Entries from September 2008 ↓

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar is an age old remedy for many diseases. Even Hippocrates, father of Western medicine, praised Apple Cider Vinegar for its medicinal attributes.

The vinegar is made by fermenting apple juice. A second process involves adding oxygen and special bacteria to the juice, to form acetic acid. Mother of vinegar, or ‘Mother’ is the term for the phenomenon by which acetobacteria flourish and turn apple cider into vinegar.

Analysis of Apple Cider Vinegar has shown that it is composed of over 90 different substances, including 8 types of ethyl acetates, 13 types of carbolic acids, 18 types of alcohols, 4 types of aldehydes and 20 types of ketones. It also contains minerals such as Potassium, Calcium, Sodium, Magnesium, Iron, Phosphorous, Sulfur, Copper, Chlorine, Silicon and Fluorine. Vitamins present include A, B1, B2, B6, C and E. Also contained within Apple Cider Vinegar are enzymes, potash and apple pectin.

Not all Apple Cider Vinegars are the same

Apple Cider Vinegar has been used for thousands of years as a health tonic. The best vinegar for dieting purposes is believed to be raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Apple Cider Vinegar reportedly has beneficial effects on many different diseases. It increases the alkalinity of the body, an effect known to promote health. It is claimed to cure migraine headaches, diabetes, chronic fatigue, arthritis, high blood pressure and many other ailments.

The Apple Cider Vinegar diet

Take 2 to 3 teaspoons of natural unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar before each meal. The natural unprocessed vinegar contains enzymes and minerals that other versions may not contain due to processing, filtration and overheating.

For those who dislike the taste of vinegar there are Apple Cider Vinegar tablets.

Apple Cider Vinegar and weight loss

In the 1950s a doctor in Vermont, Dr. D. C. Jarvis, authored a book with the title “Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor’s Guide to Good Health”, that set the scene for Apple Cider Vinegar as a weight loss agent. He claimed that regular consumption of the tonic would cause fat to be burned rather than stored. Others claim that the pectin in the vinegar can bind cholesterol and remove it from the body.

An additional effect of the Apple Cider Vinegar is that it appears to decrease appetite. There is no firm scientific evidence yet to back the reported weight loss effects of the vinegar diet, but there are many positive testimonials posted on the internet.

If you are looking to lose some weight, juicing is an option worth considering. A major benefit of juicing is that it delivers micro-nutrients to the body, and is low in calories with no fat. You will be drinking a concentrated cocktail packed with minerals, vitamins and enzymes.

To peel or not to peel

If the peel is edible, such as with carrots, then it is best to buy organic and to scrub the skin, rather than peeling it. Ideally it is best to buy organic vegetables as these can be washed and not peeled. There are many nutrients just below the skin which may be lost when vegetables are peeled. If you buy non organic produce, however, then peeling may be the best option.

Alternatively, non organic vegetables can be washed in a solution of water and apple cider vinegar. To do this, half fill a sink with water, add a cup of cider vinegar and soak the vegetables for 15 minutes. Scrub if necessary and rinse well.

Juicing releases nutrients in a more digestible form

A significant amount of the beneficial nutrients in vegetables are held within fibre. This fibre is not broken down efficiently by the body and is excreted along with the goodness it contains. When vegetables are juiced, nutrients are released from the fibres and made available to the body in an easily digestible form.

Juices contain phytochemicals

Vegetable juice contains plant chemicals known as phytochemicals. The health benefits of phytochemicals include removal of carcinogens from the body, and protection of cellular DNA, and protection against cancer causing substances. These phytochemicals are found in a wide range of vegetables such as broccoli, peppers, garlic, carrots, beetroot, cabbage, chives and cauliflower.

As well as phytochemicals, vitamins are found in juice. For example, carrot juice is a good source of vitamin A, peppers of vitamin C and Pumpkin of vitamin E.

Storage of juices

It is best to drink freshly squeezed juices straight away as they may lose some nutrients and enzymes if stored. If you do have to make them in advance, add a few drops of lemon juice to help prevent oxidation. Juices should be stored in a sealed flask in the fridge.

