HARIDRA-Curuma Longa

HARIDRA-Curcuma Longa

Haridra or Turmeric (Curcuma longa, also known as turmeric or curcumin) is an ancient spice, native to Indonesia and India, where it has been harvested for more than 5000 years. Whole turmeric is a tuberous rhizome of perennial plant curuma longa, belonging to the ginger family. The name derives from the Latin terra merita “meritorious earth” referring to the color of ground turmeric which resembles a mineral pigment. In many languages turmeric is simply named as yellow root.

Medicinal uses of Turmeric

• Digestive Disorders

Turmeric is considered as a digestive bitter and a carminative. It can be added into foods including rice and bean dishes to improve digestion, reduce gas and bloating. It is a cholagogue, stimulating bile production in the liver and encouraging excretion of bile via the gallbladder. This improves the body's ability to digest fats. For chronic digestive weakness and/or congestion turmeric is recommended. It can be taken as a single extract or in the form of digestive bitters, which combine turmeric with other bitter and carminative herbs. Turmeric is beneficial for people who feel tired after consuming meals or who experience gas and bloating. Whatever way turmeric is consumed it is beneficial to both the digestive system and the liver.

• Liver Diseases

Turmeric is beneficial for its influence on the liver. In spring more consumption of herbs and foods can strengthen the liver. Turmeric shares similar liver protectant compounds that milk thistle and artichoke leaves contain. It is said to shrink engorged hepatic ducts, so it can be useful to treat liver conditions such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, and jaundice.

• Cancer

Recent scientific research confirm that turmeric can cure host of diseases, also they found that turmeric restrain the growth of various types of cancer. Turmeric is used for the treatment of skin cancer or pre cancerous skin conditions. Both topical and internal uses are beneficial.

• Atherosclerosis

Turmeric may helpful in preventing the blockage of arteries that can gradually cause a heart attack or stroke in one of two ways. Turmeric makes cholesterol levels low and inhibited the oxidation of LDL (bad cholesterol). Oxidized LDL deposits in the walls of blood vessels and contributes to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque. Turmeric may also prevent platelet build up along the walls of an injured blood vessel. Platelets collecting at the site of a damaged blood vessel cause blood clots to form and blockage of the artery as well.

• Osteoarthritis

Turmeric may help relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis because of its ability to reduce pain and disability.

• Menstrual problems of Woman

For women who experience monthly menstrual cramps, try using turmeric extract or bitters twice daily for two weeks prior to expected menstruation. Turmeric is an antispasmodic to smooth muscles so it reduces digestive and menstrual cramping. It should reduce the severity of pain, if not ease them completely. Certainly, diet and standard of living have a reflective influence on the menstrual cycle, but turmeric is a great addition.

• Bacterial Infection / Wounds

Turmeric is useful as an external antibiotic in preventing bacterial infection in wounds.

• Eye Disorder

Curcumin may prove to be as effective as corticosteroids in the uveitis (inflammation of the uvea, the middle layer of the eye between the sclera - white outer coat of the eye and the retina - the back of the eye) the type of eye disorder.

• Intestinal disorders

The juice of the raw root or the powder of the dried root mixed and taken with milk or water is very effective for intestinal problems.

• Post partum recovery

The same juice is good for new mothers soon after delivery. It not only helps in faster contraction of ovaries and inner parts after delivery, but also improves the overall health and promotes breast milk secretion. If you want know ways to prevent postpartum depression, check out this post at Babylune.

• Anemia

Turmeric is a rich and ample source of iron. Have a teaspoon of raw turmeric juice with a bit of honey, if suffering from anemia.

• Asthma

A teaspoon of turmeric powder with a glass of warm milk helps in fighting bronchial asthma and cough. It not only gives relief but also acts as a preventive from further attacks.

• Sprains and wounds

Apply a medicinal paste of turmeric (turmeric powder mixed with sweet lime juice and salt) on sprain swellings. This paste gives quick and long lasting relief. Powder of turmeric should be sprinkled on wounds/ulcers for speedy healing.

• Cuts and burns

It should be immediately applied on cuts, bleeding or burns. It is an antiseptic and stops bleeding and heals the cut or burn.

• Throat pain and cough

Add little turmeric, black pepper powder, sugar and ghee to and drink it, to get relief.

• For skin diseases and itching

Mix a spoon of turmeric with butter or coconut oil and massage on your skin.

• Burning sensation in the eyes

Boil water and add turmeric and cool it, wash your eyes in that water.

• For sinus problems

Fry turmeric, jaggery and ghee in equal proportion, store it in a bottle and take a pinch of it everyday.

• Flatulence

½ tsp powdered turmeric taken thrice a day relieves flatulence and loss of appetite.

• Diabetes and other diseases

10-20 ml of expressed juice may be taken daily in skin diseases, diabetes and jaundice.
½ tsp each of turmeric along with amla (gooseberry) powder should be taken daily early in the morning. In small pox & chicken pox, a coating should be applied to facilitate scabbing.

• Common colds and scorpion bites

Sprinkle turmeric powder over burnt charcoal and inhale the fumes. This is highly beneficial in asthma and common colds. In cases of scorpion bites, the bitten area should be exposed to the same fumes for a few minutes to minimize toxicity.

Astrology and Ayurveda

Astrology and Ayurveda

Eternally fascinated by the uncertainty of the future, man has been equally engrossed in various studies that allow a peek into the same. Amongst the more significant ones is Astrology, a significant branch of Ayurveda that scientifically studies planetary movements and their effect on human constitutions and lives.

Astrology is based on the concept that each planet is intrinsically related to a specific body tissue and that the various planetary movements and their positions in relation to time exert powerful influences on your mind, body and consciousness, directly affecting your physical and mental health. It is to be noted that sun, rahu & ketu are nodal points exactly opposite each other and are given the status of planets according to the Indian system of Astrology. They are important indicators of spiritual and / or materialistic tendencies.

Extracts of the herbs and roots can also be taken orally, in the form of mother tinctures commonly used in Homoeopathy. These herbs and roots and their extracts in the form of mother tincture have proved equally effective in countering the negative influences of planets on human beings. The extracts of the roots and herbs as mother tincture are available in any homoeopathic outlet. The doses, however, should be taken after consulting an experienced astro-occult practitioner. The names and doses of some herbal extracts or mother tinctures are given below:

Sun.................Aegletolia (5 drops)
Venus.............Hydroquotile (10 drops), Meshashringi (10 drops)
Jupiter............Chirata (15 drops)
Moon..............Honey (One spoon)
Ketu...............Ahswagangha (10 drops)
Saturn............Shefalika (10 drops), Dhurba(10 drops), Honey (20 drops)
Mars...............Neem (10 drops), Anantamool (10 drops), Panchamukhi Jaba (10 drops),
Rahu ............... Swetchandan (5 drops)
Mercury..........Hydrocotyle (10 drops), Amala (5 drops)

Sleep deprivation and fat gain

"sleep deprivation and fat gain: How does it happen?"

You've probably seen the magazine articles or news blurbs that
say, "lack of sleep can make you fat!"

There is a lot of confusion however, about the mechanism.
It's not uncommon for people to believe there is a cause and
effect relationship between sleeping less and gaining weight.

However, if that were the case, then you would always gain weight
if you slept less even if your food intake stayed the same.
To the contrary, if you sleep less AND eat less, rest assured
you will lose weight.

If you are awake more hours and you are more active during
those increased waking hours, again, rest assured you will
lose weight.

Almost all the research on this subject has been cross sectional
and therefore does not prove causality.

Research suggests that the likely explanation for a mechanism
is a disruption in hormones which can affect appetite and food
intake so you are more likely to eat more when you are sleep deprived.

For example, a new study published in the December 2007 issue
of "Nutrition Research Reviews" says that sleep deprivation can
reduce leptin (the anti starvation hormone, also known as an
anorexigenic hormone) and increase ghrelin, a stomach
hormone that increases hunger.

This makes total sense. Think about it: less sleep equals
more awake time. More awake time equals greater energy needs.
Greater energy needs can be satisfied by increasing hunger hormones.
Leptin and ghrelin are appetite-stimulating hormones.

The human body is incredible and amazingly self-regulating, isnt it?

In addition, when hormones are out of balance, that can affect
nutrient paritioning.

Nutrient paritioning refers to where the energy comes from when
you have a calorie deficit - fat or lean tissue - and where the
energy goes when you are in a calorie surplus - fat or lean tissue.

