Blogg um heilbrigða næringu og lífsstíl

10 Reasons to Eat Saturated Fat (That Dietitians Choose to Ignore)

2012-01-30T10:12:00.001-08:00

In this article I am going to outline 10 reasons to eat more saturated fat, which you may have heard referred to as "artery-clogging saturated fat" by outdated nutritionists and vegan proponents.

1. Saturated Fat Does NOT Give You Heart Disease

Despite what you may have heard countless times, there is no association at all between saturated fat and heart disease (1, 2).

In fact, saturated fat modifies certain risk factors for heart disease, actually improving them.

They change your LDL from the "small, dense (bad) kind"

Click here

Calcium May Literally Make You Poop Out Fat

2012-01-27T14:21:00.001-08:00

I came across a study about something I find very interesting.

It involves dietary Calcium and faecal fat excretion.

But before I continue, I'd just like to take a moment and admire the types of scientists who are willing to spend their days weighing and measuring shit, for the sake of improved health for the rest of us.

It's dirty business, but someone has got to do it, and I am very grateful to those researchers.

Alright, let's take a look at the study in question.

Meta Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

It

Click here

Teenagers, Milk and Advanced Prostate Cancer

2012-01-24T12:14:00.001-08:00

In this article I'm going to tell you about a study performed by a few Icelandic scientists, about the link between milk consumption in youth and advanced prostate cancer later in life.

You can read the abstract here: Milk Intake in Early Life and Risk of Advanced Prostate Cancer.

Personally, I've been kind of oblivious towards milk consumption. I'm not against it, but I still don't believe there is any need for teenagers or adults to consume milk.

It turns out that for men drinking milk during teenage years, it might have

Click here

All Calories are Not Created Equal

2012-01-20T08:53:00.001-08:00

One statement I often see made by health gurus is that all calories are created equal.

"A calorie is a calorie", "All that matters when it comes to weight loss is calories in vs. calories out".

These claims are not at all surprising, since "conventional wisdom" has led people to believe that this is true.

Like I've said before on this blog, eating healthy is simple, but nutrition and metabolism are extremely complex, and all calories are absolutely not created equal, despite what you may have heard.

But before I get into

How to Create Printable Workout Logs

2012-01-18T14:49:00.001-08:00

One of the things I find important in the gym is to log your progress.

It makes sense that you would want to know how many exercises, sets, reps and weight you did in the previous week, so you will know what you need to do to improve.

I often bring a log with me to the gym to write down my progress. It is always fun to go a few months back in time and see how much strength I've gained.

It is also a good idea to have your measurements done regularly. That is, your weight, body fat percentage, circumference, etc. Once per

Click here

Are Eggs Good For You, or Are They Bad?

2012-01-16T09:41:00.001-08:00

Eggs are one of the natural foods that have been demonized by mainstream nutrition in the past few decades, mainly because they have a high amount of saturated fat and cholesterol.

It's true. A large portion of the calories in eggs are from saturated fat, and they contain a high amount of cholesterol. A large egg contains 2g (23% of calories) of saturated fat, and 212mg of cholesterol (1).

But, as I will explain below, saturated fat is just fine and the cholesterol content in eggs doesn't matter.

Are eggs bad for

Click here

The Art of Not Finishing Your Meal

2012-01-13T12:10:00.001-08:00

Did your grandma ever tell you not to leave any food on your plate?

Maybe your parents told you to think about the starving kids in Africa when you didn't finish your meal?

Well, even though a lot of what grandma said was true, finishing every meal may not be the best idea in the world. Let me explain why.

I'm a binge eater. I can eat a ridiculous amount of food in one sitting. I can eat as much as three other people. It's crazy.

I've often wondered, isn't there supposed to be some kind of satiety signal in the body and

Click here

Keep It Simple, Stupid - Healthy Living Summed up in One Sentence

2012-01-09T07:49:00.001-08:00

I'm gonna start this post with a quote:
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." - Albert Einsten

If you've ever browsed the web to look for health advice (quite likely if you're reading this) then you may have noticed how incredibly complicated all this seems.

Complex vs simple carbs, meat or no meat, cholesterol, sugar and corn syrup, protein, fat, vitamins, blablabla...

You're right, nutrition is incredibly complicated.

The effects that foods have on our bodies are so complex that you

Click here

Krill Oil Side Effects and Dosage

2012-01-06T11:04:00.001-08:00

As a follow-up to my last two articles on the benefits of krill oil and the difference between krill oil vs fish oil, I should probably address the technical details of krill oil supplementation.

Krill Oil Side Effects

The main thing regarding krill oil side effects, is that if you have a seafood or shrimp allergy then you may be allergic to krill as well.

Omega-3 fatty acids have a slight blood thinning effect, so be vary if you are taking medications for the same purpose because they may interact with each other.

It is

Click here

Krill Oil vs Fish Oil - What the Difference is

2012-01-04T09:59:00.001-08:00

Here I am going to explore what the difference is between Krill Oil vs Fish Oil.

A lot of people seem to be confused because they are both sources of Omega-3 fatty acid awesomeness. However, they do differ in some important ways that I will explain here.

Probably the most important in favour of fish oil, is that it is much cheaper than krill oil. However, krill is more potent, gram for gram, so that should even out the price a little.

But when money is tight, fish oil or simply quality foods with natural levels of Omega-3

Click here

Krill Oil Benefits - What is awesome about it?

2012-01-02T10:54:00.001-08:00

I've done quite a bit of research on krill oil supplements in the past few weeks and in this article I outline what I discovered about krill oil benefits.

What is krill oil?

Krill oil is a nutritional supplement made by extracting the oils from shrimp-like creatures called krill.

Krill oil provides Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) like fish oil, but unlike fish oil they are primarily bound to phospholipids (mainly phosphatidylcholine) instead of triglycerides.

Phospholipids are the type of lipids that form cell membranes

11 Critical Weight Loss Mistakes

2011-12-30T08:32:00.001-08:00

I spent the majority of the holidays at my computer, writing a new weight loss report titled "11 Critical Weight Loss Mistakes".

January is approaching, the time when people make resolutions and decide to burn off the holiday binges.

