Fit For Health Guide

When most people think about a body detox system they often think that the only way to work with this is through diet and nutrition. The truth of the matter is that detoxification can be greatly implemented by the use of movement and exercise; In fact, some people say that detoxification is something that cannot happen without it! Any way you look at it, you’ll find that moving your body freely and with enthusiasm is something that many people agree will make you feel better. The symptoms that are addressed by full body detox, including lethargy, constant loss of energy and depression, can all be addressed through exercise as well, so when you are looking into a natural body detox, make sure that exercise is part of your regimen.

When you are thinking about a full body detox, you will need to think of the ways that toxins actually leave your body. You’ll find that your skin is actually one of your major eliminative organs, and that you can get a lot of the toxins out of your body by sweating them out. Take some time to think, though, about the last time you sweat. Whether it is due to wearing clothes that are too tight, or don’t allow your skin to breathe because they are synthetic, you’ll find that sweating is something that we often take pains not to do. Similarly, the masses of skin care products that we put into our skin can also be quite difficult when it comes to making sure that toxins are leaving our bodies, so make sure you think about what this has to do with your body detox plan.

Good exercise can help this out a great deal. When you exercise, your body is allowed to sweat freely, and you’ll find that toxins will be removed from your skin. When exercising make sure that you wear loose-fitting clothes made of natural fibers. This will allow you to really get the toxins out when you are working out. Working out will also increase your circulation, allowing your body to fuel the metabolic processes that help you during a natural body detox.

The important thing to remember is that your exercise should not be a source of stress, as stress, after all, is another thing that can cause toxic buildup in our systems. Find a type of exercise that you enjoy and make sure that it is one you want to stick with. Whether you are a dancer, a martial artist, someone who loves treadmills or someone who prefers tae bo or jazzercise. You’ll find that there is a great deal of different exercises out there for you that can help you with a full body detox. Take some time to really consider what you are doing and why; don’t keep doing one exercise over and over again, take some time to find a few that you like and rotate to keep from being bored.

Exercise is an important part of any good body detox plan, so make sure that you don’t take it lightly. The more you like your exercise regimen, the more you’ll want to do it, and you’ll find that with just a little bit of work, you can really get into the swing of your chosen body detox system and feel great.

About the Author:

John Khu is a health enthusiast and author of a new eBook titled “Body Detox Tips”. He is devoted to educate others on the benefit of body detoxification. He is also the owner of the website called http://www.bodydetoxtips.com which provides complete and up-to-date information.

In some recent animal studies vitamin D has strikingly reduced cancerous tumor growth. In addition, a large number of observational studies in people have linked low vitamin D consumption to an increase risk of cancer. The type of cancers linked are numerous: breast, rectum, esophagus, stomach, bladder, ovaries, prostate, kidney, uterus and lung; a substantial list of cancers to say the least.

Researchers at Creighton University in Omaha conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial, the most reliable form of clinical information obtained. Among 1,179 community-living, healthy, post-menopausal women, they reported last year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that over the course of four years, those that took calcium and 1,100 International Units of vitamin D-3 developed roughly 80% fewer cancers than those that just took calcium or a placebo. What an extraordinary endorsement for the benefits of vitamin D!

Vitamin D is quickly becoming the powerhouse nutrient and for good reason. We are finding not only that vitamin D has extraordinary benefits but we are also discovering that the current RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) is way too low. Currently the RDA for vitamin D is 400 I.U. Probably over the next few years, as the information uncovered by these types of studies is finalized and the information gets processed by the FDA, you will see a dramatic increase in the RDA for vitamin D.

