The biggest complaint that doctors often hear from patients is a lack of energy, or the constant feeling of fatigue. Due to these types of complaints, it really isn’t a surprise that people want to know the best types of vitamins and supplements they can get for energy. All vitamins are ideal for staying healthy, as well as keeping your body performing in top shape.

Among vitamins and supplements, one of the most common for energy is folic acid. Folic acid is a B vitamin that has been proven to increase energy levels. Even though you can look for vitamins that provide energy, it would be in your best interest to find those that can be effective with fighting fatigue as well. There are vitamins, nutrients, and supplements that are great for fighting fatigue and helping the body stay alert.

7 Ways to Boost Your Energy

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

Fatigue is one of the biggest problems of modern life, but we’re trying to fix that problem in all the wrong ways.

Trying to “get” or “find” energy is like trying to grab a fistful of water. If you want water (energy) to sit in your hand, you have to first create the conditions under which it’s possible — in the case of water, keeping your fingers tightly together and your hand cupped while open will do the trick — but trying to grab the water will not. It’s the same thing with energy.

Energy isn’t something you get or grab, but rather the by-product of certain conditions that allow it to show up in your life. If your health and attitude and body and mind are all aligned in the right way, there’s nothing else for you to do but to feel energized. It’s the natural “side-effect” of a healthy life — it just comes with the territory.Let’s say you were a swimmer wearing a weight belt and you wanted to increase your time in the 50-yard freestyle. You could spend a lot of effort researching the latest titanium high-tech bathing suit — which might add a second or two to your time — but wouldn’t it be a lot more effective to simply drop the weight belt?

Most of us are carrying around weight belts and looking to increase our energy with coffee and stimulants when in fact if we just dropped the weight belt we’d automatically go faster.

Some of the items on our weight belt are: too little sleep, disorganization, toxic relationships, high-carb diets, undetected food sensitivities, and all sorts of other facts of modern life that I discuss in detail in my book, The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy. In this article I’m going to suggest seven ways to help drop the weight belt from your energy tank. Do them and you may be surprised at what a boost in energy they give you.

1. Support your liver. You can help your liver do its job more effectively — and boost your energy in the bargain — by taking a daily dose of an herb called milk thistle. I consider the liver to be the most misunderstood and under-appreciated organ in the human body, because when it’s not working right, the first thing to suffer is your energy. Giving the liver all the nutrients it needs to perform its daily tasks is one of the most important things you can do to boost your energy.
2. Get ten minutes of sun every day. “The sun gives you strength, lifts your spirits and is a source of energy”, says my friend Al Sears, MD, author of Your Best Health Under the Sun. Like a growing body of health experts, Sears thinks we’ve become so sun phobic that we’re missing out on the myriad mood-boosting and energy-enhancing benefits that vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin has to offer.
3. Disconnect for a day. One of the great energy drainers of the 21st century is information overload. We’re deluged with stuff coming at us from emails, RSS feeds, blogs, social networking sites, TV, magazines, radio, fax machines, Blackberries… you get the picture. Knowledge may be power, but information overload is just… well, noise. Try a media-free day and feel your own energy accumulate — rather than dissipate as you attend to millions of distractions. Most of the chatter, when you think about it, won’t make much difference in the long run anyway. (If you find the idea of disconnecting for a day a frightening thought, you are exactly the person who needs to do it the most!)
4. Try the “No-Frills, No-Excuses, Anytime-Anywhere” workout. We all know that exercise helps with energy — at least I hope we do — but when it comes to working out, time remains a big obstacle for many people. Here’s my own “no excuses” lo-tech workout that you can do just about anywhere in as little as 15 or 20 minutes for an amazing boost in energy: 1) run a mile, 2) do some squats, 3) do some push-ups, 4) do some crunches. Stretch and go about your business refreshed and energized. And if you can’t go out and run the mile, do some jumping jacks in your office, or run the stairs.
5. Revive your “qi”. Acupuncture is based on the precepts of traditional Chinese Medicine that says the body and mind are inextricably linked; that vital energy, or qi, regulates a person’s spiritual, mental and physical health; that each of us is a delicate balance of opposing and inseparable forces called yin and yang — and when that balance is disrupted, vital energy becomes blocked or weakened. When our qi (energy) is at optimal levels and flowing smoothly, we’re ready to take on the world. Spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically we’re strong, healthy and energized. One terrific way to balance that energy is through acupuncture.
6. De-clutter and deep-six the energy drain. Here’s a rule I’ve found to be a universal truth: your energy has a perfect inverse relationship to the accumulation of stuff you don’t need. The more unwanted, unused, unneeded stuff you have cluttering up your life, the less energy you have. Believe it or not, the condition of your desk (and desktop) and office and living space actually reflects a lot of what’s going on in your head. If you take time to organize and de-clutter, you’ll actually be freeing up a lot of psychic space, and that can really turbo-charge your energy.
7. Take the right supplements. While supplements don’t really “give” you energy, they can correct metabolic issues that are draining it. They can also speed along certain pathways that are nutrient-dependent and that get sluggish (and energy draining) when those nutrients are in short supply. One terrific energizing nutrient is coenzyme Q10. It helps transform fats and sugars into energy and is a potent antioxidant.