So, when partitioning hormones are messed up due to sleep
deprivation, it's entirely possibly that you are more likely to
add fat (not muscle) when in a surplus and lose muscle (not fat)
when in a deficit.

This is similar to what happens during stress. Stress also
does not "cause" fat gain, but it certainly correlates to
fat gain, for similar reasons. Imagine what happens when
you are stressed AND sleep deprived?

Some people seem to get by with less sleep than others. I know
many people, myself included, who excel physically on 6-7 hours
a night, so there is certainly a variation in sleep needs from
person to person.

Developing sleep habits that promote deep, high quality sleep
may also reduce sleep needs an hour or two. This includes going
to bed and waking up at the same time every night, getting to
sleep early and awake early to maximize night time sleeping hours
and daylight waking hours, sleeping in a dark room, avoiding
alcohol and stimulants prior to bedtime, reducing stress and
exercising regularly.

However, in light of past research and the new data that was just
published, if in doubt, it's surely better to err on the side of
a little more sleep than a little less sleep, if more muscle and
less fat is your goal.

Reference:

1. The influence of sleep and sleep loss upon food intake and
metabolism. Nutrition Research Reviews, Dec 2007, 20:195-212,
Cibele Aparecida Crispima, et al. Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sthoulya_ Ayurvedic Managemant!!!!

STHOULYA-OBESITY!!!!!

Obesity is the most common metabolic disorder and is one of the oldest documented diseases.

In Ayurveda as early as 1500 BC Charaka Samhita has described this disorder under the title Medoroga or diseased state of fat metabolism. According to Charaka, the great Ayurvedic physician, an individual whose increased adipose and muscle tissue makes his hips, abdomen and breasts pendulous and whose vitality is much less than his body size in obese. Simple obesity is due to alimentary factors like overeating heavy, sweet, oily foods, lack of exercise and hereditary predisposition. It can be due to other disorders of pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, gonads, pancreas and hypothalamus. Derangement of Agni or digestive powder leads to production of ama, which disturbs Agni of fatty tissue and blocks the proper formation of further tissues.

Improperly formed fatty tissue accumulates in the body causing obesity. Accumulated fat causes disturbance to movement of vata, which in turn increases appetite. Patient therefore eats more and the entire food is then converted into proper fat tissue, creating a viscous circle. Apart from the signs described above, Charaka has described that such person has reduction of longevity, premature aging, unpleasant odor, excessive sweating, dysponea on mild exertion, excessive hunger and thirst, weakness, loss of vitality, loss of sexual powder and mental confusion. If the condition is not properly treated, various complications like hypertension, hyper-cholesterol, heart diseases, hyperacidity, kidney infection, diabetes, fistula, arthritis and lipoma are produced.
Persons having kapha constitution, obesity is very common, as their metabolism is very slow. It has been found that to relieve strain or depression these people start eating. These people have the tendency to retain water. Hence the excess weight is mainly due to water retention and not due to accumulation of improper fatty tissue. In these individuals usually the function of the kidney is very weak.

Persons having pitta constitution usually has excess appetite. However their metabolism is very rapid, hence they have fewer tendencies to develop obesity than kapha constitution. But if these people do not take care regarding over eating sweets or sugars, then they can develop obesity.

In vata type people obesity is very remarkable. These are fluctuations in gaining weight and loosing weight. Many vata persons eat to provide security against their nervousness or anxiety, which is common in these people. In all types exercise is a must.

Herbal Remedies

• Fasting on lime juice-honey water is highly beneficial in the treatment of obesity. In this mode of treatment, one teaspoon of fresh honey should be mixed with the juice of half a lime in a glass of lukewarm water and taken at regular intervals.

• The leaves of kujube or Indian plum are another valuable remedy for obesity. A handful of leaves should be soaked overnight in water and this water should be taken in the morning, preferably on an empty stomach. This treatment should be continued for at least one month to achieve beneficial results.

• Cabbage is considered to be an excellent home remedy for obesity. A valuable chemical called tartaric acid is present in this vegetable, which inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Substituting a meal with cabbage salad would be the simplest way to stay slim.

• Tomatoes are valuable in obesity. One or two ripe tomatoes taken early morning as a substitute for breakfast, for a couple of months, are considered a safe method of weight reduction. They also supply the food elements essential to preserve health.

• Finger millet is an ideal food for the obese, because its digestion is slow and due to this, the carbohydrates take a longer time to get absorbed. By eating preparations made of ragi, the constant desire to eat is curbed, thus reducing the daily calorie intake. At the same time, ragi supplies an abundant quantity of calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B1 and B2 and prevents malnutrition inspite of restricted food.

TRIPHALA CONCOCTION :-

Ingredients:-

Triphala powder
Honey
Method of preparation :-

Put a table spoon of Triphala powder in a vessel and add a glass of water in it. Boil this until the water reduces to 1/4 th of the total quantity . Allow this concoction to cool. Filter the concoction and add a table spoon full honey to this . This should be consumed in early hrs of the day in empty stomach.

2.SPICED RICE MANDA.:-

Ingredients:-

Rice
Water
Cumin seeds
Dry Ginger powder
Pepper powder
Long pepper powder
Method of preparation :-

1. Take equal quantities of spices mentioned above (3-6) and grind them to a coarse powder.

2. Cook 1/4 teaspoon of this powder with two table spoon of rice in one big glass of water. Decant only liquid portion of this preparation add a pinch of salt to it . This can be used instead of soups.

WATER

Consumption of Boiled and cooled water helps to reduce weight.

ASHWAGANDHA

ASHWAGANDHA

Biological Name: Withania Somnifera, Physalis flexuosa
Solanaceae family

Other Names: Ashwagandha, winter cherry, Ashgandh, Achuvagandi, Amikkira-gadday, Amkulang-kalang, Amukkira-kilzhangu, Amukran-kizhangu, Asagandha, Asana, Asgandh, Asundha, Asvagandhi, Fatarfoda, Hirimaddina-gadday, Hirre- gadday, Penneroo-gadda, Pevette, Sogade-beru
History:
This herb is used for 4000 years plus in India. It is a very important herb in ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine. It is used for tumors, inflammation (including arthritis), and a wide range of infectious diseases. The shoots and seeds are also used as food and to thicken milk in India.

Traditional uses of ashwagandha among tribal peoples in Africa include fevers and inflammatory conditions. Ashwagandha is frequently a constituent of Ayurvedic formulas, including a relatively common one known as shilajit.

Description:
A native of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Aswagandha is an important herb used in Ayurveda. The name comes from the peculiar odor of this herb, smell akin to that of a sweaty horse.

Aswagandha is an erect branched shrub with a greenish or lurid yellow flowers. Aswagandha in India is akin to ginseng in other parts of the orient. Both are touted for their longevity enhancing and sexually stimulating properties.

Parts Used: Root
Active Compounds:
alkaloids and withanoloids

Compounds known as withanolides are believed to account for the multiple medicinal applications of ashwagandha. These molecules are steroidal and bear a resemblance, both in their action and appearance, to the active constituents of Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) known as ginsenosides. (Some people do call ashwagandha as “Indian ginseng”.)

Generally, ashwagandha stimulates the immune system.
It has also been shown to inhibit inflammation and improve memory. Taken together, these actions support the traditional reputation of ashwagandha as a tonic or adaptogen. It counteracts the effects of stress and generally promote well

Commonly used herbs and minerals in AYURVEDA......!!!!!

Commonly used herbs and minerals

Botanical (Latin) Name
Common (English) Name
Sanskrit Name
Claimed Therapeutic Use

(According to Ayurveda)
Acacia concinna
Acacia
Shikakai
Useful in billious affections, jaundice, malarial fever, prevtive to flatulence, mild laxative
Acacia nilotica
Indian Gum Arabic Tree
Babool
Demulcent, astringent, gonorrhoea, leucorrhoea, styptic, diarrhoea, dysentry, diabetes,
Acorus calamus
Sweet Flag
Vacha
Bitter tonic, ague, habitual constipation, atonic dyspepsia, flatulence, paralytic nervous affections, colic, epilepsy, dropsy, glandular diseases, rheumatoc swellings, useful for children's ailments teething etc.
Adhatoda vasica
Malabar Nut
Vasaka
For comfort from bronchitis, whooping cough & bronchial asthma. To support lung functions. Has immune system-boosting properties.
Aegle marmelos
Bael Tree
Bael
For intestinal problems such as amoebic dysentery & diarrhoea. Is digestive, anthelmintic, & anti-inflammatory, useful in irritable bowel syndromes and inflammatory condition of bowels.