I decided to write this as a list of guidelines for people to keep in mind before they grab their credit cards to buy the latest and greatest weight loss plan which more often than not simply does not work.

This report is actually more than a simple "hit list" of mistakes. It is a collection of

Click here

Why swallowing liquid saturated fat may actually be a good idea

2011-12-28T12:30:00.001-08:00

Before you read any further, let me ask you two questions.

Question #1 - What would you gain if you could eliminate your food cravings and reduce your appetite substantially?

Common benefits may include: weight loss, better sleep, looking better, higher self-esteem, etc, etc..

Question #2 - Would you be willing to do something rather nauseating every day to experience those benefits?

Now that we've got that covered...

Why swallowing liquid saturated fat may actually be a good idea

I'm going to describe something

Click here

SoFAS - The New Reason to Hate Saturated Fats

2011-12-26T06:38:00.001-08:00

If you've been reading this blog for a while, then you know that I am a big fan of saturated fats.

I don't believe they cause heart disease, and I believe that the propaganda pointed against them in the past few decades has been completely unfounded.

A very large study came out in 2010 which compiled data from 21 other studies and discovered that saturated fat has no association with heart disease.

However, many so-called experts, even doctors and nutritionists, still believe that saturated fat is the devil when it comes to

Click here

How Many Calories in an Apple?

2011-12-23T04:24:00.001-08:00

In this article I am going to answer the question: How many calories in an apple?

We've all heard the phrase "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" at some point in our lives. Now I don't know about that, but they sure are tasty and convenient.

They are definitely one of the more satiating fruits out there, and a single apple packs a decent amount of fibre, potassium and Vitamin C.

How many calories in an apple?

Short answer:

A small apple contains: 77 calories, 21g carbs.
A medium apple contains: 95 calories,

9 Reasons Why You Should Not Eat Breakfast

2011-12-21T05:43:00.001-08:00

In this article I am going to outline 9 reasons why you should not eat breakfast.

Following my last article debunking some of the common myths around skipping breakfast, I thought of a few very good reasons why it might be highly convenient to not eat breakfast at all.

1. Breakfast takes time.
Preparing breakfast in the morning does take a little bit of time. If you're wolfing down cereal with milk, it might take about 5-10 minutes in a rush, longer if you read the newspaper or check your Facebook news feed while

Why Skipping Breakfast to Lose Weight Might Actually be a Good Idea

2011-12-19T06:41:00.001-08:00

In this article I am going to explain why skipping breakfast to lose weight might be a good idea.

I've probably heard hundreds of times that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day", even by people that are apparent "experts", such as personal trainers, nutritionists, and others.

However, just because a lot of people claim it to be true, and that most people do it, doesn't make it right.

I'm a big fan of challenging conventional wisdom, especially when it comes to health and nutrition. The current methods sure as

Click here

Icelandic Superhumans - The fittest woman and the strongest men on earth

2011-12-14T14:40:00.001-08:00

I was born and raised in Iceland, a country in the North-Atlantic ocean.

My nation is famous for fishing, Vikings and a recent economic collapse. We also made it to the press when a volcano known as Eyjafjallajokull erupted in 2010 and disrupted air travel all around the world.

We've had some of the worlds best athletes in the past, and here I'm going to describe a few of them.

When you consider that we have a population of only 300 thousand, our athletic history is pretty spectacular.

Annie Mist Thorisdottir - Winner of

Click here

Is Marijuana Addictive? The Facts on Marijuana Addiction

2011-11-28T10:39:00.001-08:00

This article will answer the question: Is marijuana addictive?

Two weeks ago I wrote an article titled is weed bad for you, which received quite a bit of reaction, both negative and positive.

I got a lot of comments from people that seem to be active in promoting cannabis usage online, and it appears that they don't really have any knowledge of the science behind marijuana.

Many of them claim that there are "tons of studies" proving their point. However, when you ask for the studies, these individuals tend to go

How many calories in a banana?

2011-11-22T09:55:00.001-08:00

In this article I am going to answer the question on how many calories in a banana.

I usually eat a few bananas per week, either by themselves or in a mix where I add a banana, organic yogurt and some protein powder.

Bananas are definitely one of the easiest foods to take with you on the road.

Bananas are good for you as long as you aren't on a very low-carb diet for health reasons, but in that case they should be limited.

How many calories in a banana?

Short answer:

A small banana contains 90 calories.
A

Is Weed Bad For You? The truth about Marijuana

2011-11-16T11:36:00.001-08:00

In this article I am going to answer the question: Is weed bad for you?

I feel compelled to write something about this after a friend of my little brothers recently started informing me about the apparent "health benefits" of marijuana, and telling me how he really wanted to get high some time.

I tried to tell him my well informed opinion, but he wouldn't listen. He was apparently convinced by this information he had found somewhere on the internet. This kid is 14 years old.

As a medical student who knows a thing or two

Click here

How to Eat Less Polyunsaturated Omega-6 Fatty Acids

2011-11-07T06:36:00.001-08:00

One of the things I believe are contributing to the epidemic of western diseases is overconsumption of polyunsaturated Omega-6 fatty acids.

You may have heard that they are essential and actually healthy.

Well, they are essential because the body does need a small amount and can not produce them on its own. However, the amount you require is much, much, much less than what is common today.

The fact is, both Omega-3 (good) and Omega-6 (not so good) are required to maintain proper function of the body. However, they need to

Click here

A Sample Paleo Diet Menu - What to eat on the paleo diet?

2011-11-01T11:05:00.001-07:00

I'm guessing you have heard of the paleo diet at some point, since it has become immensely popular all around the world. In this article I am going to outline a sample paleo diet menu, something an average paleo dieter might eat in a day.

What is the paleo diet?

The paleo diet is also known as the paleolithic diet, caveman diet, primal diet, hunter-gatherer diet and stone-age diet.

It is based on the premise that human beings have been evolving for hundreds of thousands of years, while the modern diet has only been

Click here

Sugar, Junk Food and Medical Definitions of Addiction

2011-10-27T10:56:00.001-07:00

I've talked quite a bit about junk food addiction before. In this article, I am going to explore how it fits in with medical definitions of addiction.