Vitamin D is not just beneficial in reducing the risk of cancer. The powerhouse nutrient has many important roles in the body. These include…

• Maintaining Your Calcium Balance
• Immune Boosting
• Plays a role in Insulin Secretion
• Regulates Blood Pressure
• Disease Prevention

Many of you may know that vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin as opposed to a water-soluble vitamin like vitamin C for instance. The danger with fat-soluble vitamins is that it is possible to overdose and develop vitamin-toxicity. Vitamin D toxicity is extremely rare in healthy people. One should not be concerned about this unless they are taking extremely high amounts consistently, such as 7,000 - 10,000 I.U.s. It is also important to note that developing vitamin D toxicity to overexposure of sunlight is not a legitimate concern.

It is very difficult to get all the nutrients we need from the food we eat. Vitamin D is no exception and there are a wide range of vitamin D supplements in the marketplace. We strongly recommend getting your vitamin D in a non-synthetic vitamin D3 form and definitely take it with calcium in the proper ratios.

Vitamin D is tough to get from food especially for vegetarians. Here is a list of foods that are a natural source of vitamin D…

*Herring

*Catfish

*Salmon

*Mackerel

*Sardines

*Tuna

*Eel

…and the one natural source not found in water…

*Mushrooms

The more research being done on vitamin D, the more we are understanding its overall importance to our health.

About the Author:

Joe Costello founded Kylea Health in 1995. Kylea is a well-respected nutritional company providing cutting edge nutritional formulas servicing hundreds of thousands of people. Joe is a health researcher, author, and hosts a weekly health Television show. For more information about Joe Costello and Kylea Health and Energy visit http://www.kylea.com

If you could eat all you want and still lose weight then wouldn’t you already by skinny? Yes you would be, if that was the only thing to it. There are tons of people out there that get to eat everything they want too and are still very skinny. The part that people are leaving out is that you have to burn off all of those calories that you just ate.

The youngsters have it a lot easier because a lot of exercise is built into their life like you used too. So they have the higher metabolic rate and higher levels if learn muscle mass. A metabolic rate is the rate that your body naturally uses/burns the calories in your body. The high the rate the more can eat and still not gain weight.

As you age your metabolic rate decreases that is why many people find that as they age the pounds just seem to keep adding up. Another factor is that right along with you metabolic rate decreasing your life style also changes. When you where young you where out having fun on the town, shopping, sports or any other number of activities you never thought of as exercise.

That is why when you where young it true that you could eat all you want and still lose weight. Now that you don’t do everything that you used to do it’s a lot harder to just maintain the same weight. Everything that we do like it or not burns calories and without the things we used to do it’s a lot easier to gain weight with out realizing it at first.

In order to truly eat all you want and still lose weight you have to realize that you are going to have to do something proactive about it. The other half to the statement that they left out is that you are going to have to exercise to burn off those calories. The best part is that once you start exercising not only will you lose weight and feel better about yourself you will have a lot more energy because your natural metabolic rate will increase as you exercise more and more.

I personally have found that the best way to exercise is to have a program that you can stick with. Once you are on the program that works for you the most important thing that you have to do is to stick the routine. Go jogging every Monday, Wednesday, Friday or whatever it may be. One program may be better then another then in the end it is all about what program works for you and your life style. This exercise program is what will allow you to eat all you want and still lose weight.

Exercising also builds lean muscle mass and that uses up a lot more energy then fat does. It is like a chain reaction; the more you exercise the higher your metabolic rate will be and the more learn muscle mass you will gain. These three things burn tons of calories and then your able to eat all you want and still lose weight.

About The Author:

Ben Lvanger is a avid nutritionist who has been balancing his food and calories, since his battle at a young age to lose weight. Visit my website at http://becomeskinny.blogspot.com

Wrinkles in your skin can be devastating and embarrassing to a certain degree, but also are a part of getting older and taking part in the natural process our bodies endure. The wrinkles that our face display are categorized into two parts; static and dynamic. Static are visible when your face is at rest and dynamic wrinkles appear temporarily when a muscle contracts during facial expression. These are usually found in areas of facial expression such as the forehead, between the eye brows and around the eyes. Some people develop static wrinkles at an earlier age than others and desire some sort of procedure to diminish those lines and improve the overall youthful appearance. Botox cosmetic injections help eliminate or decrease the appearance of dynamic wrinkles as it paralyzes the underlying muscle causing the wrinkle.

