Neuro Metabolic Fat Loss & Fitness Expert

There are 3 main types of pain, and each
one has a slightly different pain-relief process:

1. Acute pain – recent onset (last 72 hours)
2. Residual pain – between 72 hours and 6 months
3. Chronic pain – 6 months or more

Let’s talk a bit about each one and illustrate a turnkey method to relieve pain in all instances. It’s important to eliminate pain at its source when want long-term, lasting results.
Acute pain occurs when you’ve recently been injured, or your had an inflammatory condition set in.  The main issues here are injured tissue  and inflammation.  The conundrum, of course, is getting rid of the inflammation without losing the healing effect of increased circulation, white blood cell count, etc.
You see, inflammation is actually very important for our bodies… it’s the path towards healing, because all of the cells we need in order to heal rush to the site of injury and start working on it right away. This reaction is automatic in our bodies, but it often takes place in excess of what’s necessary.
By cutting off inflammation within minutes of an injury, you are minimizing your suffering.  The best way to do this with most minor injuries is by icing with a wet paper towel directly on your skin and a thin bag of ice (not ice pack) directly on top of the paper towel.  This increases conductance of the cold and provides an increased effect.
A lot of people don’t realize that ice is not getting rid of swelling, but it’s cutting it off right where it is.  Also, many people think that ice “cuts off” blood flow, but it, in fact, greatly enhances blood flow to an area, making healing much more possible.  It’s your blood that carries oxygen and nutrients to heal the injured tissue.
Next, we need to manage the Residual Pain zone, where most people are for a few weeks to months following an injury.  This is going to be done by ”re-structuring” the body to the way it was before the injury.  Essentially, your body wanted to eliminate risk of further injury while it was inflamed and healing through the acute phase.  As a result, it shut-down surrounding muscles that could pull on your injury, re-aligned joints to get out of dangerous position, and  re-wired your nervous system to avoid this area altogether.
Now, we need to restore tissue length, improve the alignment of joints, and then re-organize our nervous systems to remember this position and start communicating muscle contractions with this area of our bodies again.  This is done through repeated releases and re-education exercises.  Basically, each time we change anything in your body, we re-teach it how to remember this new position, alignment, length, etc.
This repetitive process quickly eliminates residual pain, because our bodies begin to understand that the tissue tensions they were holding onto are no longer necessary and this body part is ready to move, pain-free.  In the absence of this “SMART” rehab design, your body will continue to mistake it’s new position as the correct one, and you’ll continue to feel progressive aches and pains in other body parts.
This leads me to Chronic Pain relief. Are you starting to see how your body may end up holding onto pain for over 6 months?
Things progress because the initial insult has not been handled properly.  Your body adjusts to injury by helping you get through your day.  You’ll learn to create “compensatory patterns,” or patterns of movement that allow you to ignore your old injury altogether and move from somewhere else.
Unfortunately, our bodies aren’t made to handle this long-term.  Choosing muscle groups that are smaller and less capable to do the work for muscle groups that are larger and stronger is a losing proposition. Instead, we need to teach our bodies to recognize these areas all over again. Simultaneously, we have to integrate full body movements in order to account for all the other areas of the body that have started to adjust and re-align to protect our old injuries.  Many times, this feels totally uncoordinated for awhile, until your body finally recognizes its “old self” again.

Lastly, we need to address the psychosomatic component of chronic pain, which is a real issue.  Psychosomatic pain refers to real pain that starts in your mind, rather than in your body.  It’s why fear can elevate pain levels and endorphins can produce superhuman strength.  Our brains are extremely capable of producing physical symptoms in an effort to help or protect us.

However, after 6 months or more of chronic pain, your brain has a memory of this pain.  It will actually continue to confuse you, for at least a month or two, after all the reason for the pain is gone.  It’s working to protect you, automatically, from hurting these areas again by sending pain signals that say “back off!” to these old injury sites.  Instead of constantly having to assess its environment and determine if something is going to hurt, our brains get very smart and just start saying it hurts without thought in an effort to protect us.
In order to override this pain signal originating in your brain, I believe its necessary to teach a patient how to test and see if the injury still exists.  If they can test a body part and create the pain during the acute or residual phase, but the bodypart no longer tests positive for pain, it’s a good bet this is a memory of pain instead.  So, we can use our conscious thought process to overcome this memory by correcting ourselves whenever we feel this and testing the body part.  Essentially, we’re proving to our brains that the pain is gone.

Have a great day,
Kareem

For great abs tips from Kareem, click here!

The post Pain Relief That Lasts: 3 Top Pain Relief Strategies appeared first on Health Hound.

Want my number-one fat burner? It’s not sexy, your favorite magazine probably won’t be touting it as the weight loss “miracle” de jour, and I guarantee it won’t be the hot topic at your next dinner party.

