Health Creator

Everyone knows that they function better when they’ve gotten a good night’s sleep the day before; moreover, regular high quality sleep can have an incredible positive effect on your overall health. On the other hand, individuals who experience sleep disorders are more likely to suffer from various health issues because of their sleep problems. Here are fifteen reasons to make proper sleep a priority in your life:

1. Reduced Stress - When you are sleep deprived, your body goes into a state of high alert - meaning that your blood pressure rises and production of stress hormones like cortisol increases. Not only does high blood pressure put you at risk for a host of health problems, more stress hormones actually make it more difficult for you to fall asleep when the time comes. Furthermore, regular sleep makes it easier to cope with life’s stressful situations.

2. Weight Control - It has been proven that people who get less than seven hours of sleep each night are more likely to be overweight or obese, and that lack of sleep has a negative impact on the balance of hormones that control your appetite.

3. Alertness & Productivity - Regular sleep increases your alertness and energy levels, causing you to be more productive and engaged the next day. Furthermore, regular sleep helps to keep you safe and aware - read this post on the dangers of sleep deprivation for more information.

4. Memory Boost - Memory consolidation happens while you sleep; during the night, your body processes the previous day and makes connections between events, sensory input, feelings, and older memories. Depriving yourself of sleep can lead to memory loss and related problems.

5. Reduced Risk of Depression - The amount of sleep you get has a direct effect on your serotonin levels, and people with a serotonin deficiency are much more likely to suffer from depression. Therefore, etting at least eight hours of sleep a night can have a direct effect on your brain chemistry and mood.

6. Stronger Immune System - Being sleep deprived can literally make you sick - by weakening your immune system so that your body has a harder time fighting off viruses and infections. Regular sleep can not only help you recover faster, it can prevent you from becoming ill in the first place.

7. Improved Physical Appearance - The term “beauty sleep” has very real connotations, because while you sleep your body restores and regenerates itself, including your skin and muscle tissue. Lack of sleep speeds up the aging process, resulting in dull skin, wrinkles, and dark under-eye circles.

8. Heart Health - Sleep deprivation has been linked to an increase in blood pressure and cholesterol, which are major risk factors for heart disease and strokes (among other things).

9. Diabetes Prevention - People, even otherwise fit and healthy individuals, have developed insulin resistance (a symptom linked to the onset of Type 2 diabetes) after being deprived of the deepest stage of sleep for only a few nights - an effect comparable to gaining twenty or thirty pounds. It goes to follow that regular sleep can help prevent diabetes.

10. Brain Power - Regular sleep allows your brain to process information more quickly and completely; your mind can comprehend new concepts more quickly and you will be more intellectually acute overall with plenty of rest. Learning new skills will also be easier, as your concentration is improved.

11. Increased Coordination - If you participate in any sports or other activities that require coordination and physical fitness, a good night’s sleep will ensure you are at the peak of your abilities. Your ability to work out and build muscle and endurance is also enhanced with consistent rest.

12. Overall Safety - People who get regular sleep are significantly less likely to engage in risky behaviors and substance abuse, as well as to use potentially harmful prescription drugs and other chemical sleep aids.

13. Better Moods - Lack of sleep tends to result in crankiness and a general negative and pessimistic mood; sleep deprived people can be unpleasant to be around and anti-social; on the other hand, more healthy sleep can lead to more positive interaction with others and increased happiness.

14. Heightened Creativity - Many artists and other creative types have come up with their best ideas and insights during their dreams or immediately after waking up from a deep sleep. Moreover, studies have suggested that sleep is key to creative problem solving - and the phrase “why don’t you sleep on it?” has become a popular adage for a good reason.

15. Longevity - Studies have shown that individuals who get a full night’s sleep (between seven to nine hours) on a regular basis tend to live longer lives - probably due to all the health benefits listed previously.

#1: Eating carrots improves your eyesight.

Truth: Though carrots contain a high concentration of vitamin A, essential for healthy eyesight (vitamin A defficiency can cause blindness), an extra helping on your plate won’t give you X-ray vision. In fact the origin of the various sight-improving attributes of the humble carrot is generally credited to a campaign of misinformation carried out by the British Government during the World War II. British intelligence didn’t want the Germans to know that they were using radar to detect bombing raids so they spread the rumour that they were feeding their pilots carrots in order to improve their vision. Trouble is the campaign was so successful people still believe it even today! Of course all things are relative - if you start off with a vitamin A deficiency, eating more carrots will of course improve your vision.