To find out more about essential supplements, please sign up for my free audio by clicking the link below.

[Ed. note: Dr. Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. You can learn more about essential nutrients by listening to his free audio course, The Seven Supplements You Need Now. His new book, The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Energy Naturally is available now. For more information, click here.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

An Energy Boost? Web Resources

• 10 Ways to Improve Your Energy « Scott H Young – I believe that energy management and the ability to utilize your own energy is one of the most important keys to effectiveness. Although our ability to organize our time is limited to the number of hours in the day, our ultimate …
• Staying Strong No Matter What Age – Moreover, you will boost your energy and reduce the risk of several serious diseases. So no matter how old you are, you have a lot to gain from this. This is a great way to ensure your strength and health for the years to come. …
• Using HGH Spray to Boost Your Energy – Human growth hormone, commonly known as HGH, has been shown to increase muscle mass and decrease fat. HGH is released by the pituitary gland, the tiny, pea-sized center in your brain responsible for producing nine hormones to regulate …

Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr

 Fiber Rich Foods And Your Health

When people come to alternative medicine and holistic healing methods one of the first bits of advice is get more fiber. But it’s not the marketing message, I recall a few years ago a baker added something related to saw dust in their bread to give it more fiber.

But the advice here is to get more healthy fiber and this is best done by a combination of good fruits and vegetables. This gains you so much more than just fiber for their are many vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients and so you don’t just gain fiber but the whole world of nutrition, This is the gift of fiber rich foods.

But what if you don’t know where to start? There is truth to the old saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”  It is a good place to begin.  Many find easing of symptoms from mild to intermediate cases of ailments from GERD to diabetes to ovarian cysts to hemorrhoids to IBD begins with more fiber and more vegetables in the diet – good high fiber food.  Getting in tune with nature and our bodies brings about more than just masking symptoms that comes from some modern medical treatments.

We’ve been sold on the idea that a simple pill is the answer to most things.  It started back in the days of patent medicines where outrageous claims were made over and over until we (as a society) came to believe the lies.  It continues today as some big pharmaceutical companies carry on where the snake oil salesmen of the past left off.

An Easy Chest Workout and How to get more Fiber

Best Ways to Get Fiber in your Diet

Dietary fiber is something that we need to have in our diets especially as we get older. That’s because fiber does a lot of really important things for the body and can help to prevent certain diseases that may impact us as we age. The main reason that people are concerned about getting enough fiber is because this roughage helps to push everything else through the body so that you avoid the build-up of food and problems with constipation.

Anti-Inflammation Diet

The good news is, by getting more insoluble fiber, you make more GPR43 available to your body. According to Professor Charles Mackay, one of the study authors: “The notion that diet might have profound effects on immune responses … Now we have a new molecular mechanism that might explain how diet is affecting our immune systems.” Immune health starts in your gut. According to the new research, there’s one other factor critical to keeping your immune system toned down.

Did You Know That Fiber Is The Main Component of A Vegitarian Diet?

The mechanism that works here is the following: fiber slow down the digestion of carbohydrates in the organism. Therefore, the risk of getting high glucose peaks in the blood is being reduced. A vegetarian diet though to be healthier … More diabetic diet info on this site. Nowadays we are living in the world where info quickly enhances the quality of our life.