It is clear that junk food addiction shares many similarities with other forms of addiction, such as cigarettes or narcotics, although it is probably not quite as powerful.

But even though the addictive potential isn't quite as strong, junk food addiction is still very difficult to deal with because junk food is literally everywhere.

We are exposed to it every single day, and

Click here

Diet Soda - Is it Bad For You and Can it Cause Weight Gain?

2011-10-25T10:46:00.001-07:00

We know sugar is bad for us and it is often the first thing we try to restrict when we become health conscious.

Those with a strong sweet tooth often turn to diet soda as a healthy alternative. There's no sugar in it, and it has no calories.

It is not uncommon to see someone order a BigMac, large fries and a diet soda. If I had banged my head against the wall every time I saw that happening, I'd probably be dead.

They probably believe they are losing weight by replacing sugary soda with a calorie free version.

Well, not

Eating Healthy is Less Expensive Because Junk Food Costs You Twice

2011-10-23T08:01:00.001-07:00

It's hard to deny the fact that money does matter in our lives.

Money pays for our homes, our cars, our clothes, our education and entertainment. Last but not least, we need it to buy food.

But how do we prioritize? Most people don't have the money to buy whatever they want, so they've got to choose.

Many will feel that clothes and entertainment are more important than eating healthy, and I'm pretty sure most people would rather have a home and eat crappy food, than live in a cardboard box and eat organic.

Yes, you might

Click here

The four pillars of optimal health

2011-10-20T10:28:00.001-07:00

[caption id="attachment_1638" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Accurate version of the food plate. Picture by Adam Fields."][/caption]

At least half of everything you've heard about health and nutrition is false.

In some cases you may have been intentionally lied too. In most cases though, health professionals are simply misinformed about how to be healthy.

Nutritional guidelines in the world are often crafted by politicians and based on "nutritional policy" instead of actual science, the propaganda against saturated

Click here

10 Reasons not to exercise

2011-10-14T12:06:00.001-07:00

Do you feel guilty about not exercising?

That's probably because you've heard all those reasons why exercise is good for you.

Well, there's no need to be guilty. There are also plenty of perfectly good reasons NOT to exercise.

1. Exercise is time consuming
It's hard to deny the fact that exercise takes time.

It takes time to drive to the gym, it takes time to change clothes, and it takes an awful long time running on the treadmill and lifting weights.

I mean come on. It's 2011. Who has time for this nonsense?

Click here

Free, delicious and healthy Protein Powder Recipes

2011-10-14T08:32:00.001-07:00

In this article I am going to outline some free protein powder recipes.

I love protein powder and I have had some regularly for the past few years. Chocolate is my favorite, but strawberry and vanilla are pretty good too.

It is true that athletes and individuals who work out do need quite a bit of protein per day to ensure muscle gain and optimal recovery.

However, that's not the real reason why I love protein powder recipes so much. I also enjoy the taste and I enjoy the texture it gives when mixed with other

Click here

Rhodiola Rosea benefits for the brain

2011-10-13T05:38:00.001-07:00

In this article I am going to discuss Rhodiola Rosea and its benefits for the brain.

Rhodiola is a herb that some of you may have heard of before. It is sold as a nutritional supplement touted for its cognitive and anti-depressant benefits.

This is a supplement I've been taking, mainly to increase energy, and I find that it works pretty well. I'm not going to go into details about my own experiences but there is quite a bit of research behind this herb.

There are some studies showing it can help with endurance exercise in

Click here

Vitamin D Deficiency Treatment - How much Vitamin D should I take?

2011-10-09T11:39:00.001-07:00

I've had a number of comments from readers who have been measured with low blood levels of Vitamin D, and their question is usually how much Vitamin D should I take?

Here I am going to outline some guidelines for those interested in Vitamin D deficiency treatment.

Beforehand, I should mention that anyone with a medical condition should speak to their doctor before taking Vitamin D or any other supplement.

The recommended daily allowance for Vitamin D
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for Vitamin D is 600IU (15

Click here

Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy - How do muscles grow?

2011-10-05T11:15:00.001-07:00

In this article I am going to explain to you how do muscles grow.

We all known muscles get bigger during exercise, here I am going to explain to you how that happens.

I am going to try and explain this as simply as I can, but this is a pretty complex subject.

So, what are muscles?

Muscles or "skeletal muscles" reach from tendon to tendon, and move the bones of the body.

When muscles are pushed hard during training, they adapt and grow stronger. This is known as skeletal muscle hypertrophy, and can come in several

How much protein in an egg?

2011-10-03T12:01:00.001-07:00

In this article I am going to answer the question on how much protein in an egg.

I love eggs, and I eat a lot of them. In fact, I eat about 4 eggs every single day, for breakfast.

Last month I wrote an article about how much protein per day and I started wondering exactly how much protein I am getting from all those eggs I eat.

So, how much protein in an egg?

The short answer:

A small egg contains 5 grams.

A large egg contains 6 grams.

A jumbo egg (the biggest) contains 8 grams.

Proceed for the

Click here

2011-09-30T10:09:00.001-07:00

The paleo/primal diet
No grains
No dairy
No seed oils
No trans fats
No processed foods

Lots of meat
Fish
Eggs
Vegetables
Fruit
Nuts and Seeds

Primal Recipes | Paleo Recipes | Enter a search term

Sometimes allowed:
Full-Fat Dairy
Sweet Potatoes
Bacon
Rice

Turning cooking into a hobby increases your chances of success

Enter a search term to find primal recipes and paleo recipes

Loading

google.load('search', '1', {style : google.loader.themes.SHINY});

How to lose weight fast without being hungry

2011-09-24T19:18:00.001-07:00

In this article I am going to outline an approach on how to lose weight fast without being hungry.

By following this approach, which does not involve any expensive supplements or drugs, you will lose weight rapidly, lower your blood sugar and insulin levels, improve your cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as reduce your blood pressure.

All this without being hungry.

If you don't believe me then I can assure you that this is all based on sound science.

Two different methods on how to lose weight fast
After doing an

Click here

How much protein per day to gain muscle and optimal health

2011-09-13T11:54:00.001-07:00

This article is about how much protein per day to gain muscle and optimal health.