#2: Eating bread crusts makes your hair go curly.

Truth: Is having curly hair a good thing? Rumour-mongering parents certainly think so - generations have attempted to persuade their children eating crusts will encourage a healthy-looking mop. In fact there’s no medical evidence to suggest eating bread crusts makes your hair go curly, though there may be other health benefits that aren’t so well known. The browning of the crust may produce more healthy antioxidants, which in turn help prevent the body absorbing harmful oxidising agents in the atmosphere such as ozone.

#3: Using sun lotion protects you from skin cancer.

Truth: The problem with using suntan lotions is that it can lull you into a false sense of security. The fact is whether you are wearing sun lotion or not, you should still ration the amount of time you spend relaxing by the pool. Remember - suntan lotions are not total blocks: They still allow some UV through. And though you are protected from burning, the genetic changes in your skin that occur after exposure to the sun will still be there. Don’t forget to cover up and wear a hat. You should also wear sunscreen in the UK between April and October, not just when you are somewhere hot on holiday.

#4: You can get cancer from barbecued food.

Truth: There’s a persistent feeling these days that anything enjoyable must be bad for our health. So many things seem to be banned that we don’t know where to turn, so when someone tells us that the burnt crust of barbecued food contains carcinogens, who are we to argue? But while it’s true that the heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) contained in the blackened edges of barbecue food are carcinogenic, there has been no evidence produced which links barbecued food to cancer. Perhaps this is because you would never eat enough charred food to cause the DNA damage that is central to cancer development. Also, you can reduce the carcinogens by 99 per cent by marinating the food before you grill it. It is thought this might be because typical marinade ingredients - tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and citrus juice - are high in cancer-fighting compounds. Interestingly, grilled vegetables have no cancer risk.

#5: A lump in your breast means you have breast cancer.

Truth: About 80 per cent of breast lumps are benign (non-cancerous). Sometimes there can be cysts, nipple discharges and calcification (calcium salt deposits in breast tissues) resulting from injury or bruising, hormonal changes or infection. However, should you find a lump you must contact a health professional straight away - catching cancer early significantly increases the chances of recovery.

#6: Low fat diets are a healthy way of losing weight.

Truth: Adoption of low-fat diets is widespread among those keen to lose weight and look great but unilaterally cutting out all fat from your diet can actually damage your health. Very low fat or no fat diets don’t provide enough energy for healthy growth and some research suggests that the rash of low fat, high carbohydrate regimes pursued by many weight watchers over the past few years may actually be responsible for an increase in insulin resistance. Exercise combined with a balanced diet is more likely to reap rewards in the long run.

#7: Bananas are fattening.

Truth: They are actually low in fat. There is only half a gram of fat and 95 calories in a banana. Not only that but they are packed with potassium, come in their own packaging, are clean and very handy as a snack!

#8: It’s OK to skip breakfast.

Truth: Breakfast is a very important meal. When we’re sleeping, we are also ‘fasting’ for an average of about eight hours, so it’s essential to ‘break’ this fast. Although people who skip breakfast catch up on their energy requirements later in the day, they’re unlikely to get all the vitamins and minerals that a simple breakfast can provide. Try porridge with honey for a wholesome but filling meal.

#9: Cracking your knuckles gives you arthritis.

Truth: It’s irritating and sounds excrutiating, but unfortunately you can no longer rely on the story that too much cracking causes arthritis to stop the person sitting next to you from doing it. No medical studies have been conducted that confirm a link between cracking your knuckles and the crippling pain induced by arthritis, but there are other scare stories you can rely on. According to one study the ligament stretching that occurs among regular knuckle-crackers can cause swollen hands and weaken the grip.

#10: People are overweight because they have slow metabolisms.

Truth: It’s a common complaint among the clinicially obese but studies show you can’t use a slow metabolism as an explanation for weight gain. Of course, there may be other physical reasons for weighing in over the odds, but recent studies revealed fat people have faster metabolisms and burn off more energy than slimmer people simply to keep their bodies going.

#11: Abdominal work results in a six-pack.