Juice as an appetite suppressant

Fresh juice acts as a healthy appetite suppressant, and is therefore very useful in a weight loss diet program. Try drinking a glass of fresh juice before your main meal, and experience a rapid decrease in appetite.

Vegetable juice has much less sugar than fruit juices and about 50% less calories. Try carrot or a combination of carrot and parsley juice when hunger hits you, and feel those food pangs melt away.

Juicing works best with a healthy diet

Rather than concentrating on juicing exclusively for weight loss, focus on juicing for health. In other words, make a commitment to incorporate juicing into a healthy eating program you can follow – and it will certainly contribute to a healthier, slimmer you.

Juicing does not have to be expensive

If you decide on the juicing option for weight loss then with the help of a relatively inexpensive centrifugal fruit and vegetable juicer, such as the Breville Juice Extractor 800JE, or the Jack Lalane Juicer, you can be drinking a glass of fresh juice within seconds.

Drink a variety of vegetable juices

When making juice, it is important to use a variety of vegetables, in order to provide your body with a broad spectrum of vital nutrients. You will find that having at least one glass of vegetable juice per day, will contribute to weight loss in the long run, if combined with a healthy diet. It will also help you to maintain your weight loss, once you have reached your target.

Carrots
Carrot is the most used vegetable for juicing. As carrot juice is sweet, celery juice is often added. Benefits of juicing carrots include improved eyesight and reduced pain of stomach ulcers.

Cucumbers
Cucumber juice cleans your kidneys, can lower high blood pressure and improves skin problems. Add cucumbers to your home juicing machine when you are also making carrot and celery juice. Cucumber is valuable for reducing the strong flavours of some other vegetable juices.

Beets
Beet juice is very strong and more palatable when mixed with celery, carrot, cucumber, or asparagus juice.

Parsnips
Parsnips are often overlooked when it comes to juicing. Parsnip juice is sweet. Try mixing it with other juices such as apples, spinach and celery. Parsnips contain far less calories than carrot juice and so is a valuable ingredient in juice recipes for weight loss. This vegetable is a good source of folic acid, potassium, sulphur and vitamin C.

Tomatoes
The tomato was once considered an aphrodisiac. In 1995, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of a study which showed an association between consuming a diet rich in tomato-based foods and a decreased risk of prostate cancer. Researchers believe that Lycopene, an antioxidant nutrient found in large amounts in tomatoes, may be responsible for this potential protective effect.

Juicing can boost vitality

A big advantage in juicing for weight loss is that your well-being will improve, and you will experience a boost in vitality. Many people have found that drinking fresh juice improves their immune system function and digestion.

More information on juicing

Many books give advice on juicing for weight loss, for example “Juiceman’s Power of Juicing” by Jay Kordich.

Before you start a juicing for weight loss program, it is always advisable to consult a health practitioner first if you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, nursing, or have any illness.

See also: Lose Weight with Celery

It seems that no matter how much some people eat they never get fat. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Cell Metabolism a gene has been detected in a wide range of species which regulates fat formation.

This gene was originally discovered at Yale University by Winifred Doane, more than 50 years ago. The graduate student was observing fruit flies and recorded that some were appreciably fatter than the general population, while others were skinnier. Doane, now a Professor at Arizona State University, tracked the differences in body size to a single gene that she named “the adipose gene.”

More recently, scientists have discovered that fruit flies with the fully functioning adipose gene were very thin. Those with poorly functioning copies were fatter. Mice specifically bred to have efficient versions of the adipose gene were significantly slimmer than normal counterparts, with 66% less body fat than wild mice.

Theoretically, it is believed that it may be possible to engineer an obesity treatment that mimics what the adipose gene does. But do not wait around, as the treatment could still be a long way off.

According to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society Conference recently, women who sleep five hours or less a night weigh more than those who sleep 7 hours or more. The 16 year study found that women who slept for 5 hours a night were 32% more likely to exhibit significant weight gain and 15% more likely to become obese over the course of the study, as compared with women who slept for 7 hours.

The study consisted of around 68,000 middle-aged women. They were asked to monitor the amount of time they spent sleeping and to report their weight every two years for the duration of the study.