But for fat loss and fast metabolism, it works.

Yes, fiber keeps you regular. You know that. If you’ve ever suffered constipation, you know how important consistent elimination – or in less polite terms, poops you can be proud of – can be.

But fiber’s benefits go way beyond relieving constipation. Fiber can keep you full longer, so you’re less likely to crave those mid-afternoon glazed donuts your coworker brought in.

Fiber delays stomach emptying and balances blood sugar levels. It can help you eat less at your meals. (More on that later.) It helps knock out hunger pangs when you know you won’t be eating for a few hours.

In short, fiber is your fat-loss friend.

Over the years I’ve encountered some challenging weight loss resistance cases. My secret weapon that almost always gets the scale moving for these people: fiber.

Most Americans get a sad 5 – 14 grams of fiber each day. Could there be a link between these paltry levels and increased obesity and type 2 diabetes?

I want you to get 50 grams of fiber daily. You read that correctly: 50. You’re probably scratching your head about now, wondering how you will ever meet that seemingly astronomical goal.

Fortunately, many whole, unprocessed foods come loaded with fiber. These are the top contenders.

Vegetables

Spinach, broccoli, and other leafy greens pack maximum fiber and nutrients with minimum calories. Working more veggies isn’t hard:

• Throw some kale or other leafy greens into your protein shake. (You won’t taste them!)
• Have a giant salad for lunch.
• Make dinner double veggies.
• Throw plenty of non-starchy veggies into a chicken broth with some lean protein, and you have a hearty soup with plenty of leftovers to freeze.

High-fiber vegetables include:

• Artichoke (1 medium) – 10 g
• Broccoli (1 cup) – 5 g
• Brussels sprouts (1 cup) – 4 g
• Kale (1 cup) – 3 g

Berries & other lower-glycemic fruits

Sure, fruit comes loaded with nutrients and fiber, but it can also satisfy your sweet tooth. On a hot summer’s day, swap the Dulce de Leche for lower-sugar, fiber-rich unsweetened So Delicious coconut yogurt and frozen raspberries.

Or top fresh berries with cinnamon and sliced almonds for a whopping 10 grams of fiber per serving.

Apples make another smart choice: smear almond butter on apple slices for a sweet, crunchy, high-fiber treat.

High-fiber fruits include:

• Raspberries (1 cup)– 8 g
• Blueberries (1 cup) – 4 g
• Apple (1 small) – 4 g

Slow-release starchy carbs

Slow-release carbs pack massive amounts of fiber to keep your blood sugar slow and steady, providing you sustained energy and fat burning.

Black beans, for instance, make an inexpensive fiber-rich side dish or added to soups.

Beans are tops, but don’t neglect other slow-release carbs like sweet potatoes and quinoa, which also pack a fiber punch.

• High-fiber starchy carbs include (all below are for 1 cup):
• Lentils – 16 g
• Garbanzo beans – 13 g
• Kidney beans – 13 g
• Quinoa – 5 g
• Sweet potato – 4 g

Good fats

Who doesn’t love avocado? Well, you’re in luck: 1 cup packs a walloping 10 grams of fiber. Load some into your salad or enjoy guacamole with kale chips for a delicious fiber boost.

Nuts and seeds are also good fats that pack impressive fiber amounts. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, for instance, found that nuts help people better control their weight. Be creative. Kids and adults, for instance, love pistachio-crusted chicken fingers.

Portion control is key if you snack on nuts, especially if you open a jar of almonds and a handful becomes the whole jar. If that’s a problem, portion them in little baggies and step away from the nut jar! (Ask your roommate or partner to hide them if necessary.)

High-fiber good fats include:

• Almonds (1/4 cup) – 4 g
• Flaxseed (2 tablespoons) – 4 g
• Avocado (1 cup) – 10 g

So you see, meeting your 50-gram fiber quota isn’t nearly as daunting when you incorporate high-fiber whole foods throughout your day.

For instance, start your day with a protein shake. Combine plant-based but not soy protein powder with 1 cup of raspberries, ½ cup of spinach, and 2 tablespoons of flaxseeds and you’ll pack an impressive 19 grams of fiber just for breakfast. (Take that, high-fiber cereals!)

I get it: some days you do your best and still fall short. Maybe you’re traveling, for instance, or attend a dinner party where vegetables are scarce. That’s when I turn to a high-quality fiber supplement. Look for one with multiple sources of soluble and insoluble fiber.

A little trick to curb appetite and cravings: stir fiber powder into a tall glass of water about 30 minutes to one hour before meals. You’ll probably find yourself less tempted to reach for seconds. That’s why I call fiber tops for fat loss and fast metabolism!

For more great tips from JJ, click here!

The post My Secret Weapon for Fat Loss & Fast Metabolism appeared first on Health Hound.