Proteins are the building blocks of the body and form enzymes, hormones, cell receptors, muscle fibers, connective tissue fibers, and many other structures.

They are in every tissue, in every cell, and life as we know it needs protein to function.

What is protein?
Before I get into how much protein per day then I am going to explain, in a few words, what proteins are.

Essential Amino

Best healthy foods to eat to lose weight

2011-09-06T03:37:00.001-07:00

In this article I am going to discuss the best healthy foods to eat to lose weight.

Last week I wrote a post about the worst foods to eat when losing weight, and to recap, they include added sugar, wheat, trans fats and industrial seed oils.

Before I get into this, I'd like to mention that of course serving sizes and calories do matter, but food selection is more important in my opinion.

Well, without further ado, these are the best healthy foods to eat to lose weight:

1. Meat, fish and eggs

Out of the foods to eat to

Click here

Shoes that look like feet - Vibram Fivefingers

2011-09-03T08:58:00.001-07:00

Have you happened to notice some strange folks wear shoes that look like feet?

Well, that's not surprising because these are becoming more and more common nowadays. People wear them while walking, running, hiking and in the gym.

These thin shoes with toes, kind of like "foot gloves", completely adapt to the outline of the foot and allow the feet and toes to perform their natural motions. Now, humans have only been wearing modern running shoes since 1970 and these shoes are engineered in such a way that they restrict the motion

Superhuman Feature: Annie Mist Thorisdottir

2011-09-03T05:10:00.001-07:00

Today's featured superhuman is Annie Mist Thorisdottir, a 22 year old female from Kopavogur, Iceland.

She is the female 2011 Crossfit world champion.
[caption id="attachment_39" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Annie Mist Thorisdottir is the fittest woman on earth in 2011"][/caption]
Annie was born in September 1989 and is 22 years old at the time of this writing.

She has achieved incredible athletic success for such a young age and has practiced multiple sports, including gymnastics, dancing and she was an Icelandic

Click here

Foods to avoid: The four worst foods to eat when losing weight

2011-08-30T05:34:00.001-07:00

This article is about the four worst foods to eat when losing weight.

Before I begin, I'd like to ask you a question:

What do all junk foods have in common?

Well, they all contain at least one of the four ingredients I am going to tell you about.

These foods are by far the worst foods to eat, and weight loss might be as simple as avoiding these four foods and replacing them with healthy foods, which I will tell you about next week.

These foods cause weight gain

Click here

How much sugar per day for weight loss and optimal health

2011-08-22T23:49:00.001-07:00

I am going to talk about how much sugar per day for weight loss and optimal health.

At first, I'd like to say that there are many different types of sugar. Certain foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy products, coconuts and sweet potatoes do contain natural sugars.

Those natural sugars are fine to eat, except maybe for those who are very overweight or diabetic and would probably do best by limiting those too.

When I am referring to sugar, I am talking about the "regular kind". Table sugar, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup,

Click here

The pillars of paleo crumbling down? Let's not forget the end results!

2011-08-22T09:01:00.001-07:00

There has been a lot of discussion online recently about the scientific basis behind the paleo diet.

Apparently low-carb diets don't cause weight loss because of insulin, excessive Omega-6 fatty acids don't contribute to obesity, and many former paleo proponents have started consuming dairy and grains.

To quote one of the popular (former) paleo advocates Melissa McEwen:
Frankly the popular "paleo diet" concept is based on a lot of scientific garbage and I advocate a more nuanced and scientific approach towards eating.

Was

Click here

Best healthy living blogs - What I am reading in 2011

2011-08-22T06:51:00.001-07:00

I'd like to take some time to list the best healthy living blogs that I am reading in 2011.

As you probably know, I have been interested in health and nutrition for many years. During this time I have found a lot of great blogs that are definitely worthy of following.

Most of the blogs I read are kind of science oriented, but as you may have noticed I do my best to write my own articles in human terms that should be easy to understand for anyone.

I'd like to mention that I do read more blogs than those listed here, and I do

The Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load and Insulin Index explained

2011-08-21T08:31:00.001-07:00

In this article I want to explain how the glycemic index, glycemic load and insulin index work.

The glycemic index and glycemic load are variables measured in carbohydrate foods, that evaluate how much they raise blood glucose levels. The insulin index measures the effect on blood insulin levels.

These are often used by diabetic patients to control blood glucose levels.

Personally I think that diabetics would do better by skipping high carbohydrate foods altogether and choose a low-carb, ketogenic diet and Steve Cooksey the

Click here

Why do people get fat, is it insulin or something else?

2011-08-19T05:59:00.001-07:00

There is a lot of buzz about Dr. Stephan Guyenet's article on The Carbohydrate Hypothesis of Obesity.

This is one of my favorite blogs and I have been reading it for years. It is quite heavy on the science, but if you are a biology and nutrition geek like me, then I highly recommend you subscribe.

I would like to extract the key points from this very important article and present some of my own thoughts.

What this article evaluates is the hypothesis that excess carbohydrates cause obesity, largely promoted by Gary Taubes in

Click here

The list that can make or break your weight loss efforts

2011-08-17T08:55:00.001-07:00

I am going to ask you two questions.

1. How often have you tried adopting a healthy diet, but failed?

2. Out of those times you failed, how often was it due to convenience?

Perhaps one day you just didn't find the willpower or time to cook a healthy meal for yourself.

You were exhausted from work, the kids had been driving you crazy, you just heard some bad family news, or any other random thing could have happened that made you sad or upset.

Instead of cooking a healthy meal for yourself, you opted for the convenience

Click here

How to beat junk food addiction

2011-08-12T07:30:00.001-07:00

I was a drug addict for many years and wasted a substantial part of my life being a full-time addict. After I got clean, I became obsessed with being healthy.

At first, my main passion was bodybuilding and fitness. I would spend a lot of money on supplements, work out all the time and read everything I could find about muscle building.

That passion drifted off in about 2 years, and instead my interest in nutrition took over. Since then, I have been reading about nutrition every single day.
[caption id="attachment_1491"

A junk food addict or an all or nothing person

2011-08-10T04:53:00.001-07:00

I realize that some people might have problems with calling themselves "junk food addicts".

