Health Blog | Fitness Blog | Diet Fitness | Free Weight Loss Diet | Free Diet Plans | Weight Loss Secrets | Quick Weight Loss Diet | News4MyHealth.com

Anti-aging 101, the best natural agents for anti-aging and cancer prevention

Many people are starting to become very health and body-conscious because of the many different health issues erupting in the medical setting today. Because of the changing environment, there are many environmental concerns and foods in our diet that can actually hasten aging and/or even cause cancer! However, scientists and doctors have found new ways to prevent these from happening with the use of certain antioxidants such as acai berry, CLA and green tea. These antioxidants are healthy substances that are able to prevent some of the harmful environmental factors and processes that damage DNA and cells and lead to aging and cancer.

Cancer or tumorigenesis is the mutation of DNA into harmful cancer cells or the formation of tumors that divert blood and nutrient supply from healthy tissues in order to feed themselves. This may be caused by a number of factors from your external environment. Certain high frequency radiation, like radon from uranium-rich soil, ionizing radiation (IR) from x-ray machines and ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, are also major reasons for cancer. Other health risks are smoking, ingestion of carbonaceous materials, excessive use of certain drugs and alcohol, psychological stress, cellular phone use, asbestos exposure, electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure, and nuclear facility exposure. Therefore, a particular lifestyle decision, such as taking in antioxidants, can help prevent these things from happening and even help in anti aging.

After the peak of the body’s development and growth in the mid-20s, the human body begins the process of aging as it normally transitions from the various stages of human development. In this process though, the body starts to decline in function in its latter stages, especially without preventive measures such as a healthy diet and exercise. Aging can be caused primarily by pollution in your environment or exposure to infectious diseases. It is normal for the biological system to create oxidants or free radicals which react with other cells and destroy them. Anti aging products include antioxidants that could effectively cleanse the system from harmful oxidants taken in from the environment through breathing, eating or other biological processes (e.g. absorbtion of harmful rays).

One of the most well known antioxidant-rich compounds is a acai berry – a fruit harvested from the acai palm tree, which has been found to contain health-promoting nutrients because of their concentration of anthocyanin. It helps to counteract oxidants from destroying connective tissue and to repair damaged proteins in the walls of blood vessels. This definitely helps the process of anti aging and, at the same time, helps to fight diseases like cancer.

However, there are more superior antioxidants for better anti aging and for combating cancer. CLA or conjugated linoleic acid, which naturally occurs in meat, has been found to inhibit tumor growth by as much as fifty percent and helps one lose weight by detoxifying the system of fat cells by breaking them down. Green tea has been studied to inhibit the ability of tumors to elicit capillary growth that direct blood and nutrients to the cancer cells. It also has the ability to boost the metabolic rate by thirty percent, allowing more fats to get burned. CLA and green tea are the best anti aging supplements.

Its important to note that the best defense against harmful free radicals is avoidance. Staying away from known sources such as cigarret smoke, drugs, harmful radiation etc is the best way to avoid the deleterious effects of harmdul free radicals. At the same time maintaining a healthy diet combined with daily exercise ensures that your body is able to keep its stores of naturally occuring antioxidants high. Beyond this, supplementing with powerful antioxidant such as CLA or green tea gives you the best chance at preventing damage to your DNA, cells and the health risks rthat accompany free radicals.

Weight loss can be difficult, thats for sure, but like anything else – the more you know, the easier it is. Once you understand the basics, you’ll make constant steady progress, stay fit, make you look great and help you feel fabulous. The basics of being fit and fab are all about keeping your metabolism going strong. It is definitely a challenge to lose fat and maintain a healthy and trim body, but there are a lot of easy exercises and fun activities that you can engage in and a lot of supplements you can take for you to keep your metabolism running fast and steady.

It’s really important to build muscles and strength train regularly because this can maintain a high metabolic rate when trying to lose fat. If you lose muscle tissue instead of body fat, your fat burning capacity will decrease. The more calories you will burn, the more you use your muscles. Walking and high intensity interval training can burn can burn fat significantly than sleeping or watching TV. Exercising frequently, especially in the morning, also speeds up your metabolism and can still burn your calories even after the session. This is why it is advisable to take in calories post-exercise. You can try having interval training as often as possible. This will only take only about ten minutes and greatly improves fitness and metabolic levels. Mental exercises are also very important in keeping your whole body healthy. Avoid stress through relaxing activities such as yoga, tai chi or even writing.

