The Healthier Heart Formula

Did you ever notice how we use the heart to describe almost everything about ourselves? It’s built into the way we talk. If you’re close to someone they’re “near to your heart.” You can want something “with all your heart.” If you say what you feel you “get to the heart of the matter.” When you’re happy and carefree you’re “young at heart,” and when you see something uplifting it “warms your heart.”

You can use it to paint a picture of almost anything good, happy and inspiring.

But it isn’t just an idea… in an important way, your heart really is what gives you vitality. It gives your brain the blood it needs so you can think clearly, it gives you stamina… It’s what gives you strength to perform at your best, and it gives you sexual performance…

Everything you think of as being youthful and vigorous depends on it.

The problem is that your heart weakens with age. And when it doesn’t pump as powerfully, you’ll feel less of that vital energy you need.

In a study conducted at Johns Hopkins, researchers found that each year as people age, the time it takes for their heart muscles to squeeze and relax grows longer by two to five percent.1

That means in just a few short years, your heart’s muscle power may slow down as much as 25 percent.

The good news is you can do something about it.

Let me start by telling you a little about how your heart works.

First, blood that’s low in oxygen enters the heart and gets pumped to the lungs. The oxygen-enriched blood then returns to the heart to get pumped out to your entire body.

What most people don’t know is that every time your heart pumps, a little blood gets left behind.

A young, strong heart will pump out 50 to 75% of the blood available, and 25 to 50% stays behind.

And the measure of your heart’s power – the ratio of how much goes out to how much is left behind – is your ejection fraction. If your ejection fraction gets below 50% you’re considered to have congestive heart failure.

But you can put the brakes on this effect of aging. You can improve your ejection fraction and make your heart more powerful.

Here’s what to do:

Get Enough CoQ10 – This is the single best nutrient for treating and preventing heart failure. I’ve used it on hundreds of patients to improve their ejection fraction.

Also, not only is CoQ10 the fuel used by the energy-producing center of every one of your cells, your body also uses it for heart muscle contraction.

The best source of CoQ10 is the organ meat of animals. But we don’t eat hearts, liver and kidneys too much in America.

Because of that, you’re probably going to need a CoQ10 supplement. The best kind of CoQ10 is the reduced form, ubiquinol. It’s 8 times more powerful than the regular CoQ10 you find in most stores. I recommend 50mg a day of the reduced form.

Get Enough Vitamin D – We now know that low vitamin D levels contribute to heart failure.

And a University of Michigan study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology found that higher vitamin D levels prevented myocytes – heart muscle cells – from becoming enlarged, which robs them of their power.2

The best source of vitamin D is sunshine. With about 20 minutes in the sunlight your skin can make as much as 10,000IU. But if you can’t be out in the sun, foods such as organic milk from grass-fed cows, wild-caught salmon and egg yolks are good choices.

A spoonful of cod liver oil will give you about 400IU.

A good-quality vitamin D supplement will also do the trick. I recommend 2,000IU daily, especially during winter months or if you live in a colder climate with less sunlight.

Get Enough Taurine – This is the heart’s most abundant free amino acid. Research has shown that it prevents arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats) by limiting an increase in the size of your myocytes. Those foods that give you vitamin D are also the best sources of taurine. But if you need to supplement, start with 500mg per day.

Get the Right Exercise – Let me say this as clearly as I can: long duration, medium intensity workouts wreck your body.

A Harvard Health Professionals Study backs me up on this. Researchers followed over 7,000 people. They found that the key to protecting your heart is exactly the opposite of long workouts like “cardio” exercises. It’s not endurance. It’s intensity that protects your heart. In fact, they proved that the more intense the exertion, the lower their risk of heart disease.3

The researchers showed that those who do short-duration, high-intensity workouts reduce their risk of heart disease by 100% more than those who practice aerobic exercise.4

And that’s not all. Another Harvard study compared vigorous and light exercise. Those who performed exercise that is more vigorous had a lower risk of death than those who performed less vigorous exercise.5

Enduring hours of drudgery only to increase your risk of disease doesn’t make sense. It isn’t natural, and it doesn’t work.

Knee Exercises

I've always heard complains about knee pains from my mother, father and many elderly people out there. In fact I've suffered some knee pains myself some time ago and the pysiotherapist suggested that I do knee strengthening exercises to help. Here is a video demonstrating some simple knee exercises that can help strengthen the leg muscles so that it will talk some load off the knee. This will help reduce the pressure on the knee.

You can do these simple knee exercises every morning or evening in the comfort of your home. The good thing about these exercises is that not only it will help strengthen the knee but it will tone your leg muscles creating more attractive legs.

So till the next issue on How to Look Great and Feel Happy, try out these knee exercises and have a great weekend

Age Spots Removal

Just the other day while I was looking in the mirror, I noticed some brown speck marks on my face. Its funny how nature has its own way to remind you that you're getting older. In my case these age spots forced me to do some research on how to get rid of these spots. And if any, whether it involved something safe, painless and cheapest way ton do it.