Allium sativum
Garlic
Lasuna
To control excess conversion of lipids & cholesterol.

Aloe vera
Indian Aloe
Kumari
Useful in ophthalmic disorders, mild laxative, tonic, increases semen quality, cure vata dosha, poisonous effects, hepatospleenomegaly, spleen and liver disorders, cystic formation, hydrocele, kaphha fever, glands, anomalies of blood, anomalies of skin.
Andrographis paniculata
The Creat
Yavatika
Used in malaria fever, enlargement of liver, chronic and obstinate fever, dropsy, edema, removes constipation, appetiser, useful in infant's disorders such as diarrhoea, colic, vomiting etc.
Anethum sowa
Indian Dill
Satahva
Useful in improving hunger, good appetiser, anti-febric, vermifugal, digestive, abdominal colic, intestinal colic, ophthalmic disorders, pelvic inflammatory disease conditions, analgesic, body pain .

Asparagus racemosus
Asparagus
Shatavari
To nourish the female reproductive system, promote lactation.

Azadirachta indica
Neem
Neem
For skin disorders. Has blood purifying & immune-boosting properties. as an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal agent.

Bacopa monnieri
Bacopa
Brahmi
For improving alertness. As an anti-anxiety agent.

Balsamodendron mukul
Indian Bdellium Tree
Guggulu
Anti-spasmodic, emmenagogue, stimulant, tonic, alterative demulcent, useful in rheumatism, nervous diseases, glands and scrofulous diseases, blood purifier, useful in chronic wounds which do not heal easily.
Benincasa hispada
White Pumpkin
Kushmanda
As a food nourished body, vigour, purifies blood, appetiser, easy to digest, removes constipation, normalise bowel movements / as a remedy useful in mental disorders, epilepsy, mania, psychological disorders and helps to cure all mental diseases and their conditions.

Betula utilis
Himalayan Birch
Bhurjapatra
In ear disorders, bile disorders, anomalies of blood, psychological disorders, anti-obesity, anti-toxin.

Boerhaavia diffusa
Boerhaavia
Punarnava
For efficient kidney & urinary functions. In urinary tract infections.

Capsicum annuum
Red Pepper
Katuvira
Aroused digestive fire, removes kaphha dosha, produce burning sensation, removes indigestion, anti-cholera, helps to heal obstinate wounds, removes hoarseness, sleepiness and perversion of taste, useful in loss of senses and weak pulse condition.
Cassia fistula
Golden Shower Tree
Aragvadha
FRUIT-BODY:Mild laxative, Anti-fever, useful in Cardiac or Heart problems, Rakta Pitta, Hematemesis, Hemorrhages, Arthritis, Vatavyadhi, Colic, Eructations, Acidity and acidic eructations, ROOTS: Very strong purgative, should not be used alone
Cedrus deodara
Deodar Cedar
Devadaru
BARK and STEM is used: creates sweating, creates urination, Anti-vata, eliminates Skin disorders, Anti-febril, Anti-edema, Arthritis, Joints pain, Joints swelling, Antitussive, Vermifugal, anomaly of Blood, anomaly of urine etc.
Cinnamomum camphora
Camphor
Karpoora
useful in kaphha, thirst, obesity, burning sensations, throat problems, intestinal worms, mouth freshener, analgesics, antitusive, antipyeratic, excessive sweats, beneficial effects when taken in small quantity [50mg]in Low blood pressure and asthama,

Citrus grandis
Pomelo
Mahanimbu
Vata-kaphha nashak, mild laxative, digestive, appetiser, loss of appetite, abdominal colic, worms, vomiting, nausea

Citrus limon
Lemon
Nimbaka
use as food, increased taste, increased hunger, digestive, help to pass abdominal wind, flatus

Citrus medica
Citron
Bijapura
useful in heart disorders, abdominal colic, Gulm, vomiting, nausea, indigestion, heamorrhoids

Cucumis sativus
Cucumber
Trapusha
Diuretic, useful in heamatamesis, heamorrhages, bleeding, cold in nature, as a food to renal stone patient
Cuminum cyminum
Cumin
Shvetajiraka
SEEDS: smell increasing the taste of food, increased taste, appetiser, Cholegague, useful in abdominal colic, flatulence, wind formation, offensive flatus, vermifugal, dysentry, diarrhoea, Gulma, indigestion, inflammatory condtion of bowels, renal calculus, gonorrhoea, obstruction of urine, nausea, vomiting etc.
Daucus carota
Carrot
Garjira
SEEDS: useful in flatulence, renal disorders, pathophysiology of small and large intestines, salpingitis, Impotency, Female genital disorders, ROOT: vermifugal, spleenomegaly, physical weakness, cholecystitis, problem before delivery, cardiac problems, piles, colic burning sensation, asthama, hiccough, mouth freshener, EXTERNAL: Burns, abscess
Eclipta alba
Thistles
Bhringaraja
JUICE:useful to teeth, skin and hairs, indicated for the treatment of Kaphha-vata disorders, cough, bronchitis, worms, asthama, skin diseases, oedema, mucous disorders, anemia, digestive, support and nourished body, choleggue, hepatomegaly, liver disorders, loss of appetite, vertigo, hepatospleenomegaly, piles, indigestion, headache, weak vision, EXTERNAL; Burns, skin diseases, leucoderma, hair falling, alopecia
Embelia ribes
False Black Pepper
Vidanga
FRUITS:carminative, anthelmintic, stimulant, alterative, anti-dyspeptic, anti-flatulent, skin diseases, rheumatisma, diuretic, laxative, purgative
Eucalyptus globulus
Eucalyptus
Nilgiri Taila
EXTERNAL:deodorant, useful in skin disorders, anti-vermicular, wounds us cervix, wounded piles, smells in Cold and coryza, muscular and joints pain, myopathy: INTERNAL; for excessive salivation, digestive, antipyeretic
Ficus bengalensis
Banyan tree
Vata
Kaphha pitta shamak, ,nausea, diarrhoea, bloody dysentery, heamorrhages, bleeding, dysentery, anomaly of blood, bleeding from all orifices, discoloration of skin, bloody leucorrhoea, leucorrhoea, white discharges feom vagina, help in pregnency, anomaly of urine, Prameha, ueful for childless women, increased fertility of women
Foeniculum vulgare
Fennel
Shatapushpa
used in Vata-pitta dosha, useful in mental weakness, weakness of eyesight, nausea, vomiting, weak appetite, Flatulence, abdominal wind, abdominal colic, dysentery, piles, cardiac disorders, anomaly of blood, cough, bronchitis, pulmonary disorders, anomaly of urine and urination, fever, skin disorders, weakness, burning sensations
Gaultheria fragrantissima
Indian Wintergreen
Gandapura
OIL:cures Vata, pain, stimulant, antipyeretic, brings sweats, diuretic, antispasmodic, removes pain of all nature, useful in cardiac disorders, joints pain, sciatica, flatulence, wind formation in abdomen, Rheumatic pain, myolitis
Hippophae rhamnoides
Seabuckthorn

BHASAM [Ashes]: used in respiratory disorders, hiccough, asthama, cough, cardiac pain, glandular swellings, rheumatism, arthritis, tuberculosis, pulmonary disorders, joints pain, increases sexual desire in male and female both, Impotency

EXTERNAL: paste is applied in Pleuritis, Pneumonia, backache, painful inflammatory condition with swelling

Jasminum officinale
Jasmine
Jati
cold nature, bitter taste, increases Vata and Kaphha Dosha, useful in Burning pain wounds, anomaly of blood, Oral problems, Tooth problems, Eyes disorders, Headache, migraine, antitoxic, OIL: cold, heals wounds, anomaly of blood, useful in skin, head and ophthalmic disorders, stomatitis

Juglans regia
Walnut
Akschota
useful in facial paralysis, cervical lymphadenitis, adenitis, ringworm, edema, dropsy, swelling, fistula, opium poisoning, devermicular, purgative, laxatives, provides strength, pulmonary tuberculosis, cardiac disorders, uric acid diathesis, gout, burning sensations, rheumotoid arthritis, syphilis, gonorrhoea, dermatitis, skin disordres and anomaly of blood, blood purifier,

Lilium polyphyllum
White Lily
Kshirakakoli
useful in increasing the quantity of semen, condensed semen, increasing lactations in feeding mothers, creates sexual excitement both in male and female, increases vitality, vigour
Mimosa pudica
Sensitive plant
Lajjalu
for gynaecological disorders, skin disorders, bleeding piles, amoebic dysentry, diarrhoea.