In order to lose fat more effectively, you also have to remember that you should not reduce your calorie level too much. With too few food intakes, you can increase your appetite to an unhealthy level and start eating too much after your starvation diet. Avoid skipping meals and spread out calorie intake into four to five well-balanced snacks and meals for the day. It is very important to keep within your recommended calorie range and still keep the capacity of burning stored fat and have energy for your daily activities, too. Also, do not deprive yourself of sleep as studies show that this may slow down your metabolism as well.

There are also a lot of supplements that can help you lose fat. CLA or conjugated linoleic acid is a group of essential fatty acids that enhances metabolism by allowing lipids to be used as energy and reducing blood sugar. Research shows that CLA can help boost lean body mass, especially in the abdomen. Green tea with its antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (ECGC) activates brown adipose tissue (BAT) to participate in a heat-generating metabolic process called thermogenesis. This heat induces loss of appetite and increases fat and calorie-burning, slows down release of carbohydrates, stops sudden rising blood-insulin levels, and lowers cholesterol. L-dopa is a mood stabilizer or enhancer that controls emotional or stress eating. This can also stimulate the secretion of human growth hormone (HGH), which increases lean muscles and decreases fats as well. You can lose fat and lose pounds immediately with these helpful tips and get that dream body you’ve always been aspiring for.

Its official – everybody seems to be interested in the connection between their health and their diet. Following that old adage “you are what you eat”, we now know that our diets can have wonderful, positive effects on our health and well-being – or negative and disastrous effects. There’s been a lot of focus on the health and weight loss benefits of low fat, and low carb diets – but what about the Mediterranean diet? One of the most popular diets observed by a lot of people from around the world is the mediterranean diet. The mediterranean diet does not only incorporate the proper foods, it also fosters an improved attitude towards a healthier lifestyle.

The Mediterranean diet is actually a bit of a misnomer – as there are many Mediterranean people and cultures that do not follow this diet. What it actually refers to is the pattern of eating and lifestyle observed in poor Mediterranean cultures in the 1960s.

While the Mediterranean diet was originally described earlier (1940s) it didn’t really catch on until the mid 1990s after the most commonly accepted version of the diet was put forth by Dr. Walter Willet of Harvard University’s School of Public Health. The diet was based on patterns of food consumption typical of Crete, parts of Greece, and southern Italy in the early 1960s. This diet, in addition to “regular physical activity,” emphasizes abundant plant foods, low to moderate amounts of fish and poultry, a maximum of four eggs consumed weekly, red meat consumed in low quantities, fresh fruits for desserts and olive oil as the principal source of fat as well as dairy products (principally cheese and yogurt) in low amounts, and wine consumed in low to moderate amounts. Total fat in this diet is about 30% of calories, with saturated fat at 8% or less of calories.

Over time the Mediterranean diet has been extensively researched. In most of the clinical trials and meta-analyses done the diet continues to prove its multiple health benefits. For example compared to low fat and low-carb diet, it has been shown to lead to greater degrees of weight loss, with lower rates of lost weight re-gain

There are also clear health benefits as well despite the diets high mono-saturated fat and salt content (from olive oil, nuts &olives). Reductions in the overall mortality rates as well as death due to cardiovascular disease and cancer have been reported and well documented. Some studies even suggest that it can even reduce the incidence of and severity of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Mediterranean diet is not without controversy however. Some people argue that a mediterranean diet is generally high in fats, and this is certainly true. However, it is extremely low in saturated fats, which are considered as bad fats. It stresses lots of olive oil, which is why a lot of experts claim that it is high in fat and yet; olive oil has been proven to increase the good cholesterol levels in the body. Still, other researchers feel that the health benefits associated with this diet are due the lifestyle choices common to the region – such as high degree of physical labor and increased amounts of sunlight – inducing a solar UVB elevation in vitamin D levels in skin oils, this has been linked to decreased levels of cardiovascular disease in some study participants. The Mediterranean diet is also amazingly high in antioxidants and fiber as these can help the body lessen the risk of heart disease, stroke and other forms of cancer. It also effectively delays aging.

So while there is some controversy, its pretty well accepted that the best diet for your healthy living and even weight loss is a diet that is low in meat products, high in fiber and vegetables with a moderate amount of carbs is best. Combined with regular daily exercise and some alcohol consumption this diet and lifestyle is supremely equipped to you’re your health up and your weight down. So follow a healthy diet and stay light & lean – just like your food!