Neuro Metabolic Fat Loss & Fitness Expert

Your body has access points, short circuits, and subconscious healing power.

Let’s talk about each one in greater detail:
Access points – these are like pivot points, or areas in your body that take maximum strain, but they can withstand it well.  For example, your center of mass (CoM).  This is located where your fingers would meet if you took one index finger and pointed just above your belly button, and the other index finger and pointed at your side, just above your hip bone.

 
Your CoM is the #1 area in your body for controlling movement.  Wherever your center of mass goes, you’re inclined to move.  Therefore, if you reach and grab an object that’s overhead or in front of you, your CoM shifts upward and forward, meaning that this would be the ‘balance point’ for your body if it were a seesaw.

 
Naturally, since your body always needs to react by recruiting protective muscles, stabilizing segments in your spine to prevent a herniated disc, etc. when your CoM moves, this is a great starting point for rehabilitation when it comes to pain relief through realignment.  Due to improper posture, mal-positioned joints, etc., your body shifts the location of your CoM, and weaker, less capable muscles are left to take over to prevent injury.  Since these weaker muscles that are not part of your true core are attempting to do the work for stronger core muscles, your body is set up for failure and is bound to get injured.

 
We need to re-assign the right position (Day 1 & 2) and then re-center you in Day 3 by re- training the “right” muscles to hold you where you belong.
Short circuits are pathways in your body that create an ‘override’ signal to produce a desired result.  For example, when you place your finger on a hot stove, a pain signal goes off that tells you to lift your finger off the stove.  Without thinking, you automatically remove your finger from the stove… you’ve just overridden your movement center with your pain tracks in your nervous system.

 
My goal is to help you find these short circuits, use them to your advantage, and override pain instead.  At the same time, I’d like to show you how to properly recruit your muscles, get muscle contractions you actually want, and override the signals that have been blocking them for so long.  It’s easy once you know what to do.

 
Subconscious healing power takes place once your body understands what to do with this new stimulus. It will continue to organize your body for improved outcomes… whether it believes you need to be restricted and in pain or full of pain relief and completely mobile.

Once you “trigger” the healing response, your subconscious mind will find ways to improve coordination, strength, mobility and activation of all these muscles without you even having to do anything.  It’s amazing to see the end-result of a SMART healing plan!

Have a good day–and good luck,

Kareem

 

For information on how to get better results from your workout with less cardio, click here!

The post The Secret To Easy Workout Success appeared first on Health Hound.

Neuro Metabolic Fat Loss & Fitness Expert

Your body is programmed to hold onto fat. You’ve designed it that way… I did the same thing, once. Now, it’s time to break the cycle.  Your body needs to understand that it’s time to shape itself, shed fat, and build muscle.  Your body needs to increase its own signal and communication before allowing you to progress in strength and dominate your fat. Your body holds onto fat because it feels you are endangering it. Plain and simple.  You hold onto fat because your body is worried about you… and with good reason, and all due respect.  With that said, it’s not your fault. If you fully understood the language of your body, you’d let it know that everything’s ok and you’re just making choices that make you happy. …or do they?

I’d like to teach you the best communication strategy to your body so that you can begin restoring it and signaling to your central nervous system that it’s time to enhance function and progress self.  It all starts with alignment…

Body Alignment:
Body alignment ultimately dictates whether or not pain receptor response is being signaled from your joints to your brain, asking muscles to turn off.  When joints are out of position, it’s like putting two pointy objects against each other at a diagonal.  The chances are, one of them can break very quickly with just a bit of pressure.  As a result, your brain tells your muscles to turn off and back down.
No wonder it’s taking you more to build your metabolism… muscle = metabolism, and your muscles might not even be turning on… or they might be 30% efficient.
This is the most under-diagnosed situation I see in people who are trying to get fit.  Less muscle fires during exercises than their counterparts who shed fat in weeks instead of months.  With this in mind, don’t you think we should learn how to activate muscle a bit more easily?
Build joint alignment for increased muscle signaling.  Then, work muscles at different speeds and angles.  Lastly, think about what you’re doing.  Let’s talk about each one:

Working Muscles At Different Speeds:
Your muscles are composed of Type I, Type IIa, and Type IIb fibers.  This refers to the amount of oxygen (left) to glucose (right) the muscle fiber relies on for energy.  In a type IIb fiber, it’s purely glycolytic, or sugar-consuming.  These are the fast-twitch muscles and they don’t last long.
Summary point: Sprint fibers don’t last long… duh!  (but they eat sugar – that’s cool)
After your Type IIb muscle fibers tire out, your Type IIa fibers kick in, burning up your excess sugar-based energy and beginning to consume surrounding oxygen molecules bound to hemoglobin in the area.  This lasts for about 60-120 seconds.
Summary point: ‘Average’ fibers last for 1-2 minutes (but they help us keep going and also eat sugar – pretty cool.)
Following Type IIa fatigue, your Type I muscle fibers rely solely on oxygen and help you finish your set.  Now, you’re working in the presence of oxygen, building endurance, and healing joints… which, as you might imagine, is an important signal to your brain to turn muscle back on.
Summary point: Slow fibers eat oxygen, which is needed for adequate circulation and healing of joints.  If joints feel they are endangered, your brain turns off surrounding muscles and pads the joint with fat.  (we need these guys!)