Mangifera indica
Mango
Amra
RAW MANGO: sour, tasteful, increases Vata & Pitta Dosha, RIPED MANGO: sweet, increases semen quality, appetiser, increases taste, wound healer, anomaly of blood,
Melaleuca leucadendra
Tea Tree
Kayaputi
useful in Hyperpyerexia, gout, uric acid, diarrhoea, skin disorders, bronchitis, cough, dermatitis, joints pain, muscular pain,
Mel despumatum
Honey
Madhu
sweet, cool, easy to digest, removes constipation, better for eyes & voice, beneficial to heart, ripes wounds quickly, useful in obesity, frequent urination, hiccough, asthma, bronchitis, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, emaciation, excessive thirst, heamorrhagic tendency, faintness, burning sensation, healing wound
Mentha arvensis
Mint
Putiha

Mentha piperita
Peppermint
OIL and CRYSTALS: carminative, cool, analgesic, relives painful muscular conditions, smells in Cold and coryza, relives headache, sinusitis, uses both internally and externally. very powerful in action, while use internally, use very small quantity [one drop in four divided doses] with precautions

Nardostachys jatamansi
Musk
Jatamansi

Pinus roxburghii
Chir Pine
Shrivasa

Piper longum
Indian Long Pepper
Pippali

Prunus amygdalus
Almond
Vatadha

Punica granatum
Pomegranate
Dadima

Pyrus malus
Apple
Seva

Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosemary
Salmalia malabarica
Silk Cotton Tree
Shalmali

Santalum album
Sandalwood
Chandana

Sapindus mukorossi
Soapnut Tree
Arishta

Sesamum indicum
Sesame
Til

Sesbania sesban
Egyptian Rattle Pod
Jayanti

Shorea robusta
Sal Tree
Shala

Solanum lycopersicum
Tomato
Trigonella foenum-graecum
Fenugreek
Medhika

Triticum sativum
Common Wheat
Godhuma

Vetiveria zizanioides
Poppy
Ushira

Vitex negundo
Five-leaved Chaste Tree
Nirgundi

Vitis vinifera
Grape
Draksha

Wrightia tinctoria
Sweet Indrajao
Hyamaraka

Xanthoxylum alatum
Toothache Tree
Tumburu

Zinziber officinale
Ginger
Sunthi
in digestive disorders like low appetite, indigestion, nausea, vomiting & motion sickness.

Alum
Saurashtri

INTERNAL:Bloody dysentery, Dysentery, worms, Remmitent and intermittent fever, anti-tussive,

EXTERNAL: Piles, wound, traumatic wounds and conditions, stings, itching, eczema, conjunctivitis, leucorrhoea, otorrhoea, gonorrhoea, gargles in pharyngitis, tonsillitis, throat problems

Conch Shell
Shankha
BHASAM [Ashes]: Loss of appetite, indigestion, peptic ulcers, dueodenal ulcers, hyperacidity, bronchitis, hepatospleenomegaly, Gulm, Asthama, cough, respiratory disorders

Sodium carbonate
Svarjikshara
INTERNAL:useful in constipation, Diuretic, Gulmanashak, Colic, pain abdominal, worms intestinal, flatulence, eructations, abdominal winds, tympenitis, Irritable bowel syndromes
EXTERNAL: promotes suppuration of boils, burns, pimples, leucoderma, white patches of skin

Sodium Bicarbonate
Tankana
First purify according of Ayurveda directions: Increased digestive fire, Kaphha nashak, antitoxic, cough, bronchitis, asthama, pulmonary resoiratory disorders, antipyeritic, Gulm nashak, colic, bodyache, sensation of chilliness etc. spleenomegaly hyperacidity, diminished hunger, stomatitis EXTERNAL:eczema, ringworm, itching of skin, mouth pain in aphthea, vaginal itching, leucorrhoea, hydrocele, mammary gland inflammation, toothache, black spot on face etc.

Cowrie Shell
Varatika
BHASAM [Ash]: used in colic of all nature, mucous colitis, dysentery, hyperacidity, weak assimilation, diarrhoea, gastritis, gas formation, flatulence, excessive thirst, tympenitis, rumbling in abdomen, loss of appetite, Irritable bowel syndromes, improves digestive power, asthama, bronchitis, otorrhoea, dry cough, Tuberculosis, exhaustive disease conditions, aphthea, stomatitis etc.

Natural Zinc
Yashad Bhasma
BHASAM [Ash]: used in ophthalmic disorders, night blindness, kaphha-pitta disorders, jaundice, liver disorders, hepatitis, anomalies of urine, diebetes, asthama, cysts, glands, diarrhoea, mucous colitis, dhatu kshaya, tuberculosis, bacillary dysentry, gonorrhoea, impotency, improves digestion, beneficial in vomiting and nausea.

Fat Loss Lie #8: "It takes just minutes a day"

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Fat Loss Lie #8: "It takes just minutes a day"

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"2 MINUTE ABS"

"A FEW MINUTES IN THE MORNING!"

"THE ONE WORKOUT A WEEK FITNESS REVOLUTION!"

"CHANGE YOUR BODY IN 30 MINUTES A WEEK"

As if all the rapid weight loss claims weren't enough, the latest bombardment of advertising hype says that you're spending too much time in the gym and that if you follow their "secret" training program, you can get in tip top shape in just "minutes a day."

What do I think about that? well, you definitely don't have to "live in the gym" or train for hours every day to get great results. And you should always, of course, look for ways get the most benefit from every minute you spend in the gym. That's called "time efficiency," and that is a good thing.

But you should be very cautious of the claims about getting more results in less time. You really CAN get more results in less time with higher intensity workouts, but "higher intensity" translated, means "hard work." If it sounds too good to be true... well, you know the rest...

It's an error in thinking that you can bypass the law of cause and effect and it's a flaw in character to expect better results without putting in the necessary time and hard work(refer back to "The quick and easy lie.").

There's a fine line between training enough to stimulate growth and overtraining. We are warned continually not to overtrain or we'll "hold back our strength and muscle gains." We are also cautioned not to do too much aerobics or we'll "lose the muscle" we already have.

It's true that many people are overtraining. But just as there's fine a line between optimal training and overtraining, there's also a fine line between optimal training and undertraining.

The minimalist "less is more" approach is highly appealing because it represents the ultimate "lazy man (or woman's)" approach. And most of all, it SELLS!

The promoters are basically saying, "Hey, you're spending too much time in the gym and it's holding back your gains. Buy my secret miracle training program from Bulgaria, and you only have to train once or twice a week for a few minutes and you'll double your results."

Briefer and less frequent workouts are only good to the extent to which they prevent you from overtraining and they optimize hormonal response to training. Minimalism as a marketing appeal is a completely different story. Make sure you recognize the difference between the two.

I thought the "just minutes in the morning" idea was ridiculous (but brilliant from a marketing perspective), now someone just wrote a book called 2-minute abs. What's next? 30-second abs? Massive muscles in five minutes? The one rep muscle revolution?

Your body is begging for exercise - it's an amazing machine that was designed to be used often and vigorously. In fact, your body is the only machine that wears out faster when you don't use it!

Training for basic health benefits and training for maximum fat loss and muscle growth may not be the same thing. To get maximum changes in body composition, you need a much higher frequency, duration and intensity.

You can get health benefits from very small amounts of exercise. Even walking to work or class, or raking the leaves in your yard can have health benefits. But you get even greater health benefits from larger amounts of exercise.

You can get a training effect (muscle growth and strength increase) in as few as two or three thirty-minute workouts per week, especially if you use highly time efficient training methods such as high intensity interval training for cardio and supersets, circuits and short rest intervals for strength training.

However, you cannot expect to become super lean and highly muscular without putting in the time and effort.

Here's what it all boils down to: You reap what you sow... The rewards you take out will always come in direct proportion to the work you put in. The best bodies - with the best body composition and fat-to-muscle ratios - are built with high levels of physical activity. There's simply no quick fix.