Hypertension refers to the increase in blood pressure. It is a chronic medical condition leading to damages in your major organs like the kidneys, heart and even the brain. Previously, the condition was only common among the older population. However, with the prevalence of deleterious lifestyle choices such as smoking, poor diet and decreased physical activity, the incidence of high blood pressure amongst even the younger generation is alarming. Today, hypertension is the underlying cause for the death of millions of people yearly. Generally, the treatment includes medical therapy, but lifestyle changes, including exercise and a diet low in fats and sodium have shown promise. Knowledge is power; here’s some important information about the condition.

Types

Health experts classify hypertension as either primary or secondary. Around 90% of the cases are unknown and classified under the primary type, whereas the remaining 10% are secondary where the underlying cause is identifiable. Although the causes of primary hypertension are unknown, there are some predisposing factors like sedentary lifestyle, stress, obesity, and diet. If you love eating salty and fatty foods, your diet could be a significant risk factor in contributing to the development of hypertension. Secondary hypertension is typically caused by specific factors – such as certain tumors (adrenal glands) or tightening of the artery that leads to the kidneys – that cause an increase in resting blood pressure.

Signs and Symptoms

Generally, experts diagnose this health condition by a persistently high blood pressure reading and/or the manifestation of symptoms like headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and sweating. Your physician will make a thorough assessment on the possible cause/s of the medical condition. If you don’t follow a low fat diet and are fond of eating fatty, salty meals like animal meats, foods high in preservatives and fried foods, there is no doubt about the cause of your symptoms.

Complications

If your high blood pressure continues and you tend to neglect diet low in fats and sodium, then complications can begin to appear. Some of the dreadful complications can involve the kidney, retinas and brain – even resulting in a stroke. As the arteries become thickened with fats, and clogged with inflamed and damaged tissues in various stages of repair as a result of a high fat diet, your major vital organs will receive lesser amount of oxygen and nutrients, leading to tissue death. It can lead to blindness and kidney failure. In many cases, left untreated – symptoms of high blood pressure can lead to the rupture of major blood vessels leading to the brain and major organs causing catastrophic injury and even death.

Treatment

Hypertension treatment includes medical management with various classes of drugs. However, its become increasingly clear that a lifestyle change can also bring about control of high blood pressure – often reducing or even eliminating your dependence on drug therapy. Of course prevention is always better than cure. You can begin today by adopting a healthy diet and incorporating exercise as part of your daily activities. Get serious about your health – lose the fatty diet and start one low in fats and salt, but rich in fiber, while including plenty of fruits and vegetables. Instead of getting your all your protein from animal meats sources, mix it up a bit! Get some from fish and vegetables sources as well. Modify your cooking methods to include boiling, broiling and steaming instead of frying. Medical treatment of High blood pressure is important, but lifestyle and diet changes can avoid the need for treatment or reduce the amount of treatment needed. Check with your doctor before you consider changing or beginning any treatment.

Hypertension has claimed the lives of millions of people and continues to cause a great deal of morbidity. However, adopting a low fat, high fiber diet amongst other healthy lifestyle choices can ensure that you lead a long, healthy and high quality life.

Cholesterol Myths –  All Cholesterol is not created equal (the struggle between good and bad cholesterol)

A lot of folks always think that cholesterol is not good, however you can actually classify it into two types. LDL and HDL are the two types – the bad one and the good one. Many of the “bad” symptoms associated with high cholesterol such as plaque build-up in your artery, are commonly associated with elevated levels of  LDL cholesterol. This usually results in narrow arterial openings, which will ultimately mean a decrease in end organ perfusion (flow of blood). The benefit of HDL cholesterol (the good one) lies in its ability to decrease LDL cholesterol levels and effectively mitigate the overall effect of increased triglycerides and fatty acids.

While its easy to blame dietary cholesterol (mmmm…shrimp) for your increased serum cholesterol, in reality it’s the overall levels and consumption of saturated and trans fats (named based on their molecular structure and resultant difficulty your body has on breaking these down), free fatty acids and HDL/LDL cholesterol that conspire to elevate the levels of LDL cholesterol. Focus on eating healthy, fibrous foods and exercise often, and you can easily keep your LDL cholesterol levels down.

The Meaning of Numbers in your Cholesterol  Panel results

Adults should see to it that they have their cholesterol checked every at least 5 years. People with increased cholesterol should  have this done more often. Four results are typically given to you, which will show the levels for your LDL cholesterol, Triglycerides, total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. Should you find your cholesterol levels over or even under the normal range, you need to diet and exercise as a result.