For those of you who are wondering what age spots are. Well here is a defination of it, according to Mayo Clinic : Age spots — also called liver spots and solar lentigines — are flat, gray, brown or black spots. They vary in size and usually appear on the face, hands, shoulders and arms — areas most exposed to the sun. Though age spots are very common in adults older than age 40, they can affect younger people as well.

Long exposure to the sun increases the risk of getting age spots. Therefore always use sun screen with SPF 15 or more when going out. However if you already have age spots here are some age spots remedies which are safe and natural that to help get rid of age spots.

• Aleo Vera
  

Aleo Vera juice or gel has long been known as a general healing agent for skin problems, particularly burns. Many people have also found it to be helpful in reducing the visual appearance of age spots. Simply rub the juice or gel directly onto the affected areas twice a day, and leave it on the skin for at least 45 minutes each time. Within a month you should begin to notice improvements.

• Lemon Juice.

The acid in Lemon juice has been shown to help fade the appearance of age spots. Simply dab fresh lemon juice directly onto the spots twice daily and you should begin to notice improvements in about two months. Leave the juice on the skin for at least 30 minutes, or as long as you are comfortable with it. You can also leave the juice on the skin overnight. Caution - If you plan to go outdoors, wait for the juice to dry as it increases the skin's sensitivity to sunlight.

• Honey & Yogurt.

Another quick way to fade age spots is to blend honey and yogurt together to create a natural bleach that will lighten the spots. Mix one teaspoon of plain yogurt and one teaspoon of honey. Apply the skin lightening mixture to the age spot and let it dry on the skin for 30 minutes and rinse it off. This mixture can be applied to the area once a day and a person should see results in approximate one to two weeks.

• Buttermilk.

An old folk remedy to get rid of age spots is to apply buttermilk to the spot. Buttermilk contains lactic acid, which can gently exfoliate sun-damaged skin and other pigmented areas of the body. This will cause the age spot to lighten over a period of time.

• Skin Lightening creams & lotions
  

Anybody who uses this skin lightening cream should carefully read the directions before applying the cream to their body. Any skin lightening cream stronger than a 2% solution requires a prescription from a doctor.
Although keeping one’s skin protected from the sun with sunscreen whenever outside is the best way prevent age spots for some people it may already be too late and the damage has been done. For anybody who already has age spots and wants to get rid of the age spots try a few of these different age spot treatments and if all else fails there is always cosmetic congealer to hide the spots on the skin.
Hope these natural remedies will help you remove age spots. If however you have the money to spare and need a speedy age spots removal, then laser treatments to remove them is also an option you might consider. In any case if you suspect that the spot marks are unusual of nature it is advisable to consult the doctor in case it might be skin cancer.

The Danger of Sleep Deprivation

I've always enjoyed sleeping and I think most of us do too, although sometimes I feel guilty of napping too much. However after reading this short article t made me feel a little better. Here's the extract of the article from AFP.

People who get less than six hours sleep per night have an increased risk of dying prematurely, researchers said on Wednesday.

Those who slumbered for less than that amount of time were 12 percent more likely to die early, though researchers also found a link between sleeping more than nine hours and premature death.

"If you sleep little, you can develop diabetes, obesity, hypertension andhigh cholesterol," Francesco Cappuccio, who led research on the subject at Britain's University of Warwick, told AFP.

The study, conducted with the Federico II University in Naples, Italy, aggregated decade-long studies from around the world involving more than 1.3 million people and found "unequivocal evidence of the direct link" between lack of sleep and premature death.

"We think that the relation between little sleep and illness is due to a series of hormonal and metabolical mechanisms," Cappuccio said.

The findings of the study were published in the Sleep journal.

Cappuccio believes the duration of sleep is a public health issue and should be considered as a behaviouralrisk factor by doctors.

"Society pushes us to sleep less and less," Cappuccio said, adding that about 20 percent of the population in the United States and Britain sleeps less than five hours.

Sleeping less than six hours is "more common amongst full-time workers, suggesting that it may be due to societal pressures for longer working hours and more shift work"

The study also found a link between sleeping more than nine hours per night and premature death, but Cappuccio said oversleeping is more likely to be an effect of illness, rather than a cause.

"Doctors never ask how much one sleeps, but that could be an indicator that something is wrong," said Cappuccio, who heads the Sleep, Health and Society Programme at the University of Warwick.

Research showed no adverse effects for those sleeping between six and eight hours per day.

So you see, sleeping is important if you want to have a long and healthy life. Don't deprive yourself of sleep. It's one of the easiest way that can help you to look great and feel happy.