Botox cosmetic injections are not so effective on static wrinkles, which would be better treated with dermal fillers or surgically. Other areas to be treated besides the face and neck are migraine headaches and excessive underarm sweating. It is safe and effective treatment to compensate for the areas that you need the most help. Some side effects that may occur include; flu-like syndrome, headache, respiratory infection, nausea and temporary eyelid droop. You may experience pain and redness in the face and muscle weakness within the first week following the procedure.

The injection is inserted directly into the muscle causing the dynamic wrinkles, using a very small needle to minimize any major discomfort involved with this type of procedure. The whole treatment takes about ten minutes and results in a pretty painless and effective method to improve the facial features, diminishing the wrinkles. You can expect to see results within two to four weeks and they last from up to three to six months. The effects eventually wear off allowing the dynamic wrinkle to again appear. For best results, continued treatments are recommended and will lead to less frequent visits as the muscle causing the wrinkles become less responsive over time.

The cost of Botox cosmetic injections is one thing to consider, as all procedures express strong costs, depending on the frequency and importance the patient shows. It can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars, which also depends on the number of areas that are injected.

If undergoing with the procedure of Botox injections is considerable and right for you, it should be understood that not everyone will see the same results. Different people have different skin, each with its own tone and reactivity to certain treatments thrown its way. The way one person will respond to the procedure, another might not. Determine with your local skin care physician if the injections would be something worth investing in and spending money on. In most cases, it is a safe and effective method, with proven results. The procedure is also non-surgical, allowing the patient to go back to normal activities immediately. Any non-surgical treatment is worthy of looking into, knowing that results can instantly be seen, without the pain and down time surgery calls for.

About The Author:

http://www.dermanetwork.org is a leading provider of Botox Cosmetic Injection information and resources. Find a local cosmetic dermatologist today.

These days people of every age group are more conscious in maintaining their health than ever before. As a result the graph of people taking exercise is increasing day by day. Exercises are helpful in losing weight and making body more smart healthy and good looking. By adopting different workouts weight loss can be achieved significantly .So in this case many professional people can be helpful in getting guidance for having effective suggestions of different exercises. To sustain the fitness up to a certain level can be assured by using walking treadmill workouts. No matter, which age group one belongs to, walking treadmill loss tips can be adopted to exhaust extra calories. It is suggested that you must use a walking treadmill program provided you are serious to use it. A great number of people are getting merits of walking treadmill in their own interests.

The Merits To Seduce You

It has been noted that people rely on different weight loss workouts blindly, however this trend should be ruled out, as mostly these exercises may not be suitable for a particular condition of body. Every one is familiar with the merits of walking as a best exercise. Walking can assist you to maintain your physic both in shape and weight loss. It is very much handy to use a walking treadmill program. You just purchase it and start walking regularly. So it is the easiest way of walking.

Walk At Home!

Using a walking treadmill program will facilitate you to exercise at home while getting the best use of all of the merits of walking. At the same time you can enjoy all other fun other than and necessarily more than health advantages too. You can visualize the televised pictures, hear the radio, study the book and of course use the treadmill at the same time. But it depends on your selection to select while using a treadmill.

Rain Or No Rain…You Walk

There is a big advantage associated with purchasing a treadmill program too. Irrespective of the weather condition you can best utilize walking treadmill at night. So keeping treadmill working for you will never rattle you to seek a place outside your house to maintain a regular walking program.

A lot of other merits can be availed with walking treadmill program that make it very much famous. If you want to take exercise more vigorously, walking treadmill can facilitate you too in this regard. You can enjoy great much fun while using a treadmill program and at the same time you can complete all the works with ease at your house.

