7 Lasting Myths About Fasting

When people come to the subject of fasting, there's a lot of misinformation and myths surrounding this topic and it can sometimes make it difficult to get to the heart of the matter. Here we're going to take a look at seven of the more long-standing myths that accompany the issue of fasting.

Fasting has been around since time immemorial, and many of the first references to it come from the Bible. They knew even back then the many and varied benefits one can derive from fasting, whether it be for short or longer periods of time. There are many examples from all religions that detail the benefits of fasting from a spiritual perspective, but there are also many other benefits to be realized from a health and wellness standpoint as well. First, let's debunk some myths!

1. Fasting is a religious activity. Not necessarily. Many devoted holistic health practitioners employ some form of fasting into their health regimen, whether it is for cleansing or for weight loss help.

2. You can fast in many ways. Partially true, but the spirit of this gets us thinking in the wrong direction. The purpose of a fast isn't to necessarily “fast from chocolate for a day”, but to be part of a well-thought out health plan that emphasizes a total health solution. Many people decide to fast from whatever their latest obsession is, in the hopes that this will somehow help.

3. Juice fasting is a great way to go. I would take issue with this. To me this isn't really a fast, just another fad diet trick. The increased amounts of natural sugars can cause spikes in insulin, which in the absence of other foods being ingested can bring on other unwanted side effects.

4. Long-term fasting can rid the body of toxins. Not true. Long term fasting can deplete the body of many, many necessary and vital nutrients, and bring on a host of associated problems due to the body's inability to fight off anything. There is a reason people die from long term fasts.

5. Political fasting is a viable way to make a point. Doing a prolonged fast for a political cause is one of the worst ways to make a point. Short, one or two day fasts are sufficient, but probably don't have the sensational aspect political believers seek.

6. Fasting is only for medical purposes. Not true. While there are valid medical reasons when a fast is recommended, such as before surgery or blood tests, there are other useful benefits of fasting.

7. Fasting is way too hard. Again, not true! A one or two day fast can be accomplished with no problem by almost anyone.

Fasting can be a useful tool to aid in a total health plan. Done correctly there are virtually none of the popular “side effects” such as light-headedness or weakness. Make sure to not be derailed by fears and myths and you'll find that fasting can in fact be a great help!

Brad Pilon is a nutrition professional with over eight years experience working in the nutritional supplement industry specializing in clinical research management and new product development. Brad has completed graduate studies in nutritional sciences specializing in the use of short term fasting for weight loss.

His trademarked book Eat Stop Eat has been featured on national television and helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat without sacrificing the foods they love. For more information on Eat Stop Eat, visit www.eatstopeat.com

15 Rules for Fat Loss

1. Eat 4-6 small meals day a day instead of the usual 2-3 large meals. Eating frequently will help regulate and boost your metabolism to burn more calories.

2. Consume whole foods that are high in fiber and low in sugar such as lean protein (lean beef, chicken, fish, and whey protein), fruits & vegetables (oranges, apples, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, peppers, asparagus, carrots, nuts (almonds, cashews, & walnuts), and whole grains.

3. Eat low-glycemic carbohydrates such as vegetables, whole-wheat products and oatmeal instead of refined processed carbohydrates which usually come in a box or a bag.

4. Recommend consuming 25-35 grams of fiber per day. Since the average diet contains only 14 grams we could all use more fiber. Fiber will help satisfy hunger pangs as well as control insulin and blood sugar levels which tend to promote fat storage when they are elevated.

5. Eat some type of lean protein at each meal. Protein helps to satisfy hunger and provide the necessary building blocks to maintain lean body mass while losing body fat.

6. Consume adequate amounts of healthy fat foods such as olive oil, walnuts, almonds, Omega-3 fortified eggs or other Omega-3 products. Healthy fats are great antioxidants as well as help with brain function and many other essentials processes that take place in the body on a daily basis. Essential Fatty acids also help prevent certain diseases.

7. Recommend eating 5-10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day to meet your micronutrient needs. Vegetables also contain a good amount of fiber and help to control appetites and curb hunger.

8. Consume Green Tea or Water instead of calorie filled drinks such as soft drinks. Green Tea has many health benefits and should be drinking 1ml of non-caffeinated fluid for every calorie that you consume. This works out between (8-12) 8oz glasses of Green Tea or Water a day.

9. Balance your fat intake for the day. 1/3 should come from saturated fats, 1/3 from monounsaturated fats, and 1/3 from polyunsaturated fats.