Office Exercises

Sometimes its hard to find time to workout especially if you're working in an office. You wake up in the morning, do breakfast and then its off to work, by the time you reach home  its already late in the evening or night time. So where do you find time to do workout to ensure your body is in tip top condition.

At the office of course and why not. Its a great stress reliever and energizes the body so that you'll work better and feel better throughout the day. So here is a video of some simple and quick office exercises that are great to get rid of sore muscle tension around the neck and shoulder area.


Next  here is a video of  office exercises for  the upper body, abs and lower body section to tone these areas.


I hope you enjoyed those videos. Now the trick is to actually do these quick and easy office exercises. So when you're stressed out, instead of reaching out for some comfort food, try out these simple yet effective office exercises instead to help you looking great and feeling better.

What Is The Best Way To Lose Weight?

When we talk about losing weight we normally associate it to dieting and exercising. But actually there is more to it. In order to lose weight and keep it that way, it actually involves a minor lifestyle change. Here is an article by Chileshe Mwape that summarizes the best steps one should take to effectively lose weight.

The best way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories and increase your physical activity. Experts suggest aiming for a weight loss goal of about a pound a week.

1. Set Realistic Goals The first step to weight loss is setting a realistic goal. By using a BMI chart and consulting with your health care provider, you can determine what a healthy weight is for you. To reach your goal safely, plan to lose weight gradually. A weight loss of one-half to two pounds a week is usually safe.

2. Change Your Lifestyle To be successful at losing weight, you need to change your lifestyle and not just go on a diet. This requires cutting back on the number of calories you eat by eating smaller amounts of foods and choosing foods lower in calories. It also means being more physically active.

3. Change Your Eating Habits Consider limiting portion sizes, especially of foods high in calories, such as cookies, cakes and other sweets; fried foods, like fried chicken and french fries; and fats, oils, and spreads. Keep your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol as low as possible. Choose foods naturally high in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes (such as beans and lentils), and whole grains. The high fiber content of many of these foods may help you to feel full with fewer calories.

4. Increase Your Physical Activity Most health experts recommend a combination of a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight loss. Exercise does not have to be strenuous to be beneficial. And some studies show that short sessions of exercise several times a day are just as effective at burning calories and improving health as one long session. To lose weight and to maintain a healthy weight after weight loss, many people need to do more than 30 minutes of moderate to intensive physical activity daily. Walking is an excellent form of physical activity that almost everyone can do.

5. Summary Successful weight loss and healthy weight management depend on sensible goals and expectations. If you set sensible goals for yourself, chances are you'll be more likely to meet them and have a better chance of keeping the weight off. A lifestyle based on healthy eating and regular physical activity is the best way to lose weight permanently.

There it is, easy isn't it, however it takes some time to get adjusted to these changes. It might be tough initially but it'll be easier once you get used to it. So till our next issue of How to look great and feel happy, Have a nice day.

How to Experience More Energy, Health, & Youth In Your Life!

Do you often feel out of energy especially after your meals?

In fact, it is usually around 3-4 pm (depending on the time you eat your lunch) when you find yourself having difficulty in keeping yourself awake. You feel tired, exhausted and just could not continue with your work.

Recently, I've read something interesting regarding this - the main reason why we experience this way is because excessive energy is needed to digest the food we ate for lunch.

During 3-4 pm, our organs have already worked hard for half a day and with the excess energy needed to digest our lunch, our body naturally needs to take a rest from it. I used to assume that this is a natural process - we ought to feel lethargic in the afternoon.......but I was so wrong..

The truth is the way you eat our foods, the foods that you put into your mouths, are destructive to your body and health. For example, do you eat meat and potatoes together? How about milk and cereal, or fish and rice?

Do you know that those combinations are totally destructive to your internal system and rob you of energy?

Let me explain how these combinations are destructive and how you can save yourself large amounts of energy you may currently be wasting.

Different foods are digested differently - Starchy foods require alkaline digestive medium and proteins foods like meat require and acidic medium for digestion. And when you mix both together, the medium neutralize each other. Digestion is impaired or completely arrested.

This is very destructive to your body as more energy is require to digest the same amount of food.

When our human body is functioning at its optimal level,  human body fluids and tissues exist in a slightly alkaline state (not acidic). The food we eat often becomes the raw material to rebuild its tissue. Our pH balance can quickly become unbalanced if our diet consists largely of "acidifying" foods.

These acidifying foods would result in our blood and body tissues to become bathed in an acidic solution. Of course it won't kill you right away, but if left untreated, this acidic condition leads to diseases such as heart disease, high cholesterol and even obesity.

How do you know whether your body is acidic and requires your attention?

Here's what you are going to do today to find out whether your body is dangerously acidic..

