What is Inflammation and How Does It Cause Pain?

I've got a great article for you today about the "hidden cause"

of so many diseases and conditions like chronic pain, heart

disease, stroke, alzhiemers and others.

If you suffer from any type of ache or pain, whether it's big or

small, acute or chronic, or if you want to learn about how you

can reverse and prevent damage caused by these diseases

and conditions, then I'm sure you are going to find this quick

read very eye opening.

What is Inflammation and How

Does It Cause Pain?

Inflammation is a response from your immune system in

response to an irritant.

For example, if you sprain your ankle, your immune system

creates a protein called a Circulating Immune Complex

(CIC for short).

The CIC travels down to the injured ankle and causes pain

and swelling.

The pain you feel is to inform you of the injury or damage.

And the swelling is protective as it prevents you from moving

it and causing more irritation.

This is also your body's way of running to the problem with

fresh blood, antibodies and vital cells in order to begin healing

and repairing the damage.

Then what normally happens is our bodies produce proteolytic

enzymes which counteract the inflammation, and things return

to normal. That's why a sprained ankle as a young child heals

within a few weeks at most, but can take six weeks or more

for an adult of say 45.

The problem is, after around age 25, our production of

these enzymes drops off almost completely so there is

nothing to tell the body to stop the inflammation. These enzymes

are also responsible for cleaning the blood, fighting off viral

and bacterial infections and breaking down excess fibrin

(scar tissue).

You can learn more about proteolytic enzymes and how they

work here

In addition to the decrease in production of proteolytic enzymes,

there are also numerous other things that contribute to the build

up of inflammation in our bodies.

Here is just a short list of factors that contribute to inflammation:

• Un-addressed pain and injuries
• Toxins and chemicals in our air, water and food
• Poor nutritional habits
• Bacterial or viral infections
• Allergies
• Prescription medications
• Auto-immune diseases
• Negative mental and emotional stress
  

Over time, inflammation continues to increase in our bodies

causing damage to all of the tissues and organs, often without

us even knowing it's happening.

If inflammation is not controlled and the body continually fights
this battle, symptoms of chronic inflammation can show itself
as arthritis, colitis, chronic fatigue, sinusitis, cataracts, chronic
pain, hair loss heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's and dozens
of other ailments and conditions.

Inflammation is what slowly kills us.

More and more research is coming out now that proves this.
For example, here's a quote from a study published in The New
England Journal of Medicine: "there is convincing evidence
that inflammation is strongly linked to heart attacks and
stroke."

And in another study published in The Annals of Neurology,
the researchers concluded, "inflammation is linked to
Alzheimer's and other dementing diseases." And a recent
Harvard study found that "half of all heart attacks are caused
by inflammation".

We know that reducing inflammation is critical to eliminating
pain and preventing disease and illness, but how do you do it
safely and naturally?

Here are just some of the things you can do:

• Make dietary changes - be sure to read Dr Chilton's book
  
• "Win the War Within"
• Learn how to eliminate negative emotional stress
• Minimize the amount of junk that enters your body -
  
• and not just food but toxins and other chemicals
• Replace lost proteolytic enzymes with supplementation

Remember, the key is to keep in inflammation under control
because it does far more than just cause swelling and pain.

How to Wipe Out Excess Inflammation and Pain
Quickly... And Without Harsh Medications or
Dangerous Surgery

Learn about 11 proven ways to reduce pain
naturally and speed up healing in the free special
report, "How to Fight Pain Naturally".

Hope this will help,
Jorma Persson

8 reasons why healthy food is NOT more expensive

I have to rant about this topic because I'm so sick of
people claiming that they can't eat healthy because
"healthy food is too expensive". I'll show you just
how ridiculous this claim is below.


**8 Reasons Why Healthy Food is NOT More Expensive

This is probably the biggest excuse I hear from people
as to why they don't eat healthy... most people have a
false impression that healthy food too expensive. But
I'll show you just why this is absolutely ridiculous.

Generally, people complain that prices are too high
for foods such as:

*organic free-range eggs vs standard supermarket eggs
*healthy grass-fed meats instead of standard unhealthy
grain-fed meats
*organic produce vs conventional produce (there are
some times when this doesn't matter)
*cooking natural unprocessed meals vs fast food meals

Here are some things to consider:

1. People complain about the price of organic free
range eggs that are $3.50 per dozen. However, those
same people will buy a $2.00 soda EVERY DAY of the
week, which is nothing but chemicals and high
fructose corn syrup.