“Abdominal work will not change the way your stomach looks,” Greer said. “It will make your abs stronger, which is important, but only lowering overall body fat will change the aesthetics of your midsection.”

Many individuals who are concerned with physical exercise have a six-pack at the top of the priority list, however, no number of crunches will achieve this desired goal.

“I recommend dietary improvement for clients who desire a six-pack,” Phillips said. “They are always surprised when I tell them that crunches will not achieve aesthetically-ideal abs.”

#12: Eating late at night increases weight-gain.

“The reason people typically lose weight when they cut out foods late at night is only because they are taking in fewer calories within a 24-hour period,” Greer said. “If they had cut out lunch, the results would be the same — assuming lunch was equivalent to the late night snack, in caloric content.”

Many individuals will not eat carbohydrates after a specific time, believing that the nutrient will not be utilized later in the day. Carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel for the brain, as well as various systems in the body.

“We need to get away from the notion that carbohydrates are used only for physical activity,” Greer said.

The simplest tool to manage dietary intake is to increase awareness of intake versus expenditure. Weight is determined by calories in and calories out.

#13: Lifting heavy weights is the best way to gain muscle.

Many myths revolve around the concept of muscular gain.

“Training each muscle group with variety and proper form is more effective towards optimal muscle gain,” Phillips said.

Heavy lifting is classified as a range of six or less repetitions for any given exercise.

“Training heavy can result in injury and unnecessary stress on the body that can easily be avoided,” Phillips said. “A proper repetition range would be between eight and 12.”

Establishing goals and a game plan can help when seeking positive results.

#14: Fat makes people fat.

Contrary to what is often perceived, weight gain results from excessive caloric intake of any nutrient.

“Eating too much of anything makes you overweight,” Greer said. “Since fat is more calorie dense than carbohydrates or protein, it is easier to overeat it.”

Compared to four calories per gram found in carbohydrate and protein, fat yields over double the amount of the other macronutrients with nine calories per gram. Dietary fat should be included in any balanced diet. A healthy body demands an intake of all three macronutrients. By eliminating any one of them, adverse physical, mental and emotional health effects will occur.

Some sources of dietary fat are healthier than others.

“Fat intake should be from primarily unsaturated fat sources, such as olive oil, avocado, nuts and fish,” Greer said.

The body relies on fat for a number of functions, including cell structure and metabolism, and does not perform as efficiently without it.

#15: Training everyday for extended periods of time will achieve better results.

In reality, overtraining can be detrimental to one’s wellness.

“Muscle hypertrophy occurs outside the gym,” personal trainer Jason Phillips said. “Adequate rest time is imperative for muscular development.”

Muscle hypertrophy refers to an increase in muscle cell size. Minimal rest time for working the same body part is 48 hours.

“It is important to listen to your body,” Phillips said. “If you notice continuous fatigue, chances are you are overtraining and need a day of rest.”

Symptoms of overtraining include poor sport performance, decreased motor coordination, force production, and immune, hormonal, mood and sleep disturbances.

#16: Sun Causes Skin Cancer.

Experts and the media bombard us about the “dangers” of the sun. This is one of the most inaccurate myths that persist among most Americans. Unfortunately, this myth has contributed to massive amounts of disease and illness in our society because we ALL need sunshine to stay healthy.

Can sun exposure cause skin cancer? Absolutely. However, appropriate sunlight actually prevents cancer. Exposure to the sun provides many benefits such as promoting the formation of vitamin D. We also have strong evidence that sunlight is protective against MS and colon, ovarian and breast cancers.

This does not mean that we should all go out and get as much sun as we want–you must exercise caution. At the beginning of the season, go out gradually and limit your exposure to perhaps as little as 10 minutes a day. Progressively increase your time in the sun so that in a few weeks, you will be able to have normal sun exposure with little risk of skin cancer.

Remember to never get burned, that is the key.

Using sunscreen is not a good way to limit your sun exposure; in fact, sunscreen is one of the LAST things you want to put on your body, and sunblock does not stop skin cancer. Sunscreen is a toxic chemical that can cause problems in your system and increase your risk of disease.

A far more logical solution would be to creatively use your clothing to block the sun’s rays during your build-up time.

Additionally, consuming many whole vegetables will increase antioxidant levels in the body, which will provide protection against any sun-induced radiation damage.