Related health articles about dietary fiber

• Important Dietary Concerns for Women: Getting what you need on the Go (parenting-success.com)
• IBS: Soluble Fiber May Be Best Treatment (diet-blog.com)
• More Whole Grains May Mean Less Fat (nlm.nih.gov)
• Why Do We Need Fruits and Vegetables? (thebestrawfooddiet.com)
• Fruit and Vegetables Provide A Level of Nutrients Well Beyond Our Expectations (thebestrawfooddiet.com)

Turbulence Training

Research has shown that high-intensity interval training (often called HIIT) combined with lifting heavier weights for fewer reps, is a better and more efficient way to build muscle and lose fat than lengthy cardio exercises, longer repetitions and training with lighter weights. The Turbulence Training program shows you how you can do only 3 workouts a week of 45 minutes each and loose fat while gaining body muscle. The program includes a warm up exercise that you do for 5 minutes followed by strength training of 15-20 minutes and then interval trading of 15-20 minutes as well.

While these workouts are shorter in duration and less frequent, the difficulty level is high. They are designed to make you do as much work as possible in a shorter duration of time, and you’ll feel that you have done some training by the time you complete a session.

A big advantage of the Turbulence Training program is that it does not bore you with repetition. A lot of people start fat loss programs with enthusiasm but stop doing it after a while because they just can do the same thing over and over again. In this program, you will be changing workout routines once a month. You are doing the same exercise only 12 times and this his does not allow your body to adapt itself to the changes which will halt your progress.

The program includes: “Turbulence Training System” in PDF & MP3 format, Dumbbell & Bodyweight Fusion workout manual, Nutrition guide by Chris Mohr, “20-Minute Workouts for the World’s Busiest Dads!”, Total Body Transformation Secrets, Turbulence Training for Mass (Muscle Building).

This workout system does not come with a diet plan and it may be too intense for some people. As you may have noticed this program is not for people who are looking to build some serious muscle its oriented more towards the combination of fat loss and muscle gain.

The system just asks for 45 minutes of your time 3 days a week. It has a routine that is not that does not require too much time. So, if you have a busy schedule and cant find time to loose those gained pounds then this workout is something that you can do

Learn more about high intensity interval training:  Turbulance Training.  You can reach your fitness goals.  Get the full details:  http://budurl.com/TurbulanceTraining

Disclaimer

The owners of this website will receive compensation if you purchase this program.

Our schedules are hectic and most of us rush around maybe skipping breakfast, a quick fast-food lunch and then home to a dinner that we are too tired to cook and then perhaps its a TV dinner.  We all know we should eat better but for most of us it is not the priority that it needs to be if we expect to maintain a healthy body.

In fact it is almost as easy to eat a proper diet as it is the sad diet that most of us pursue.  Most of us know the basics, fried food and frozen dinners are not the best – stay away from them.  We need fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat and not too much of it and perhaps some whole grains.  We just have to have the desire to do it.

Someone said “White Death.”  White flour, sugar, white rice, ok in small amounts but these need to be the smallest part of out diets that we can make them.  Instead the fruits and vegetables along with fish like salmon with it’s high omega-3 content also good for a healthy heart.

These are all common-sense ideas that anyone can implement.  Consulting your doctor or dietitian is always a good idea of course, but most of us already know when we don’t eat correctly.

Other Ideas For Healthier Eating

Heart Healthy Living

GARLIC FOR A HEALTHY HEART?

GARLIC FOR A HEALTHY HEART? Go fresh if possible.

Healthy Lifestyle Halves Heart Failure Risk

Men who follow a healthy lifestyle may cut their risk of heart failure in half.

July 8 (Bloomberg) — Australian health authorities say a 68-year-old Melbourne man who died in hospital after contracting swine flu is the country’s 18th death related to the virus.

World Travel Tips: Stop the Swine Flu Travel Madness!

Let me ask you something: If the media reported this as the H1N1 flu as opposed to SWINE flu, would we have gotten all in a tizzy? Did the word SWINE get people anxious? Was it that the supposed first case came from Mexico? …

Total 1217 Confirmed H1N1 (Swine Flu) Cases in Singapore | Daily …

Singapore has announced 106 new cases of H1N1 flu (swine flu) on 7 July 2009. This brings the total number of people infected in Singapore to 1217.

A/H1N1 Swine Flu (Influenza) Timeline | July 6: Canada (CA): Swine …

source: Critical ventilators to help Canada cope with the swine flu outbreak are being ordered by the federal government amid dire warnings about the severity.