The dozen eggs will give you several days worth of
all of the B vitamins, selenium, phosphorus, and
dozens of other vitmins and minerals that you need.
The dozen eggs will also give you approximately
80-90 gms of some of the most bio-available protein
available. Plus there's the healthy fats, omega-3's,
lutein, and more.

I don't care if eggs went up to $10.00/dozen... it
would still be a bargain!

Why don't more people just skip the $2.00 sodas that
they drink each day and put that $60.00/month
towards healthy food instead?


2. People complain about the price of healthy foods vs
just getting fast food...meanwhile they pull up to
the fast-food drive-in in their $50,000 car.

Where are the priorities? Obviously, this person
is saying that their car is more important to them
than their health. For some reason, they can't seem
to understand that their car isn't gonna matter
when they die of a heart attack!

Why not drive around a cheaper car and use the extra
funds to buy healthier food?


3. People complain about the cost of healthy foods, so
they resort to eating cheap junk food... meanwhile
they are spending $200 or more per month on blood
pressure drugs, type-2 diabetes drugs, etc.

Yet for some reason, they don't seem to grasp the
concept that eating healthy can fully reverse their
high blood pressure and type-2 diabetes.
Yes, fully reverse!

Why not put that $200 per month towards eating
healthier and working out instead of on drugs that
have side effects and are draining their wallet?
Hmmm.


4. People complain about the cost of healthy foods,
yet the horrendous food supply and resulting poor
health of the nation causes higher health care
costs for everybody. Where's the REAL cost?


5. People complain about the cost of healthy foods,
yet these same people seem to be able to afford the
fanciest new cell phones, ipods, laptops, big screen
TVs, and way too many cable TV stations to ever be
able to watch. I guess their priorities are saying
that those electronics and watching 4 hours of TV
per day are more important than their health.


6. People complain about the cost of healthy foods,
yet the pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and other
poor farming practices (such as factory farm feedlot
wastes) that go into producing unhealthy factory
farm junk food end up creating costly environmental
cleanups (which can increase your taxes) and
deteriorate health.


7. People will balk at the price of a healthy grass-fed
steak or organic produce, but they will spend $100's
per month on cigarettes, and drinking twenty $6
beers out at the bars every weekend.

Btw, if you want to support a farmer that's doing
things correctly, in a healthy sustainable manner,
you can get some of the highest quality grass-fed
meats, wild fish, and healthy snacks right online
here:

http://www.grasslandbeef.com


8. And lastly, people tend to generally view food PRICE
as the most important aspect in choosing food, as
opposed to food QUALITY. But this makes no sense
whatsoever.

I bet anything that many of those same people that
choose food based on price (instead of quality)
choose their clothes based on quality, their
electronics based on quality, their cars based on
quality, their homes based on quality, their
jewelry based on quality, etc, etc.

Once again...priorities! Why do so many people
value quality on "material" goods, but don't
value quality when choosing food, which is going
to determine their health, happiness, how good
they look, and how long they live.

It's absurd if you think about it.

Alright, rant over for today!

Click here to learn more about how to lose that
stubborn bodyfat.

Eat clean and be lean.

Jorma Persson

6 strange dietary bedfellows

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6 Strange Dietary Bedfellows

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What do these six things have in common?

-- McDonalds
-- Renée Zellweger
-- Epileptic children
-- Yours truly
-- Most bodybuilding and fitness competitors
-- Kiefer Sutherland

Give up?

All the above employ the strategies of the low-carb dietplan.

Recently researchers have found that low-carb nutrition plan
reduced the number of seizures in epileptic children.

Most of the world's leanest physiques get that way on a
regimen, limited or not, of low-carbs and higher protein.

Even McDonalds is getting into the act.

Even Renée Zellweger.

Even Kiefer Sutherland.

Even me.

Kinda.

Read on and I'll explain what I mean...

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Why Low-Carb Works

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When McDonalds starts counting carb grams in their food, you
know someone is either jumping on a trend or finally seeing
the light.

In this case, both -- but it is a good thing. Low-carb
dietplans. They work.