If you are interested in preventing disease by way of the sun, I cannot urge you strongly enough to read the book that I am calling one of the most important health books of all-time, The Healing Sun by Dr. Richard Hobday.

If you have been brainwashed by conventional medical wisdom into fearing the sun, this book will help you see the light about the value of proper sun exposure. Without question it is the single most important book on health I have read in a long time.

#17: Milk Does a Body Good.

Commercial pasteurized milk is not a health food and should be avoided. It is primarily the pasteurization process, combined with the source of largely unhealthy cows, that is the problem. When milk is pasteurized the structure of the milk proteins changes (denaturization) into something far less than healthy.

Then, of course there is the issue of the hormones, antibiotics and pesticides and the fact that nearly all commercial dairy cows are raised on grains, not grass, like they were designed to. This will change the composition of the fats, especially the CLA content.

I believe Sally Fallon of the Weston Price Foundation says it best:

Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.

Calves fed pasteurized milk die before maturity.

Raw milk sours naturally, but pasteurized milk turns putrid and processors must remove slime and pus from pasteurized milk by a process of centrifugal clarification. Inspection of dairy herds for disease is not required for pasteurized milk. The practice of heating milk to kill germs was instituted in the 20s to combat TB, infant diarrhea, undulant fever and other diseases caused by poor animal nutrition and dirty production methods.

But times have changed and modern stainless steel tanks, milking machines, refrigerated trucks and inspection methods make pasteurization absolutely unnecessary for public protection. Clean raw milk from certified healthy cows is available commercially in several states and may be bought directly from the farm in many more. By executive order, it is forbidden to transport raw milk across state lines.

This is particularly sad because milk is one of the healthiest foods available prior to its being pasteurized.

So, there is a major distinction needed in the prevalent belief that milk is good for you–it should be RAW milk, as raw milk does provide many outstanding health benefits.

With that said, I am happy to announce that I have found a truly superior source of “real” organic raw dairy: Organic Pastures Dairy Company. Never processed, never pasteurized and never homogenized, these raw dairy products are high in antioxidants, vitamins (including B-12), all 22 essential amino acids, natural enzymes, natural probiotics and good fatty acids. Also, none of the individually named cows are ever given antibiotics, hormones or GMOs–and only pasture, natural grains, and approved organic homeopathic methods are used to feed and care for the cows.

#18: Saturated Fat Causes Heart Disease.

Contrary to what you hear on the news, it is not the saturated fat in the foods we eat that is causing all of this heart disease, but rather, and far more, it is the excess carbohydrates from our starch- and sugar-laden diet that is making people fat and unhealthy, and leading to epidemic levels of a host of diseases such as diabetes and later, heart disease. Trans fats are another major contributing factor.

The reason why many people have not succeeded with the original diet-heart hypothesis that says a low-fat, high-carb diet is the best diet for the heart is likely explained by metabolic typing. We each have one of three nutritional types and each suits people to a different type of diet. Some people will benefit from a “high”-carb program that is two-thirds carbs as vegetables–while others need to follow a diet that is higher in protein to function optimally.

I do believe that we are slowly getting away from the old diet-heart hypothesis, however. The trend now is to place less emphasis on total cholesterol and more on other cardiac risk factors such as:

* Omega-3 fats
* Blood pressure
* Systemic inflammation indicators like C-reactive protein (CRP)
* Insulin levels
* Oxidative stress
* Homocysteine

#19: Low-Fat Diets are Healthy.

Your body cannot function properly without adequate amounts of fat–it influences everything from blood clotting to vitamin absorption to brain function. As such, there are many dangers associated with a low-fat diet such as:

* Raises bad (LDL) cholesterol
* Won’t prevent prostate cancer
* Can increase risk of injury
* Increases triglycerides
* May increase risk of stroke
* Worsens heartburn
* Denies children essential nutrients

However, the major reason why low-fat diets are harmful is that most people replace the fats with grains and sugars. If vegetables were substituted instead, as I detail in my new book, then it is far less likely that there would be a problem.

Also, many people have adopted low-fat diets as a way to lower their cholesterol. Not only are low-fat diets not the key to lowering cholesterol–as mentioned above they may actually raise bad cholesterol–but low cholesterol does not necessarily imply good health. For instance, low cholesterol is linked to many problems including aggressive behavior, depression, suicide and stroke.