Total Cholesterol – less than 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L)
LDL Cholesterol – less than 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)
HDL Cholesterol – greater than 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L)
Triglycerides – less than 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L)

Vitamin E and Heart Protection

Vitamin E, an important vitamin, is sourced in vegetable oils, nuts and leafy vegetables. Vitamin E can decrease your heart disease risk, but it will not prevent a heart attack.

Lowering Cholesterol with these Five Foods

1. Oatmeal and Oat Bran: These contain a high amount of soluble fiber, which can lower LDL.
2. Fish: Fish is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, which lowers LDL and raises HDL.
3. Nuts: Not only are nuts high in fiber, but they contain the healthy fats you need to keep LDL in check.
4. Plant Sterols: This is found in foods like margarine, salad dressing, orange juice, and functional cookies. 2 grams per day will lower your LDL by 10-15%.
5. Soy: This popular meat replacement can lower LDL by up to 3%.

Health Benefits of Plant Sterols

Plant sterols can be found in foods such as Benecol Spread, granola bars, VitaTops Muffin Tops and fat free milk. To help your heart, you should eat a lot of plant sterols-packed food and stop eating foods with saturated fat. You should know that this does not balance out a diet rich in saturated fats. To be in control of your cholesterol, you should still eat healthy and exercise often.

Did you know that your favorite maple syrup is effective in fighting cancer and diabetes?  According to the studies conducted by US researchers, there are strong evidences showing that maple syrup can substantially slow down the growth of cancer cells and can effectively reduce the risk of diabetes.

The new research shows that your favorite maple syrup has thirteen active compounds that serve as antioxidants. These thirteen compounds were previously unknown. The discovery proved that maple syrup could be very effective in fighting bacterial infection, diabetes and cancer.

An Effective Solution or Diabetes Sufferers

Maple syrup contains high levels of phytohormone and abscisic acid. According to research, this type of acid is a natural defense in controlling diabetes and other metabolic syndromes.

The acid is effective because it has the potential to encourage the release of insulin through the pancreatic cells. It can also enhance the fat cell’s sensitivity to insulin. The studies on maple syrup and its effects on diabetes have been reviewed by experts. The results of these studies were revealed before the American Chemical Society in San Francisco.

Maple Syrup as Your Best Chance against Cancer

A study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food showed that maple syrup can significantly inhibit the growth of cancerous cells. This study was conducted by Quebec scholars. It seeks to prove the impact of maple syrup against cancer cells.

Based on the Quebec research, the growth of cancer cells can be inhibited by maple syrup. Specifically, the syrup is very effective against brain, prostate, and lung cancer. Unfortunately, maple syrup has minimal impact against breast cancer growth.

Your Tasty Alternative to Fight Cancer and Diabetes

Maple syrup can serve as your tasty alternative in fighting cancer and diabetes. There are many anti cancer foods today like blueberries, tomatoes, broccoli, and carrots. However, recent studies have shown that maple syrup is more effective against cancer compared to other anti cancer foods. Laboratory testing results also show that the syrup is more potent compared to the maple sap.

It is also ideal to use the pure dark syrup rather than the lighter syrup. Dark syrup has high color oxidation. This is the reason why darker maple syrup should be preferred. So if you want a better alternative to fight cancer and diabetes, then your favorite maple syrup is a good option.

Reference: Journal of medicinal food. 01/02/2010; ISSN: 1557-7600, OI: 10.1089/jmf.2009.0029

About the Author – Sandy Harris writes for the <a href=”http://www.diabeticsnacks.org/”>diabetic appetizers</a> blog , her personal hobby blog focused on tips to prevent, cure and manage diabetes using healthy snacks and recipes.

Cardio exercise is not achieved with a simple stroll down the lane.   The goal is to increase your heart rate and maintain the increased level for a period of time.  You need to exert yourself and expend some energy to get that heart rate up.

It is always wise to check with your doctor before beginning an exercise regimen and will advise you if you need to start slowly or limit the exercises.

You can combine cardio exercise with circuit or weight training if you maintain heart rate at the higher level.  For those who do calisthenics, alternating with cardio exercises is effective in keeping the heart rate high while allowing a short resting period.

Mixing your sets of various exercises to provide maximum cardio benefit while toning your body makes sense and can make your exercise session more interesting through variety.  The addition of a healthy weight loss supplement provides the nutritional support your body needs as well as reducing hunger pangs.   The best weight loss diet pill, leads to better overall health as it lowers blood sugar, increases metabolism and boosts your body’s immunity to disease.

