Don’t give Chris Powell any excuses and you won’t find yourself in the crosshairs of this talented trainer. The fans of “Extreme Weight Loss” on Tuesday night might find themselves feeling a bit uncomfortable as there isn’t a happy ending for one participant. According to WOTV on Tuesday, for the first time ever someone gets kicked off the show and it’s not going to be the best for one person who hoped to actually transform their life.
The first participant is Kenny a 410-pound man who was a former Marine. Kenny is a 35-year-old married father of three from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. According to the show, Kenny’s depression and weight issues became a real concern for him and his family. After severe tornadoes ripped through his hometown of Moore, Oklahoma Kenny realized how short life really is for everyone. Vowing to turn his life around once and for all, Kenny wrote a letter to trainer and transformation specialist Chris Powell asking for help.
The other contestant is Christy who is 380 pounds and looking to get fit. The 36 year-old participant has been overweight her entire life. Growing up in Las Vegas, Christy has been a victim of bullying in school and also lacked support of her family to lose weight and get healthy.. Now, a caretaker to her ailing mother, Christy doesn’t have a job or a boyfriend, and rarely leaves her house at all. Hoping to re-take control of her life, she wrote a letter to Chris asking for help.
The fans of “Extreme Weight Loss” have been wondering what could be such bad behavior on a reality show that a participant could be kicked off. While there are so many possibilities, viewers hope the scenario isn’t too embarrassing as people are looking to undergo transformations and sometimes the shock of a new environment is tough. Of course, everyone hopes for the best, but the ABC show has already warned everyone that a scandal on the show is going down (and viewers get to see it all play out too.)
If you went by how the media portrays sex, you could easily be misled on why sex is such a crucial component of a healthy lifestyle. In the media and on television and the internet, sex is often portrayed for arousal only as a tool for sales. From pornography to nudity and lust, sex is often portrayed as something many might consider taboo. On the other side of the coin you have Viagra commercials and now a new women’s Viagra. This represents the other side of the spectrum, which deals with curing dysfunction.
However, what the media often fails to do is identify why sex is such a crucial overall component of a healthy lifestyle and how it can help assist you in your weight loss and fitness goals. Here’s a look at some of the most healthy benefits of sex.
Weight Loss
It’s great that you are on a fitness regimen that entails exercise and cardiovascular conditioning, both of which will help you to burn calories, but having sex several times a week can make your calorie expenditure that much greater and better overall if you’re somebody who wants to lose weight.
Aerobic Conditioning
Sex is definitely an aerobic exercise. Depending on how good you are at it, it can be high aerobic or even anaerobic, which can help boost your metabolism. This is good for the cardiovascular system and overall conditioning.
Body Fat Loss
Stress leads to the buildup of cortisol, which makes it very difficult for the body to burn fat efficiently. Cortisol is one of the main reasons why many people have difficulty ridding of fat. Stress relief is the surest way to reduce cortisol and prevent cortisol increases, and one of the surest ways to do this is to have good sex.
Feel Good Endorphins
Sex is known to boost brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters that make you feel good, particularly serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Since mental health is an important part of an overall healthy lifestyle, this is another healthy benefit sex can have for you. Getting these chemicals going has numerous benefits for the brain and body.
Oxytocin
Oxytocin is a well known hormone associated with sex that also leads to natural feelings of euphoria and happiness. It is most commonly triggered after orgasms and very associated with feelings of love and belonging. The more oxytocin you can experience, the better you will feel and more happy you will be.
Strength
Depending on what positions you enjoy, sex can also strengthen the muscles. Many positions require squatting or positioning the body like a push up. Some other positions require movements similar to dips and bicep curls. The abdominals are always working hard, as well as the hips so sex is a great way to strengthen the abs and help achieve a six pack.
Strength to Improve Sexual Wellness
Summary
Despite many common taboos still associated with sex today and the media’s portrayal of sex exclusively as a sales tool, it is actually a key component of an overall healthy lifestyle. Having a healthy active sex life can work wonders for your fitness goals, levels of happiness, and daily life satisfaction.
