There are certainly a variety of factors that have contributed to the growing obesity in America, but I believe that the use of chemical sweeteners has contributed greatly to the problem. Aspartame, which is the most used synthetic sweetener today, has been shown in multiple studies to increase appetite and cravings, particularly sweet cravings. Isn’t it ironic? People are using huge amounts of these chemicals to sweeten everything, yet these very chemicals are making them crave more sugars and more sweets from other sources.

Aspartame may be responsible for a wide variety of diseases and conditions. It is routinely diagnosed as the cause of elevated liver enzymes. Elevated liver enzymes are the precursor to full blown liver disease and doctors take it very seriously. When liver enzymes become elevated it means that the body is unable to process and ultimately rid itself of environmental or ingested toxins. Once aspartame is discontinued the liver enzymes usually return to normal.  Other conditions that have been attributed to aspartame are chronic headaches, depression, dizziness, anxiety disorders, attention problems, memory loss, slurred speech and even vision problems. These symptoms are often referred to as “aspartame disease”.

Aspartame is made of two different amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid. Aspartic acid acts to excite the neurotransmitters in the brain and if other calming amino acids are not available this over stimulation can lead to mood disorders and nervous system problems. Phenylalanine also directly effects neurotransmitter function in the brain and interferes with normal brain chemistry.  Altering of the brain chemistry is also thought to be responsible for the very addictive nature of aspartame. Many people say getting off diet drinks can be harder than quitting cigarettes.

There is another component of aspartame called methyl ester. Once methyl ester is digested it turns into methanol. Methanol is a wood alcohol that is used in everything from formaldehyde to powering internal combustion engines. It has a high toxicity in humans. If enough methanol is consumed it can cause permanent blindness by destruction of the optic nerve and 30 milliliters can be fatal. It is no wonder that one of the most common symptoms of “aspartame disease” is vision problems, since this alcohol directly affects the optic nerve.

There is absolutely no reason today to be using chemical sweeteners. Why risk your health when there are great natural no calorie sweeteners such as Stevia readily available? Stevia is truly all natural and is not a chemical in any way. It comes directly from the Stevia plant that grows in South America. There are some natural soft drink companies currently producing Stevia sweetened sodas. I hope as Stevia becomes more popular the major players, Coke and Pepsi will get on board.

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HCG is a natural hormone that is released by women in the early stages of pregnancy. In fact it is the hormone that is tested for in the urine on all of the home pregnancy tests on the market. The original studies on HCG in the 1950’s were focused on its ability to aid in genital development. Because of this it began to be used as an effective treatment for boys with delayed puberty. Once the boys began using the HCG they went into puberty and were able to develop normally. Researches noted at that time that many of these boys also experienced dramatic fat loss while on the HCG.

It began to be theorized that the HCG released by pregnant women was a survival mechanism for the developing fetus. The HCG would force the body to direct its stored caloric energy in the form of fat to the fetus in times of caloric depravation. In other words, this hormone would enable women to survive on very few calories and still have the baby develop normally. This natural hormonal response went a long way in assuring survival of the species during periods of low food availability.

How does all this apply to using HCG to burn stored body fat?  It seems to direct the body to access stored body fat for its primary energy source if the person is following a very low calorie diet. You may say, well of course you lose weight eating only 500 calories a day. I fully agree with that. The amazing thing about this diet is that you are able to eat such low calories and not feel hungry. The HCG directs the body to flood the bloodstream with calories from stored body fat. This is how it is able to curb appetite so dramatically.

The other thing that is very positive about this diet is that it seems to be very muscle sparing. Muscle sparing means that you will lose very little lean muscle tissue on this program. My main problem with almost all of the fad diets that have ever existed is that most of the weight that is lost is in the form of lean muscle tissue. Loosing lean muscle mass is always terrible. It is absolutely the worst thing you can do for your health and metabolism.  The dietary protocol for the HCG diet is getting the bulk of the 500 daily calories from protein. I really like this part of the dietary protocol because protein is responsible for protecting lean muscle tissue while dieting.