Although honestly acknowledging the problem is the first step to overcoming it, I don't really think it is necessary for people to admit to full-blown addiction in order to quit eating junk food.

If you are one of those people, then I have an alternative solution.

Call yourself an all or nothing person instead.

An all or nothing person either does something to the fullest, or doesn't do it at all.
[caption id="attachment_1489"

How to stop cravings for sugar and junk food

2011-08-08T00:31:00.001-07:00

I've talked quite a bit about sugar and junk food addiction in the past and in this article I am going to outline what I think are the best methods on how to stop cravings.

Cravings ... seems like such an innocent word, doesn't it?

Well, if you look at certain individuals, such as recovering alcoholics or drug addicts, cravings can be a serious matter.

They can lead to relapse, which can cost them their families, jobs, homes and even their lives.

That's right, cravings can be a matter of life or death for some

Click here

Ketosis side effects - Safety of the ketogenic diet plan

2011-08-05T06:11:00.001-07:00

If you have been reading this blog for a while, then you will know that I am a fan of the ketogenic diet plan.

No, I don't do it myself, and I don't recommend it for healthy people because I think it is too restrictive.

However, this has been studied in epileptic children, diabetic patients and overweight people with incredible success. I believe this diet plan has a lot of therapeutic potential for these disorders.

In this article I am going to discuss ketosis side effects and the general safety of the ketogenic diet, but

What does wheat have in common with heroin and morphine?

2011-08-02T08:02:00.001-07:00

You might think I'm crazy after reading the title, but hold on for a second and let me explain.

Wheat is something almost everyone consumes, and many people consider it to be healthy. It seems far fetched that it would have something in common with hard drugs like heroin.

Well, it turns out that when the proteins in wheat (gluten) are digested they turn in to substances that are able to stimulate the same receptors activated by heroin and morphine in the brain.

It is also known that during coeliac disease, which is a serious

Click here

Addiction is physiological, psychological and social

2011-08-01T05:10:00.001-07:00

In order to truly understand addiction, and the methods on how to overcome it, it is necessary to consider its three primary components.

First is the physiological aspect, which results from changes in brain chemistry. The second is the psychological aspect, which involves our thoughts and behaviors. The third is the social component.

This also applies to junk food addiction. Since junk food isn't just an abusive substance but also "food" which almost everyone eats, it makes things slightly different.
[caption

Click here

7 Signs and symptoms that you are addicted to junk food

2011-07-29T02:49:00.001-07:00

I have talked a bit about junk food addiction on this blog before.

You may have wondered, how can I really know if I'm addicted or not?

Well, in this post I have listed 7 symptoms that you are addicted to junk food.

Some of them may apply to you, some of them may not.

What is junk food? Pretty much anything that contains sugar, refined wheat, trans fat and other yucky things. Cakes, candy, soda pop, pizza, donuts, ice cream, etc. You know the drill.
[caption id="attachment_1470" align="aligncenter" width="467"

Click here

How many calories should I eat a day to lose weight naturally

2011-07-27T04:23:00.001-07:00

I would like to write an article to answer the question on how many calories should i eat a day to lose weight?

This is a very common question, which is not surprising because modern health authorities are constantly saying that people eat too many calories per day and should cut back.

I have a few problems with this approach, mainly because I don't believe that calorie counting is necessary. Obesity has increased despite the fact that almost everybody owns a calculator and can do math.

It is true that calories matter, but

Click here

Why I am sure that junk food addiction is real

2011-07-25T02:20:00.001-07:00

In this post I am going to share with you something I have never talked about on this blog before.

I'm gonna tell you about the experiences I have with fighting addiction, and why I believe that addiction to junk food is not so different from being addicted to narcotics.

You might believe that something like junk food addiction is not really a big problem in the world today, but I encourage you to consider the current obesity epidemic and then think again.

Personally, I believe that junk food addiction is the main reason why

Stomach pain after eating, what to do about it

2011-07-24T04:57:00.001-07:00

In this article I am going to talk about stomach pain after eating, with the primary causes as well as what to do about them.

When I refer to the "stomach", I am talking about the entire area between the pelvis and rib cage, also known as the "abdomen" or "belly".

There are many possible reasons for abdominal pains and most of the time they go away on their own.
[caption id="attachment_1460" align="aligncenter" width="467" caption="Stomach pain after eating, a hot water bottle might help"][/caption]
Even though it is usually

Click here

Eating frequency and colon cancer

2011-07-21T02:43:00.001-07:00

There are countless times I've heard personal trainers and health gurus say that eating many small meals throughout the day is optimal for weight loss.

I've never really bought it, since it doesn't make much sense that metabolism would be elevated just because the digestive system is running all day.

Two half chickens take just as much energy to digest as a whole chicken, right?

The steady blood sugar argument doesn't hold either, since a healthy body is perfectly capable of maintaining optimal blood sugar levels.

Well,

Click here

How to lose weight in a week

2011-07-18T03:50:00.001-07:00

In this article I am going to tell you exactly how to lose weight in a week without starving yourself.

I'm assuming you have an important event in mind, such as a hot date, photo shoot or a day at the beach.

Warning!

If you have any medical issues, or are currently using any medications, speak to your doctor first.
Please do not, under any circumstances, do this for longer than a week.
Be aware that you will probably be hungry and energy-deprived.

[caption id="attachment_1454" align="aligncenter" width="426"

Click here to read more

10 Reasons why you should not have a cheat meal

2011-07-17T04:40:00.001-07:00

Most diet plans today are restricted in some way. They may restrict fat, carbs, meat, sugar or whatever.

What many of them have in common is that they suggest a "cheat meal" or a "cheat day" once per week.

They say that a cheat meal will boost metabolism, and reduce cravings for unhealthy food. I disagree.

Below I've listed 10 reasons why having a cheat meal may not be a good idea.
[caption id="attachment_1451" align="aligncenter" width="472" caption="The cake might taste better than the apple, but is it worth

My youtube profile

2011-07-16T01:42:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you guys know I have a youtube site up and running.

I've only got two videos and they are really low quality and unrehearsed, but I will put some better stuff up there with time.