On average, women who slept for 5 hours or less per night weighed 5.4 pounds more, at the beginning of the study, and gained an additional 1.6 pounds over the following 10 years, than those sleeping for 7 hours.

The researchers looked at the women’s diets and exercise patterns to see if this could account in part of the findings. There appeared to be no difference in exercise patterns, such as running, jogging or playing tennis, between the various sleep groups.

Previous studies have shown, however, that after only a few days of sleep restriction hormones increase stimulation of the appetite, one possible cause for the additional weight gain.

Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. For example, a person who is 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighs 197 pounds, has a BMI of 30. An estimated 65% of Americans are now overweight or obese, compared to 1980 when 15% of Americans were obese.

According to the annual report recently released by the nonprofit Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, adult obesity rates have increased in 37 States. This is despite public service campaigns warning about the health risks associated with being overweight.

More than 25 percent of adults are obese in 28 States, up from 19 States last year. And more than 20 percent of adults are obese in every State except Colorado. In 1991, no State had an obesity rate greater than 20 percent.

Despite widespread recognition that obesity is endangering the health of millions of Americans, the country is still failing to respond adequately to the problem. The 5 States with the highest obesity rates are Mississippi (31.7 percent), West Virginia (30.6 percent), Alabama (30.1 percent), Louisiana (29.5 percent) and South Carolina (29.2 percent). The 5 States with the lowest obesity rates are Colorado (18.4 percent), Hawaii (20.7 percent), Connecticut (20.8 percent), Massachusetts (20.9 percent), and Vermont (21.1 percent).

The report stated that rates of type 2 diabetes, a disease typically associated with obesity, had increased in 26 States last year. Four States now have diabetes rates above 10 percent. Besides type 2 diabetes, obesity has been linked to coronary heart disease and stroke, osteoarthritis, gall bladder disease, liver disease, cancer and pregnancy complications, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

While a number of promising policies designed to promote physical activity and good nutrition have been introduced in communities, the report’s findings suggest that these policies are not being implemented at levels sufficient to reduce obesity rates.

Currently there is no information displayed on bottles of wine, spirits and most beers relating to calorie content. This fact was highlighted by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA). The Federation recently compiled a list (Alcohol Facts) of the top 26 selling domestic and imported alcohol brands with their alcohol, calorie and carbohydrate content per serving.

Public health officials repeatedly warn that consuming too much alcohol contributes to obesity and a range of diseases.

Using the standard serving size for each category, the CFA found that alcohol per serving ranged from 0.42 fluid ounces to 0.70 fluid ounces, depending upon the specific brand and type of beverage. In contrast, calorie and carbohydrate content varied significantly among the categories and bands. For wines, calories per serving ranged from 105 calories for a merlot to 125 calories for a cabernet sauvignon. The average was 118 calories per serving. In the case of spirits, calories per serving varied from 86 calories for spiced rum to 120 calories for gin. The average was 98 calories per serving. The greatest variation in calories was evident among beers. Light beers (5 brands) averaged 100 calories per serving and regular beers averaged 140 calories (5 brands) per serving.

Differences between beverages were greatest for carbohydrate content. There are no carbohydrates in spirits. In the case of wines carbohydrates ranged from 0.8 grams per serving for chardonnay to 5 grams per serving for cabernet sauvignon. Among different beers and malt beverages, carbohydrates ranged from 3 grams per serving for light beer to 38 grams per serving for a flavored malt beverage.

Apidexin is a non-prescription weight loss pill. It is a fat burner that relies on eight ingredients, all of which have apparently been clinically tested.

No telephone numbers are given on the Apidexin website – always a red flag. The only contact details supplied on the website are:

sales@apidexin.com

Timaru Labs
Salt Lake City,
Ut 84123, U.S.A.

Checks of Salt Lake City telephone and business directories revealed that Timaru Labs is not listed in that city. It would appear that Timaru Labs are a front for another manufacturing company.

Related articles

http://practicalweightloss.org/is-apidexin-the-best-weight-loss-pill/

http://practicalweightloss.org/side-effects-of-apidexin/