Working Muscles At Different Angles:
Depending on the muscle, muscle fibers may run in as many as 3-5 different directions. This means that angular variety to exercise is very important to stimulate full muscle contractions.  This is the reason that people do incline bench press as well as bench, but is this really it?  Have we reached all of the fibers?
Just by doing bench press, incline bench press, butterfly, and decline bench press we haven’t hit all of the fibers.
I humbly discovered something when I first mastered anatomy.  Having spent hundreds if not a thousand hours in the anatomy lab, I now have X-Ray vision with exercise.  I can tell when a muscle is being stressed properly, or when malalignment is taking place ever so slightly.  This is what I do.
Well, as it turns out, muscle actions dictate whether or not a muscle fiber is being recruited.  For example, the pecs have 3 actions:  Adduction (moving arm towards your other arm), Flexion (raise arm up), Internal Rotation of the humerus (turn thumb down)
So, in order to hit all fibers of the pecs, you’d need to add all three movements at different angles.

Think About What You’re Doing:
Your muscles contract because of 2 areas in your brain.  First is your Pre-Motor Area; second is your Motor Area, or movement execution center.  You’ll want to use both centers if you want to maximize signal to your muscle.
Your pre-motor area is where you plan movement.  Movement planning efficiency can actually yield up to 30% greater contractile strength.  So, in short, if you can think about and properly visualize a movement before executing it, you can lift 30% more weight, and get results 30% faster.
Your motor area is where you send the command to move.  So long as your joints are properly aligned and there’s no acute danger or injury, your body is primed to activate as much muscle as possible.
Sweet deal, huh?

Have a great day,

Kareem

For more from Dr. Kareem, click here!

The post Program Yourself To Lose Fat – Body Restoration Fat Loss appeared first on Health Hound.

If you’re like me, you have less time to juggle more tasks these days. Those overwhelming responsibilities and demands can drain every ounce of energy before morning even ends.

I see so many people reach for a quick pick-me-up to keep them going all afternoon and complete their ever-growing to-do list.

More than just energy drinks, 5-Hour Energy, Red Bull, and super-caffeinated coffee reveal an energy-deprived society searching for a quick fix. I get it: some days you feel like you’re running on empty and desperately seek a second wind to pull you through that afternoon meeting and then fight rush-hour traffic.

Sure, a tall late-morning java gives you a boost, but coffee also raises your cortisol levels, stressing your already-overworked adrenals. Inevitably you crash, though your next fix conveniently lies around the corner at Starbucks or in the break room where your receptionist left fresh-baked cookies.

You don’t have to feel this way and you needn’t succumb to short-term solutions that contribute to long-term energy crashes. These 7 strategies will help you maintain steady, sustained energy all day:

1. 1.   Get 7 – 9 hours of high-quality sleep every night. Nothing like a restless night to zap your energy, make you feel lousy, and start the day’s caffeine cycle. Even one night’s poor sleep can adversely affect your hunger hormones and set the stage for cravings, lethargy, and a miserable day at the office.
2. 2.   Check your thyroid levels. Ask your doctor to run a thyroid panel and include free T3 to make sure you convert well to the active form.  Signs of low thyroid include low body temperature, dry skin, weak nails, poor hair growth, high cholesterol, constipation, slightly yellow palms, and missing the outer third of your eyebrows.  Aim for a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level between 1 and 2.
3. 3.   Eat by the Plate. Start your morning with a low-fat muffin or cereal and you’re due for a 10:30 a.m. energy crash. Instead, make breakfast a protein smoothie. I always use plant-based but not soy protein powder blended with frozen berries (raspberries are highest in fiber), chia or flaxseeds, kale (you won’t taste it!), and unsweetened coconut or almond milk. You’ll get blood sugar-balancing protein, good fats, and fiber to keep you full and focused for hours. To maintain that steady energy all day, load your plate with lean protein, good fats like avocado and olive oil, leafy greens, and slow-release high-fiber carbs.
4. 4.   Zap the energy thieves. No, not your in-laws! (Though toxic relationships can certainly drain your energy.) I’m talking about coffee, alcohol, and other stimulants or relaxing substances that help you in the moment but leave you listless later. I enjoy a cup of organic dark roast or pinot noir as much as anyone else, but over-relying on these for energy and relaxation can create long-term problems.
5. 5.   Burst to boost energy. Kind of ironic that exerting energy creates more energy, but that post-exercise endorphin boost can make you feel exuberant. Who has hours for the gym? Burst training can help you blast fat and boost energy in just minutes a day. My 4 x 4 Workout combines burst training with resistance training – the 2 best types of exercise – in just 15 minutes, 3 times a week.
6. Get your D. Sunshine helps regulate your circadian rhythm and improve energy levels. Studies show among its many problems, vitamin D deficiency contributes to fatigue. Ask your doctor to test your D levels and aim for 60 – 80 ng/ ml. Once you’ve hit that mark, I recommend 5,000 IUs of vitamin D as a maintenance dose. And get out: even 10 minutes of sunshine can boost your D levels.(1)
7. 7.   Try this energy cocktail. If you’re eating correctly, exercising, and getting optimal sleep but still can’t sustain steady energy levels, nutrients can help replenish energy at the cellular level. My favorites include a B Complex, CoQ10, carnitine, and tyrosine.