You would first need to ask yourself whether you experience any of the symptoms below.

a. Pimples & Acnes
b. Agitation
c. Rapid panting breath
d. Rapid heartbeat
e. Muscular pain
f. Pre-menstrual and menstrual cramping
g. Pre-menstrual anxiety and depression
h. Cold hands and feet
i. Light headedness & dizziness
j. Exhausted easily and low energy
k. Joint pains that travel
l. Food allergies
m. Excessive gas
n. Hyperactivity
o. Lack of sex drive
p. Bloating
q. Heartburn & acid reflux
r. Yellow & strong smelling urine
s. Headaches & migraines
t. Irregular heartbeat
u. White coated tongue
v. Hard to get up in morning
w. Excess head mucous (stuffiness)

If you experience more than 2 of the symptoms listed here, there is a high chance that your body is acidic and you may want to take precaution and change your diet before it accumulates and turn into deadly diseases or cancer one day.

There are other ways to confirm your body internal conditions, for example using a self urine test.

If you suspect your body is acidic or you want to feel healthy, youthful, and lose weight the natural way, find out how you can do so with  Emma Deangela's book at  The Alkaline Diet.

Until the next issue of  How to Look Great and Feel Happy, have a nice day, an energized one with the  alkaline diet.

How to look young and keep the wrinkles away.

It's my sisters birthday two days ago. And as getting older sometimes means getting more wrinkles on your face we will address the problem  on how to look young and keep the wrinkles away.

Wrinkles are a by-product of the aging process. With age, skin cells divide more slowly, and the inner layer, called the dermis, begins to thin. The network of elastin (the protein which causes skin to stretch) and collagen fibers (the major structural proteins in the skin), which support the outer layer, loosen and unravel, causing depressions on the surface. With aging, skin also loses its elasticity, is less able to retain moisture, oil-secreting glands are less efficient and the skin is slower to heal. All of these contribute to the development of wrinkles.

And now you ask...How do I keep the wrinkles away. Well in truth, you can't really keep them away, but you can help reduce the appearance of them and slow down the visibility signs of aging. So what do you do to look younger? Here are some steps that would help your face look great and younger.

• Avoid smoking because smoking reduces the production of collagen and lack of new collagen results in development of wrinkles. Nicotine also deminish the blood and oxygen that flows to the skin.

•  Take care of your skin by practising the regular daily cleansing, toning and moisturising  the face both during the daytime and before you go to bed. Use moisturiser with SPF of at least 15. Try to use products that are all natural. Creams and lotions that contains alcohol and artifical ingredients may dry out your skin. If you have sensitive skin you can try using olive oil as a moisturiser.
  

• Drink lots of water to avoid dehydration, when the body dries out, it pulls away the moisture away from the skin.

•  Eat a well balance diet and  lots of fruit rich in antioxidants which combats wrinkles by reducing  free radicals. Fruits high in Vitamin C helps build more collagen which keeps skin firm.

• Avoid excessive exposure to the sun as exposure to ultraviolet radiation (too much sun) can result in premature aging of skin.

•  Don't forget to get your daily dose of exercise to help your body toned, your skin radiant , your stress level low and your mind sharp.

That's all for this weeks issue of How to Look Great and Feel Happy. In the meantime,watch this video on how to keep your face looking young and  enjoy !!!
 

How to make New Years Resolutions Work

I hope it's not too late to wish everyone a Happy new year. A new year... a new beginning... a new hope. If the last year was a lot of gloom and doom then maybe this new year will bring in good news.

But before that its important that we make a cross examination of the past and see why some things didn't work as well as we anticipated it to be. Do a SWOT analysis of the past so that we can start the new year with a bang with new strategies to get improved results.

One of the things that can help you get better results for the new year is by :

• 
  
  Writing up your Goals. What you want to achieve daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. Make a cheklist of them and cross them out or tick them off once you've achieved them.
  
  
  

• 
  
   Stick this checklist in a place you can easily see so that you are constantly reminded to take action of them.
  
  
  

• 
  
  If you haven't got the discipline to stand by your goals then get someone who can support you. Someone who will remind you that you need to do it. Someone like your spouse, your children or a close friend. This will make  them feel important too.
  
  
  

• 
  
  Reward yourself once you've achieved these goals or punish yourself if you do not achieve them. For example may be you have to treat your  friends to a fancy dinner everytime you fail to achieve one goal. This way you'll be more motivated to take action.
  
  
  

Hope this will help you achieve your new years resolutions. Until next time on How to Look Great & Feel Happy have a Happy New Year and may all your dreams come true

Relationship Issues and Overcoming them

Since the Holiday season is coming up soon, I thought It'd be a good idea to talk about relationship issues this time. There are times when we face problems in life  and things get tougher that our relationship with the people around us is strained and we become unhappy. Not only relationship with our spouse but with our children parents, family and friends.

When this happens it's best to identify what the problems are and find ways on how we can turn it around. This is especially true in a marriage.Sometimes one person feels that he/she is taken for granted or there are some issues that creates tension and negetive feeling towards the other.