Rupert Kicks Swine Flu for Harry Potter Premiere (E! Online) | PHP …

Online). Rupert Kicks Swine Flu for Harry Potter Premiere (E! Online). Rupert Kicks Swine Flu for Harry Potter Premiere(E! Online) E! Online – Despite catching the swine flu, Rupert Grint is alive and well, and ready to celebrate. …

Swine Flu Song

I felt it was only appropriate to put something up in response to all the coverage of the recent Swine Flu outbreak. Pigs are getting a bad rap on this one. The government is supposedly renaming the virus to H1-N1, but it doesn’t seem to be catching on. SONG LYRICS Miss Piggy, Arnold Ziffle, neither has a little sniffle Porky Pig and Pooh’s Piglet No fever yet Putnam, Gordy, Toot and Puddle Not contagious safe to snuggle Ask Petunia Babe, Noelle All of them feel well Wilbur, Hamm Hogzilla …

H1N1 (Swine Flu)

In this video, Dr. Joe Bresee with the CDC Influenza Division describes swine flu – its signs and symptoms, how it’s transmitted, medicines to treat it, steps people can take to protect themselves from it, and what people should do if they become ill. This video can also be viewed at www2a.cdc.gov

By Robert Chu, PhD, L.Ac

Do you find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning because of too much pain? Does it take an hour or two for your body to “warm up” and your joints and muscles to loosen before you can tackle the tasks of the day? If you answered yes, you are not alone.

According to the American College of Rheumatology, fibromyalgia affects 3 to 6 million Americans. That’s 1 in 50 Americans, with seven times more frequency in women than in men.  And according to the NHIS, by 2030 an estimated 67 million Americans are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

Morning stiffness is one of the more common complaints doctors hear about from patients with fibromyalgia, arthritis, rheumatism and those whose bodies no longer rebound after a day of activity — even gardening — like it used to.

Don’t let morning stiffness cut your day short by starting it later… And while most people reach for muscle relaxants like Motrin, and pain relievers like Aleve to get them going, you don’t need to.

The Main Causes of Morning Stiffness

The basic causes of morning stiffness are lack of daily physical activity, being overweight, having a poor diet, not sleeping properly, and being in an environment that tends to be cold and/or damp.

Exercising on a daily basis (even walking while swinging your arms) is a great way to release those feel-good endorphins, get the blood moving, and help clear nasty toxins from the body.

Being overweight causes you to carry unnecessary pounds, which puts strain on your joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

A poor diet that is high in simple carbohydrates causes weak muscles, bad posture, and lethargy.

A poor sleeping posture can lock your body in a bad position for hours, causing reduced blood flow to the local muscles, and a buildup of lactic acid, causing stiffness.

Living or working in a cold or damp environment causes muscles to stiffen because the cold or damp affects the blood flow throughout the body.

Relieving Morning Stiffness

You’ll be happy to know that what is causing your morning stiffness can be avoided or corrected… Here are 10 easy things you can do to make a big difference in your life.

1. Be sure to get ample deep sleep so your body can repair and recharge.  Forget about those troubles or conversations or tasks that need addressing; they can be handled tomorrow. Also, be sure to sleep either on your side or on your back — as stomach sleeping causes unnecessary stress on the low back and spine.
2. If your room is drafty, seal the windows or door. If it is cold, try a space heater or use extra blankets to prevent that cold or dampness from stiffening your body.
3. Do some easy stretches while lying in bed, then sitting up in bed, such as bending to the front and sides. This will stretch and loosen the muscles and help flush them with more blood.
4. Take a hot shower. This serves as a means to induce sweating, promotes blood circulation, and releases muscle spasms. Simply stand under the hot water and… relax.
5. After you are warmed up from the shower, do some gentle knee bends — as far as you can go without falling! You can hold on to something for balance if needed. You don’t have to go all the way down, either. These movements exercise almost 90% of the skeletal muscles. Find a counter, table, or chair and use your hands for support.  Exhale and squat as low as you can go, then inhale and stand up again. Do 10 of these to get the morning blood flowing and keep the creaky joints silent.
6. Drink the best water you can find. Often the tap water in our cities is not the freshest or safest. Even cities like Los Angeles have traces of psychiatric medicines and estrogen-like compounds in their tap water — and these toxins build up in your system over time, causing pain.  It is advisable to drink either bottled water or reverse osmosis filtered water.
7. Eat healthier.  Cut down on simple carbohydrates and start reading labels to avoid consuming more toxins.  Simply eliminate all foods with artificial color, enriched white flour, and artificial flavors/sweeteners (high fructose corn syrup, crystalline fructose and aspartame). If you don’t know what it is, or have difficulty pronouncing it, avoid ingesting it.
8. Learn some coping mechanisms and stress management techniques so that you’re not lying awake all night thinking about your problems.  Learning how to deal with toxic people in your life will both allow you to sleep better and reduce the stress-induced muscle spasms that cause pain.
9. Get some regular exercise. The idea is to go out and do some something physical with your body.  Even a simple routine of 10000 steps a day (buy a pedometer!) will greatly improve your health.
10. Be the fashion police! You want to dress appropriately for these cold months, and you might do well to sleep in flannel pajamas or sweats. Remember, cold air causes muscles and joints to stiffen.

