Too Much Fat Can Potentially Make People Sluggish Mentally and Physically

Studies done at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom have led scientists to believe that too much fat intake for an extended period of time can make rats slow to think and move. In the laboratory, researcher Andrew Murray fed two sets of rats. One set had been given a low-fat (7.5% fat) diet and the other set had a high-fat (55% fat) diet.

In just four days, the high-fat rats had a hard time using oxygen for their muscles, which was attributed to the higher levels of uncoupling protein 3 in their bodies. They had to work harder to move, pushing their hearts which grew larger. After nine days, the fat rats had more difficulty completing the maze compared to their slim counterparts. Dr. Gerald Weissmann, editor-in-chief of the FASEB journal where the study was published, likened the state of the fat rats to what happens after a high-fat food weekend. He says that while it's a feast for the taste buds, it does little to improve the way the brain and muscles function.

The scientists had reason to believe that what happened to the rats given a short-term high-fat diet could also happen to people. They say it could suggest that high fat diets can make people mentally and physically sluggish. It may not be 100% true, but it's likely. It's best to keep to a low-fat diet rich in quality calories. Vegetables are always good.

The Key to Sustainable Weight Loss is Simple

People try to lose weight, but it's a common fact that not all succeed. One reason is that they pay little or no attention to the glycemic levels of the carbohydrate foods they eat. It's useful to know something about glycemic index (GI) and how eating low glycemic foods can help a lot in keeping weight loss sustainable.

So what is the glycemic index? Well, it's essentially a list of foods what show what level they are in in terms of how much they add to blood sugar levels considering their nutritional values. It's like a ranking chart of carbohydrates. With it, you can see which foods contain carbohydrates that give you more value for your money spent on workouts.

As a general rule, it should be a practice of people - especially those who are inactive, overweight or having trouble losing weight - to be picky in their choice of food. They should eat mostly those with low GI. This way, the body is not forced to compensate or work harder to eliminate too much sugar, resulting in fluctuating energy levels and risks for diabetes. Of course, a consistently high level of energy helps in eliminating calories.

Low GI foods include whole grains like bran, oats, rice, and barley and processed foods from such sources like noodles and even pasta, which is made from flour. Asians, who eat rice and products from rice everyday are generally slim and few become prone to being obese. Of course, let's not forget our daily dose of vegetables, which are perfect for filling our tummies up without helping in extra pounds.

How to Exercise Safely and Maximize Weight Loss

Exercising is definitely and undeniably should be a part of your weight-loss program and this should be done by both young and old. Of course, as you grow older, you would require more care in how you exercise and you should be conscious of your goals and limitations. Do not bow down to the myth that old people should not exercise because it can do more harm than good to the body. What's true is that even for older people, exercising will still promote strength, endurance, balance, and increase in metabolism.

To be safe when exercising, there are some guidelines or tips to be mindful of.

1. Do not forget to breathe. You need oxygen for energy. You will also die if you don't.

2. Go easy on the weights. Don't jerk your dumbbell. Don't mind the jerk who thinks you're a wimp. You know better and it's your body.

3. Be aware of joint pains or muscle pulls. Being sore is normal, but being injured is not.

4. Have a training partner ready to give you support. You wouldn't want a barbell pinning you down on a bench.

5. Warm up and stretch before exercising. This will warm up your body and prevent pulls.

Watch this video of how one grandmother beat stereotypes about aging, weight loss, and exercising.

You Could be Fat Due to Habits that Are Hard to Break

Some people are predisposed to being fat, but this does not mean that they are no longer able to become thinner or lose weight. Fact is that most of them may not have started out as fat and just grew fat in time and as they aged.

Habits actually play a big part in getting fat. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, you will have a greater chance of getting fat. If you give in to your cravings for sweets and fatty foods, you will get fat. Of course, if you are constantly eating foods with empty calories, you will also get to be fat. If you can do the opposite of these habits, you will have a better chance of losing weight and getting rid of fat.

Watch the video above on how breaking some hard-to-break bad habits can make you lose fat.

How Kissing Can Do Wonders to Your Body's Weight

Kissing does a lot of things to our body. It's not only a precursor to more amorous encounters, but it's really provides a physiological response that does our body good. For one, it can lead to more calories burned by the body as pleasure hormones activate during the act of kissing.

The more you kiss, the more likely you will keep your weight in check. It is an activity that's considered healthful and perhaps as good as exercising in the gym! But what do the experts say? Watch this video to see how kissing can be an excellent choice in keeping healthy.

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Study Shows Women Find It Harder to Suppress Hunger Than Men

A new weight loss study conducted by researchers led by Gene-Jack Wang of Brookhaven University appears to show that women find it harder to suppress hunger than men. It may explain why there are more obese women than men.

The research involved participants who fasted overnight and then exposed to the site of food while having their brain scanned. Before the experiment, they were also taught how to suppress the desire for food using a cognitive technique. While both the men and women participants said the hunger suppression technique worked, their brains of the women told otherwise.

Based on the results, it would seem that the men were able to suppress hunger more effectively. On the other hand, the regions of the brain that controlled the desire to eat in women were still active. Rosalyn Weller, a professor of psychology at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, says "training in reducing food desires or in reacting to food cues could be effective treatments to combat obesity."


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