If this person just keeps it quiet and let it be for some time, then all this tension  will keep on stacking up creating more and more resentments and rejection towards the other. It might get so bad that, it might  break the relationship.

So before this happens it's always important to remember to talk things through with your spouse. If there was a problem, you can tell them about it, eventhough if it was something that is unpleasant to them.

It's better to deal with these issues early on then let it roll on to became something bigger that you need to face later on. So this holiday season, if you have relationship problem with anyone, not just your spouse, maybe with your father, mother, son or daughter. Now is the best time to mend broken bridges together.

In the meantime, watch this interesting by Anthony Robbins and his wife Sage about relationship stressors. Till next time on How to Look Great & Feel Happy, Have a wonderful time this holiday season.

Diet for Cancer Patients

My sister recently had a masectomy to remove the breast cancer. It was a long operation, about 15 hours long. She went in the operation room in the morning and did'nt come out till it was twelve at night.

It took a long time because after removing the cancer the surgeons did some reconstruction work using the skin from her belly. Thank God everything went well. It was a long day that day and especially so for her children who waited patiently at the hospital.

So I did some research on diet for cancer patients and here is what I found out from the net with regards to cancer treatment, every food that we eat or drink can be categorized into several different categories:

• 1) Foods that feed and strengthen the cancer cells and/or the microbes in the cancer cells and body. Examples would be: refined sugar, refined flour, soda pop, dairy products, etc.

• 2) Foods that cause cancer (e.g. trans fatty acids [margarine, french fries and virtually every other processed food you buy], aspartame [Diet Coke, NutraSweet, Equal, etc.], MSG, polyunsaturated oils [e.g. corn oil], etc.)

• 3) Foods that directly interfere with alternative treatments for cancer (e.g. chlorine, fluoride, alcohol, coffee, etc.)

• 4) Foods that occupy and distract the immunity system from focusing on killing the cancer cells (e.g. beef, turkey, etc.)

• 5) Foods that contain nutrients that kill the cancer cells, stop the spread of cancer, or in some other way help treat the cancer (e.g. purple grapes with seeds and skin, red raspberries with seeds, strawberries with seeds, broccoli, cauliflower, tapioca, several herbs, lentils,carrots, pineapples, apple seeds, almonds, graviola, etc.)

In addition there are things like cooking vegetables. The cooking destroys the enzymes in the vegetables and make them far less digestible and far less effective in treating cancer. Pasteurizing any food or drink also does this.

Ideally, during a cancer treatment, if foods are allowed on a particular diet, 100% of everything you eat should be in the category of "Foods that contain nutrients that kill the cancer cells, stop the spread of cancer, or in some other way help treat the cancer.

" Whenever you eat a food that is not in that category, you are interfering with your cancer treatment! This is why so many cancer diets are very high in certain raw vegetables and certain raw fruits. It is best to avoid processed foods as they might contain MSG or preservatives that might induce growth of cancer cells.

I hope this will be helpful to any cancer patients out there. In the meantime, we should all adopt a healthy diet ourselves in order to avoid getting cancer. Currently one in every four deaths in the United States are due to cancer. In the mean time Enjoy this video about anti cancer diet

So until the next issue of Look Great Feel Happy, remember to adopt a happy lifestyle and well balanced eating habits so that we can stay happy and healthy. And for those cancer patients out there who feel like giving up..... just watch this video about this inspiring young man who has beaten cancer not once but three times.

Turn on Your Metabolic Switch … And Burn the Fat!

*Breakthrough Research from the Clinic of Al Sears MD*

Turn on Your Metabolic Switch … And Burn the Fat!

If you’ve tried and failed to burn fat in the past I have good news… Dr. Sears’ High-Speed Fat Loss is getting even the most hardened skeptics to change their minds about fat loss. By studying the science behind human metabolism and weight gain Dr. Sears developed a sure-fire way for anyone to lose as much weight as they want. His patients say it’s nothing short of a miracle.

Like one of Dr. Sears’ patients – let’s call him “SM” – he arrived at the clinic 100 pounds overweight with a body fat level over 50%. After 3 months, SM had to give away all his “fat clothes” and buy a whole new wardrobe.SM’s family and friends went into shock after seeing the amazing results. Most of them are now patients of Dr. Sears.Now, if you… or someone you care about… wants to lose weight, there’s no easier, safer, or faster way than with Dr. Sears’ High-Speed Fat Loss in 7 Easy Steps program.

To find out how SM lost all that fat – and how you can too – click HERE.

Turn on Your Metabolic Switch and Burn the Fat

The Delicious way to LoseWeight - Pine Nut

I'm down with flu and fever now. Sorry for not posting anything for some time. I actually ran out of topics to talk about. Anyway as I was sitting down tonight munching away some pine nuts my sister's friend had brought from Pakistan. It occured to me why don't I write something about these terribly delicious nuts. Surely these something good about these nuts.