Fat Loss Lie #7: "Drugs or surgery will take the fat off and keep it off"

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Fat Loss Lie #7: "Drugs or surgery will take the fat off and keep it off"

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Drugs. Magic Bullet Or Lethal Mistake?

For many people who are frustrated with little or no results, despite their best intentions, physique-enhancing drugs or hormones appear to be the only legitmate "miracle cure." After all, supplements are iffy, but drugs are, well, drugs!

Steroids have been around for a long time. So have obesity drugs. Lately, there's been a push for the use of Human Growth Hormone or Testosterone under the harmless sounding labels of "anti-aging medicine" and "Hormone replacement therapy."

Of course, these are sometimes needed for clinical purposes, but the sales pitch I'm referring to is being made to perfectly healthy baby boomers, who desperately want to regain their youthful looks and vitality or to young people who want a "short cut."

Dramatic short-term results in body composition can be achieved from using all kinds of weight loss drugs, steroids, thermogenics, thyroid drugs, growth hormone and other chemicals. No doubt about that. One look around my own sport of bodybuilding is proof of that.

However, appearances can be deceiving. The road of drug use for cosmetic enhancement can be a wild ride in the beginning, but in the long run, it's a dead end street.

What The Pharmaceutical Companies
Don't Want You To Know About

Regardless of whether we're talking about illegal steroids and performance enhancers, prescription obesity drugs, or even over the counter "fat burning" drugs like ephedrine, these are all really one in the same:

(1) multi million dollar moneymakers, and
(2) Short-term attempts at treating effects, not causes.

Lets take weight loss drugs, for example:

What would happen if the pharmaceutical companies finally came out with a "safe and effective" obesity drug and brought it to the marketplace on a massive scale?

Here's exactly what would happen:

THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES WOULD GET RICHER
AND THE OBESITY PROBLEM WOULD CONTINUE!

Think about it: Did Xenical cure obesity? How about Phentermine? Meridia? Adipex? Bontril? Didrex? Tenuate?

What about Ephedrine? Tens of millions of people were taking it. Did that solve the obesity problem?

How about surgery? Gastric bypasses? 100,000 were performed last year. Did that solve the obesity problem?

In a few cases where someone's health is at stake, and when time is of the essence, the benefits of drugs may outweigh and justify the risks.

However, most people are not facing life-threatening obesity, and even in these rare cases, you have to concede that drugs or surgeries are last-resort treatments - not first lines of defense. They are absolutely not a substitute for proper nutrition, exercise and lifestyle change.

Here's the fatal flaw with thinking that any drugs will be a long-term solution:

We live in an orderly universe where everything happens for a reason (by "law"). For every effect, there is a cause. There are no accidents.

A lean body never happens by accident.
An overweight body never happens by accident.

A lean body and an overweight body are effects. Both of these effects have causes. If you're overweight, you can create lasting changes 100% of the time if you uncover the cause of the overweight condition and remove it.

The cause of body fat in nearly all cases is inactivity, poor nutrition and often negative self-image issues. Drugs and surgery can only treat an effect (the fat). Even if the fat (the effect) is temporarily removed, it will come back if the cause is still there.

You can't expect pills, drugs or surgical procedures that only treat symptoms/effects to create permanent changes.

Depending on your genetics, you may never look like a bodybuilder or fitness cover model, but you always have the power to improve your body and your health above and beyond where you are today.

You can always improve, no matter where you are now and no matter what your genetic disposition.

How? By accepting responsibility for your situation and then taking positive action every day for the rest of your life to improve it. You simply have to change your lifestyle!

Try to fight "the law" or shirk hard work by looking for short cuts if you want, but in the end, you'll always lose.

Try to ignore "the law" if you want, but ignorance of the law does not excuse you from its operation.

Lifelong health, fitness and a perfect body weight do not come out of a bottle or needle and never will - no matter what new concoction they cook up in the lab.

Those who think otherwise may gain temporary relief from health woes or enjoy some short-term benefits, but unless they alter their lifestyles, they'll have hard lessons to learn in the long run.

I envision a day when both the medical and fitness communities will join together to help stop this error in thinking, and begin to teach people how to improve their lifestyles with a natural approach and alter their mental attitudes instead of writing prescriptions and selling "magic" pills.

To permanently become lean, you must identify the causes of excess fat,. These can include:
Excessive caloric intake
Poor nutrition choices
Inactivity
Unhealthy lifestyle habits
Psychological and emotional factors

Then, you must treat THESE CAUSES. Only when the source ("the cause") of your problem is removed, will the unwanted effects disappear for good. Until then, anything else will only be a quick fix, band-aid, temporary solution

Fat Loss Lie #6: "Fat loss can be quick and permanent"

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Fat Loss Lie #6: "Fat loss can be quick and permanent"

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The "Quick Fat Loss" Lie Exposed

"Lose 30 pounds In 30 Days!"

"Lose 9 Pounds Every 11 Days!"

Lose 10 Pounds This Weekend!

You see ad claims like these all the time, and they sure are enticing, aren't they? They play on our emotions and our desires for instant gratification.

Patience is the one thing you never seem to have when you’ve got a body fat problem. You want the fat gone and you want it gone now! And why not? It seems so do-able. Everywhere you look, you hear promises of quick weight loss and you even see people losing weight quickly.

We have reality TV shows that actually encourage people to attempt “extreme” body makeovers or see who can lose weight the fastest, and the winners (or shall we say, the "losers", as if that's a flattering title to earn), are rewarded generously with fortune, fame and congratulations.

Let’s face it. Everyone wants to get the fat off as quickly as possible - and having that desire is not wrong – it’s simply human nature. However...

Serious Problems Can Occur If You Try To
Force It And Lose Weight Too Quickly

The faster you lose weight, the more muscle you will lose right along with the fat, and that can really mess up your metabolism.

An even bigger problem with fast weight loss is that it just won’t last. The faster you lose, the more likely you are to gain it back. It's the the "yo-yo diet effect" - weight does down, but always comes back up. Think about it: We don’t have a weight loss problem today, we have a “keeping weight off” problem

Weight loss will be the healthiest, safest and most likely to be permanent if you set your goal for about two pounds per week (and even if you lose only a single pound each week, that is healthy progress). This is the recommendation of almost every legitimate and respected dietician, nutritionist, exercise physiologist and personal trainer on the planet, as well as exercise organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Dietetic Association.

Are there any exceptions? Yes. It may be ok to lose more than two pounds per week if you have a lot of weight to lose, because the rate of weight loss tends to be relative to your total starting body weight. Generally the rule is that it’s safe to lose up to 1% of your total body weight per week, so if you weigh 300 lbs to start, then 3 lbs a week is a reasonable goal.

But there IS a catch.

What Really Matters Is Not How Much WEIGHT
You Lose, But How Much FAT You Lose

Where did your weight loss come from? Did you lose body fat or lean body mass? "Weight" is not the same as "fat." Weight includes muscle, bone, internal organs as well as lots and lots of water.

Let’s look at an example with some numbers so you can really grasp this concept of weight versus fat and then you can see, illustrated with specific examples, what will happen when you lose weight too quickly.

As an example, let’s take a 260 pound man who has a lot of body fat to lose - let’s call it 32%. With 32% fat, a 260 pounder has 83.2 pounds of body fat and 176.8 pounds of lean mass. Using this example, let’s look at a few possible scenarios with losses ranging from two to four pounds per week.

Weight Loss Scenario 1:

Suppose our 260 pound subject loses four full pounds instead of the recommended two pounds per week. Is this bad? Well, let’s see:

If he loses a half a percent of body fat, here are his body composition results:

256 lbs
31.5% body fat
80.6 lbs fat
175.4 lbs lean body mass

Out of the four pounds lost, 2.8 pounds were fat and 1.2 were lean mass. Not a disaster, but not good either. Thirty percent of the weight lost was lean tissue.

Weight Loss Scenario 2:

If he loses a half a percent of body fat and only three pounds, here are his results:

257 lbs
31.5% body fat
80.9 lbs fat
176.1 lbs lean body mass

These results are better. Although he lost less body weight than scenario one, in this instance, 2.3 pounds of fat and only 0.7 lbs of lean mass were lost.

Weight Loss Scenario 3:

What if he only lost two pounds? Here are the results:

258 lbs
31.5% body fat
81.2 lbs fat
176.8 lbs lean body mass

These results are perfect. Even though our subject has only lost two pounds, which seems slow, 100% of the two pound weight loss came from fat and he kept ALL the muscle!

