Weight Loss! Lets get in shape!

By Bryon Zirker

Weight loss stats:

72 percent of Americans overweight or obese
30 percent actively attempting to lose weight

Two big reasons why we are not slim.

1. No motivation.
2. We do not know how to do it.

This is according to the Yankelovich Preventative
Healthcare Study of 6,000 U.S. adults.

There are over 100,000 sources of healthcare and
diet information for use to help us slim down. All
of this data is part of the problem. Just way too
much information, a lot of it contradictory and
confusing.

Some road blocks that are killing our motivation
to lose weight are.

Hate to exercise: 22 %

Love the junk food: 21 %

No will power to stay on task: 15 %

Road Blocks that come from misunderstanding or
lack of education include:

Cost of a successful weight loss program: 20 %

No insurance coverage of weight-loss programs: 19 %

Can not find out the best plan to lose weight: 14 %

These stats are costing us dearly. The study found
that 29 percent of adults have felt healthy and full
of energy for only two weeks or less during the past
month, including 9 percent who have not experienced
health and energy at all.

The most unhealthy tend to not be married, under
the age of 40, or have children under the age of six.
75 percent of U.S. adults have a body mass index (BMI)
of 25 or greater. This is considered overweight
according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.

The Yankelovich study then asked respondents to name
the top 10 ways to stay healthy. Not surprisingly,
diet and exercise missed the list completely. Instead,
coming in at No. 1 was "maintaining personal hygiene
and cleanliness," followed by "maintaining a positive
attitude" and "maintaining/cultivating healthy family
relationships." Diet and exercise placed 13th and 17th
respectively.

Perhaps the most startling reason we're still fat is
we just don't know how to lose weight. "We are
battling a lack of health education," said Steve
Bodhaine, group president of Yankelovich and director
of The Segmentation Company. "Almost 65 percent of
people have never been to a nutrition class and about
half have never taken an exercise or fitness class.
Those are staggering numbers."

So people are fat because they just do not know how
to lose weight. There is a lack of health education
tied with the fact that the majority of food companies
make unhealthy and addicting foods, some that have
ingredients that can eventually cause disease and death.

It's time to get smart and get in shape.

My next post will show you how to get in shape.

Questioning The Benefits OF Sunlight?




By Bryon Zirker

There are some definite misconceptions concerning
the effects of sunlight. One of these is that a
high amount of sunlight can cause Cataracts. An
unhealthy diet is the most likely culprit.

A couple of the latest studies have shown a
different take on this issue. A 14 year study
of women, supported by the USDA Human Nutrition
Research Center showed that women who consumed the
highest amounts of simple carbohydrates were 2.5
higher to develop Cataracts than those at the
lowest intake.

A different and separate study revealed that subjects
who ingested the highest amount of Vitamin E, Vitamin C,
Lutein, beta-carotene and zeaxanthin (Antioxidants)
and Folate were lowest in Cataracts developed.

So according to this information sunlight is not
the cause of Cataracts in people. The cause may
very well be due to a high carbohydrate diet lacking
in key antioxidant nutrients.

The sun can damage the eyes which occurs when
nutrition protection is missing.

Also the rise in skin cancer is happening due to the
same thing: Poor Diet. Enjoying the sun is one of my
favorite out door activities. I make sure to eat my
vegies, take my vitamins and stay away from the sugar.

There are many health benefits to sunlight. Maintaining
a healthy diet provides a very low risk of sun related
problems.

Energy Boosting Naturally

By Bryon Zirker

Is your energy slumping at times? Do You run to the store and
grab a Red Bull...or PowerAde…or a coffee. This sounds OK and
quite logical, however despite what the ads say it’s a bad
energy boost idea.

The short-term affect of these sugary, caffeinated energy
boosting drinks is to jump start your energy (this is because
you are wired and jittery), then comes the crash after an hour
or two. Avoid this type of energy boost.

Here are some energy booster things to know: Some coffee's
contain as much as 550 mg of caffeine. That’s 6 Red Bulls!
Sports drinks are just pumped up soft drinks. If you do not
plan to be active for the next few hours you can do with out
this sugar energy boost.

Try my energy boost recommendation: Go with organic green tea.
Make it with filtered water. This will raise the metabolism
with moderate levels of caffeine. It has beneficial
antioxidants and phytochemicals. If you use de-caffeinated
green tea it must be naturally de-caffeinated as the
decaffeination process damages the beneficial nutrients.

Health and Nutrition Introduction

Health and Nutrition is becoming more and more important
in todays world. The enormous growth of food products that
are now available is astounding and is having a very big
impact on health and nutrition in many of the worlds
populations.

Many of the foods that we now have access to and enjoy are
potentially dangerous and can seriously degrade a persons
health and nutrition. This can lead to a lot of very sick
and unhappy people.

The posts here will attempt to enhance ones awareness of
health and nutrition and the products, news and dangers
out there that can make a difference in the health and
nutrition of all of us.

I have spent the last 25 years in bodybuilding, powerlifting
and martial arts. I have used countless health and nutrition
techniques to supplement and get the best performance in those
areas.

No attempt to make medical claims is made by any of the
posts here and a licensed Medical Doctor should always be
consulted prior to making any modifications to your health
and nutrition habits.

Here we go.