It seems that the average weight loss while on the HCG diet is 1 or 2 pounds each day. The maximum length of time to be on the program is 40 days. Research has noted that the weight loss benefits diminish greatly after 40 days of continuous use. For people that need to lose very large amounts of weight they can stay off the protocol for a time and then go back on for an additional 40 days. There are some recommended nutritional supplements to use when on the program. Also, when you are on the program you can only use certain makeup and body care products. The fat and oils that are in these products can be absorbed through the skin and slow down the weight loss while on the protocol.

HCG is currently being marketed in both injections and orally administered forms. I believe the companies marketing the homeopathic pills and drops are being deceitful. True HCG is only available through subcutaneous injection.   Subcutaneous injections are done using a very small insulin needle administered into the fat layer just under the skin surface. Injections must be done on a daily basis. These subcutaneous shots are virtually painless and not like deep intramuscular injections. Because of the growing popularity of this diet any scam products have come available both locally and online. My suggestion is to only use real HCG (Human chorionic gonadotrophin) and be very sure of the source of your information. It is worth paying little extra money and going about it properly when it comes to your health.

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The other thing about this only protein program that you will need to understand is the protein is what is responsible for protecting your lean muscle tissue. What I mean is that without adequate amounts of protein during periods of caloric restriction our body will begin to cannibalize its lean muscle tissue as an energy source. This is the biggest problem with most diets on the market. The weight that is lost is usually a combination of both fat and muscle. And let me make it clear, you do not want to ever lose muscle. Muscle tissue is what makes your metabolism fast or slow.  With protein only you will be eating plenty of dietary protein to protect your lean mass from cannibalization.

You will not have much energy after the first day or two of this program. You will be tired and slow moving. You may even have a headache. Your body is accustomed to running on large amounts of carbohydrates for its energy source. The longest I usually recommend staying on this kind of program is two weeks at a time. This strategy is exactly what bodybuilders do in preparation for a contest to get so incredibly lean on stage. During the second week of this carbohydrate depletion most people feel pretty lousy. The brain functions primarily on carbohydrates for its energy source so without carbohydrates your brain will not be working on full capacity.

The main difference between this program and better know programs like Atkins is that on Atkins you are substituting large amounts of caloric fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. The Atkins approach can be effective but it may take months to lose the body fat you need to lose. The reason for this is that you are supplying through your diet large amounts of fat so that your body will use that fat for energy. You will also be burning some of your stored body fat on Atkins, but it will be a slower process. With the only protein program you will not be supplying any dietary fat so your body is forced to burn stored body fat.

One approach I have seen work well and be a more tolerable for the average person is to do the only protein plan two days in a row, than eat normal for one day. Keep repeating this two days on one day off cycle until your fat loss goals are met. This strategy is one that lets you go in and out of ketosis. You will be burning the most fat every third day, this will be the second day of only protein. On the second day of only protein you should be into ketosis. But then once you eat normal on the next day you will quickly throw your body out of ketosis. This type of approach is safe to do as long as it is needed.

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If you really want to detoxify your system for a few days just do a fruit and juice cleanse for 3 days. Eat and drink all the fruit and juice you want. This will give your body a nice break from all the hard to digest foods that we normally eat daily. You will probably drop 5 pounds in the process if you are lucky.

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Protein is the main nutrient that our bodies need to help preserve lean muscle tissue, and most people do not eat enough. Instead they overload on fats and carbohydrates. Of fats, carbohydrates or protein, protein is the one that will not make you fat. Instead protein will work to maintain and even rebuild lost muscle tissue and in turn help to speed up your metabolism.

How much protein should you consume daily? A good rule of thumb is 1 gram per every pound of bodyweight. So a small lady would consume around 100 grams a day, while a large man might consume 250 grams per day. To make it simple, instead of having one chicken breast and a huge heaping serving of rice, have two chicken breasts and a little portion of rice. Orient each meal of the day towards more protein and you will begin to see great improvements in your metabolism and overall health.

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For more than 20 years I believed that when working out in the gym more was better. I still see people in the gym for hours believing that this is what is needed to achieve results.