One of the best things to do with your cardio routine is warm up and get your body into the “fat burning” stage. Research has shown that exercise performed in this state is much more effective at actually burning fat in local fat stores. This means that if your want to melt away troublesome abdominal fat; you should do your cardio before an aggressive abdominal routine to best burn away the fat. This applies to pretty much any muscle area. The combination of increased blood flow, and increased energy requirement will force the body to start converting its energy stored as fat into fuel it can use now.

Cardio exercise is an important part of reaching your goal of healthy weight loss.  Walking is a good place to start.  To get real benefits you need to put some effort into it.  Walk at a brisk pace for at least 30 minutes.  You’ll be surprised at how quickly your heart rate will increase.   As your body becomes acclimated to a fast walk, add a few minutes of jogging during the walk or find a good hill.   Keep the pace up as if you are in a hurry to reach your destination.

Running or Jogging is another popular cardio exercise.   Running burns calories quickly but you do need to be cautious of discomfort in knees or ankles to avoid injury.   Warm up with some stretching exercises and a short walk before breaking into a run.

Bicycling is a cardio exercise that provides great results.   It helps increase endurance and is great for shaping the muscles in your legs, too.   The resistance and speed will determine the number of calories burned but 250-300 calories can be used in 30 minutes of biking.

Walking and running can be done almost anywhere and require no equipment beyond a pair of decent training shoes.   Bikes are readily available and don’t require a large expenditure.  Any sport or activity that results in an extended period of increased heart rate provides cardio benefits.

Swimming exercises the entire body.   You can raise your heart rate quickly but must keep swimming those laps to maintain the rate.   One cardio exercise that is easily combined with weight training or other methods is step aerobics.   This requires only a small piece of equipment, is easy to learn and provides a great workout for legs and derriere along with the cardio benefit.

Buy a weight loss diet pill that provides healthy nutritional support and add cardio to your exercise routine to achieve quick weight loss while increasing energy and overall health.

To begin a diet without understanding where you are now and what steps will take you where you want to be is a plan – but it’s a plan to fail.  Instead, make a plan to succeed by defining where you are, what your goal is and what must be done in the areas of diet, exercise and health to reach your goal.

Any of us who have dieted know that the best intentions can be overcome by the first hunger pang.   We know it’s easier to think about exercise while sitting in our favorite chair.   We know that depriving our bodies of the nutrients it needs leads to fatigue and weakness and gives us an excuse to quit dieting.

Plan your diet by making a schedule for meals, defining an exercise program suited to you and add an excellent weight loss supplement that will support your health as you pursue your goals.   You will increase the likelihood of success drastically by spending a bit of time building a diet plan to suit your taste and your lifestyle.

Be realistic about where you are right now.   Begin by calculating your body mass index (BMI). Try these free weight loss tools courtesy of Liporidex.com. Lowering your BMI can have a significant impact on your life by decreasing risk of disease and improving overall health.   The BMI measurement may be incorrect if you have a high concentration of lean muscle.   Accuracy may also be affects for those at the extreme range of ages.  Use this handy BMI chart provided to track your weight loss progress.

Other calculators are provided to:
-    Determine the caloric requirement that will help you lose weight, gain weight or maintain the weight when you reach your goal.
-    Design an exercise regimen based on caloric expenditure by activity
-    Access a database of foods and calories per serving to plan your meals

Choose your diet supplement carefully.   If you buy weight loss diet pills that leave you jittery you are at risk for nervous eating.   Choose a top weight loss supplement that targets the unique problems you face when dieting but also provides natural support for your overall health and well being.

As you create your diet plan, choose a date to start that will allow you time to clear your kitchen of foods that are not helpful and fill the refrigerator with fresh, healthy foods.  Outline a plan for exercise that is practical and will fit in with your schedule.  It does no good to have an ambitious workout plan if you have to skip it due to time constraints.

Set milestones for your progress.   Sometimes you will exceed your own expectations but if you fall short one week, just make adjustments and keep going.

Your end goal is to lose weight in a way that leaves you looking and feeling great.   With healthy food choices, regular exercise that suits you and the top weight loss supplement taken daily, you will feel better, look better and be able to continue your new healthy lifestyle long after your diet days are over.

When looking for the best weight loss supplement to support your dieting efforts, it’s important to understand the components of a top weight loss aid and the health effects of the ingredients used to formulate the supplement.

The goal in choosing a weight loss supplement is to provide support for your diet and exercise goals.   It’s easy to forget that simple goal when you begin reading sales pages that advertise various diet supplement products.