My Youtube profile

How to lose weight naturally on a low-carb diet

2011-07-15T12:16:00.001-07:00

You might be one of those people who have tried losing weight on something like a low-fat diet. You're sick of being hungry, and you don't believe that being healthy should be so hard.

It just doesn't make sense that we should have to weigh everything and use calculators to lose weight, plus the hunger that comes with calorie restriction is terrible. In this article I am going to outline some tips on how to lose weight naturally.
[caption id="attachment_1448" align="aligncenter" width="509" caption="If you're feeling like

2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans - Evidence-based or not?

2011-07-15T08:17:00.001-07:00

The USDA first published their dietary recommendations for Americans in the year 1977. Has the health of Americans improved much since then?

Of course not. Obesity, type II diabetes and heart disease have increased MASSIVELY.

Meet year 2010. Time for new dietary guidelines by the USDA. A lot of new studies have appeared since 1977, many of which show how the initial recommendations were completely wrong. Did "the experts" at the USDA learn anything in the past 30+ years?

[caption id="attachment_1446" align="aligncenter"

Click here

How much sodium per day is healthy

2011-07-11T13:50:00.001-07:00

I've often wondered if the government is right in telling me I need to cut back on sodium, so in this article I am going to discover how much sodium per day is healthy, as well as how much is too much.

We all know that a lot of the old advice we've gotten from "the experts" is false, such as with saturated fat and cholesterol in food. It seems that with sodium, however, they are mostly correct.
[caption id="attachment_1439" align="aligncenter" width="509" caption="The dead sea has so much salt that animals can't live in it ..

The reason so many modern nutritionists and health gurus are wrong

2011-07-10T08:12:00.001-07:00

If you are one of those who has spent a lot of time on the internet looking up health information, then you've probably noticed that there is a lot of conflicting information out there.

A nutritionist says one thing, then a popular blogger says something different, and then a third website tells you that that they're both wrong.

Who to believe?

Well, the core of the problem in my opinion is the fact that most nutritionists and health gurus believe that there is one solution that fits everyone.

If you take the advice of

Green Tea vs Coffee - Caffeine content and health benefits

2011-07-09T15:05:00.003-07:00

In this article I am gonna try to end the dispute over which is better, green tea vs coffee. They have different amounts of caffeine, and they both have similar as well as different effects on health.

To put it short, the winner is..

Both.That's right, both green tea and coffee have some great health benefits, and they are both safe to consume although it is usually recommended to limit coffee to 3-4 cups a day because of the high amounts of caffeine. Pregnant women might want to cut back quite a bit though.

Caffeine in tea

Click to read more

Green Tea vs Coffee - Caffeine content and health benefits

2011-07-09T15:05:00.001-07:00

Click to read more

Paleo Diet Research

2011-07-05T13:04:00.001-07:00

A list of paleo diet research that I've found through Pubmed and Google Scholar.

If you’re new to this way of eating, then you may want to check out my site and subscribe through the medium of your choice .. look to the right ————->

The paleo diet is also known as the paleolithic diet, caveman diet, stone-age diet, hunter-gatherer diet and primal diet.

All studies were performed on humans, and all of them are in English.

Use these next time you get into a forum argument, need to prove your point with a

paleo diet research

Paleo Diet Forum List - Caveman, Raw Paleo Forums

2011-07-05T10:32:00.001-07:00

This is a list of the most popular forums and chat rooms dedicated to the paleo diet.

If you're new to this way of eating, then you may want to check out my site and subscribe through the medium of your choice .. look to the right ------------->

The paleo diet is also known as the paleolithic diet, caveman diet, stone-age diet, hunter-gatherer diet and primal diet.

All of these forums are completely free with no strings attached.

Mark's Daily Apple Forums - The forum related to Mark Sisson's The Primal Blueprint. This is

Click here

How to eat pizza and still lose weight

2011-07-05T06:41:00.001-07:00

Alright... it's saturday already. You've done well during the week, probable eaten way less than you've burned. Things are going well, the scale is going down.

But somehow you manage to ruin all of it in one night. You decide you're going to have pizza as your cheat meal. Then you eat almost an entire 16 inch pizza by yourself!

But you don't stop there. You drink some coca cola with it, and then you have ice cream later in the evening as a dessert.

Congratulations. You've just ruined a week's worth of dieting in one

how to eat pizza and still lose weight

Why are trans fats bad?

2011-06-28T15:13:00.001-07:00

The fact that trans fats, or partially hydrogenated oils, are bad for us is pretty much a fact that everyone agrees on. But if you're like me, it's not enough to simply know that something is unhealthy. You want to know why.

In this post I will answer the question on why are trans fats bad, and I will discuss some facts about them that you may not have heard of before.

I will talk a bit about the chemistry, the mechanism behind the harmful effects and how to avoid them.
Chemistry 101: Trans fatty acids
If you hate chemistry,

Click here

Visual Impact Muscle Building Review

2011-06-27T11:54:00.001-07:00

A few years ago, I was obsessed with gaining muscle.

I wanted to get bigger and bigger, and eventually compete in bodybuilding.

My cabinet was full of muscle building supplements, some of them right on the edge of being legal.

I had started putting up very respectable numbers in the squat and deadlift. My weight had gotten well over 200 pounds of mostly muscle, which is quite a lot considering I'm not very tall.

At first... the chicks gave me a lot of looks. Obviously I was a guy with a decent amount of muscle that took

Click here

The Diet Solution Program Review

2011-06-27T11:18:00.001-07:00

Here I'm gonna write a short article with an honest review of The Diet Solution Program.

This is a product that I like, and I've been recommending it.

If you already have a fantastic diet and don't need to lose weight then by all means, skip this article and move on. The diet solution program review is not for you. Go to the beach or something.

For those of you who don't have a great diet, or if you already know what to eat but not how to actually implement it, keep on reading.

Before we begin, this is Isabel De Los Rios

Click here

The Diet Solution Program Review

2011-06-27T11:17:00.001-07:00

Click here

Are bananas good for you, or bad? Banana nutrition facts

2011-06-25T15:43:00.001-07:00

Did you know that bananas are radioactive?

Interesting bit of trivia. Doesn't really matter though since the radiation is way too small to cause harm. I'll talk about that a little more in a bit.