Weight Loss Scenario 4:

Now let’s suppose he loses three pounds but he loses more body fat: .8%

257 lbs
31.2% body fat
80.2 lbs fat
176.8 lbs lean body mass

These are the best results of all. When the weekly fat loss is .8% (better than average), 100% of the three pounds lost is fat. So as you can see, yes, it’s safe to lose more than two pounds per week… but only if the weight is fat. If you lose three or four pounds per week, and you know it’s all fat, not lean tissue, then more power to you! If you lose four pounds and two of those pounds are muscle, you just shot yourself in the foot!

If as little as 20%-30% of your weight loss comes from muscle, when compounded over a few months, you’re talking about a massive muscle tissue loss which can dramatically slow down your metabolism, weaken you and turn you into nothing more than a “skinny fat person” (that's a person with low body weight because they lost so much muscle, but still holding stubborn fat because they shut down their metabolism).

Don't Be Fooled By Water Weight Losses

One thing you should also know is that it’s very common to lose 3 - 5 pounds in the first week on nearly any diet and exercise program and often even more on low carb diets. Just remember, its NOT all fat - WATER LOSS IS NOT FAT LOSS!

The only way to know if you've actually lost FAT is with body composition testing. For home body fat self-testing, I recommend the Accu-Measure skinfold caliper as first choice. Even better, get a multi site skinfold caliper test from an experienced tester at a health club, or even an underwater (hydrostatic) or air (bod pod) displacement test.

From literally hundreds of client case studies, I can confirm that it’s rare to lose more than 1.5 - 2.0 lbs of weight per week without losing some muscle along with it. If you exceed 2.0 to 3.0 pounds per week, the probability of losing muscle is extremely high. If you lose muscle, you are damaging your metabolism and this will lead to a plateau and ultimately to relapse.

The Biggest Weight Loss Mistake That Is
FATAL To Your Long Term Success

Lack of patience is one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to losing body fat. If you want to lose FAT, not muscle, and if you want to keep the fat off for good, then you have to take off the pounds slowly. (of course, if you want to crash diet the weight off fast, lose muscle with the fat and gain all the fat back later, be my guest)

This is one of the toughest lessons that overweight men and women have to learn - and they can be very hard learners. They fight kicking and screaming, insisting that they CAN and they MUST lose it faster.

Then you have these TV shows that encourage the masses that rapid, crash weight loss is okay. To the producers of these shows, I say SHAME ON YOU! To the personal trainers, registered dieticians and medical doctors who are associated with these programs, I say DOUBLE SHAME ON YOU, because you of all people should know better. These shows are not "motivating" or "inspiring" - they are DAMAGING! They are a DISGRACE!

The rapid weight loss being promoted by the media for the sake of ratings and by the weight loss companies for the sake of profits makes it even harder for legitimate fitness and nutrition professionals because our clients say, “But look at so and so on TV - he lost 26 pounds in a week!”

Sure, but 26 pounds of WHAT - and do you have any idea what the long term consequences are?

Short term thinking… foolish.

Do it the right way. The healthy way. Take off pounds slowly, steadily and sensibly with an intelligent nutrition and exercise program like Burn The Fat, measure your body fat, not just your body weight, and make this a new lifestyle, not a race, and you will never have to take the pounds off again, because they will be gone forever the first time.

Fat Loss Lie #5: "Exercise is not necessary... all you need is a diet"

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Fat Loss Lie #9: "Exercise is not necessary... all you need is a diet"

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The Truth About The Diet Versus Exercise Debate

Yes, you CAN lose weight by cutting calories. But as you learned in the first part of this course ("the starvation diet lie"), there is danger in using very low calorie diets; you almost always re-gain weight that's lost with highly restrictive diets.

Some people use calorie restriction out of necessity. For example, I know some wheelchair-bound individuals who lost weight with calorie restriction alone. I also know some people who were very obese and had orthopedic problems (making exercise difficult at first), who chose to get started only with dietary restriction, then they added the exercise later. They also lost weight.

However, for able-bodied people, dieting is the absolute WORST way to lose weight.

Two Ways To Create A Calorie Deficit And Lose The Fat

As you learned in part 5 on calories, to lose fat, you need a calorie deficit. However, there's more than one way to create a calorie deficit. One is to decrease the amount of calories you consume (eat less). The other is to increase the amount of calories you burn (exercise more).

Of the two ways, burning the calories with increased activity is the superior method. Or, you can also combine the two - eat a little less, and exercise more.

Paradoxical as it seems, the most effective approach of all is to eat more and exercise a LOT more (as long as you still keep your calorie deficit). Nutritionist and exercise physiologist Dr. John Berardi calls this a "HIGH ENGERY FLUX," which simply means, higher energy input, higher energy output. The result is a high level of nutrition and a turbo-charged metabolism.

Top 10 reasons why exercising ("burn"), not dieting ("starve"), is the superior method of losing body fat:

The most effective fat-burning programs in the world always contain two types of exercise - weight training and cardiovascular training. The reasons to include both could go on for pages, but here are the top 10:

1. Exercise increases your metabolism.
2. Exercise creates a caloric deficit without triggering starvation mode.
3. Exercise helps you sleep better and manage stress better.
4. Exercise (strength training) tells your body to keep the muscle. Dieting causes muscle loss.
5. Exercise increases bone density.
6. Exercise helps prevent diabetes, control blood sugar, and improve insulin sensitivity.
7. Exercise improves cardiovascular health.
8. Exercise improves mood, helps relieve depression and increases self esteem
9. Exercise increasese mobility and quality of life as you get older
10. Exercise helps you keep the weight off long term.

The Science Behind Burning More, Not Eating Less

The role of energy expenditure in weight loss (diet vs exercise) is still the subject of controversy. For years I've been a strong advocate of weight training and cardiovascular training to "burn the fat" instead of just cutting calories (and being a "couch potato"). Take a look at some of the research-proven benefits of the "burn more" approach and see for yourself:

“Strength training may have greater implications than initially proposed for decreasing body fat and sustaining fat free mass. Research suggests that adding exercise programs to dietary restriction can promote more favourable changes in body composition than diet or physical activity on its own.”
-Stiegler, Sports Medicine, 2006

“Treatments relying only on energy restriction commonly cause substantial loss of lean tissue…” - Walberg, Sports Med, 1989:

“Increasing daily activity and regular exercise plays an important role in weight maintenance due to an impact on daily energy expenditure and a direct enhancement of insulin sensitivity.”
- Astrup, Int J Vitam Nutr res, 76:4, 2006”

“Physical activity is a critical factor for successful body weight regulation. Physical activity facilitates weight maintenance through direct energy expenditure and improved physical fitness.”
- Saris, Int J Obes relat Metab Disord, 1998:

“Reduced energy expenditure appears to facilitate weight gain in individuals susceptible to obesity."
- Saltzman, Nutr rev, 1995:

The Lies And Deceptions That Fuel The $50 Billion Weight Loss Machine

With this kind of proof, why is there any debate at all? Well, the biggest reason is because the weight loss industry thrives on novelty. Without “what’s new,” there's no story. People want to hear about some cutting edge new revolutionary pill or unique new diet breakthrough.

The industry also bets on laziness. Exercise is a hard sell because it's perceived as hard work. Advertisers know there's a lazy side hard wired into human nature, so they do everything they can to make their weight loss solutions look quick, easy and painless.

I believe the fact that we need to exercise - for health, quality of life AND for improved body composition - is such a common sense and intuitive conclusion that I find it almost comedic that there's any debate about it at all.

Think about it: What will your body shape look like by dieting without doing any training??? Diet without exercise tends to create a “skinny fat person” - someone with a low body weight but little if any muscle, and the last 10-15 lbs of stubborn fat is left defiantly clinging to your hips, butt, thighs, abs or "love handles!"