Chomp, chomp. A new study has revealed that Neanderthals
consumed meat and plants, supporting previous theories that their diets
featured protein, reported Businessweek on Wednesday. And although there are
similarities, the modern Paleo diet has been modified to boost weight
loss and health, say experts.
After finding evidence of metabolized plant products in fossilized feces, researchers have more knowledge about precisely what Neanderthals ate, said Ainara Sistiaga, the study’s lead author. And although meat appeared to provide them with most of their fuel, the plant poop proves that veggies “were ingested as part of the diet.”
However, when it comes to percentages, the Neanderthals
consumed more meat than greens. That conclusion stems from the discovery that
the samples contained high concentrations of broken-down cholesterol similar to
modern humans, said Sistiaga.
The poop study provides a new slant, indicating that
Neanderthals were omnivorous rather than carnivorous, reported Slate magazine
on Wednesday. It’s also one of the most in-depth reports thus far, since other
studies were based more on speculation.
Scientists also are intrigued by what happened after they
discovered fire, estimated to be two million years ago. Researchers theorize
that event resulted in a boost in meat intake. “They probably weren’t
prepared for such a high meat intake,” speculates Sistiaga.
So how does this study compare with what modern Paleo
dieters eat? They both are low carb diets, and both eliminate dairy and grain.
However, Paleo gurus emphasize that caveman dieters can customize the plan to
enhance their health.
In an exclusive interview, Robb Wolf, author of “The
Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet,” told me that many people don’t
understand the caveman concept approach, which emphasizes quality over
quantity. The “calories in, calories out” concept has failed to
reverse the rising rates of obesity and its accompanying diseases such as
cholesterol.
Insisting that humans need grains and dairy implies that
“all food is equal,” says Robb. “The ‘everything in moderation
crowd’ (which refers to mainstream medicine and dietetics) has had the last 50
years to preach this message and it has been a complete failure.”
And the Paleo diet today is not limited to meat and veggies.
Robb’s research shows that the healthiest approach for dieters is to create a
diet “built around fruits, veggies, lean meats, nuts and seeds.”
After numerous studies, Robb feels it is clear that a Paleo
diet not only “provides all the nutrients for health, but that the Paleo
diet is, calorie for calorie, the most nutritious way one can eat. This
position that removing grains and dairy is inherently unhealthy is not based on
science.”
Expanding on the omnivorous low carb diet approach, Robb
notes that the use of resistant starch in modern Paleo diets highlights
“the bigger topic of the human gut biome.” In contrast, consuming
refined carbohydrates “appear to feed bacteria in the small intestine
leading to a condition aptly named ‘small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.’
This bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine is now being linked to a
remarkable number of health issues, from cardiovascular disease to
autoimmunity.”
The recognition of the role of fiber has grown, and “it
has only been recently that we have understood the mechanism to be that of
feeding our beneficial gut flora. A Paleo diet built around fruits, veggies,
roots, shoots, tubers nuts and seeds provides an enormous variety of fermentable
carbohydrate to keep our gut bacteria healthy,” Robb added.
Taking the omnivorous concept one step further, Paul and
Shou-Ching Jaminet have created a modified Paleo diet that includes fish, meat,
vegetables, fruit and what they call “safe starches.” The latter
includes rice and potatoes, which they emphasize as key to health and weight
loss. It’s all detailed in their book “Perfect Health Diet: Regain Health
and Lose Weight by Eating the Way You Were Meant to Eat.”
As Robb notes, a significant body of science supports the
theory that by avoiding foods toxic to humans, dieters can both shed pounds and
avoid disease. The “Perfect Health Diet” avoids grains, legumes,
refined sugars and processed oils.
Another
advocate of resistant starch is blogger Richard Nikoley. Author of “Free
The Animal: Lose Weight & Fat With The Paleo Diet,” he emphasizes that
enhancing the traditional Paleo diet in this way can provide benefits ranging
from improved sleep to a boost in weight loss.