And here is what I found out from Wiki Answers about these amazing lil' pine nuts. They're actually great for dieters.

These tasty nuts have a light, nutty tang and contain some fatty acids that are capable of holding back hunger. It is estimated that one cup of pine nut (just about one ounce) provides you 190 calories and 19g of fat, while its carbohydrate content is only 4g.

No other nut or seed has more protein than Pine nuts. In addition, pine nuts are store houses of many vitamins including vitamins E, B3, B1 and B2 apart from essential amino acids, beta-carotene, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron and iodine, which are essential for a healthy living.

Pine nuts and pine nut oil contain the polyunsaturated fat of Pinolenic acid, which stimulates the hunger suppressing hormones such as CCK. Pinolenic acid is an essential ingredient of many diet formulas for repressing hunger as they act by sending signals to your brain that your stomach is already full.

Now all you have to do is just to toss a few nuts into your mouth to chuck out those extra pounds! Does that sound like music to your ears?

How do pine nuts act to suppress hunger? The peptide hormone of cholecystokinin is produced during food ingestion to be released into the blood. It is this hormone that makes you feel satiated. It is thought that the fractional digestion of proteins also results in the production of CCK. Remember that pine nuts are extremely rich in protein.

Extensive researches have been made on CCK ever since it was discovered 30 years ago. The studies have established that CCK production takes place at the duodenum, when your stomach is full.

This in turn conveys this message to the brain. CCK also brings about the discharge of pancreatic digestive enzymes, contraction of gall bladder and reduction of the rate of bowel movements, which also gives you a feeling of fullness.

Moreover, Pine nuts help in improving digestion and enhancing cardiovascular health. It increases satiety and is also helpful in managing gastrointestinal problems, autoimmune disorders and inflammation.

So to all of you who wanna lose some weight, my tip to is to get some pine nuts to help you out because apart from all the great nutritional value it has, these pine nuts are simply delicious. Till the next issue of Look Great Feel Happy, have a wonderful day.

Foods That Help You Lose Weight Fast

Is there any food out there that will help you lose weight ? Well believe it or not there is. Here is an article from e-How that I felt would be useful for anyone trying to lose weight. Enjoy !

While there's no magic food to help you shed pounds, there are many things you can eat to help you raise your metabolism, reduce appetite and accelerate weight loss. Since diet is such an important part of the weight loss journey, even small changes you make can have a big impact on the scale.

High-Fiber Food

1. Fiber works as a two-way weight loss aid. It provides satiety, so you end up eating less but feeling full, and it also regulates your digestion, preventing you from becoming bloated. High-fiber foods such as green leafy vegetables are especially good because they are low in calories and fat free, so your overall caloric consumption is reduced and your weight loss is quicker and more effective. Fiber also prevents blood sugar spikes, which can lead to cravings. Other high-fiber foods that can help with weight loss include lentils, oatmeal, kale, buckwheat and apples.

Spicy Dishes

2. Some spices such as ginger, cayenne pepper and cinnamon can raise metabolism, causing the body to burn calories faster and more effectively. Spices not only cause a significant raise in metabolic rate during the actual meal, but their effect lasts for up to 20 minutes after eating. Other condiments that raise metabolism include wasabi powder, coriander and garlic.

Lean Protein

3. Chicken, turkey, fish and eggs all have something in common: they are pure protein. Because your body works harder to digest protein than anything else, you burn more calories and boost your metabolism by eating proteins. Also, protein are more satisfying than carbs and sugars, so you are less likely to suffer spikes in blood sugar or to have cravings. Certain proteins, such as salmon and sardines, are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which reduces the amount of leptin in your body. Leptin is a hormone that affects metabolism and fat burning: the less you have of it, the more effective your body is at losing weight. Low-fat dairy products and soy are also good sources of protein.

Low-Sugar Fruits

4. While fruits are natural and a good source of fiber, many contain high levels of sugar and can compromise your weight loss efforts if consumed in excess. Examples of high-sugar fruits include bananas, grapes, pears, pineapple and figs. On the other hand, low-sugar fruits provide lots of hunger-satiating fiber with very low calories. Examples include berries, papaya, plums, apricots, lime and melon.

Good Fats

5. Vegetable fats are good for lowering DLH cholesterol and providing a feeling of satiety. Since they don't contain cholesterol (as animal fats do), they do not increase the risk of heart disease or cancer. While consuming a large amount of any fats, including vegetable fats, can lead to weight gain, moderate consumption will help control cravings. Fish, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids, will even raise metabolism. Other good fats to consider are flaxseed oil, avocados and peanut oil.

So till the next issue of Look Great Feel Happy. Try out these foods which will not only help you lose weight but make you feel better and a lot healthier too. But remember to keep everything in moderation. Too much of everything is bad for anyone.