10. If you want to start building habits then you need to follow a plan. Habits are formed by repetitively following a prescribed plan. Therefore map out your meals every day and follow them. If you follow your plan everyday for 2-3 weeks you will form habits that become part of your daily routine and you won’t even notice it. How do you think bad habits are formed? By repetitively doing something over and over again.

11. Include what I call “Superfoods” into your meal plan on a daily basis. These include but not entirely lean meat, salmon, low fat plain yogurt, tomatoes, spinach, mixed berries, whole oats, mixed nuts, olive oil, flax seeds(or flax meal), green tea, and various beans. These are just some of the “Superfoods” who should be incorporating into your daily meal plans.

12. Keep total fat intake under 30% for the day. This can be accomplished by not adding too many extra fats such as butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, etc. This doesn’t mean you have to completely eliminate these items, but do not eat them as a regular food item every day.

13. EXERCISE!! You can lose weight by just following a nutrition plan on its own but very few succeed at it and it takes much longer than when you eat properly as well as exercise. I am not talking about just getting on a treadmill for 30 minutes every other day. Though you can lose weight this way it is not the most efficient use of your time nor maximizing the ability to burn calories. The most effective way to lose fat is by strength training or some type of interval training utilizing strength training and cardiovascular exercises. A properly designed program can burn more overall calories in 20 minutes than 20 minutes on a treadmill. Also, the X factor in all this is that you will burn more calories per minute hours after you finished strength training because of the EPOC effect. Static exercise on a treadmill doesn’t produce this X factor.

14. Record what you eat and drink. You will be amazed at what you consume and not even realize you did it until you right it down and reflect back on the day. Keeping a food log is critical to your success because if modifications need to be made you need something to be able to evaluate and analyze. If changes aren’t happening like you had hoped the answer can usually be found in the food and or exercise journal.

15. Follow the 90% rule. If you can follow your plan 90% of the time then that is enough to have success with weight loss. If you find yourself breaking the rules more than 90% of the time then the chance of being successful with weight loss is not as likely. Your chances of failing increase significantly. Lose the all or nothing attitude and just take one day at a time. Reflect on your day before you go to bed at night and instead of getting down on yourself because you weren’t perfect just set goals to accomplish next day that would eliminate those errors.

Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS is the author of The Carb Rotation Diet. To discover the 5 absolute truths Every Serial Dieter Who Seeks Rapid-Weight loss MUST come to grips with visit The Carb Rotation Diet.

10 Changes To To Your Diet That Will Instantly Make it 90% Better

Most individuals do not eat like they are supposed to. Out of those individuals 95% of them don’t realize that by making 10 simple changes to their eating lifestyle they can improve their diet by 90% along with improving their health and overall well-being.

Apply these changes to your diet today and you too will be experiencing an increased benefit to your health, probable weight loss, a leaner body, and likely improvements to your blood profile. This all equals a longer healthier life.

Now let’s get started so you can benefit from these 10 simple changes that everyone can make immediately.

1. Hydration: Is there a difference
Consume Green Tea or Water instead of calorie filled drinks such as soft drinks. Green Tea has many health benefits and is a powerful antioxidant. You should be drinking 1ml of non-caffeinated fluid for every calorie that you consume. This works out between (8-12) 8oz glasses of Green Tea or Water a day.

2. Benefits of Fiber
Recommend consuming 25-35 grams of fiber per day. Since the average diet contains only 14 grams we could all use more fiber. Fiber will help satisfy hunger pangs as well as control insulin and blood sugar levels which tend to promote fat storage when they are elevated. By simply eating at least 1 serving of fruit and vegetables at every meal should get you to the goal of 25-35 grams of fiber per day.

3. The Importance of Protein
Eat lean protein sources which include; lean beef, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, salmon, low-fat cottage cheese and other low-fat dairy products, and whey protein powders, at every meal. This will also help control insulin levels and satisfy hunger pangs which tend to promote fat storage. You will find yourself naturally eating less food throughout the day if you eat some type of lean protein at every meal.

4. Frequent Meals: Why?
Eat 4-6 small meals day a day instead of the usual 2-3 large meals. Eating frequently will help regulate and boost your metabolism to burn more calories. By also including your protein and vegetables at these meals you will tend to eat less overall thereby reducing your calorie intake.

5. What are Whole Foods?
Consume whole foods that are high in fiber and low in sugar such as lean protein (lean beef, chicken, fish, and whey protein), fruits & vegetables (oranges, apples, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, peppers, asparagus, carrots, nuts (almonds, cashews, & walnuts), and whole grains.
Try to minimize processed foods that come in a box or a bag. Instead choose whole grain choices such as whole wheat foods, oatmeals, and vegetables.