It’s important to note that lower fat diets may be beneficial for some, especially those with carbohydrate metabolic types, but all of us need some beneficial fats in our diet to stay healthy and fat phobia and exclusion of all fats is a prescription for disaster.

#20: Fish is Good for You.

Sadly, as fish would otherwise be one of the healthiest meats on the planet since it is packed with the incredibly beneficial omega-3 fats, fish (and shellfish) easily accumulate high levels of chemical residues from the water they live in. Residues in fish can be as much as 9 million times the amount found in the water!

Due to the massive pollution of the environment by coal-fired utility plants–they release 40 TONS, or 80,000 pounds, of mercury into the air each year–and other sources, this once healthy food has now been rendered largely unfit for human consumption. Some of the contaminants found in fish flesh include:

* Mercury
* PCBs
* Radioactive substances like strontium
* Toxic metals such as cadmium, lead, chromium and arsenic

There are some viable alternative options for obtaining the nutritious benefits of fish, such as regularly consuming high-quality purified fish oil like the Carlson’s brand of fish oil, and enjoying the absolutely delicious Vital Choice Alaskan wild red salmon, I discovered through independent lab-testing my team coordinated, to be mercury- and PCB-free and safe.

Very small fish like anchovies and sardines are also likely OK to eat, as they are small enough to have minimal contamination.

Aside from these alternatives, most all fish is contaminated–this includes fish in supermarkets and restaurants, whether farm-raised or ocean-caught. If you cannot confirm, via lab testing, that the fish you are eating is not filled with toxins–don’t eat it! Mercury and PCBs are not something to play around with, and they can really sabotage your future health.

Every year, millions of Americans resolve to lose weight, whether on New Year’s Day, their birthdays, or just some morning when their mirror or the bathroom scale seems particularly unkind. And every year, many get frustrated and give up before they reach their goals. Contributing to this problem is a host of bad information about diet and exercise that circulates through gyms, workplaces, and over the Internet.

To help more people achieve and maintain a healthy weight, Julie Bender, a dietitian with Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, and Phil Tyne, director of the Baylor Tom Landry Health and Wellness Center agreed to “weigh in” on many of the most common diet and exercise myths.

Diet and Exercise Myth #1: Crunches will get rid of your belly fat.

False. “You can’t pick and choose areas where you’d like to burn fat,” Tyne says. “In order to burn fat, you should create a workout that includes both cardiovascular and strength training elements. This will decrease your overall body fat content.”

Diet and Exercise Myth #2. Stretching before exercise is crucial.

False. Some studies have suggested that stretching actually makes muscles more susceptible to injury. They claim that by stretching, muscle fibers are lengthened and destabilized, making them less prepared for the strain of exercise. “You might want to warm-up and stretch before a run, but if you are lifting weights wait until after the workout to stretch your muscles,” Tyne suggests.

Diet and Exercise Myth #3. You should never eat before a workout.

False. “Fuel” from food and fluids is required to provide the energy for your muscles to work efficiently, even if you are doing an early morning workout. “Consider eating a small meal or snack one to three hours prior to exercise,” Bender says. “Load up your tank with premium ‘fuel’ and choose some fruit, yogurt, or whole wheat toast.”

Diet and Exercise Myth #4. Lifting weights will make women bulky.

False. “Most women’s bodies do not produce nearly enough testosterone to become ‘bulky’ like those body builders on TV,” Tyne says. If you do find yourself getting bigger than you would like, simply use less weight and more repetitions.

Diet and Exercise Myth #5. Fat is bad for you, no matter what kind.

False. Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of “good fats” out there that are essential for good health and aid in disease prevention. “They are the ones that occur naturally in foods like avocados, nuts, and fish, as opposed to those that are manufactured,” Bender says. “Including small amounts of these foods at meal times can help you to feel full longer and therefore eat less.”

Diet and Exercise Myth #6. Restricting calories is the best way to lose weight.

False. Both cutting back on calories and moving more will help you lose weight and maintain the lean muscle mass needed to boost metabolism. People often believe the diet and exercise myth that they must take drastic measures to lose weight, such as eating less than 1200 calories per day, but such diets usually do not provide adequate fuel for the body and may slow metabolism. “Drastic measures rarely equal lasting results, so start small and eliminate 100-300 calories consistently from your daily diet, and you will reap the reward,” Bender says.