These simple tips followed with a little dedication, along with some minor lifestyle changes and improvements to your living environment, can help you overcome morning stiffness in no time.

[Ed. Note: Robert Chu, PhD, L.Ac, QME, has studied the Chinese martial and healing arts since childhood.  He specializes in Master Tung Acupuncture to help patients with musculoskeletal disorders, pain, infertility, cancer treatment related side effects, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and thyroid issues.  Dr. Chu is a contributing editor and on the advisory board for The Healthy Back Institute.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

Staying healthy means that you should eat the right kinds of food at the right amount, avoiding harmful vices like smoking and excessive alcohol drinking, and most importantly, changing your life to the fullest. If you think you can keep up with all of these things, then you’re sure to live a healthy and illness-free lifestyle.

Your body is susceptible to many illnesses and diseases probably because of the things (like food and certain beverages) that you take in. Even the environment that you live in can affect the level of toxins inside the body. When the toxins are too much for the body’s natural detox process, the toxins build up. This build up can have certain harmful effects to the body which might cause a person to get sick.

The detox diet is very much popular nowadays, and the diet includes the use of different herbs and supplements. Other persons follow a certain diet which aids the body’s detox process. These foods help in the excretion of toxins through your skin, lungs, liver, intestines, and kidneys. The lymphatic system of the body also helps in eliminating toxins in the body.

But before starting any detox diet or program, it is best to consult first your doctor; just to be safe and for you to obtain a correct assessment of your present health condition.

There is also toxicity symptoms which you might be able to observe if you already have excessive toxin build up. And once you start to detox your body, these symptoms will usually get worse. But after a few more days, they will eventually pass. It is a good sign because the toxins inside your body are eliminated in big quantities.

If you’re still looking for an effective way to get rid of toxins in your body, why not try the detox body cleanser. It cleanses the internal parts of your body in just seven days. Yes, you’ve heard it right, seven days.

You can make use of this detox program for seven days, and eliminate those unwanted body toxins. The detox body cleanser usually comes in caplet forms, as well as in fiber packets. It consists of natural fiber and herbs. After seven days, you will feel detoxified, energized, and revitalized. There are even consumers who claim that they feel the great effects even on the first day.

Detox body cleansers are reasonably priced; in fact, you can get one at no more than $12. Price is not a very important consideration especially if you want to achieve healthy visible results.

Detox body cleansers are convenient to use, though it is made from herbs, these cleansers are usually great tasting which works naturally with the body’s digestion. The entire formula is geared towards complete internal body cleansing.

Detox body cleansers are not hard to find. You can find them in leading drugstores, and even in online stores. Cleanse your internal body for only seven days, try it now.

By James LaValle, R.Ph, ND, CCN

Looking back at 2008, I vote for vitamin D as the biggest nutrition news of the year. We all knew vitamin D was needed for optimal bone formation and maintenance, but I don’t think anyone really appreciated its full importance for our health. From cancer to heart disease prevention to protection against autoimmunity¹, vitamin D may very well be the most important nutrient to get enough of.

With all the new information on its disease-preventing benefits, many researchers suggest that the Daily Recommended Intake (DRI) for vitamin D should be raised from 400 IUs to a minimum of 1000 IUs.² And further studies have found that toxicity is really a non-issue.7 So, no longer are we disputing that the DRI is far too low. Instead, the focus has turned to making sure you are getting enough.