For the masses, they work because they are the easiest
nutrition plan to follow when you're busy.

McDonalds and stars like Kiefer Sutherland figured this out.
The busy on-the-go guy or gal doesn't want to make the time to
prepare six meals per day and carry them around in Tupperware.

When choosing my own lifestyle nutrition plan, time and
convenience played a major role. I looked at role models who
were very busy, formerly obese, and very lean.

Most of them rely in some form or fashion on a low-carb
strategy.

Low-carb also works, much to the hem and haw of traditional
doctors and nutritionists, due to the way the body processes
fuel.

For those of us fortunate enough to grow up on whole grains
and very low-sugar mealplans, a moderate to higher-carb
nutrition plan may work just fine.

But most of us grew up eating junk.

Processed foods, fast foods, and downright junk was the
cornerstone of our dietplans. That puts your body on the carb
defense.

After years of abuse the body becomes resistant to
carbohydrates. The insulin they produce can cause all sorts of
health issues, fat-burning problems, and more.

When carbs are removed, even healthy carbs like whole grains,
the body has time to re-adjust.

In some cases, you can go back to a moderate-carb plan with
whole grains and fruits after a period of time.

In others, you are a "Low-carber" for life.

Guess which one I am?

Finally, low-carb works because you tend to eat less. Fat is
very satiating, and most low-carb plans are fairly high in
dietaryfat.

So, in recap:

-- Easy and convenient;
-- Metabolically important for carb recovery;
-- Lower in total food volume (eat less)

Do not make light of that first point. Any plan that is not
simple is one very few people will stick to. Making your plan
simple and tasty is key, even if that plan is not perfect by
nutritional standards.

Now, by far, the best low-carb dietplan in the world (yes, I'm
bias for good reason!) is this:

click.here ----> Presentation on my Favorite Foods Dietplan

EODD works so well because your carbs are low for "most" of
the time. Not "all" of the time. And the times when your carbs
are not low you can enjoy your favorite foods.

Personally I enjoy pizza and burgers on my non-low-carb days.
You can enjoy whatever you want if you just keep it reasonable.

You see, there's no need to diet-perfect.

Progress always trumps perfection.

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Why Low-Carb Fails

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There are two primary reasons for the failure of the low-carb
nutrition plans: boredom and media bashing.

One causes irritability. The other, doubt. Unless you're
certain that your plan will work, you will eventually go off
of it.

This is true of any plan, no matter how ideal it is. Certainty
rules.

That's why I believe in having a flexible, tasty plan like EODD.

Then boredom is easily solved.

I share my own unique ideas about "cycling" carbs and fats in
the presentation here:

click.here ----> Presentation on my Favorite Foods Dietplan

Using my cycle strategy you will rarely if ever become bored.
And your body will shed more bodyfat too. It's just a cheap
metabolic trick...but boy, it works.

The second reason is media and medical bias. One study after
another has proven that low-carb plans, even the Atkins plan,
works and is safe to use for most people.

Check with your doctor first, of course.

I've seen researchers get down-right angry when the results
come back. In one study, carried out for a full year, the low-
carb plan out-performed the so-called "healthy" Dean Ornish
plan.

Lower blood fats, more fatloss, and more energy were the
results.

My preference always comes back to low-carb nutrition. I just
cycle it in a way that allows me to get plenty of veggies,
some grains, and ample fiber.

Even a slice of cheesecake here and there... : )

Hey...I said "low-carb", not low-life!

Yours In Fitness,

Jorma Persson

P.S. One of these days the mainstream medical community will
wake up to the fact that 90% of the population will never eat
15 servings of veggies per day.

While this may be "optimal", it's not at all practical. I'd
rather give you down-to- earth practical nutrition advice that
you CAN and WILL follow and enjoy.

Makes sense, doesn't it?

click.here ----> Presentation on my Favorite Foods Dietplan

Take control of Arthritis, and Get Your Life Back!

Red, burning, swollen and so stiff you don't want to move...
that's what those who suffer from arthritis experience on a
daily basis. If you know this all to well, you are probably
one of the 46 million Americans (that's 1 out of every 5
people) that are living with arthritis every day. To better
understand how to get relief from this debilitating disease
we need to dive deeper into its root cause.