Anyway... in this post I am going to answer the question are bananas good for you, or bad, and explain some of the banana nutrition facts and how they affect our health.

Most people enjoy bananas. They are a fruit, so according to conventional wisdom they should be healthy. They taste sweet, and they are super-quick to eat and easy

Click here

Caffeine Side Effects

2011-06-23T08:34:00.001-07:00

In this article I am going to talk about Caffeine side effects, but this is the most common psychoactive substance on the planet and regularly consumed by most people in one form or another.

The major sources of Caffeine today are coffee, tea, cola drinks, cocoa, chocolate and some medications and supplements. Some of these products, such as coffee and tea, have been shown to have health benefits along with some minor harmful effects.

This post is part of a series:

What is Caffeine?
Is Coffee bad for you, or is it

Is Coffee bad for you, or is it good?

2011-06-22T13:33:00.001-07:00

It is a common misconception that caffeine or coffee are genuinely harmful. I've heard it mentioned countless times how coffee raises your blood pressure and therefore is bad for the heart.

I've also read how coffee can reduce chances of awful things like type II diabetes and Parkinsons, and in this article I am going to review the evidence and answer the question Is Coffee bad for you.

This post is part of a series:

What is Caffeine?
Is Coffee bad for you, or is it good?
Caffeine Side Effects

Coffee nutrition

Click here

What is Caffeine?

2011-06-22T06:43:00.001-07:00

This article will be the first one in a series on caffeine and coffee and here I am going to answer the question on What Is Caffeine.

Before I tell you about Caffeine, I need to mention a substance called Adenosine, which has multiple functions in the human body. One of its functions is as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, and is thought to accumulate in the brain during the time we are awake.

The primary function of caffeine in the brain is related to this substance, Adenosine. I'll get to that in a minute.

This

Bioidentical Hormones Side Effects

2011-06-21T14:15:00.001-07:00

Menopause is something that eventually happens to all women, when they stop menstruating and their ovaries stop releasing eggs and producing hormones. Side effects of menopause may include vasomotor symptoms (such as night sweats and hot flashes), insomnia, decreased sex drive, depression, increased risk of heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis, and many, many more.

Not all women react badly when they reach menopause, but a lot of them do. In the past, their symptoms were often treated by Hormone Replacement Therapy, which

Click here

What is an antioxidant?

2011-06-19T14:38:00.001-07:00

If you are wondering what is an antioxidant then this article will explain it to you.

I'm going to try and explain this in "human terms", that is, something a person who doesn't have a background in chemistry should understand.

This is pretty complex stuff, though, but I'll do my best to keep it simple.

Many of us have heard antioxidants mentioned a gazillion times. Apparently fruit and vegetables are full of them, and they're claimed to help prevent disease and delay ageing.

I am not going to go and try and validate or

Human Growth Hormone Side Effects

2011-06-19T06:51:00.001-07:00

As I said in my previous post about human growth hormone facts, it is a peptide hormone produced by the pituitary gland under influence by signal molecules from the hypothalamus. It has a wide range of effects on the cells in the body, including enhanced fat burning, increased muscle mass and bone mineralization.

It has become popular for anti-aging benefits after being shown in research to increase lean mass in older adults, and it has been abused in certain sports. It is given therapeutically for some disorders, mainly for

Click here

Does green tea have caffeine?

2011-06-18T10:30:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for an answer to the question "does green tea have caffeine?"

If so, I can give you my short answer:

Yes, it does.

Green tea does contain caffeine.

Proceed if you want the longer, more detailed answer

Green tea contains less caffeine than coffee
However, it does contain a much smaller amount than coffee.

A cup of coffee may contain up to 100-150mg of caffeine, while a cup of green tea contains about 25mg. This is a much smaller amount, and people often use green tea as a substitute while quitting

Does green tea have caffeine?

2011-06-18T10:27:00.001-07:00

Human Growth Hormone Side Effects

2011-06-17T11:07:00.001-07:00

Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms

2011-06-16T14:52:00.001-07:00

Vitamin D is the vitamin that the skin produces when it is exposed to ultraviolet rays from the sun. Vitamin D actually functions as a steroid hormone that can influence gene expression in human cells. I have written quite a few posts about Vitamin D before, here I will go in to more detail on Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms.

If you would like more info on Vitamin D, check out some of my other posts on the subject:

Vitamin D function and health benefits
Causes of Low Vitamin D levels
Signs and symptoms of low Vitamin D

Click here ..

List of foods high in Vitamin D

2011-06-15T14:57:00.001-07:00

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, then you probably have heard of this very special vitamin that we get through the sun. In this article, I am going to compile a list of foods high in Vitamin D.

I will tell you right away that if you are one of those that is against supplements and prefers to get all their vitamins and minerals through diet, then you are probably going to be disappointed. Even if you consume a lot of foods high in vitamin d, it won't make up for inadequate sun exposure.

I've

Click here

What does Vitamin D do for the body

2011-06-14T05:45:00.001-07:00

This article is about what does Vitamin D do for the body, but before we get in to that, let me explain a little bit about Vitamin D:

Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin, it is something we get through sunlight rather than from food. Actually, some foods do contain Vitamin D but it is nowhere near enough to replace what we get from the sun. The recommended daily allowance is about 600IU, whereas we can produce more than 10.000IU in about 30 minutes of full sun exposure, which is over 15 times more than the government recommends for

Click here

How many carbs per day to lose weight naturally

2011-06-14T00:53:00.001-07:00

Low carb diets have become very popular in the past few decades, and the most famous one is the Atkins diet. Since then, a lot of other low carb diets have become mainstream, for example The Paleo Diet, Protein Power and many more.

These diets have not only been successful at weight loss, but also with generally making people feel better and helping against diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. These diets, despite being deprived of certain high carb foods like grains, are able to provide people with all

Ketogenic Diet Menu

2011-06-13T10:55:00.001-07:00

If you are wondering what to eat while on the ketogenic diet, then I can tell you right away that the ketogenic diet menu isn't very complicated, and the foods aren't as varied as you might expect with a less restrictive diet. Yes, this diet is most surely a restricted diet, and therefore the ketogenic diet menu isn't necessarily anything to be thrilled about. However there are a lot of high-fat foods that you can eat and that taste very good.
With the ketogenic diet menu then you need to cut out most sources of carbohydrates,

ketosis diet menu

Signs and symptoms of low Vitamin D levels

2011-06-13T04:17:00.001-07:00

Vitamin D may be one of the most important factors in our daily nutritional status that we need to concern ourselves with in order to ensure optimal health. Vitamin D really doesn't function as a regular vitamin, it is more like a steroid hormone. This steroid hormone can flow into the nucleus of almost every cell in our body, turning genes either on or off.