Diet and Exercise Myth #7. As long as you eat healthy foods, you can eat as much as you want.

False. A calorie is a calorie. Although oatmeal is healthy, if you eat four cups of oatmeal, the calories add up. “Healthy or otherwise, you still must be aware of portion sizes,” Bender says. “You must limit your caloric intake in order to lose weight, however, understanding how to ‘balance’ calorie intake throughout your day can help you avoid feelings of deprivation, hunger and despair.”

Diet and Exercise Myth #8. Exercise turns fat into muscle.

False. Fat and muscle tissue are composed of two entirely different types of cells. “While you can lose one and replace it with another, the two never “convert” into different forms,” Tyne says. “So fat will never turn into muscle.”

Diet and Exercise Myth #9. Eating late at night will make you gain weight.

False. “There are no ‘magic’ hours,” Bender says. “We associate late-night eating with weight gain because we usually consume more calories at night. We do this because we usually deprive our bodies of adequate calories the first half of the day. Start the day out with breakfast and eat every 3-4 hours. Keep lunch the same size as dinner, and you will be less likely to over-indulge at night, yet you can enjoy a small late-night snack without the fear of it sticking to your middle.”

Diet and Exercise Myth #10. You have to sweat to have a good workout.

False. “Sweating is not necessarily an indicator of exertion—sweating is your body’s way of cooling itself,” Tyne says. It is possible to burn a significant number of calories without breaking a sweat: try taking a walk, or doing some light weight training, or working out in a swimming pool.

What are the top 10 most popular diets? Here is a list of the most searched diets (according to Wordtracker) and how they stack up against each other.

Losing weight must be one of the top 2 new year’s resolutions year after year. Consequently every weight loss opportunist is looking for the quickest, easiest way to lose weight.

Each individual needs to look at their current situation and decide which plan is best for them. Here are 10 of the most popular diet plans:

1. Atkins Diet: Made famous by Dr. Atkins claim that dieters can lose all the weight they desire by eliminating sugar and carbohydrates from their diets. Bacon, Avocado, Jack Cheese Omelete is enough to make any cardiologist cringe. Dr. Atkins believed that obesity was caused by processed carbohydrates and insulin, not excessive calories. This diet is centered more around beef, chicken, pork, cheese, veal, bacon and fish while eliminating breads, vegetables and desserts.

2. The South Beach Diet: Developed by cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston, with the purpose of lowering cholesterol for those with heart conditions and diabetes. The initial stage of the diet eliminates all simple sugars, most carbohydrates (sweets, pastas and most breads). Weight loss is achieved by this diet through caloric restriction.

3. Alli Program: A relative new comer to the weight loss industry, Alli is an FDA approved, over the counter weight loss product. It works by preventing your body from absorbing some of the fat you ingest. Weight loss is achieved by using Alli in conjunction with caloric restriction.

4. Jenny Craig: Created 15 years ago by a woman struggling with her own weight. Jenny Craig offers a variety of prepackaged meals and snacks that are required during initial phase of dieting. Their program focuses on lifestyle such as exercise and diverting attention away from food.

5. NutriSystem: Nutrisystem was created some 30 years ago as a diet program offering prepacked meals and dietary counseling. Nutrisystem now offers an online community. Their menu plan is incorporates NuCusine and can be difficult to follow without purchasing Nutri-products.

6. Ornish Diet: Specifically designed to reverse heart disease by Dr. Dean Ornish. It has recently gained popularity as a weight loss diet. The Ornish Diet emphasizes complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and fruits, restricts simple carbs such as alcohol, honey, sugar, prohibits meat, fish and nuts. Its recommends a ratio of 70% carbohydrates, 20% protein and 10% fat. This diet also advocates exercise and meditation.

7. Mediterranean Diet: Inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of the Mediterranean region, this is considered more of a way of eating versus a diet focusing on caloric restriction. The traditional food habits of this region is high consumption of fruit, vegetables, bread, wheat, olive oil, fish and red wine. Its often cited as beneficial for being high in monounsaturated fat and dietary fiber and containing low levels of saturated fats.

8. LA Weight Loss: LA Weight Loss Centers” is a diet and weight loss program based on reduced caloric intake along with nutrition bars and supplements, behavior modification, and personal counseling. There are approximately 450 centers worldwide.