Most of us know that vitamin D is made from cholesterol in the body. Sun exposure is the catalyst that makes this happen. When sun hits the body, cholesterol in the skin is converted to vitamin D. To get enough vitamin D, we are told that we need from 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 AM and 3 PM at least twice a week to the face, arms, legs, or back — without sunscreen.³ But that’s only if you live below the 42° latitude marker. (In the US, that line runs from Northern California to Boston.)

But even that may not be enough. In my practice I have noticed that many of our patients, even those who live in sunny climates like Florida and get plenty of sun, still have low serum vitamin D levels when we test them. A new study out of the University of Wisconsin found similar results; when they tested young adults who live in Hawaii and were getting plenty of sun exposure, 51% came back with low serum levels.⁴

If you don’t have accessibility to sunlight year-round or even if you do, what should you do?

Those living in Japan may have one answer. Even though they have limited exposure to sunlight, their cancer incidence is quite low due to a diet high in fatty fish — a good source of vitamin D.⁵ Individuals living in Sweden may have an even better solution. A study of middle-aged and elderly Swedish women found that those who took vitamin D supplements and ate 2 to 3 servings of fatty fish per week increased their vitamin D stores by 45%! ⁶

Cod liver oil is the best source of vitamin D, but other oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines are good options too.³ (Fortified dairy is also a source, but would not be acceptable for those of you who have chosen to remove dairy from your diet.)

(Source: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp#h3).

Of course anytime fish consumption is recommended, there is always the mercury concern. Although that is a concern, studies still show that a couple of servings of fish per week seem to have more benefits than risks.

In the end, I believe we will find that we need both sunlight and dietary sources to hit every nuance of optimal vitamin D intake, because that’s the cycle found in nature — sun in combination with fish. So when it comes to having optimal vitamin D stores, get some sunlight when you can. However, monitor blood levels and if they are not at least 25 ng/mL or above, eat fatty fish or cod liver oil in combination with vitamin D3 supplements to keep your levels high enough. If you don’t like fish, use supplements alone. Just be sure you are getting enough!

References

1. Hayes CE, et al. Cellular and Molecular Biology. 2003; 49(2): 277-300.
2. Grant WB and Holick MF. Altern Med Rev. 2005 Jun;10(2):94-111.
3. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp#h3
4. Binkley N, et al. J Clin Endocrin and Metab. 92(6): 2130-2135.
5. Nakamura K. Nutrition. 18(5):415-16.
6. Burgaz A, et al. Am of Clin Nutr. 2007 Nov 86(5):1399-404.
7. Vieth R. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;69:842-856.

[Ed. Note: James LaValle is the founding Director of the LaValle Metabolic Institute, one of the largest integrative medicine practices in the country. Dr. LaValle is the author of The Metabolic Code Diet: Unleashing the Power of Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss and Vitality and the Executive Editor of THB's The Healing Prescription. Let 2009 be the year to unleash the power of your metabolism. To sign up for "free" access to this exclusive, insider teleconference with Dr. LaValle, click here.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com

There are seven common “facts” about boosting metabolism, burning calories and losing weight. Some are true. Some are not. Today, I will tell you which to believe and which to avoid—and where to save your money.

Your metabolism is the engine that runs your fat-burning machine. More specifically, it’s the rate at which you burn calories every day. Children have a much faster metabolism while they grow, but a person’s metabolic rate declines with age, and even more so in sedentary individuals. If your metabolism has slowed with age, you’ll find it much more difficult to burn body fat with your workouts and diet.

There has recently become a large, lucrative industry in boosting your metabolism. All sorts of powders, potions, pills, drinks and secret techniques have been promoted to raise your metabolic rate and help you burn fat. The trouble is, very few of these metabolism boosters actually work.

The good news is that you can increase your metabolism through exercise and fat-burning nutrition. Of course, that shouldn’t surprise you. Staying active, building muscle and eating the right foods in the right amounts help you keep your metabolism stoked.

I’ve examined the claims about seven popular metabolism boosters, from exercise to nutrition, to show you which ones work and which ones aren’t worth trying.

1. Strength training.

Claim: Boosts metabolism up to 10 percent after a training program.

Is it true? Yes.