The most commonly known symptoms of low Vitamin D levels are regarding bone health, especially a disease known as rickets. Rickets can cause softening of bones, and it was

low vitamin d symptoms

The Ketosis Diet Plan and its Health Benefits

2011-06-11T12:09:00.001-07:00

The ketosis diet plan is often referred to as the ketogenic diet or just plainly a very low-carb diet. Ketosis is the name of a biochemical phenomenon that happens during extreme carbohydrate restriction or prolonged starvation.

The term ketosis is not to be confused with ketoacidosis, which is what eventually happens to diabetics if their insulin beomes too low and their blood sugar goes completely out of whack. This is very dangerous, but it is something that only happens to diabetics (mainly type I), and there is absolutely no

ketosis diet plan

How to lose appetite for food

2011-06-11T05:59:00.001-07:00

A lot of people do have a really hard time controlling their appetite, which is more than understandable because one effect of junk food on the mind is actual neurochemical addiction in the brain. There are a lot of myths on the internet regarding how to lose appetite for food, and I would like to dispel some of them along with giving a few tips that actually work.

The fact is, hunger is one of our primal instincts, and as such it can be pretty hard to control. Using evolutionary logic, it doesn't make sense for us to be able to

how to lose appetite

Tips on eating a clean diet

2011-06-10T13:54:00.001-07:00

I would like to compile a few tips on eating a clean diet. As you may know, I believe in an evolutionary approach to eating, based on human experience and modern science. I don't think evolution should be the alpha and omega of a dietary approach, but I do think it is the right ground to build upon.

Modern diseases seem to be constantly on the rise, and medicine and science seem to have completely failed in treating them. That's why I believe it's time to realize that technology has its limits, and the human body is so

eating a clean diet

Junk food causes addiction in the brain

2011-06-10T03:58:00.001-07:00

There are many different definitions for addiction, but my favourite one is from the American Society of Addiction Medicine:
"Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in the individual pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors. The addiction is characterized by impairment in behavioral control, craving, inability to

addiction in the brain

Evolutionary Sense against Common Sense

2011-06-08T09:54:00.001-07:00

Common sense becomes conventional wisdom

There are a lot of things in the health and fitness industry that seem to make sense. Some even make so much sense that they have become "common sense", even with doctors and nutritionists.

The problem with this, is that often those common sense things have been invented by people who don't have any knowledge of what they are talking about. When people hear stuff that makes sense, they tend to repeat it to others and a chain of people-media-doctors-people all start repeating the

Click here

Is saturated fat bad for you?

2011-06-08T04:09:00.001-07:00

What is Saturated Fat?
The fat we get through diet and the fat stored in our body is in the form of triglycerides, that is a glycerol molecule linked to three fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids have all their carbon-carbon bonds saturated with hydrogen, while unsaturated fats have double bonds and are not saturated with hydrogen. A polyunsaturated fatty acid has many carbon-carbon double bonds. A triglyceride molecule can have both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids on it.

Saturated fat is much more stable at a high

Effect of junk food on the mind, are you addicted

2011-06-07T15:34:00.001-07:00

Junk food is defined as food that is ready prepared, highly processed, low in nutritional value and often eaten instead of well-balanced meals. This includes such things as candy, ice cream, doughnuts, cookies, cakes, pizza, and more.

A lot of people have noticed how hard it can be to clean up their diet and cut down on the junk food, here I'm going to discuss the effect of junk food on the mind, particularly how it relates to addiction. I believe that people, who are unable to quit eating junk food, despite wanting to, are in

effect of junk food

Mustache March - Raising awareness of Mens Cancer

2011-06-06T23:54:00.001-07:00

In my country, march is the month where men grow mustaches in order to raise awareness of mens cancer. This is the second year it is performed, but the first time I am participating.

Ladies: don't worry, October is the month when we raise awareness of womens cancer. The women are actually helping us out, but obviously they are unable to grow mustaches. Therefore they've come up with the idea of "Rat March", where "Rat" refers to the hair around their genital area (pubic mustaches). You can view their facebook group here (it's in

Click here

Calculating calories for weight loss - The solution?

2011-06-06T14:17:00.001-07:00

I take a very natural approach to eating healthy and I believe in things that make sense from an evolutionary perspective and I try to keep it simple. Therefore, I don't think anyone needs to be doing any sort of math in order to have a healthy diet, in fact I think calculating calories for weight loss is absolutely ridiculous.

Hunter-gatherers are healthy. They don't suffer from heart disease or cancer, tooth decay, acne, obesity, type II diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, high blood pressure or any of those diseases that have

calculating calories for weight loss

Swimming Calories - How many calories burned swimming?

2011-06-06T08:16:00.001-07:00

Before I get in to this post, I'd like to say that I don't think regular people need to be do any sort of math in order to lose weight. If a person follows a natural diet then they don't need to be counting calories for weight loss.

I think the only reason you would ever have to be concerned about swimming calories, if you're training for something specific like a fitness or bodybuilding show or a photo shoot, where you need to reach a certain body fat percentage. In these circumstances, counting calories might be a good idea.

swimming calories burned

Crazy diet review: The Yoplait yogurt diet plan

2011-06-05T13:45:00.001-07:00

I am going to introduce a new feature on this blog. It is called the "Crazy diet review", and in it I will discuss diet plans that I feel don't make a lot of sense, or might even be downright dangerous.

Today on the spot is the Yoplait yogurt diet plan, but this is a 2-week weight loss plan based around eating several servings of Yoplait yogurt every day, along with other low-fat foods such as chicken breasts, vegetables and cereals.

Every time you see a food company recommending some sort of diet plan based around eating

Yoplait yogurt diet