What’s your vision of summer? Leisurely strolls on the
beach? Heading to the pool? If the wonders of warm weather are getting a dose
of cold water because last year’s bikini doesn’t fit, there’s a new version of
the intermittent fasting plan that can help. It promises to give you the
results you desire in just six weeks: “The Fast Beach Diet: The Super-Fast
Plan to Lose Weight and Get In Shape in Just Six Weeks.”
Author Mimi Spencer co-authored the famous “The
FastDiet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of
Intermittent Fasting,” which teaches you how to feast five days a week and
go on a restricted-calories plan two days to lose weight. In an exclusive
interview, she explained how the Fast Beach Diet differs.
1. How does this plan
differ from the original Fast Diet?
‘The Fast Beach Diet was written in response to people who
asked for a souped-up version of the original 5:2 plan. It’s designed as a
kick-start program, which is tougher, wider-ranging and lasts for just six
weeks. It includes the introduction of exercise, together with lots of fresh
ways to change our habits around food, so that the choices we make on a daily
basis can be as healthy and sustainable as possible. Basically, it is an
extension of the original plan – but the key factor is that it is only intended
to last for six weeks. It’s like a boot camp for fasters!”
2. What tips can you
offer for restricted calorie days?
“Five-hundred calories (or six-hundred for a man) is,
admittedly, not a great deal, so it matters that you choose your food wisely on
a Fast Day. The 5:2 rule is ‘Mostly Plants and Protein’. Fill your plate with
vegetables and salad, and cut back hard on fast-release carbs (these are the
white ones – white bread, potatoes, white rice etc). Eat some protein, but make
it lean (shellfish, skinless chicken, vegetable protein in the form of beans or
tofu…) You need to opt for things that are satiating, so look for bulk and
fiber from veggies – and dishes that are full of flavor (lemon, chili, herbs,
spices – these all become paramount on a Fast Day).”
It’s important to understand that, while you may experience
hunger pangs on a Fast Day, they are nothing to fear; they tend to be transient
and increasingly manageable. The trick is to keep busy, distract yourself, and
stay hydrated. Fasting gets easier in time – and remember, you do have some
calories going in. This is not a total fast, just a brief break from food.
3. How much weight
can someone lose in four weeks on the FastBeach Diet?
“The program is for six weeks, and a 2lb a week loss
would be feasible. Some weeks you may lose more (particularly at the start);
others may be slower going. Look at the trajectory not the daily number.”
4. What are the
benefits in addition to weight loss?
“The benefits of intermittent fasting go beyond any
expected weight or fat loss. It can help cut the risk of a number of
age-related diseases, and encourage the body’s repair mechanisms. There can be
improvements in cardiovascular health, blood pressure and cholesterol levels,
and fasting also gives your pancreas a rest, boosting the effectiveness of the
insulin it produces in response to elevated blood glucose.
“As my co-author Dr Michael Mosley points out in the
original book, fasting will tweak your body into fat burning and increase its
insulin sensitivity; this is turn will reduce your risk of obesity, diabetes,
heart disease and cognitive decline. There’s even evidence that it increases
levels of neurotrophic factor in the brain, which should make you more
cheerful.
“Beyond these anticipated benefits, there is a more
subtle, psychological edge: The Fast Diet helps modify our behavior around
food, making us more mindful and aware; it offers a practical way to understand
our appetite, and give a bit more attention to what’s on the fork. For anyone
who tends to eat on autopilot (hey, who doesn’t?), that new awareness can be
hugely beneficial.
5. What’s a sample day like on a restricted calorie day?
(There’s also a cookbook: “The FastDiet Cookbook: 150 Delicious,
Calorie-Controlled Meals to Make Your Fasting Days Easy.”)
“Most fasters opt for a 5:2 protocol, fasting perhaps on a Monday and a Thursday each week. Some will have breakfast (protein is important here, so an egg would be great) at, say, 7am – then a ‘Fasting Window’ of around 12 hours until supper at 7pm. They divide their calories between those two meals, looking for bulk and satiety from plants, plus some protein. Other 5:2 followers choose to save all their calories for an evening meal, which effectively means they are fasting for a longer period of time. Both approaches can be successful – it’s up to the individual to experiment and discover what works for them.”
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