And a recent study from the prestigious Journal of Applied Physiology showed strength training also doubled post-exercise fat burning. Any “expert” who says strength training doesn’t burn fat is living in the 1970’s. Strength training MUST be a part of your fat-blasting workout routine.

Focus on multi-muscle exercises, such as squats, pushups, rowing and standing single-leg exercises such as lunges. Strength-train three days per week, taking a day off between workouts. Do total body workouts each day, picking one lower body exercise, one upper body pushing exercise and one upper body pulling exercise to complete your workout.

2. Eating breakfast.

Claim: Breakfast boosts metabolism because it breaks your overnight fast.

Is it true? This is a tough one to prove.

However, research clearly shows that eating breakfast is associated with successful weight loss. So make it a habit to consume some protein, fiber and fruit (and even vegetables) at this time. This will keep your appetite in check till your next meal.

An omelet made of omega-3-enriched eggs, along with broccoli, mushrooms and peppers, is a high-fiber, high-protein breakfast that helps you get a lot closer to your recommended intake of vegetables for the day.

3. Green tea.

Claim: Burns an extra 80 calories per day

Is it true? Yes and no.

It has been shown to burn 80 calories per day in young men on the first day of supplementation. But will this effect last once your body gets used to it? I don’t think so.

After all, take a look at caffeine. You can find studies that show it increases metabolism as well. But really, is anyone losing fat with caffeine? The revolving doors at Starbucks say “No!”

Coffee is okay in moderate doses, and I recommend green tea to everyone for health reasons. But don’t expect rapid fat loss from green tea or green tea supplements. The only way you will lose fat with green tea is if you replace a 300-calorie Frappucino with an iced, unsweetened green tea.

4. Fat-burner pills.

Claim: Boost your metabolism big time!

Is it true? See the above comments on caffeine and green tea.

Most fat burners are simply caffeine pills with a few other ingredients thrown in. You’ll get an increase in mental energy, but that doesn’t mean it will boost metabolism or burn fat. So it doesn’t matter if the pills contain green tea extract, caffeine, CLA, Hoodia or any other “miracle ingredient.” Research hasn’t proven the effectiveness of these pills. Avoid them, and avoid the potential crash and burn from high caffeine pills.

5. Ice-cold water with lemon juice.

Claim: The body will burn calories warming up the water and the lemon juice also burns more fat.

Is it true? Nice in theory, short in practice.

Nobody is losing fat with ice-cold water. If it sounds too good to be true … you know the rest of the story.

6. Eating six small meals per day.

Claim: Boosts metabolism and can help control cholesterol.

Is it true? Yes.

And it’s simple and effective. Try to split your meals up into smaller meals that can be eaten over the course of the day. Start the day with breakfast and then snack every three to four hours until your day is done. Avoid buffets or gorging at any specific meal. You’ll have a steady state of mental alertness and your body will be a fat-burning machine.

7. Interval training.

Claim: Interval training causes a greater increase in post-exercise metabolism than regular cardio.

Is it true? Yes.

Interval training is simply a short bout of hard exercise followed by a short bout of easy exercise. This process is repeated about six times per workout (following a warm-up and preceding a cool-down). For example, you might speed walk (or run) for one minute and then walk at a slow pace for one minute.

A recent study from Australia found that an interval program led to more weight loss than a long, slow cardio training program. Other research has shown interval training results in greater fat burning during recovery from exercise. So while long, slow cardio training stops burning calories as soon as you step off the treadmill, interval training keeps your metabolism going and going and going.

Bottom line: Hard work and proper nutrition burn more calories and help you lose fat. On the other hand, magic pills and potions just don’t work.

But that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

[Ed. Note: Craig Ballantyne is an expert consultant for Men's Health magazine. If you're looking to burn fat, build muscle and quickly step into the body you have always wanted with just three workouts each week, check out Craig's fat-loss system, Turbulence Training for Fat Loss.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

By James LaValle, R.Ph, ND, CCN

It’s always encouraging to hear that something you enjoy, such as a food or beverage, has exceptional nutritional value or prevents a disease.

Recently, red wine and even alcohol, in general, have been headlines because moderate amounts of alcohol seem to be protective against heart disease.  Alcohol decreases the stickiness of blood cells so they’re less likely to form a clot, and it prevents constriction of coronary arteries; both are scenarios that may lead to a heart attack.¹

Researchers are trying sort out whether the benefits come from the alcohol itself or from other substances – like resveratrol in red wine.  To me it’s pretty clear that flavonoids like resveratrol have tremendous benefits.