Here's what else I believe about exercise vs dieting:
I believe that the human body is the only machine on the face of the earth that wears out and breaks down from not using it enough
I believe that much obesity and disease are a direct result of inactivity
I believe that much of the deterioration that happens as you age is a direct result of a sedentary lifestyle and a loss of muscle
I believe that cardiovascular exercise + weight training + a small calorie reduction is vastly superior for fat loss purposes than a calorie reduction alone, both in the short and long term
I believe that calorie restriction alone is a short-sighted and incomplete approach to a complex problem, and it requires a complete change in lifestyle habits to achieve better health, better body composition and results that last
I believe that everyone who is able-bodied should get some type of physical activity almost every single day
I believe that anyone who is healthy and physically able should get involved in weight training 3 days per week (up to 4 - 5 times per week for athletes and bodybuilders)
I believe that anyone healthy and physically able should do at least 3 days per week of vigorous cardiovascular exercise (jogging, brisk walking, treadmills, stairclimbers, ellipticals, aerobics classes, etc), and they may increase their exercise frequency, intensity and or duration if necessary, to accelerate fat loss
I believe that more people should stop taking their bodies for granted and start appreciating that those wheelchair-bound individuals I mentioned earlier would give anything to be able to run or ride a bike

It's tempting to keep looking for some kind of "no-sweat" secret, whether in the form of a special diet technique, a magic fat burning pill or whatever, but in the end, it always, comes back to this: You need a calorie deficit to lose weight... and it's better to burn more calories than to cut more calories.

Exercise - including weight training and cardio training - should be a part of every weight management program and a part of your lifestyle. This is one of the ultimate secrets to fat loss and long term weight control:

Remember, don't starve the fat, "BURN THE FAT."

Fat Loss Lie #4: "Calories Don't Count"

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Fat Loss Lie #4: "Calories Don't Count"

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In many popular diet books, especially low carb programs, “Calories don’t count” is a frequently repeated theme and "you can eat as much as you like" is an often repeated promise. Other programs stress the importance of energy in versus energy out, but recommend that you count “portions” rather than calories. Still others say that you must keep a strict accounting of everything you eat. Who is right?
Well, trying to count every single calorie - in the literal sense - is probably not realistic or necessary as a lifestyle for the long term (all the number crunching can drive you crazy, for one thing!)
However, that doesn't mean that calories don't count. Any diet program that says you can "eat all you want and still lose weight" is one you should avoid because that is one of the biggest lies in the business.
The truth is, that line is a bunch of baloney designed to make a diet sound easier to follow. Anything that sounds like work – such as counting calories, eating less or exercising, tends to scare away potential customers. (Which is why "no calorie counting necessary," "eat all you like" and "no exercise necessary" are ubiquitous and notorious diet industry claims)
The law of calorie balance is an unbreakable law of physics: Energy in versus energy out dictates whether you will gain, lose or maintain your weight. Period.
I believe that it's very important to develop a respect for portion control and the law of calorie balance.
I also believe it's an important part of nutrition education to learn how many calories are in the foods you eat on a regular basis – including (and perhaps, especially) how many calories are in the foods you eat when you dine at restaurants.
The law of calorie balance says:
To maintain your weight, you must consume the same number of calories you burn. To gain weight, you must consume more calories than you burn. To lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn.
If you only count portions or if you haven't the slightest idea how many calories you're eating, it's a lot more likely that you'll eat more than you realize.
So how do you balance practicality and realistic expectations with a nutrition program that gets results? Here's a solution that’s a happy medium between strict calorie counting and just guessing:
Create a menu using an EXCEL spreadsheet or your favorite nutrition software. Crunch all the numbers including calories, protein, carbs and fats. Once you have your daily menu, print it, stick it on your refrigerator (and/or in your daily planner) and you now have an eating "goal" for the day, including a caloric target.
Rather than writing down every calorie one by one from every morsel of food you eat for the rest of your life, your menu plan serves as a daily goal and guideline.
If you’re really ambitious, keeping a nutrition journal at least one time in your life for at least 4-12 weeks is a great idea and an incredible learning experience, but all you really need to get started on the road to a better body is one good menu on paper.
If you get bored eating the same thing every day, you can create multiple menus, or just exchange foods using your primary menu as a template.
Using this meal planning method, you really only need to “count calories” ONCE when you create your menus, not every day.
After you've got a knack for calories from this initial discipline of menu planning, then you can estimate portions in the future and get a pretty good (and more educated) ballpark figure.
So what’s the bottom line? Is it really necessary to count every calorie to lose weight?
No, it's not.
But it IS necessary to eat fewer calories then you burn. Whether you count calories and eat less than you burn, or you don’t count calories (guess) and eat less than you burn, the end result is the same – you lose weight.
But which would you rather do: Take a wild guess, cross your fingers and hope for the best, or increase your chance for success with some simple menu planning? I think the right choice is obvious.

Fat Loss Lie #3: "Liquid diets, protein drinks or meal replacement shakes help you burn fat and keep weight off"

Liquid diets, protein drinks, or meal replacement shakes... Do they really help you burn the fat and keep it off?
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Fat Loss Lie #3: "Liquid diets, protein drinks or meal replacement
shakes help you burn fat and keep weight off"

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Liquid diets go back as far as 1930, when Dr. Stoll's "Diet Aid" was hawked in beauty parlors. In the late 1970's, liquid protein diets such as "The Last Chance Diet" became all the rage, much like low carb diets became popular in the 1990's. According to the FDA, in 1977, 58 deaths were reported by adults following these strict liquid protein diets, which lacked essential nutrients and solid food.
When news of the deaths made the headlines, liquid protein diets fell out of favor. However, they returned just as quickly in different incarnations. One of them was the doctor-supervised liquid protein diet, which provided an extremely low calorie diet (as low as 800 calories per day), primarily aimed at the seriously obese.
Proponents of these "second-generation" liquid diets, which still exist today, say they are safe and nutritionally complete because they are medically supervised and patients are given vitamin and mineral supplements.
The liquid diets became immensely popular again in the late 1980's. According to a New York Times story, when Oprah Winfrey announced the name of the liquid diet program she was using, that company recieved one million phone calls in a single day. By 1988, diet clinics expanded beyond the medical setting and had become a $10 billion dollar industry.
The third generation of liquid diets came in the form of powders or cans of diet drinks, which you could pick up at the local grocery store. Generally, you were advised to eat a shake for "breakfast," a shake for "lunch" then eat a "sensible" dinner consisting of whole foods. Sometimes snacks were allowed in between.
All these liquid diet programs claimed you would lose weight on them. That much is true. But many claimed that you would lose more weight using their products than you would with real, whole food, and that their products would help you keep the weight off. That part is NOT true.
Very low calorie diets (VLCD's) that that emphasize liquid nutrition and de-emphasize whole food, can be unhealthy, nutritionally inadequate and even dangerous, and are one of the worst things you could ever do to your body and your metabolism in the long term. Here's why:
First, these programs are usually 800 to 1000 calories per day or less, which will virtually always trigger your body's starvation response. According to Eleanor Whitney and Sharon Rolfes in the textbook, "Understanding Nutrition, "Very low calorie diet formulas are designed to be nutritionally adequate, but the body responds to this severe energy restriction as if the person were starving - conserving energy and preparing to regain weight at the first opportunity."
Second, the weight comes back. No doubt, the weight losses from liquid diets can be dramatic - but not nearly as dramatic as the weight regain afterward - along with the physical and pychological damage that comes with it. According to Dr. Phillip Sinaikin, an addiction recovery specialist and author of "After The Fast," "A drug addict stands a better chance of recovery than a [liquid] dieter."
The fact is, liquid formula diets do not teach you how to eat in order to stay slim.
In a New York Times survey of 31 men and women who had lost up to 194 lbs on liquid diets, 23 said they began to develop a strong fear of food, yet they experienced uncontrollable cravings and urges at the same time. One respondent said that after a binge that started with 7,000 calories in one day, he had regained 21 lbs in 15 days.
Third: Many of these liquid diet products are poorly formulated and loaded with junk such as pure sugar or corn syrup! YES - CORN SYRUP - That nasty refined sugar that nutritionists are blaming much of obesity and childhood obesity on during the last decade.
You would be shocked - even disgusted - if you looked at the "ingredients list" of some of these drinks and shakes that are actually being passed off as fat loss or health food.
Fourth, even if you know how to select a quality meal replacement product, these products do NOT contain any fat-burning or muscle-building properties that you can't obtain from regular food.
Today, nutritional supplements have come a long way and we now have "fourth generation" products including protein powders and meal replacements that contain protein and carbs. The better products are more adequate in calories than the previous generation of diet drinks and they are usually well fortified with vitamins and minerals and use high quality proteins such as whey and casein. Some even have added fiber.
High quality, modern meal replacement products can play a small role in your nutrition program. But even the very best products will never be superior to real whole foods. Human beings cannot improve on mother nature. Whole food contains naturally-occuring vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals, and bioactive compounds. They provide bulk and satisfaction and they improve your metabolic functioning.
The truth is that meal replacements are nothing more than "powdered food" (or "liquid food"). They're useful for convenience when you're in a hurry and you don't have time to prepare and eat whole food... but they're not better than food (with a possible exception being post workout drinks, which can also be helpful).
The process of digesting solid whole food every three hours actually stimulates your metabolic rate due to the "thermic effect of food." According to exercise physiologist Victor Katch, the thermic effect of food can be responsible for as much as 10% of your total daily energy expenditure.
Although scientists are still examining the metabolic difference between calories obtained from liquids and calories contained from whole foods, many champion bodybuilders and fitness models have discovered that eating 5 or 6 smaller meals, mostly from whole food, will maintain an optimal metabolic rate, a lot like stoking a furnace with efficiently- burning fuel.
The fat burning solution is to eat real, whole food as much as possible, to eat small frequent meals throughout the day, and avoid very low calorie "liquid diet" products unless your doctor is having you use them for a specific reason. Use the modern, nutritionally-complete meal replacements and protein powders only for convenience purposes, NOT for weight reduction.
Stay tuned for part 5, where you will discover the diet industry's "hidden agenda" behind one of the biggest nutrition and fat loss lies of all... "calories don't count."