The Bowflex Series 7 is also popular because it is versatile. It is designed to be a great machine for both walking and running. With its many adjustable settings, you can find the right workout for you with the Bowflex Series 7.

There are lots more treadmills to choose from, but these are among the best treadmills out today. When buying a treadmill, make sure you’re getting just what you want. Shop around and check out different models before you buy.

About The Author:

You can also find more info on http://www.besttreadmillratings.com/Treadmill_Reviews on image treadmills

When it comes to developing a bigger and stronger chest, the first exercise that comes to most peoples mind is the bench press. Although this is perhaps the fastest way to build muscle on your chest, there is another lesser known exercise that can really give you a much more powerful and broader looking frame. The manner of this exercise not only strengthens your chest, but it expands your rib cage like no other exercise, giving you that Hercules look.

So what’s the exercise? The fastest way to build muscle on your upper body and chest area is actually two completely different exercises combined together: breathing squats and pullovers. “Squats?” you say, “how the heck are squats going to give me big and powerful chest?” These are not just regular squats.

If you have read any of my other articles or my newsletters then you will know by now how much I favor breathing squats when it comes to gaining weight and building muscle mass, especially in a workout program for hardgainers.

The difference between breathing squats and regular squats is, evidently, the way you breathe. Here’s how you do them:

First: You can either do them with light weight or really heavy weight, depending on whether or not you want to increase your strength as well as your size and weight.

Second: Between each rep right before you go down, take at least three HUGE breaths. This is the most important point in this exercise. You must force yourself to inhale AND exhale as deep as you possibly can. Use your mouth instead of your nose so you can suck in as much air as you can.

Third: On the last breath before you go down, breathe all the way in and hold it as you go down, then when you come back up blow it out with all you got. Repeat for the rest of the set.

Fourth: After you get past the tenth rep, inhale and exhale at least FIVE times before each rep instead of three, the more deep breaths the better.

Immediately after your squats without taking any time to rest, flop down on or across a flat bench with a light dumbbell and do a set of 20 pullovers. As you lower the weight inhale as much air as possible, and as you bring the weight back up exhale. The purpose of the pullover is not to build strength or muscle but to stretch out your rib cage. So really focus on getting a good stretch when you lower the weight.

As you can see, the breathing in these exercises is the main thing. To make sure you are doing the squats correctly, really emphasize on filling your whole diaphragm with air so that your chest really sticks out after your inhale.

These two exercises together combined will really expand your rib cage and after a few weeks you will notice two main differences: your chest will look much larger and more powerful and you’ll be able to suck in a lot more air then you used to.

The best way to do these two exercises is just a couple sets of really high reps. My suggestion would be one set of 20 if you are using really heavy weight on the squats, or two sets of 20 if you are using light weight. Try getting to the point where you can count to at least 5 while inhaling and to at least 3 while exhaling.

Try these for a few weeks and you will notice tremendous size difference in your frame, mainly your chest and back. You will then be well on your way for that Hercules look.

About the Author:

Derek Manuel is the author of the best-selling, “How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle for Hardgainers”. If you want to learn how you too can gain 20 to 30 pounds of solid muscle in as short as 8 weeks, or if you just want more quality information on how to gain weight and build muscle, please visit http://www.hardgainers-weight-tips.com

When you think of doing a whole body detox, there is a good chance that you are thinking about things like fasts and large changes in your habits that will be hard to effect. The truth is, a good body detox system doesn’t have to be difficult or inconvenient at all. Real detoxification can take time, and as long as you are moving towards your goal, you have nothing to worry about. You don’t have to plunge right in and live a whole new life; slow gradual change is the best way to really make progress, so take a look at some small ways that you can get started regarding a good, stable body detox system.

1.Drink water

This sounds like something that is quite simple to do, but you’d be surprised how many people are wandering around at least a little bit dehydrated. Your body needs water to perform basic metabolic functions, and without it, your body will start to shut down in little ways before shutting down in the big ones. When you are planning a full body detox, keep in mind that your water should be clean. Buy a filter and make sure that none of the chemicals in your tap water is hurting you or your family.