Now your turn: what are your tried-and-true natural energy boosters? Share them in the comments section below.

Want more from JJ Virgin? Click here!

The post Running on Empty? 7 Strategies to Boost Your Energy Levels appeared first on Health Hound.

OZ is Right  -  Oz is Wrong -  √ Inconclusive

The Hound may be a guy, but I know how much you ladies can’t stand the idea of cellulite. And while Mother Nature has seen to it that women suffer from the condition more than men, we are not immune to “cottage cheese butt” either! When it comes to getting in shape, and fighting signs of aging, Cellulite treatments are a multibillion dollar business, rivaled only by weight-loss and wrinkle creams. So it’s only natural that Dr. Oz would feature some natural cellulite treatments on his program. And it’s only natural that the Hound would check up on them for you!

First up, let me say for the record that there is no cure for cellulite, but there are treatments available, some more effective than others. “We are tackling one of the biggest body complaints as you age—cellulite,” said Dr. Oz as he introduced health and beauty expert Kimberly Snyder, on a recent broadcast.

What is Cellulite?

Dr. Oz went on to explain that cellulite is caused when fat cells are pushing past the collagen layer that supports the skin and in effect are pressing directly against the skin and giving it that classic bumpy, dimply appearance of cellulite, rather than the normal smooth appearance of skin if the fat cells stayed where they belonged behind the collagen. That is a 100% accurate description of what causes cellulite.

Ways to Reduce the Problem

Ms. Snyder says that one of ways to reduce this problem is to strengthen your collagen layer, in effect making the “wall” between the fat and the skin harder for the fat cells to push through.  She says you can do this with diet by eating certain foods that create a stronger healthier skin/collagen barrier to the fat cells. Examples of her anti-cellulite detox foods include the spice cilantro, Oat Groats and citrus fruits.

Now there is nothing wrong with adding any of these foods to your diet. They are all healthful, have a detoxifying effect on the body, and are rich in anti-oxidants. So they do have overall health benefits, however, I could not find any specific clinical trials, or research that backs up Snyder’s claims that they can specifically fight cellulite. However, to her credit, there has been clinical research that has found that cellulite is influenced by diet. Researchers found that a certain chemical compound called spermine when applied directly to skin, caused it to take on a cellulite-like appearance. The main sources of spermine in the diet of most Americans is ground beef, and processed luncheon meats. So here is yet another reason to cut those out of your diet and increase fruits and veggies! In fact, again, while I could not locate a specific study on the effects on cellulite of the specific foods Snyder recommended on the Dr. Oz show, there have been several studies that indicate that women who are vegetarians have less of a problem with cellulite, than meat eaters.

On previous programs and on his website Dr. Oz has also recommended a natural cellulite cream made from coffee, or coffee extracts. This has been a purported home remedy for cellulite for a long time, with some woman actually getting results by rubbing coffee grounds on their thighs. But does it work?  Beauty experts say it can have some moderate, or temporary effect due to the caffeine and antioxidants in coffee. But they recommend using fresh ground coffee combined with olive oil rather than used coffee grounds. Apparently the caffeine in coffee dilates blood vessels, which will temporarily tone and tighten tissue. Plus, caffeine when applied topically can increase circulation and reduce water retention, both of which may reduce the cottage cheese look of cellulite.

So, I do not want to say Oz is wrong on this one, because there is nothing “wrong” with the recommendations made on his May broadcast, but I hate to also say he is “right” because though harmless, any effect these recommendations have on cellulite, is temporary at best – so this week he gets an “Inconclusive.”  Stay Tuned!

The post Dr. Oz and Natural Cellulite Remedies appeared first on Health Hound.

I was doing some research recently and stumbled across an interesting article in the Washington Post that revealed some “secrets” of highly obese people.  What researchers discovered provided a primer about what not to do for fat loss and fast metabolism.