9. Slimfast: Slimfast promotes weight loss through the use of its shakes, bars, snakes and prepackaged meals. Weight loss is achieved through caloric restriction by providing portion control and nutrition.

10. e-Diets: For more than 10 years, the experts at e-Diets have been providing a forum for clients to choose from more than 20 popular plans like Atkins and the Mediterranean Diet. eDiets.com provides you with a fully personalized health assessment. Prior to joining, you’ll complete a complimentary diet profile that reviews your weight, height, age and gender, as well as favorite foods, exercise and other lifestyle factors to help guide them to find the best-suited diet regiment for you. Plus, you’ll have access to eDiets.com’s roster of nutritionists, fitness experts, psychologists and more.

While there are many more diets, this list is just a general snapshot of the types of diets available for those wanting to lose weight. An individual wanting to lose weight, should talk first with their health care provider before attempting any type of diet. This list was put together by using wordtracker to determine which diets were searched most often. It is not intended to be a comprehensive list.

Why bother working out? Whose got time to walk? Find out what regular exercise can do for you.

Terry Waters, a former college wrestler and baseball player, loved working out. He got real pleasure out of pushing himself hard at the gym, and he liked the feeling of tired but virtuous afterwards. He figured regular physical activity and its health benefits would always be a part of his life.

Then came marriage, three kids, a demanding job as a software engineer in Boston — and a thousand and one excuses not to make it to the gym. “For a little while, you convince yourself you’re still in pretty good shape,” Waters remembers. “Sure, you’re a few pounds heavier. Sure, your blood pressure’s a few points higher. But you’re still pretty healthy, right?”

Well, maybe not. By the time he hit 40, Waters was 20 pounds heavier than he’d been in college. His blood pressure was nudging up into the danger zone, and his cholesterol level was just on the borderline of worrisome. His father, who was 67, was on medication for both high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. Two years earlier, the old man had been rushed into surgery for a heart bypass operation after suddenly becoming short of breath one day while on a bike ride. “Believe me, I didn’t want to go there if I could avoid it,” says Waters.

It was time, he decided, to get back to the gym.

Moderate exercise even a couch potato can manage

A lot of middle-aged men like Terry Waters know the dilemma. As family and work life become more demanding, exercise begins to drop lower on the list of priorities. Sure, you know it’s supposed to be important. But when the lawn needs mowing and the kids want attention, it’s harder to justify lacing up your running shoes for a good workout. Eventually, it’s easy to think, “Why bother?”

Why? For one very good reason. Staying active throughout your life is the single most powerful way to remain healthy and live long enough to enjoy your family and all the things you’ve worked for. Following the recommendations from WebMD’s Exercise and Fitness Tips to Improve Your Health offers so many far-ranging health benefits that you may decide a gym membership might be the most important investment you can make for your health. If drug companies developed an anti-aging pill with even some of the benefits of regular physical activity, all of us would be taking it.

“It’s hardly news now that exercise keeps your heart and lungs working efficiently,” says Steven Blair, PhD, professor of exercise epidemiology at the University of South Carolina and one of the country’s leading exercise scientists. “But we’ve also come to understand that exercise can help prevent adult onset diabetes, improve bone health, and even lower the risk of some cancers. Physical activity also appears to help ease depression for some people.”

Still not convinced you should hoist yourself up off the couch? Consider the following 10 health benefits you can get from even a moderate regular workout.

Exercise Health Benefit 1: Lower cholesterol

As most men get older, cholesterol numbers begin to move in the wrong direction. Levels of so-called bad cholesterol — low-density lipoprotein (LDL) — gradually increase. Levels of good cholesterol, called high-density lipoprotein (HDL), tend to fall. Unfortunately, that combination of high LDL and low HDL is one of the leading risk factors for heart disease. Excess cholesterol accumulates on the inner lining of blood vessels, leading to arthrosclerosis and heart attacks. The best way to keep LDL cholesterol levels down is to eat a diet low in saturated fat (the kind found in meat and high-fat dairy products.) The single best way to boost good HDL cholesterol? Exercise. A 2007 Danish study of 835 men found that regular physical activity was consistently associated with higher levels of HDL cholesterol. A meta-analysis of 52 exercise training trials, including 4700 subjects, found that HDL levels increased an average of 4.6 percent — enough to take a significant notch out of heart disease risk.