How to Get Motivated to Exercise

Have you had one of those days when you just don't feel like exercising. I know I do. There are days when I just don't feel like exercising and this is bad. Not only for those who wish to lose weight but also eventually when you just drop exercise from your daily routine, then eventually your metabolism is gonna drop. And when your metabolism drops it gets harder to lose weight.

Here's some great videos which I think is effective to help you overcome this laziness to exercise. So till next time, get motivated to exercise for better health and be on your way to look great and feel happy.

Unlocking what's stopping you - Make That Change

At some point of your life, you may experience a deadlock. A situation where you want something, but you're getting nowhere. You want it badly, but something seems to be holding you down. How to untangle yourself and set free, so that you may move forward and achieve what ever it is in life you wish to pursue.

When I find myself in this situation, one of the best things to do is get experts to help out. Let's watch how Anthony Robbins deals with such issues.


So until the next issue of Look Great and Feel Happy, Take that step forward to be Happy. You deserve it. It is Your Life. Do something about it. You have the power in you to make that Change. Remember Micheal Jackson's song- Man in the Mirror - Make that change, it may be too late for Mike but don't let it be for you.

Lose weight - The Banana Diet Way

Want to know why Banana can help you lose weight. Get real right. Well just watch this video which explains why this amazing banana diet is so popular with the Japanese.

The benefits of fasting - the month of Ramadhan

It's the month of Ramadhan (the fasting month for muslims all over the world). I'm back in the village for Ramadhan which accounts for why this blog has not been updated for some time. The internet reception here is somewhat problematic.

Anyway a bit about the fasting month. Ramadhan is a month where muslim all over the world fast for a whole month from sunrise to sunset. They'll break their fast when the sun sets by eating and drinking and later at night perform the terawih prayers.

I personally look forward to ramadhan every year. It's a time when families and friends get together to break fast and afterwards perform the terawih prayers. It's a time when muslims share the hunger pangs of the poor and destitute, so that they'll be grateful for what they have.

Anyway, fasting is not as bad as one might think. Fasting actually has lots of health benefit among them are :

• It helps in losing weight
• It reduces Fat & Cholesterol
• It improves the removal of toxins in the body
• It improves the immunity system of the body
• It slow down the aging process
• It rejuvenates and overhauls the whole body

The benefits of fasting is further explained in an extract of an article by Will Carroll below :

During a fast, energy is diverted away from the digestive system due to its lack of use and towards the metabolism and immune system. The healing process during a fast is precipitated by the body's search for energy sources. Abnormal growths within the body, tumors and the like, do not have the full support of the body's supplies and therefore are more susceptible to autolysis.

Furthermore, "production of protein for replacement of damaged cells (protein synthesis) occurs more efficiently because fewer 'mistakes' are made by the DNA/RNA genetic controls which govern this process." A higher efficiency in protein synthesis results in healthier cells, tissues and organs. This is one reason that animals stop eating when they are wounded, and why humans lose hunger during influenza. Hunger has been proven absent in illnesses such as gastritis, tonsillitis and colds. Therefore, when one is fasting, the person is consciously diverting energy from the digestive system to the immune system.

In addition, there is a reduction in core body temperature. This is a direct result of the slower metabolic rate and general bodily functions. Following a drop in blood sugar level and using the reserves of glucose found in liver glycogen, the basal metabolic rate (BMR) is reduced in order to conserve as much energy within the body as can be provided. Growth hormones are also released during a fast, due to the greater efficiency in hormone production.

Finally, the most scientifically proven advantage to fasting is the feeling of rejuvenation and extended life expectancy. Part of this phenomenon is caused by a number of the benefits mentioned above. A slower metabolic rate, more efficient protein production, an improved immune system, and the increased production of hormones contributes to this long-term benefit of fasting. In addition to the Human Growth Hormone that is released more frequently during a fast, an anti-aging hormone is also produced more efficiently. "The only reliable way to extend the lifespan of a mammal is under-nutrition without malnutrition."

So you see, fasting has lots of benefits, it's not so bad once you get use to it. Try fasting in the daytime and break your fast at night. You might feel tired but at least for that day you're giving your digestive system a rest, so that the extra energy is used to improve other body function such as boosting one's immunity system. Till next time have a great day.

Dance your way to fitness

Have you ever get tired of all the ways to lose weight and look great. All the dieting, aerobics, exercises and cardio workouts can be hardwork and boring after some time. Here's one way I know that's fun. Dancing ....yes dance your way to fitness.

Dancing is a great way to lose weight. Why else do you think that most professional dancers look great and have good figures. They must be doing something right. For one, dancing helps you to :

1. To destress and have fun
   
2. Burn calories and lose weight
   
3. Improve muscle tone & coordination
   
4. Strenghtens bones
5. Increase energy
6. Improves cardiovascular system
7. Lowers risk of heart disease
8. Reduce blood pressure & cholestrol levels
   
9. Improves blood circulation
10. Builds endurance & stamina
11. Increase flexibility and balance
12. Improves overall health and body shape
    

However as with other types of exercises, you should warm up and stretch before dancing. Just move within your own tempo, start with a slow number and build it to faster tempo to avoid straining and injuring your muscles. Slow down or stop when you are short of breath or exhausted.

