| In summary, what I wanted to say was (it's only one opinion) I dont
believe in weight control "miracles/gimmicks/fads" such as pills, appetite
suppressants. I also dont believe in the lately discovered gene that
makes people prone to be overweight. I think it's all mathematical:
if one needs say 2500 calories a day, and ingest 3000 calories, the
person will get fat..I remember how amazed I was when I found out how
many calories I burn while jogging: on a five mile run, at my weight,
and at the speed I run, I burn only about 100 calories a mile!!!! and I
can blow it all with a couple of snickers bars! a big mac with the
works has around 500 calories (it would take about a forty minute run to
work it off). The advice I give myself daily is exercise and eart what
you want, in moderate quantities (I admit to cheating a little with the
sweets once in a while)...weight control in my sedentary job is a
constant struggle. Good luck to you all
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One thing also to consider - if the villi in your intestines are not in
good working order, you will not absorb the proper nutrients. So you
can eat a lot - even be eating a good diet - and still be starving
nutritionally. When you are starving like this, the cells hold onto
the fat, you crave even more fatty foods, and it becomes a cycle that
is difficult to break. These villi get destroyed by excessive stress,
very poor eating habits (fat and junk that clogs your intestines), and
so on.
In addition to reducing stress, and reducing fat intake, there are
nutrients and herbs on the market today that begin to repair these
villi, and then you can begin to absorb the nutrients properly again.
You can also do some things like colon cleanses to help the process.
Once you begin to get the nutrients your body requires, then the
cravings reduce and your metabolism begins to function better.
Cindy
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| Karen,
"I have yet to read the theory you posted"...
I thought it would be interesting to hear from someone coming from
another culture. By having lived both in France and in the US for a
long time, and seeing almost zero obesity in my home country, and
an incredible number of people heavier than they'd like to be, I
have wondered why such a difference in people's shape. Could not
be genetic stock, and had to be lifestyle (diet, exercise).
My observations are just gutfeel and I believe what I say, and pratice
it.
I would challange anyone who says I can't lose it, I can't get in
shape: do a 10-20 miles mountain hike for a couple of weeks,
with full pack, on 3000 calories day, I guarantee the results
(I have done it). It's a heck of daily challenge also for me to keep
in shape...and I see only one way to keep lean: keep the fork away from
my mouth, an exercise. Forget about all these expensive gimmicks (special
foods,pills, programs....)
anyone interested in an slimdown Appalachian trail adventure this
summer?
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all of .3
Currently, I subscribe to the Wellness Letter from UCal Berkelely
and the Tufts Diet and Nutrition Newsletter, and American Fitness
magazine.
I also have quite a few reference books that include
the Wellness Encyclopedia, UCal Berkeley, excerpts from
ACSM manuals, and my training manuals from multiple courses.
Karen
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I went back over .3 and wasn't sure where to begin, so...
villi - these are 'minute projections arising from a mucous membrane'
Villi exist in the small intestine and are responsible for absorbing
the nutrients from the food we eat (these villi may also exist in the
large intestine too, but my source doesn't mention those). Given our
traditional western diet high in meatm fats, processed foods, and low
in fiber - these things tend to gum up our intestines and cause problems
such as constipation, irritable bowels, diverticulitis, and the whole
host of related ailments.
The villi in the small intestine that are supposed to absorb nutrients
are no longer able to do so because of the junk that attaches itself to
them and damages them. This creates a situation called 'malabsorption',
where the nutrients simply do not get into the body, and are passed
through unabsorbed.
Depending upon the situation, this could either be responsible for
weight gain or weight loss, and this depends on the individual body and
how it handles it. Lack of nutrients can cause weight loss, and a
buildup of toxins and fats in the body can cause weight gain. Given
this scenario, neither case is particularly healthy since the body is
not functioning as it should be. Same problem, different
manifestation.
It is also possible to be heavy, yet be literally starving for
nutrition. In this case, the traditional way of dieting by cutting
calories (except fat calories) and increasing exercise will not work
because in those cut calories are exactly the nutrients you need to
build the body back up and begin detoxify/repair it.
It isn't surprising that you haven't (yet) heard of this 'theory', since
the majority of practicing M.D.s tend to believe that for the most part
we 'get all the nutrients we need from our diet', and only in extreme
medical cases recognize cases of malnutrition and malabsorption (the
former is easier to recognize, but the later in milder forms is not.)
I have not read much about this in any publications either, for about
the same reason. In fact, I was reading one newsletter - Public
Citizen Health Letter - that had an article on the diet industry, and
in only one small paragraph did they mention that it 'might be a good
idea to take a multivitamin and mineral supplement if you reduce your
caloric intake below ####" (####, I believe, is around 3000, but I
don't recall exactly right now. To me, this is a far cry from what
really needs to happen before the body can begin to repair itself,
especially in more extreme cases of weight gain and loss (obesity or
anorexia).
Most of my sources are from nutritional and alternative medicine
publications. They include books on vitamin, mineral, and herbal
medicine, and alternative medical systems such as Ayurveda, the
ancient science of healing from India. They include books by Rodale
Press (Prevention magazine included), authors such as David Frawley who
wrote "Ayurveda, Science of Healing" and "The Yoga Of Herbs" (with Dr.
Vasant Lad) [I know David personally], and also Michael Tierra who
has published several books on herbal medicine. Additionally I have
read several of Dr. Deepak Chopra's books that are based in Ayurveda
including "Perfect Health" and "Ageless Body, Timeless Mind", and
subscribe to 'Health' magazine and CSPI.
I have subscribed to both Tufts and the Berkeley newsletters in the
past, but not in recent times, so I can't comment on their contents
these days.
This is not to say that all weight gain and loss can be attributed to
this alone. Certainly there are many who just need to get out and do
some exercise to boost their metabolism, and the pounds will
automatically come off, or modify their diets somewhat to eat better
things in general. Or modify habits that are ingrained and need to be
relearned. These things alone will help quite a few people who just
need to shed a few pounds and in general do not suffer any serious
physical chronic conditions.
But for those who do, more than just exercise and learning new eating
habits is needed. Their bodies require a significant amount of the
base levels of nutrition to help repair and detoxify their bodies at
the problem source so that their health begins to improve (and I'm not
referring to just taking a One-A-Day). There are nutrients and herbs
that can actually do this, and are well-known in alternative medicine
circles (especially in the Chinese and Ayurvedic systems of medicine).
Cindy
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