2.Start using baking soda

When you are thinking about a good body detox system, remember that a part of that is making sure that more toxins can’t reach you. There are plenty of toxins in the cleansers that we think are normal, so think about switching to something more friendly to a body detox program. Try sprinkling baking soda on the stains and see how easily they come out!

3.Plan out what you want to eat

When thinking about about a body detox diet, you are often told that you need to eat better, but what they don’t tell you is that good planning is at the heart of it all. Sure, we could all eat better if we had nothing else to worry about, but when you throw work, social commitments, children, pets and a hundred and one other things into the mix, finding the right body detox recipe ends up getting a pretty low priority. To make sure that you eat your greens, sit down and figure out how and when to pack your lunch; this is a great way to make sure that you don’t hit the vending machines at work.

4.Give the sauna a try

If you are at the gym already and you are finishing up a workout, you’ll find that you need to think about hopping in the sauna for a quick steam. Though you should take some time to think about how you feel about heat, you’ll find that the heat will help kill off things like harmful viruses and bacteria, and that you’ll be able to feel a great deal more clear and more alert when you step out. A steam room can really open up your skin and let the toxins out, and you’ll find that when you do this, you are in a great place for your body detox plan.

A practical and natural home body detox doesn’t have to be difficult or sudden; if you prefer, you can ease into it and really see the results!

About the Author:

John Khu is a health enthusiast and author of a new eBook titled “Body Detox Tips”. He is devoted to educate others on the benefit of body detoxification. He is also the owner of the website called http://www.bodydetoxtips.com which provides complete and up-to-date information.

If history has taught us anything, it is that when a business concept exhibits the potential for growth, companies and industries spread like a virus to expand and exploit the opportunity. From the meager beginnings of muscle-bound bodybuilders, steel barbells, medicine balls and once-a-day vitamins, the health and fitness industry has transformed into a multi-billion dollar juggernaut. Health and fitness professionals have evolved from spandex and headbands to being highly trained sales and marketing snipers. Your cash is their target.

Although the expansions of this industry and advances in modern technology have helped usher in a new era of quality health and fitness products, they have also opened the door for liars and con artists who could care less about your health. The trick is to understand how to maneuver through the marketing madness to find the truth.

Sadly, the number of people who fall victim to unrealistic quick-fix solutions is in the tens of millions. All the while, companies that sell ineffective products, cheap services and unrealistic results profit at your expense. Beyond the scams and rip-offs designed to separate you from your hard-earned cash, there are people, companies, industries and even government agencies with hidden agendas designed to sabotage your attempts to improve your health. It’s not a conspiracy theory; it is simply the undeniable truth that you will see once the facts are known.

There is no shortage of people who stand to profit from those who do not know the truth, and they will do everything possible to refute the facts. Just remember that when it comes to big business and their profits, the fix is in: billions are spent to keep consumers in the dark. You will need to rely on the one thing that marketing cannot spin — your common sense.

Let’s start with a simple truth that helps feed the big, fat health and fitness lie. That truth is that the average person would much prefer to go on a diet or take a pill rather than exercise. This is why the fitness industry at $19 billion in annual revenue pales in comparison with the diet and weight loss industry, which exceeds $40 billion. Even the supplement industry, with more than $20 billion in annual revenue, outperforms the fitness industry.

Yet with a success rate of sustained weight loss as low as 5 percent, more than 50 million Americans line up each year to go on a diet. Why? The answer was simple. When people think about exercise, they relate it to work. Even the phrase we use to describe exercise is to “work out.” The truth is that the average American spends the majority of waking life working. Who wants more work? We want to play. We want to relax. We want to escape from the reality of work, Exercise is the last thing we want to do. Instead, we want a shortcut, and the desire for a quick fix is an open invitation for health and fitness parasites. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The smoking gun that reveals the real truth about the state of health in the U.S. is the stratospheric revenue within the pharmaceutical industry. Between 1995 and 2005, prescription drug sales increased by 249 percent to a staggering $251 billion on more than 3.6 billion prescriptions written annually. This doesn’t include the $17 billion we spent on more than 100,000 over-the-counter drugs that contained in excess of 1,000 chemical compounds.