Dancing provides a channel to be yourself. Its an expression of self through the beat of the music. Dancing is an entertaining activity you can do with your friends or partner. It elevates your moods by raising our endorphin levels allowing us to reduce stress.

Best of all you can do it anywhere, even in your living room. You don't need any expensive gym equipments just some music. You can move to your own beat and create your own dance moves. Or if you prefer learn the salsa, latin, ballroom dancing, disco, hip hop. It's a fun activity for all ages, the old and the young and breaks down racial barriers between diverse cultures.

So the next time you get bored with dieting or the regular exercise routine, remember you can still lose weight, have fun and look great through dancing. Till next time on Look great feel happy. Enjoy the evolution of dance video below.

12 Secrets to Virility

Here’s something you should know. Unless you have already taken steps to prevent it, you are ingesting unsafe quantities of female hormones on a regular basis. And that’s not good. Let me explain…
Female hormones known as estrogens are added to animal feed because like us this makes animals fat. Many chemicals used in farming and industry also mimic estrogens.

To make matters worse, other chemicals in your environment are making the male hormone, testosterone, plummet. Falling testosterone with abnormally high estrogen is plain and simple, BAD NEWS! It zaps you of energy, muscle, sex drive, speed, physical strength and mental focus. Why do 90% of elder American men develop enlarged prostates? Why doesn’t it occur in other parts of the world? The answer is, again, estrogens from your environment.

You see, your prostate grows from the same tissue as a woman’s uterus and retains estrogen receptors. Over time, exposure to excess estrogen stimulates it to overgrow and puts undue pressure on your bladder and urethral. And, they cause another problem - they are inflammatory. You fight them with antibodies and white blood cells. This “warfare” damages your cartilage, bones and joints.

We now know that heart disease is not caused by cholesterol but inflammation inside your blood vessels. Inflammation even causes senile dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Fortunately Dr AlSears M.D has an e-book which can help you avoid suffering these conditions. His " 12 Secrets to Virility " will help you :

1. Experience this “Caveman Secret” to Monster Strength.
It requires no weights, equipment or machines. You can do it at home in only 30 minutes a week.
It’s fun to do – its clinic tested – and it works fast.

2. Eat this Mouth Watering Steak and Lose 4” of Waist Fat. This healthiest of all foods melts stubborn blubber away. Its fat is better for your heart than wild Alaskan Salmon! You can have it delivered right to your door.

3. Use the Power of “Biomarkers” to Reverse Your Age. Control these traits to regain lung power, leg strength and stamina. Use this step-by-step guide to quickly master these hidden forces.

4. Prevent Chemicals from “Turning You into a Woman” . Rid your body of feminizing hormone look-alikes.
Quickly restore muscle, ambition, sex drive and more. It’s natural and requires no drugs or doctor visits.

5. Quadruple Your Masculinity by Boosting this Hormone. Produce a huge surge in your own testosterone in only30 minutes! Use this triple booster for testosterone of a strapping18 year old. As a "side effect" you'll think faster and lower risk ofheart disease.

6. Defeat Diabetes - Now and For Good. Protect yourself from the 9 fold increase in diabetes with this secret.
You can eat sweets and still beat this disease. Side Effects? How about burning fat 50% more efficiently?

7. Destroy Cancer Cells with a Single Pill. Reverse this neglected deficit of modern farming tobeat cancer.
Fix it instantly with this missing "triple mineral cocktail". It's cost you less than an average multivitamin.

8. End Night Time Trips to the Bathroom - Forever! This new secret reverses overgrown prostates at theroot cause. It works by an entirely new approach within days of starting.

9. End Joint Pain - Fast. Forget about dangerous anti-inflammatory drugs. This secret soothes inflammation pain in as little as48 hours. While it's relieving your pain, it's also reversing the cause.

10. Experience this Amazing European "Brain Drug" . Stop your brain from aging with this single, natural pill.
It quickly reawakens a youthful and razor-sharp mind. Its "side effect"? You'll be more alert without morning coffee.

11. Better than Steroids! Build Solid Muscle - FAST! Use the 7 most powerful "strength" tonics ever discovered. Clinically tested? How about 31 pounds of muscle in just weeks? Unlike steroids, this combo also strengthens tendons and joints. You feel power in your stream and relief for hours on end.

12. Trouble in the Bedroom? Your Worries are Over! This endurance booster makes all-nighters your choice.
You'll toss your prescription enhancement drugs in the trash.

To learn more about this, download this e-book by clicking the link below.

12 Secrets to Virility

Isn’t your health and virility worth it?