  Food markets may often have fresh roasted or BBQ chicken as well and are good choices as long as you discard the skin to reduce the fat intake. These foods may not be right off the farm, but they are far better than the processed ones.

OK, there are all to often those hectic, pull your hair out days at work, followed by the aggravating bumper to bumper drive home.  Why not look at preparing dinner not only as a healthy thing to do for your family but something you can enjoy.  Cooking can be an easy and creative time to share with a partner or children.  The time you take preparing food and eating it may be the only quality time you have with your family all day.  Not only can it be a way to de-stress from your work day, it can add a healthy family fun opportunity to connect with the ones you love.

1. Don’t over eat

This may seem obvious but losing and gaining weight is simple math. Take in more calories than you burn and your going to gain weight, take in less calories than you burn and you’ll lose weight, take in and expend an equal amount of calories and you’ll maintain weight. If you take the first path and consume more calories than you burn, you’re going to put on weight. Now, if you workout and want to add muscle (remember muscle helps increase our metabolism and burn body fat) it is not necessarily a bad thing to eat a little more than you expend. However, if you don’t workout or significantly over eat, you’ll put on the other type of weight–body fat.

2. Eat six small meals throughout the day

By eating frequently throughout the day, you’ll keep your metabolism cranking. In this manner, you’ll actually be able to eat more in a day than if you ate three large meals because you are burning more calories through increased metabolism.

3. Eat a clean diet.

• Eat whole grains rather than refined grains–they contain more fiber and less sugar.

• Eat healthy fats (monounsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids), which can be found in fish and nuts, rather than saturated and trans fats–they help prevent heart disease, cancer, and support brain development.

• Eat fruits and vegetables.–they provide vitamins and minerals (antioxidents used to ward off disease).

• Last but not least, eat enough protein to support your muscles–if your working out hard, that’s one gram of protein per pound of body weight each day.

Enjoy!

Today I had a Mexican pizza it was like a taco, but on crust. UMMMh it was delicious. I tried to limit myself to pizza only every now and then. That means 3-4 times a month, which is great . Did you notice how I rationalized that. My cholesterol is high, so I knowi it s not good for me. Shouldn’t that matter to someone? ONly me. The one pizza spot I was hooked to P.H. I could not believe how good they are. The even have a nerve now to put extra cheese in the dough. Like you need more calories. My daughter got a job there, and she brought so much at home, we actually go sick of it. Plus she explained how the dough was sprayed down with grease too. That is probably what make it so darn delicious. So actually cured of them.

There should be pizza anonymous club because I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t like it. My new thing is to a least get a pizza that has some vegetable or lettuce or tomatoes on it. I feel like I am eating a little more healthier. We American create more problems then solutions. It seems to me if there are so many things out there that are so delicious, but we do not need to be eating it. We are slowly killing ourselves because of joy of eating. Perhaps we need to start production more things that are healthy. And not make the healthy things so much more expensive. No wonder we pick the unhealthy over the healthy, it also cheaper. Something really is wrong with this picture.

There are three basic types of fat: saturated, unsaturated and trans fats.  Generally, we should get about 20-30% of our daily calories from fat and only 10% of that should come from saturated fats.

Saturated fats come from animal or diary products and are the least healthy choices to include in your diet.  The reason for this is they increase the levels of triglycerides in your bloodstream, which is what causes blockage in the arteries over time.  The general rule to remember is the redder the meat the higher the saturated fat content will be, hence the higher the triglycerides in the bloodstream.  When eating beef or pork be sure to choose the leanest cuts and remove any visible fat before cooking.  It’s always best to include more chicken, with the skin removed and fish in your diet because these are lower in fat.  When buying yogurt, or other dairy products choose 1% or 2% fat or those made with skim milk.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats come from certain nuts, fish and oils such as olive, canola and flaxseed oil. These fats are known to actually reduce triglycerides by producing good cholesterol referred to as HDL.  Polyunsaturated oils are also found in beans and soy products.  These are important health foods for vitamins and nutrients because they contain omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids.  These oils are important for maintaining healthy blood and helping to prevent the development of plaque.  The best oil products to use when serving salads is a first cold pressed virgin olive oil because it contains the freshest of nutrients.  Regular olive oil (not cold pressed) can be used when cooking at heats less than 600 degree F.  Other alternative choices when baking or frying are shortening or vegetable oils.

Trans fats (or hydrogenated) are the worst fats of all because they increase triglyceride levels and hence bad cholesterol (LDL). Trans fats are commonly found in commercially produced foods and vegetable oils, hydrogenated margarines and spreads.  Products are now being developed and easier to find with No Trans Fats written on the packaging.  Try and reduce the amount of processed foods in your diet and you’ll avoid most of this type of harmful fat.

A health food diet will always include the essential vitamins and nutrients. At your next dinner start out with a fresh salad using an olive oil based dressing.  Then a serving of fish, chicken or lean red meat along with some whole grain breads or pastas and steamed vegetables.  Finish up your meal with a light dairy product or low-fat ice cream or yogurt topped with fresh fruit.  Remember, we need fat to metabolize fat and by choosing the good fats in olive oils, fish, chicken and nuts we can help our bodies slim down and prevent diseases all at the same time.