The problems with this approach seem obvious to me. First of all if you think that each time you exercise it needs to be this long drawn out event than it is inevitable that your workouts will be less frequent. Because how many of us will have that kind of time each day to spend in the gym? So you will find yourself working out less often because of time constraints. You will also find yourself working out less often because you don’t feel up to it. If you think that each time you walk in the gym you need to be there 2 hours and have the best workout ever you will refuse to go when you don’t feel perfect, and how many of us feel perfect everyday? Most people can get motivated for a few weeks and workout 5 days a week 2 hours a day, but this kind of schedule is not maintainable, and you will burn out quickly.

The key is consistency and frequency.  That means that you will exercise 5 days a week religiously, but these workouts will only be 30 to 40 minutes max. What will this accomplish? First, you will be able to find the time because your workouts will be short. Also, when you don’t feel 100% you can still find the energy for only 30 minutes. You will be amazed how much better you feel if you practice this approach. On days I feel no energy and don’t want to exercise I go and get a little blood pumping for 30 minutes and I always feel so much better afterwards.

Just do a little exercise 30 minutes 5 times a week, for the rest of your life. The results will amaze you.

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The thing that I like most about these fats when dieting is there ability to make you feel full even when consuming low calories. What I like to do is have 3 small servings of monounsaturated fats each day evenly spaced through the day. These are high in calories so I am talking about just a half of an avocado or a handful of nuts or olives. I have found the results of this strategy very effective. It enables me to eat low calories and low carbohydrates without feeling so hungry all the time. It is also very good for you and a very healthy approach to dieting.

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These fake sugars are one of the leading cases of elevated liver enzymes, because our livers are forced to work way too hard to attempt to process and rid our bodies of these toxic substances. Elevated liver enzymes are one of the first warning signs of deeper health concerns, because they are the initial indicator of toxicity in our bodies. There are mounds of research connecting these chemicals to many forms of cancer. Using these substances to me is just not worth the health risk.

What are the alternatives? First let’s take a look at Stevia. Stevia is a completely natural plant that grows is native to South and Central America. Stevia is 300% sweeter than table sugar, and it is virtually calorie free so it works great in a low calorie or low glycemic index diet program. It does not elevate glucose (blood sugar) levels so it is useful for diabetics as well.  It is available in both powdered and liquid forms, and is very convenient to use.

Next, there is Xylitol. Xylitol is a natural sweetener that is was originally derived from the bark of the birch tree, but is also now extracted from the fibers of many fruits and vegetables including corn, plums and berries.  Xylitol is an organic compound and is not molecularly altered in any way. It has roughly two thirds the calories of traditional sugars and does not significantly elevate blood glucose levels. It also has the benefit of being extremely tooth friendly and is used as a cavity preventer in various gums and toothpastes.

Both Stevia and Xylitol are far better sugar alternatives than any of the nationally advertised chemical sweeteners that are being marketed as safe. Try switching to one of these natural and healthy products for your sweetening needs.

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Our body stores all its reserve protein in our muscles. When we don’t eat sufficient protein in our diets our body will begin to cannibalize our own muscle tissue as its only source of more protein. The body’s metabolic rate is solely determined by how much lean muscle mass we have on our frame. Our metabolic rate is what determines the efficiency of out body’s ability to burn caloric energy. Without adequate protein we destroy our lean muscle tissue and in turn destroy our metabolisms. So, by the time we are 40 we have begun to loose much of our lean muscle tissue and have replaced the tissue with fat. And then we wonder why our metabolic rate is so slow.

When people diet they only increase this muscle loss scenario. Most diet programs today focus only on total weight loss, and unfortunately a lot of this weight loss is loss of healthy muscle tissue. When the diet is over you have lost some weight, but the weight usually comes back on, because your metabolic rate has been decreased by the effects of a diet with low protein. When choosing a diet program to follow you need to pick one that understands this and focuses on protein intake while loosing weight. This is the only type of dieting that is in the long run is even worth pursuing. Otherwise your weight loss will only be temporary.

It is almost impossible for an individual to take in to much protein. The idea that to much protein is a health concern has been completely disproven.  Eat as much protein as you can particularly if you are restricting calories.

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