As you peel back the layers of the lie, you quickly realize that these record-breaking numbers were made possible by drugs that treat conditions and diseases, which are largely self-inflicted or forced upon us by accomplices that stand to profit from our ill health.

About the Author:

Craig Pepin-Donat, The Fit Advocate® is an international fitness expert and former industry insider with over a quarter century of experience. Author of The Big Fat Health and Fitness Lie and The People’s Guide to Health, Happiness and Longevity, Craig is the founder, chairman and host of The International Health and Fitness Symposium with a mission of delivering professional, unbiased and suppressed information needed to make healthy lifestyle changes. Get more information about Craig along with the answers and solutions to your health questions at: The International Health and Fitness Symposium

Ah Berries. They are truly one of nature’s most perfect foods. They taste delicious, look wonderful and are chock-full of health benefits. Amazing health benefits! Berries should be eaten fresh if possible and to maximize the health benefits you should try and buy organic berries. The health benefits can also be maximized by juicing fresh berries.

But what exactly are the health benefits of berries?

Let’s take a list of the most popular berries and quickly bullet-point the health benefits…

Strawberries

*Rich source of polyphenols (anthocyanins)

*Help protect against cancer

*Help protect against heart disease

*Natural anti-inflammatory properties

*Protection against rheumatoid arthritis

Blueberries

*Blueberries have the highest antioxidant content of almost any fruit

*Loaded with anthocyanins

*Can help slow-down the aging process

*Promotes urinary tract health

*Protect the cells from free-radical activity

*Could help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease

*Help to improve brain-function

*Contains ellagic acid which can help prevent cancer

*Could help protect against colon cancer

Cranberries

*Chock-full of antioxidants and phytonutrients

*Contain proanthocyanidins that can help prevent disease

Blackberries

*Loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients

*Excellent source of vitamin E

*Can help fight infection

*Contains high amounts of tannin and phenolic acids

Raspberries

*Great source of ellagic acid which can help prevent cancer

*Loaded with phytonutrients, antioxidants and tannins

*Could help prevent cancer and other degenerative disease

I am often asked, “What is the healthiest of the berries?” This is a good question. All berries are fantastically healthy, however; if I had to eat just one type of berry I would definitely choose the remarkable blueberry. Blueberries could possibly be one of the healthiest foods on the planet. They have what is believed to be the highest antioxidant content of any fruit and a plethora of other health benefits. But this does not diminish the healthy benefits of the other berries.

Here are some tips on buying berries…

1. If you can, try and buy organic berries as these will be free of harmful pesticides and other chemicals

2. Try and buy berries that are plump and brightly colored as these are ripe and loaded with phytonutrients

3. Avoid berries that look overly soft or that are bruised

4. Try and use berries soon after purchasing them as they can go bad quickly ‘especially organic berries

5. Always cover and refrigerate berries

If you want to take advantage of the health benefits of berries but are finding it difficult to consistently eat fresh berries, there are some supplement options that can deliver the benefits in a powder or liquid form. But like most health products you need to educate yourself and beware of the many hype-driven, low-quality products that exist.

There has been so much media attention given to berries lately that legions of berry-based supplements have popped up on the shelves of grocery stores and health food stores seemingly overnight. The majority of these are not worth your money because they contain just a smattering of berry powder and you would have to consume obnoxiously large quantities to get any real health value.