But the point is, the research clearly shows moderate drinkers have less risk of death from heart disease than people who don’t drink at all.  The research has been so strong that some experts think the leap should be made to recommend moderate drinking to everyone as a way to reduce heart disease risk.²

This is great news for those of us who enjoy our glass of red wine with dinner, but remember, when you see these types of headlines, there’s almost always more to the story.  For instance, heavy drinkers have an increased risk of death from heart disease.^3-4

So, in regards to alcohol actually being “good for you” – some researchers are saying, “Not so fast.”  Aside from concerns about who might go on to develop drinking problems (since alcohol can be highly addictive for some people), there are other concerns.

One concern is that alcohol may increase cancer risk. Alcohol is most strongly linked to cancers of the esophagus, the mouth, the pharynx, and the larynx, though admittedly this is with heavier consumption.¹ However, alcohol consumption has also been linked to increased colon and breast cancer risk.^1,5,6

Another caution – women are more vulnerable to the negative effects of alcohol.  A brand new study showed that alcohol, even in the moderate intakes that reduce risk of mortality from heart disease, shrinks the brain. You heard right!  We all lose some brains cells as we age, to the tune of about 2% of our brain volume per decade, but women who drink even lightly or moderately lose more than non-drinkers. For men, only heavy drinking contributed to higher brain shrinkage.⁷ So women need to be especially cautious with their alcohol intake, but men can be affected if their intake gets too high.

If the average person knew more about the byproducts of alcohol metabolism, I think they would agree that we should “proceed with caution” when we drink.

Remember, alcohol, also known as “ethanol,” is a drug that must be metabolized by enzymes in our liver.  It puts a big burden on the body and depletes several nutrients in the process. The breakdown byproducts of alcohol are acetaldehyde and methanol.

Methanol breaks down to formaldehyde.  Acetaldehyde and formaldehyde are both known carcinogens.  Formaldehyde damages DNA.  Acetaldehyde binds to thiamin, inactivating it and destroying folate.  It also lowers cellular energy production and interferes with neurotransmitters. And it is known that alcohol enhances the effects of other carcinogens in the body.

I find it’s a person’s base level of health that may make them more prone to the negative effects of alcohol. For example, acetaldehyde can be formed internally by yeast organisms in the gut.  So anyone who has known yeast infection problems (fungal nails, chronic sinus infections, or vaginal yeast infections) will be more prone to the negative effects of alcohol because their body already has a lot of acetaldehyde to deal with, without giving it more from drinking.

Remarkably, the body still has a tremendous capacity to handle alcohol, especially if you have good base health and good nutritional intake.

Since most (though not all) of the negative effects of alcohol occur with heavier drinking, what is the bottom line?  Make sure you keep your drinking at the moderate level and you have good overall health and nutrition habits to support efficient alcohol metabolism.

Men generally can easily handle two drinks per day.  Women however need to be careful, and make sure not to exceed one drink per day to avoid all negative effects. (One drink = 5 oz wine, 12 oz beer, or 1 1/2 oz hard liquor.)

References

1. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa45.htm
2. Goldberg DM, et al. Clin Biochem. 32(7): 505-518.
3. Archives of Internal Medicine.  24th July 2006 Volume 166 pages 1490-1497.
4. Elsevier Health Sciences (2008, March 10). Moderate Alcohol Consumption In Middle Age Can Lower Cardiac Risk, Study Shows. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 8, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com- /releases/2008/03/080307073045.htm
5. http://www.dslrf.org/breastcancer/content.asp?CATID=60&L2=2&L3=
   8&L4=0&PID=&sid=132&cid=596
6. Stolzenberg-Solomon RZ, et al.  AJCH 83 (4) 895-904.
7. Arch Neurol. 2008;65(10):1278-1280.

[Ed. Note: James LaValle is the founding Director of the LaValle Metabolic Institute, one of the largest integrative medicine practices in the country.  Dr. LaValle is the author of the bestselling book Cracking the Metabolic Code: 9 Keys to Optimal Health and is the Executive Editor of THB's The Healing Prescription.  To learn more, click here.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.