Fat Loss Lie #2: "You need supplements or fat burners to get lean"

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Fat Loss Lie #2: "You need supplements or fat burners to get lean"

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EPHEDRA AND EPHEDRINE - THERMOGENIC "FAT BURNERS"
The most popular of the "fat burner" supplements ever on the market were no doubt ephedra or ephedrine-based products, which hit the shelves in 1993.
Ephedrine was immensely popular because there was actually some good scientific evidence showing that it had measurable fat burning effects.
You could also “feel” it… you got an “energy buzz.”
Ephedrine is a drug derived from a plant (a Chinese herb) called ephedra (also known as ma huang). It is similar in chemical structure to amphetamines and works as a "beta-adrenergic agonist" - which means, in plain English, that it's a thermogenic (metabolism- stimulating) agent that helps with the release of stored body fat.
So if it worked, why did it get banned by the FDA and taken off the market in April of 2004?
Well, there were clearly some political and financial agendas involved, But the reason given to the public was concern about adverse affects and safety.
To this day, the decision to remove ephedrine from the market is still controversial because the research was mixed on whether the risks were severe enough to warrant the ban.
PROBABLY SAFE WHEN TAKEN AS DIRECTED, BUT...
Although the FDA had 80 ephedrine related deaths and 1400 adverse effect complaints on file, including strokes, coronaries and seizures, the fact is, when compared to deaths caused by prescription drugs and other over the counter drugs like aspirin, ephedra actually appeared fairly safe when used as directed by healthy individuals and not abused.
However, one huge downside of ephedrine that was not often mentioned by the pro-ephedrine camp is that stimulant-based fat burners can be highly addictive. Addiction leads to improper use or abuse.
In the early and mid 1990's, I used ephedra products myself because they were legal, over the counter and at the time, they were not banned from the natural bodybuilding competitions I participated in.
Research be damned, I never believed that these pills helped me all that much with fat loss.
But what I did notice was the "rocket-engine" stimulant boost - the buzz, The pounding heart rate, the increased physical energy, and the amplified mental focus and workout "intensity."
At the height of the craze, 12 to 17 million people were using ephedra and no doubt, many of them were hooked on what was essentially a mild form of legal speed.
These products were being abused en masse as “pick me ups.” Students were popping these pills to stay awake and study all night. Partiers were doing the same. So were truck drivers.
Like any addictive habit, it's difficult to stop. When you first go cold turkey, you crash emotionally and physically and your workouts suffer as your crutch has been taken away. I suppose it's a lot like trying to kick the booze or cigarette habit. You go through withdrawal.
WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN
Your body is too smart for short term quick fixes to ever work because your body will always fight back to maintain a natural balance or “homeostasis.”
For every artificial peak or high you create, there will be an equal or greater valley or low point.
If you over-stimulate, your body can respond by slowing down your natural metabolic rate to compensate. As a result, when you stop using the stimulant, your metabolism is slower than ever and you gain back any weight you lost and more.
This often prompts you to go back on the stimulants and the vicious cycle of stimulant addiction continues. Some experts say that long term use can even lead to adrenal burnout.
So even if there aren’t any serious coronary or health risks from proper use, there is the risk of irresponsible use and the risk of addiction and dependency on "fake energy." just remember, what goes up, must come down. If you borrow energy you will eventually have to pay it back.
EPHEDRA FREE FAT BURNERS
When the FDA finally pulled the plug on ephedra, supplement companies scrambled like crazed maniacs to come out with "ephedra-free" formulas for their "fat burners" as they anticipated the imminent doom of their multi-million dollar cash cows.
The ads proclaimed,
"More powerful than ephedrine-based fat burners!"
"The next generation of thermogenic technology!"
The great irony is that most of the fat burners currently on the Market today are completely worthless. At best they provide a watered down, unproven substitute for ephedrine and a slight buzz (most are loaded with caffeine).
Or, they may provide some mild appetite suppression. But NONE of these so called “next generation fat burners" are the “miracles” that the advertisements say they are.
Bodybuilding industry columnist Will Brink put it this way,
"The explosion of ephedrine-free weight loss products was more a function of market pressure vs being based on any science. Claims by some companies that their new ephedrine-free "fat burners" were equivalent to or even superior to EC based products was wishful thinking and marketing-driven BS."
But it didn’t matter. Consumers had been hoodwinked with the classic bait and switch. The ephedrine was gone from the formulas, but the brand names remained the same.
STAGGERING FORTUNES IN FAT BURNERS AND DIET PILLS
In the last year before ephedra was banned, sales had skyrocketed to $1.25 BILLION DOLLARS, according to the Nutrition Business Journal.
The money still continues to pour in at a staggering rate today. To say that money is the main motivation behind the push for diet pills and a fat burners would be the understatement of the century.
Most people who aggressively recommend "fat burning" pills of any kind are profiting from their sale and it's hard to get unbiased information when so much money is at stake.
THE TRUTH: A LEAN BODY DOES NOT COME IN A PILL
It's a common misconception that you can't reach your fat loss goals unless you take some kind of "fat burner" supplement.
It's also a common misconception that you can pop a pill and get dramatic results like you see on TV and in the magazine ads.
The results you see in the ads for fat burners are persuasive, but before and after testimonials are NOT proof that diet pills were responsible for those results.
Not all before and afters are bogus, of course. But many of the legitimate photos are "not typical" and represent the best possible case scenarios, after extremely intense training and strict nutritional regimens.
As for many “miraculous transformations,” the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) And state attorney general’s offices have been exposing them for what they really are… set-ups and outright fakes!
In January of 2007, four diet pill companies you have definitely heard of were sued by the FTC and ordered to pay $25 million in fines.
The reasons: False advertising and no evidence to back up their claims.
San Diego Attorney Todd Macaluso took sworn depositions from several Diet pill before and after models. According to a story in the San Diego Tribune by Penni Crabtree, Los Angeles bodybuilder Mike Piacentino Swore under oath that he was paid to stop working out and to eat ice cream and donuts to fatten him up three weeks in advance of his “before” photo shoot. Then he used his bodybuilding expertise to get back in his usual top shape.
According to an ABC 20/20 expose’, fitness model Marla Duncan said In advertisements that she lost 35 lbs with the help of a popular fat burner pill. However, Jay Nixon, the Missouri Attorney General, found out that Duncan had recently been pregnant and given birth. The “before” photo was taken shortly afterwards. The fat burner pill company settled the case out of court for $100,000 while denying any wrongdoing.
Will you ever look at before and after photos the same again? Do you really want to keep forking over your money to these companies?
AN INTERESTING END TO THE FAT BURNER SAGA…
Diet pills and fat burners are nothing but quick fixes. Every one of them.
Even if they help in the short term, they don’t help in the long term because you are only treating symptoms. Body fat is a symptom of a complex problem with multiple causes including unhealthy lifestyle, poor nutrition, lack of activity and even mental factors like subconscious self-sabotage.
The true solution to any problem, including body fat, is to find the causes and treat them.