The supplements you should target are those that are powders or actual juice. Look for high potencies and keep two critical factors in mind. The first factor is you want to look for supplements that use organic produce. This ensures the integrity of the bulk ingredients and ensures that there are no harmful pesticides and other chemicals. The second factor to look for when shopping for berry-based supplements is that the source of the berries are juice extracts as opposed to berry powder.

The difference between the two is enormous. Berry powder means that they take a whole berry, freeze-dry it and then grind it up ’skin and all. Berry powder is not bad for you; it just limits the amounts of phytonutrients you are getting. Juice extracts, the highest quality source of berry ingredients, means the berries are actually juiced and then the juice is freeze-dried. The phytonutrients and phytochemicals are found in the juice of the berries, not necessarily in the skin and leaves.

Keep in mind however, that buying supplements that contain organic, juice extracts is going to cost you more because the produce is more expensive and the process more tedious. But the extra money spent means you are getting the maximum health benefits from the supplement. Visit our website to learn more about whole-food, super-food supplements.

Berries are some of nature’s most perfect foods. Whether you eat them fresh or take berry-based supplements, do yourself and your body a favor ‘keep eating more of them.

About the Author:

Joe Costello founded Kylea Health in 1995. Kylea is a well-respected nutritional company providing cutting edge nutritional formulas servicing hundreds of thousands of people. Joe is a health researcher, author, and hosts a weekly health Television show. For more information about Joe Costello and Kylea Health and Energy visit http://www.kylea.com

Calcium is a major mineral known mainly for its role in bone metabolism. In addition, calcium is the best-selling mineral supplement on the market. Among reasons for purchase include:

• Positive effects on bone mineral density and mitigation of osteoporosis

• To improve body composition

Lipolysis is the breaking down of body fat and lipogeneis is the body’s mechanism of storing fat. The theory is low calcium intakes inhibit lipolysis and increases lipogenesis. High calcium intake has been reported to increase lipolysis and decrease lipogenesis. If this theory is correct, calcium supplementation is a good step toward improving body composition.

So far in research it seems that higher calcium intakes that are usually combined with a lower energy diet, can lead to weight loss.

Some researchers report that low-fat dairy has the best impact on weight loss; however, a 2003 study suggests that the calcium’s source is not as important as the quantity of total calcium intake.

A 2006 meta-analysis by R. Trowman, Ph.D, reported no effects of calcium on weight loss. At the end of the study, Dr. Trowman reported no relationship between increased intake of calcium, either by supplements or dairy products, and weight loss. They also reviewed the literature on calcium and weight loss. G. Barba, Ph.D, and P. Russo, Ph.D., stated that available data did not definitively support a relationship between high calcium and/or dairy intake and decreased body weight. They indicated the need for more research of the impact dairy foods have on health outside of obesity.

Based upon the existent research it looks as if some studies do show positive effects of increased calcium intake on weight loss in obese or overweight individuals, however, a number of randomized controlled studies have not. No magical formula has been discovered, however, there may be individuals who respond better to calcium’s effects on fat metabolism during decreased energy intake compared with other. There is need for a well-controlled study assessing responders versus non-responders as a first step in evaluating if calcium impacts body weight in some individuals more than others.

Of equal importance is to note that a person’s source of calcium influences his or her body composition and weight. For example, you cannot consume gallons of ice cream or nonfat milk and expect to lose body weight. Many of the studies that showed calcium’s effects on weight loss also included the element of reduced energy intake.

In conclusion, the recommendation to increase calcium intake should not be made until a person’s dietary assessment has been made. In addition, overweight or obese individuals who are interested in working toward better health should consider increased calcium intake along with an overall healthier lifestyle.

There is a need for more research on the subject of increased calcium intake solely for the purpose of losing excess body weight and/or to improve body composition.

Source: ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal, May/June 2007

Disclaimer: *This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem and especially before beginning any kind of an exercise routine.

About The Author:

Connie Limon, Trilogy Field Representative. Visit http://nutritionandhealthhub.com and sign up for a weekly nutrition and health tip.