Exercise Health Benefit 2: Lower triglycerides

Triglycerides are a form of fat found in the blood. Rising triglyceride levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease. The same Danish study that found higher levels of HDL showed that the most active men also had the lowest triglyceride levels.
Exercise Health Benefit 3: Lower risk of high blood pressure

As blood pressure climbs, the risk of heart disease and stroke accelerates. Unfortunately, blood pressure levels typically climb as men get older. But they don’t have to. In a study published in 2007, University of Minnesota researchers followed men and women 18 to 30 years old for up to 15 years. The more physically active the volunteers were, the lower their risk of developing hypertension.

Exercise Health Benefit 4: Reduced inflammation

Regular exercise has been shown to reduce levels of C-reactive protein, a measure of inflammation. That matters because cholesterol-laden plaques on the lining of arteries are most likely to break off and cause heart attacks when they become inflamed. A 2006 study by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota found that men with high levels of aerobic fitness, measured as VO2max, had lower levels of C-reactive protein, along with other markers of inflammation.

Exercise Health Benefit 5: Better blood vessels

To respond to changing demands for oxygen, blood vessels must be flexible enough to widen and narrow. Smoking, cholesterol build-up, and just plain aging tend to stiffen vessels, increasing heart attack risk. A growing number of studies show that exercise training helps maintain the ability of blood vessels to open and constrict in response to changing physical demands.

Exercise Health Benefit 6: Lower risk of diabetes

Adult onset diabetes — fueled mostly by too much body fat — is one of the biggest health worries on the horizon. Staying active can help you keep the weight off. But research shows that even for people who are overweight or obese, exercise reduces the risk of diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program found that an exercise and weight loss program lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes by a whopping 58% over a three-year period. And the volunteers in that program weren’t running marathons. In fact, the exercise they were doing was the equivalent of burning only an additional 593 calories of energy — about the equivalent of walking around six miles a week for most men.

Exercise Health Benefit 7: A hedge against colon cancer

Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in men. Approximately 80% of cases of this grim disease could be prevented, experts say. A healthier diet (with more fiber and whole grains) is part of the prescription. But exercise turns out to be just as important as diet. Studies have shown that physical activity may reduce colon cancer risk by as much as 30 to 40%.

Exercise Health Benefit 8: Strong bones

Another unwelcome effect of aging is thinning bones, which can lead to a greater risk of fractures. In a study that followed 3,262 men from their 40s to their 60s, strenuous physical activity dramatically lowered the risk of hip fractures.

Exercise Health Benefit 9: Weight loss

If vanity is enough to nudge you to the gym, consider this: A lifetime of regular physical activity — even activities as simple as walking half an hour most days — can help keep that belly from bulging over your belt. In findings from the National Weight Control Registry, experts looked at the habits of 3,000 people who lost more than 10% of their body weight and managed to keep it off for at least a year. Eight out of 10 of them, it turned out, reported increasing their physical exercise regimen. The men in the group cranked up their activities — walking, cycling, weight lifting, aerobics, running, and stair climbing — enough to burn an additional 3298 calories a week.

Several recent studies have shown that men who report doing more physical activity also have slimmer waistlines. In a 2006 study at Ball State University, a group of 58 volunteers started a program of walking 10,000 steps a day. After 36 weeks, the volunteers had trimmed almost an inch from their waists and a similar amount from their hips.

Exercise Health Benefit 10: A longer life

Add it all up and an active life also means a longer and healthier life. In a 2004 study at Finland’s University of Kuopio, researchers followed 15,853 men aged 30 to 59. Over a 20 year period, men who engaged in physically active leisure activities — jogging, skiing, swimming, playing ball, or doing serious gardening — were up to 21% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease or to die of any cause during the study period.

How much exercise do you need to reap these health benefits?

The answer to how much exercise you need depends partly on what you’re after. Burning about 1,000 extra calories a week in activities is likely to extend your life. Walking half an hour most days of the week is all you need to significantly lower your risk of colon cancer and diabetes. But the more physical activities you can weave into your daily life, the healthier you’ll be. “Most studies of physical activity show a strong dose-response rate,” says exercise expert Steven Blair. “The more you do, the more you benefit.”