Some of the types of arthritis which are associated with
inflammation include:

* rheumatoid arthritis
* gout
* tendinitis
* bursitis
* polymyalgia rheumatica

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis actually means joint (arthr) inflammation (itis).
Arthritis can be used to define a group of more than 100
rheumatic diseases and other conditions that can cause pain,
stiffness and swelling in the joints or any part of your body.
Additionally, it can damage the joint cartilage which can lead
to joint weakness, instability and visible deformities that
can interfere and, in severe cases, limit a person's ability to
perform most basic daily tasks such as walking, climbing stairs,
using a computer keyboard, washing dishes or brushing your
teeth. Arthritis can affect anyone regardless of age and most
commonly affects joints in the knees, hips, hands and spine. If
left undiagnosed and not treated properly, arthritis can cause
irreversible damage to the joints, bones, organs, and skin. Not
to mention dramatically impair your quality of life.

Arthritis-related conditions primarily affect the muscles and
the bones but it is also considered to be systemic, affecting
the whole body. Arthritis can cause damage to any bodily
organ or system, including the lungs, kidneys, blood vessels,
skin and even the heart. The Arthritis Foundation sites two
independent studies (Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston
and at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota) both of which
prove that the widespread inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis
is linked to heart disease and an increased risk of early death.

No one really knows the exact cause of arthritis but there are
certain risk factors to keep in mind:

* Genetics - likely to contribute to risk but no one knows
how much.
* Age - the older you are the more at risk you become.
* Weight - maintaining a healthy weight will ease the load on
the joints.
* Previous Injury - major injuries are likely to contribute to
risk.
* Occupational Hazards - repetitive, high demand jobs increase
risk.
* Certain Sports - high level, high demand sports can
contribute to arthritis (however, general exercise is always
a plus)
* Illness or infection - an infection in the joint or gout can
lead to arthritis.


What we do know is that when you have arthritis your immune
system goes into over-drive and causes the joints to swell and
become inflamed. Therefore, treating the inflammation becomes
key in managing the pain and discomfort associated with this
condition.

Sadly enough, the Arthritis Foundation reports that half of
those Americans with arthritis don't believe anything can be
done to help ease their pain. You may be in that situation
yourself, having thrown your hands up in frustration and
simply decided to live with your pain. The good news is that
by reducing the inflammation you can significantly ease the
painful symptoms associated with arthritis.

Here are a few ways to reduce your inflammation:

* Exercise - less weight equals less stress on joints
* Diet - Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole-grain
products; limit sugar, salt and fat (especially saturated fat
found in animal products)
* Rest - a good balance between rest and activity is the key to
joint health
* Over-the-counter and prescription medications - while
these may provide temporary relief by masking the pain they
are not always get to the root of the problem - inflammation.
They can also have serious side effects, especially with
long-term use. * Natural anti-inflammatory supplements -
probably the most promising natur al approach to reducing
inflammation in a long while. We recommend looking for
supplements containing systemic enzymes and all-natural
herbal ingredients.


By taking these simple steps to reducing inflammation you
will be well on your way to managing your arthritis pain and
it devastating effects on your mind and body. Everyone
should strive to achieve a healthy and
active lifestyle for optimal health and wellbeing.

Finally... A Safe, Effective, All Natural Pain
Reliever

Dan Monahan had reached the point where he was willing to try
anything - anything to ease the con stant pain and inflammation
in his leg. He could no longer walk. Even standing was
uncomfortable.

His doctor gave him several prescription medicines but nothing
helped. Pain was ruining his life. When Dan saw an ad for this
natural pain reliever, he was skeptical. How could this product
work when every prescription his doctor gave him hadn't?
But he decided to give it a try. Let Dan tell
you what happened:

"Was I pleasantly surprised! After only 2 to 3 days on the
activation dose, I noticed reduced inflammation and less
pain in my leg."

After just three weeks, Dan started walking again. This all
natural product worked for Dan when all of his prescription
drugs hadn't. You can relieve your constant, burning pain
when prescription drugs no longer work - just like Dan did -
with Heal-n-Soothe.

That's because Heal-n-Soothe works differently than
prescription drugs. Here's how:

Prescription drugs reduce inflammation by switching off
important compounds your body needs. Many are vital to
your health. Eventually, you may need more drugs to get
the same relief. Or worse, you experience dangerous side
effects caused by drugs that are supposed to help you
feel better.