For instance, obese people begin eating sooner, devour larger portions, skip breakfast, and eat faster than their lean counterparts. That last one really got my attention because I see it far too often.

Welcome to fast food nation, where we engulf double cheeseburgers driving 80 miles an hour on the freeway and mindlessly devour half a pint of double chocolate chip in the kitchen while flipping through gossip magazines.

Digestion 101

If you stayed awake during high school or college anatomy and physiology class, you might recall how amazingly your digestive system performs. Regardless, allow me to recap the highlights.

Digestion begins in your mouth, when that first taste of wild-caught salmon saturates your taste buds. Chewing well helps your tongue recognize the food, alerting your brain to signal your digestive system to release the right juices to break down that food.

Are you with me so far?

Breaking down your food optimally also helps your digestive juices in your stomach coat the food, and consequently your body more effectively assimilate those nutrients.

Except when you engulf your food, your brain doesn’t get that message to stop eating. That’s because it takes about 20 minutes before a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) tells your brain to stop eating. Devouring your food doesn’t give CCK enough time to relay the message to your brain, and you eat too much.

If I’ve lost you here, just remember these 5 words: slow down when you eat.

Optimal Digestion through Elimination

Indigestion is a frequent sign of food intolerances. Highly reactive foods trigger inflammation, bloating, cramping, and other gut-related issues. You’re not breaking down food efficiently, which means you’re not absorbing optimal nutrients. Listen, it’s not normal to run to the bathroom or grab the antacids after a big meal. Those are big red flags that you’ve got gut problems.

I take several steps to rectify these issues with clients. For one, I ask them to pull the top 7 highly reactive foods for 3 weeks. Those foods include egg, soy, gluten, dairy, peanuts, corn, and sugar and artificial sweeteners. Fast fat loss isn’t the only goal during this elimination period (though most people lose up to 7 pounds their first week). When you aren’t eating these foods, you allow your gut a chance to heal.

Besides pulling those 7 foods, you need the right nutrients to heal. My number-one gut healer is the amino acid glutamine, your small intestine’s preferred source of fuel. I call glutamine powder a 2-for-1 deal, since it also curbs sugar cravings that can seriously stall fat loss.

Ginger, quercetin, and aged garlic extract are also part of my leaky gut-healing regimen because they reduce inflammation and help restore your gut barrier.

Let’s look at how that benefits you. Maybe you had food intolerances to soy. Every time you ate tofu stir-fry, you suffered post-meal cramping and a headache.

So you pull soy completely (along with the other highly reactive foods) for 3 weeks. You follow my leaky gut nutrient protocol. You minimize stress, which adversely impacts your gut. You get 7 – 9 hours of consistent sleep every night. You slow down and eat mindfully.

What often happens is that when you challenge soy in cycle 2, you discover you can occasionally tolerate some organic tempeh without that miserable after-meal misery. That’s a surefire sign you’ve healed leaky gut, which is one reason I don’t want you to skip cycle 2 no matter how great you feel in cycle 1.

Slow Down to Slim Down

Being mindful and eating slowly are easier said than done, but these 10 strategies can help you optimize digestion, reduce food sensitivities, meet your fat-loss goals, and actually enjoy your food:

Don’t drink water during your meals. I want you to drink half your body weight in water ounces every day on The Virgin Diet. The 1 time I don’t want you drinking is during meals, when too much liquid can dilute stomach enzymes that break down protein.

Try a digestive enzyme if you need it. Your body’s digestive enzymes slow down by time you’re in your 30s, which means you have more problems breaking down and assimilating food. Bio-gest from Thorne Research is a comprehensive digestive enzyme with hydrochloric acid (HCl) that eliminates post-meal gas, bloating, and other digestive issues.

Chew every bite 20 – 25 times. Seriously.

Don’t dashboard dine. Many states ticket you if you’re talking or texting while you drive. Let’s get a similar law for drivers who engulf breakfast burritos on the freeway.

Eat during a regularly appointed time at your designated eating area. Eat your almond-crusted chicken and Brussels sprouts at the dining room table at 6 p.m., not while watching Cosby Show reruns on the sofa. Keep the bed for sleep and sex, not an 11 p.m. rendezvous with a jar of almond butter.

Be mindful and savor your food. Pretend like you’re dining with monks at a Zen monastery or the Queen of England.

Use chopsticks. Good luck slamming your food down with these guys!

Shrink your plate to shrink your stomach. Your stomach holds about a quart of food. Can it handle the amount you’ve got piled on your 14-inch plate?

Put your fork or chopsticks down between bites and chew. This isn’t a race. There is no prize, only potential indigestion, if you’re first to finish eating.

Make your dining mantra “smaller bites, increased chewing.” This might require some practice if you’re used to devouring your food like a Coney Island hot dog contest.