6. Healthy Fats: Yes, there are healthy fats
Consume adequate amounts of healthy fat foods such as olive oil, walnuts, almonds, or other Omega-3 products. Healthy fats are great antioxidants as well as help with brain function and many other essentials processes that take place in the body on a daily basis. Essential Fatty acids also help prevent certain diseases.

7. Superfoods
Include what I call “Superfoods” into your meal plan on a daily basis. These include but not entirely lean meat, salmon, low fat plain yogurt, tomatoes, spinach, mixed berries, whole oats, mixed nuts, olive oil, flax seeds(or flax meal), green tea, and various beans. These are just some of the “Superfoods” you should be incorporating into your daily meal plans.

8. Fat
Keep total fat intake under 30% for the day. This can be accomplished by not adding too many extra fats such as butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, etc. This doesn’t mean you have to completely eliminate these items, but do not eat them as a regular food item every day.

9. Food Log: Yes, this is the most important step
Record what you eat and drink. You will be amazed at what you consume and not even realize you did it until you right it down and reflect back on the day. Keeping a food log is critical to your success because if modifications need to be made you need something to be able to evaluate and analyze. If changes aren’t happening like you had hoped the answer can usually be found in your food and or exercise journal.

10. Food Labels
Review food labels. Avoid foods packed with excess sugar, calories, or foods that contain any trans-fats. You should be looking for more natural foods and not overly-processed foods. Ingredients to look for and avoid or minimize if they are one of the top ingredients listed in the ingredients list: Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup and Hydrogenated or Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil.

If you see these ingredients listed at the top then that means the product is made up of that ingredient as it’s largest source.

Now I don’t expect you to make every change in one day. What I do expect is that if you are serious about living a better life and a healthier life then you need to make these changes over the next 4 weeks. The best way to accomplish this task is to map out your plan. Create meal plans and have a plan of attack in place in regards to what you are eating and when.

You will start to see just how easy it is to live a healthier life and achieve the goals that you desire.

Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS is the author of The Carb Rotation Diet. To discover the 5 absolute truths Every Serial Dieter Who Seeks Rapid-Weight loss MUST come to grips with visit The Carb Rotation Diet.

7 Foods you can Eat to Lose Weight

The food industry is constantly creating new ‘functional foods’ that will help you lose weight, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, and help you keep your blood sugar and insulin levels in check and so on and so on. When did eating become so complicated, and since when could food do all of these magical things?

Foods designed to help you lose weight are a multi billion dollar industry. And think of how ironic of an industry that is, how could you possibly eat something to lose weight? That doesn’t make any sense at all. The act of eating always adds mass to your body, it couldn’t possibly take it away.

The only way you can lose weight ever, is to eat less calories than you burn off. Bottom line, there is no arguing this. This rule existed 1000 years ago, and will exist a 1000 years from now. There is no possible way you could gain weight if you ate less calories than you burned off.

No matter how easy you seem to put on weight, and how little food you think you eat, there is always a lesser amount that will cause you to lose weight.

The actual matter that makes up your fat cells has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is your diet. If you eat more food that you burn off then you will store fat and gain weight. If you eat less food than you burn off you will lose fat and lose weight. That’s it.

So the list of 7 foods you can eat to lose weight consists of any foods you would like to see on that list!

You could lose weight eating cheesecake everyday. As long as you ate less total calories that day than you burned off.

The only weight loss diets that have ever worked or proven to have any effect always make people eat less total calories. That’s it. Carbs, fat, protein and sugar don’t make any difference, as long as you eat less. If anyone tells you otherwise they just haven’t done their research. And I encourage you to challenge anyone who thinks that any ‘special’ food can actually help you lose weight. It’s baloney, eating less is the only way.

Think of it this way. If any of the popular diets like low carb, low fat, high protein actually worked, would you or anyone else still be looking for another way to lose weight?

I know of only one way to effectively eat less and still be able to eat the foods you like. At Eat Stop Eat I found the only nutrition program that makes any sense at all.

Author Brad Pilon basically threw me the biggest curveball ever with this new nutrition program and it makes the most sense out of anything I have ever read. There is no reason to stress over food any longer, there really is a way to lose weight and eat what you like.

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Brad Pilon is a nutrition professional with over eight years experience working in the nutritional supplement industry specializing in clinical research management and new product development. Brad has completed graduate studies in nutritional sciences specializing in the use of short term fasting for weight loss.

His trademarked book Eat Stop Eat has been featured on national television and helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat without sacrificing the foods they love. For more information on Eat Stop Eat, visit Eat Stop Eat.com