So often products advertised for weight loss seem more focused on wild promises than on serious discussions about diet support provided by the product.  It is easy to become carried away with the professionally written sales copy that promises a huge burst of energy or to cure or claims to prevent major diseases.

The burst of energy may be only the effect of caffeine or other stimulant added to the product.   Energy from such ingredients is not sustainable and not natural.  It can lead to nervous jitters, a shaky or weak feeling and make the dieter feel depressed when the product wears off causing a total loss of energy.

If you are seriously focused on finding the best supplement to help you lose weight, you can’t afford to fall for slick sales copy.   If you think about it, the same problems some weight loss supplements claim to cure are problems caused by the extra weight you’ve been carrying.

When you are overweight, your heart works harder.   You are at risk of developing high blood pressure and at great risk of becoming diabetic.   Those health problems are common side effects of obesity.   What you need is to bring your weight under control and adopt a healthier diet and more active lifestyle.   When you accomplish your weight loss goals and have increased your level of physical activity, the chances of contracting these serious health problems is greatly reduced.

There are some ingredients that do promote healthy weight loss while supporting your overall health.   Some weight loss supplements such as Liporidex contain these natural ingredients.

Chromium and Manganese are minerals found in nature that help regulate blood glucose levels and are important for sugar metabolism.

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is proven to increase lean muscle mass especially in the abdominal area and contains powerful antioxidant properties.

The primary purpose of Soy Isoflavones is to reduce the gain of fat in the abdominal area but also acts as an antioxidant to boost the immune system.

Mucana Pruriens contains L-dopa, an amino acid, in significant amounts.  In Liporidex, L-dopa provides a mood stabilizer to curb emotional eating habits and restlessness.

Studies have shown Green Tea boosts the basal metabolic rate and increases the metabolism of fat.   Combined with high levels of antioxidants, green tea decreases cholesterol by slowing the release of carbohydrates.

The capsaicin in cayenne pepper increases heat product for a short time.   Studies have shown capsaicin improves weight loss by increasing metabolism and digestion.

Bitter Orange is a naturally occurring stimulant.  The lose dosage of Bitter Orange in Liporidex provides a slight increase in alertness and focus and a noticeable decrease in food cravings which can sabotage the most motivated dieter.

Choosing the best weight loss supplement requires careful attention to the ingredients included in each product.   One good choice is Liporidex, but whatever you choose, ensure that you know what’s in the product and that you understand how the different ingredients all work.

BMR stands for basal metabolic rate and is the rate at which you burn calories while doing nothing at all. That’s right; you burn calories just by sitting there on the couch watching television. Of course, you are not really “just” sitting there, are you? You are blinking, which involves moving tiny muscles in your eyelids to open and close. You are breathing, which means that your lungs are inflating and deflating, your diaphragm is moving up and down. Your heart is beating, contracting and expanding, beat after beat after beat. And all of these complex processes are happening because your brain is sending out billions of electrical impulses, neurons interacting via synapses making it all happen. All of this major activity, whether you realize it or not, is going on or not, takes energy. Your BMR is the amount of calories that you burn to simply maintain life.

But, why, you might ask, is it important to know your BMR in the first place? First, you must know this number so that you have a baseline to work with, when you are trying to decide how many calories you need to eliminate from your diet each day. Too few and you will never lose any weight. Too many and you will never lose any weight. It is a game won and lost by inches, and too often people just blast for the bleachers when all they need is an in-field bunt to get the job done.

If you cut too many calories out of your daily diet, your body will become convinced that it is starving to death and will send up the panic flags. All non-essential systems will be slowed or stopped. The metabolism will slow to a crawl- all fuel that is being brought in now will be considered essential and will be immediately stored to protect against impending doom.

On the other hand, if you are eating too many calories, the body will be overwhelmed. Storage systems will be overwhelmed with all of the food that is being brought in- the body will start storing everything for future sorting. Sadly, the body is not so great at file retrieving and new foods just keep coming in every day. Keep flooding the body this way and your metabolism will walk off the job in utter frustration.

Trying to lose weight requires a lot of information. You need to know how much your maintenance is costing you in terms of total calories. Once you know what your BMR is you can experiment by reducing your total daily calories by 500 for a week or two. If you do not lose any weight at all, you can go up to 1000 calories. At no point should you drop more than 1200 calories per day without a doctor’s express notice to do so. Steady weight loss is what you are aiming for, not dangerous weight loss. The faster you lose it, the faster you will regain it is the old adage – aim for a slow and steady weight loss of two pounds the first week and then one pound every week thereafter.