For more tips from JJ, click here!

The post Slow Down for Fat Loss & Fast Metabolism appeared first on Health Hound.

There has been a lot of talk in the weight loss and alternative health and wellness community about “juicing” and juice cleanses. Some of these such as the lemonade diet, have left The Hound barking mad, because they are ineffective at best, and dangerous at worst. Others have been well thought-out, and well researched such as can be found in The Everything Easy Cleanse book, by Cynthia Lechan-Goodman.

So when Dr. Oz recently featured a “Three-Day Juice Cleanse” on his show, I decided to see which side of the pendulum he was on!

First of all this particular cleanse was created by Joe Cross, who Dr. Oz had on the program to speak about it. If that name sounds familiar, it should. Joe was the star of, and creative force behind the excellent movie, Fat, Sick and Nearly, Dead. The film was so titled because that is exactly how Joe felt before embarking on a 60-day quest to turn his life around by drinking only fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Joe is now suggesting that anyone can get similar results, by doing that for only three-days.

The Weekend Cleanse

Joe suggests that you should use this coming weekend instead of partying on beer and BBQ, to get healthy. Dr. Oz thinks that this program which is done only for three days, and replaces only two meals of those days — breakfast and lunch– with juice, is safe, and practical. He warns his viewers not to go on any extended Juice Cleanse, without the supervision of a medical doctor.   The Hound agrees. In this three-day cleanse, you will have juice at breakfast, again mid-morning, for lunch, and then a dinner consisting only of fresh fruits and vegetables.

There are others who agree that a short cleanse, such as Joe suggests, can jump start your weight loss efforts. Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of “Super Immunity: The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body’s Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free” says that  a short period of juice can “retrain  your taste buds to savor the pleasures of fruits and vegetables.” So when you add more of these to a diet plan to lose weight and improve over-all health, your body will more readily accept, what for some, could be a radical dietary change.

Doctors Fuhrman and Oz go on to say that juicing can also be beneficial for people with elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure, and those suffering from autoimmune diseases, like “arthritis, digestive problems and skin conditions.” Specific cleanses for each of these conditions and more can be found in the Everything Easy Cleanse Book or in Super Immunity.

You can find a complete shopping list of what you need for the Weekend Cleanse, and Joe’s favorite recipes by clicking on this link.

Right or Wrong? 

Beginning with this week’s “Oz Watch” column, you will see three check boxes at the head of the post – OZ is Right – Oz is Wrong – Inconclusive. When I agree with Dr. Oz, and can find third party evidence to back me up, the first box will be checked, when I do not, and there is evidence that I can point to that shows Oz is wrong, you will see the second box checked, and where there is not quite enough evidence to make a conclusion either way, the third will be checked.

So today we start keeping score, and so far “America’s Doctor” is One for One!  

Ps one of my favorite cleanses is form Yuri Elkaim at  www.TotalWellnessCleanse.com

The post The 3-day Juice Cleanse appeared first on Health Hound.

Henry’s rating 4.5 out of 5

Fitness Guru Tana Amen appeared on the “Today” show this past week, and a bunch of other media outlets, hawking her new book, “The Omni Diet,” which hit the shelves in April.

The full title of the book including the subtitle is a bit of a mouthful, “The Revolutionary 70% Plant + 30% Protein Program to Lose Weight, Reverse Disease, Fight Inflammation, and Change Your Life Forever.” Wow, sounds good. But let’s take a closer look at the book and its author.

Amen has a health background, she is a Registered Nurse, so that gives her a few plusses from me on the credibility side.  The actual diet plan, as the subtitle implies, is 70% plants – fruits, veggies, and fruit juices, and 30% protein from lean meat sources and nuts. There’s no dairy, sugars, processed foods or grains, although quinoa is allowed. In many ways Amen’s diet and weight loss plan, as it is used at her clinic, is very similar to the Paleo, or “Caveman” Diet.

In fact, Amen herself says the guests at her clinic, “eat like a gorilla.” Says Amen, “Aping a wild gorilla’s eating habits could dramatically improve your health — or may even add years to your life, by reducing your risk for killer diseases like diabetes, heart attack, stroke and dementia.”

At the clinic she also works with her husband, who is a medical doctor, and himself a published author in the field of wellness. So, still so far, good. In fact, Tana worked with her husband Dr. Daniel Amen and a team that also included functional medicine specialist Dr. Mark Hyman and my old pal, Dr. Mehmet Oz, to create the very popular Daniel Plan, a healthy lifestyle plan.