Heal-n-Soothe works with nature by adding more of the
enzymes that naturally reduce inflammation. With
Heal-n-Soothe, your body has everything it needs to repair
and renew your muscles and joints. You have less pain as a
result - with no life threatening side effects.

So if you're in constant pain and prescription drugs no longer
help, don't wait another second. Click here to ease your pain
and cool inflammation with Heal-n-Soothe!

Best wishes
Jorma Persson

Are whole eggs or egg whites better?

I was on a weekend trip with some friends
recently and one of my friends was cooking
breakfast for the whole group. I went over
to see what he was cooking and saw he was
getting ready to make a big batch of eggs.

Well, to my shock and horror, I noticed that
he was cracking the eggs open and screening
the egg whites into a bowl and throwing out
the egg yolks. I asked him why the heck he was
throwing out the egg yolks, and he replied...

"because I thought the egg yolks were terrible
for you...that's where all the nasty fat and
cholesterol is".

And I replied, "you mean that's where all the
nutrition is!"

This is a perfect example of how confused most
people are about nutrition. In a world full of
misinformation, somehow most people now
mistakenly think that the egg yolk is the
worst part of the egg, when in fact, the YOLK
IS THE HEALTHIEST PART OF THE EGG!

By throwing out the yolk and only eating egg
whites, you're essentially throwing out the
most nutrient dense, antioxidant-rich,
vitamin and mineral loaded portion of the egg.
The yolks contain so many B-vitamins, trace
minerals, vitamin A, folate, choline, lutein,
and other powerful nutrients... it's not even
worth trying to list them all.

In fact, the egg whites are almost devoid of
nutrition compared to the yolk.

Even the protein in egg whites isn't as
powerful without the yolks to balance out
the amino acid profile and make the protein
more bio-available. Not to even mention that
the egg yolks from free range chickens are
loaded with omega-3 fatty acids.

Yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium,
iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate,
and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg.
In addition, the yolks contain all of the
fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the
egg, as well as all of the essential fatty
acids.

And now the common objection I get all the
time when I say that the yolks are the most
nutritious part of the egg...

"But I heard that whole eggs will skyrocket
my cholesterol through the roof"

No, this is FALSE!

First of all, when you eat a food that
contains a high amount of dietary cholesterol
such as eggs, your body down-regulates it's
internal production of cholesterol to balance
things out.

On the other hand, if you don't eat enough
cholesterol, your body simply produces more
since cholesterol has tons of important
functions in the body.

And here's where it gets even more
interesting...

There are indications that eating whole eggs
actually raises your good HDL cholesterol
to a higher degree than LDL cholesterol,
thereby improving your overall cholesterol
ratio and blood chemistry.

And 3rd... high cholesterol is NOT a disease! 
Heart disease is a disease...but high
cholesterol is NOT.

So I hope we've established that whole eggs
are not some evil food that will wreck your
body... instead whole eggs are FAR superior
to egg whites.

Also, your normal supermarket eggs coming
from mass factory farming just don't compare
nutritionally with organic free range eggs
from healthy chickens that are allowed to
roam freely and eat a more natural diet.

I recently compared eggs I bought at the
grocery store with a batch of eggs I got
at a farm stand where the chickens were
free roaming and healthy.

Most people don't realize that there's a
major difference because they've never
bought real eggs from healthy chickens...
The eggs from the grocery store had pale
yellow yolks. On the other hand, the
healthier free range eggs had deep orange
colored yolks indicating much higher
nutrition levels and carotenoids. 

So next time a health or fitness professional
tells you that egg whites are superior, you
can quietly ignore their advice knowing that
you understand the REAL deal about egg yolks.

One more thing about eggs...

I read a study recently that compared groups
of people that ate egg breakfasts vs groups
of people that ate cereal or bagel based
breakfasts.  The results of the study showed
that the egg eaters lost or maintained a
healthier bodyweight, while the cereal/bagel
eaters gained weight. 

It was hypothesized that the egg eaters
actually ate less calories during the
remainder of the day because their appetite
was more satisfied compared to the cereal/bagel
eaters who would have been more prone to wild
blood sugar swings and food cravings.