Special Note to the Hound Readers: If you Google “Omni Diet” you might come up with some negative reviews of a diet plan and so-called weight loss products by a company called Omnitrition. And rightfully so. These guys are nothing but scammers and multi-level marketers pushing a bogus HCG type diet, called “Omni Drops,” and they will face my full wrath another day. But, PLEASE do not confuse the Omni Diet with these jokers. The founders of Omnitrition are Roger and Barbara Daley. Tana and Daniel Amen have nothing at all to do with Omnitrition.

Who Should Use It?

The Omni Diet is not strictly a “weight-loss” plan, as it is a lifestyle diet. Amen came up with the book and the Omni Diet as the result of her own experiences in combating thyroid disease. So it is a diet created to combat disease, and improve over all wellness, as much as it has been designed to help you lose weight. So, anyone who can follow the diet, (and it’s not all that easy, more on that in a bit) can benefit from it.

The Good

To follow the 70% plant and 30% protein dieting plan, Amen gives her readers exact foods and detailed instructions. She provides you with specific diet recipes and food swaps to follow. Most importantly, she includes exercise as a component of the plan. As readers of The Hound well know, I am immediately skeptical of any Diet Plan, or weight-loss product that claims to offer you weight loss without exercise, or changing your lifestyle.

The kind of core-strengthening exercises Amen recommends triggers the need for your body to burn calories and build lean muscle. No diet alone can do that. But again, keep in mind that the Omni Diet is more of a holistic lifestyle reboot, than a quick weight loss plan.

The Bad

No diet is perfect for everyone. The meat on this one can turn off some strictly vegans, and some nutritionists will take issue with the lack of whole grains. The recipes can be lengthy, a little hard to follow, and expensive.

As I said, this is not a simple 30-day quick fix diet to lose a few pounds, but a wholesale change in lifestyle to improve overall health and wellness. It takes quiet a commitment to do so, and may not be all that easy for a lot of full-time working folks.

The Bottom Line

Overall there is a lot to beat your chest about in the Omni Diet. Tana has good and credible credentials as a fitness expert. There is good science to back up her plan. Her program is drug free, all natural, and sees the benefits of eating right, not only to lose weight, but improve your health overall and combat disease.

 I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars, missing a 5 out of 5 only because it could be tough for some to follow.

Sources

http://www.examiner.com/article/new-omni-diet-puts-plants-and-protein-at-the-forefront-for-health-weight-loss

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16045143-the-omni-diet

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tana-amen/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tana-amen/healthy-diet_b_2867253.html

http://losebellyfatcenter.com/diet-to-lose-belly-fat/the-omni-nutrition-diet-the-full-review

For more great diet tips, click here:

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Neuro Metabolic Fat Loss & Fitness Expert

Flexibility and Recovery are the two most underexposed and important areas of fitness. Without the proper muscle length or repair process in place, your workouts would be extremely limited.

Functional flexibility, or flexibility as it relates to movement and muscle health, really comes down to one term:

Neuro-Inhibition <— your body’s ability to reduce signal to a muscle during a stretch.
If your nervous system continues to send electricity to a muscle while you are stretching it, your muscle would continue to contract and you wouldn’t get anywhere.  However, you can overpower a weak signal, which is often times where most of us spend the majority of our time while stretching.
Essentially, we are working against ourselves while stretching.  Crazy, right?

But there are a few tricks you can use to limit the amount of neurofacilitation (the opposite of inhibition) that takes place.  For example:

1. Listen to relaxing music – this causes a whole body relaxation response.
2. Rock or cradle yourself or a body part – much like rocking a baby, this ‘rolling’ or ‘rocking’ motion relaxes your muscles and causes you to get a better stretch
3. Reciprocal Inhibition – turning one muscle ‘off’ by using the equal and opposite one to create movement. For example, a biceps curl turns off your triceps, s your arm can move freely.

It gets really fun when you learn to stack your stretching program into such an all encompassing approach that guarantees results.
Mission Unbreakable does this, along with a lot more, to create the ideal stretching environment for your body. Your body will recover, rehabilitate, and arm itself against future injury.
…and then there’s Recovery, which really comes down to two factors:

1. Exercise
2. Nutrition

Exercise:
Your body produces a ton of lactic acid following an intense bout of exercise… often times, more than what’s needed, unless you cool down.  A proper cool down, or post-workout routine, will lead to increased muscle length, improved muscular coordination, and decreased soreness following workouts.
Your body craves a good post-workout routine.
It helps you get ready for the next day’s workout, helps you battle through restrictions that developed from old injuries or immobility while you’re warm, and helps take swelling out of muscles before cooling down completely.

Nutrition.
This is such an important area of fitness.  Post-workout nutrition.  You’ve already heard me talk about some of the advantages of a post-workout recovery drink, allowing your body to recover more quickly following a workout and surge your energy level to get more from the rest of  your day.  That’s great, if you are still getting in your meal within an hour and making sure to have your meal properly balanced to prime yourself for improved results tomorrow.

For more great tips, click here!

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