Keep eating your eggs,
Jorma Persson

P.S. Click Here to learn how you can eat you
    favorite food and still lose body fat.

Diets Don't Work!

Diets Don't Work!

Many Americans view a healthy lifestyle as something
difficult to attain--and something that's not much fun.
Traditional diets have taught us that to lose weight, we
must count calories, keep track of everything we eat,
and deprive ourselves by limiting the amount--and kinds--of
foods we eat. Diets tell us exactly what and how much food
to eat, regardless of our preferences and individual
relationships with hunger and satiety. Dieting can help us
lose weight (fat, muscle, and water) in the short term but is
so unnatural and so unrealistic that it can never become a
lifestyle that we can live with, let alone enjoy!

While very few diets teach healthy low-fat shopping,
cooking, and dining-out strategies, many offer unrealistic
recommendations and encourage health-threatening
restrictions. Even more important, diets don't teach us the
safest, most effective ways to exercise; they don't teach us
how to deal with our cravings and our desires, or how to
attend to our feelings of hunger and fullness. Eventually, we
become tired of the complexity, the hunger, the lack of
flavor, the lack of flexibility, the lack of energy, and the
feeling of deprivation. We quit our diets and gain back the
weight we've lost; sometimes we gain even more!

Each time we go on another diet of deprivation, the weight
becomes more difficult to lose, and we become even more
frustrated and discouraged. Then we eat more and exercise
less, causing ourselves more frustration, discouragement,
depression. Soon we are in a vicious cycle. We begin to
ask ourselves, "Why bother?" We begin to blame ourselves
for having no will power when what we really need is clear,
scientifically-based information that will help us develop a
healthier lifestyle we can live with for the rest of our lives.

Deliberate restriction of food intake in order to lose weight
or to prevent weight gain, known as dieting, is the path that
millions of people all over the world are taking in order to
reach a desired body weight or appearance. Preoccupation
with body shape, size, and weight creates an unhealthy
lifestyle of emotional and physical deprivation. Diets take
control away from us.

Many of us who diet get caught in a "yo-yo" cycle that
begins with low self-acceptance and results in structured
eating and living because we lack trust in our body and are
unwilling to listen and adhere to our body's signals of
hunger and fullness. On diets, we distrust and ignore internal
signs of appetite, hunger, and our need to be physically and
psychologically satisfied. Instead, we depend on diet plans,
measured portions, and a prescribed frequency for eating.

As a result, many of us have lost the ability to eat in response
to our physical needs; we experience feelings of deprivation,
then binge, and finally terminate our "health" program. This
in turn leads to guilt, defeat, weight gain, low self-esteem,
and then we're back to the beginning of the yo-yo diet cycle.
Rather than making us feel better about ourselves, diets set
us up for failure and erode our self-esteem.

The attitudes and practices acquired through years of
dieting are likely to result in a body weight and size
obsession, low self-esteem, poor nutrition and excessive
or inadequate exercise. Weight loss from following a rigid
diet is usually temporary. Most diets are too drastic to
maintain; they are unrealistic and unpleasant; they are
physically and emotionally stressful. And most of us just
resume our old eating and activity patterns. Diets control
us; we are not in control. People who try to live by diet lists
and rules learn little or nothing about proper nutrition and
how to enjoy their meals, physical activity, and a healthy
lifestyle. No one can realistically live in the diet mode for
the rest of their life, depriving themselves of the true
pleasures of healthy eating and activity.

We Don't Fail Diets; They Fail Us!

Decades of research have shown that diets, both self-initiated
and professionally-led, are ineffective at producing long-term
health and weight loss (or weight control). When your diet
fails to keep the weight off, you may say to yourself, "If only
I didn't love food so much . . . If I could just exercise more
often . . . If I just had more will power." The problem is not
personal weakness or lack of will power. Only 5 percent of
people who go on diets are successful. Please understand
that we are not failing diets; diets are failing us.

The reason 95 percent of all traditional diets fail is simple.
When you go on a low-calorie diet, your body thinks you
are starving; it actually becomes more efficient at storing
fat by slowing down your metabolism. When you stop this
unrealistic eating plan, your metabolism is still slow and
inefficient that you gain the weight back even faster, even
though you may still be eating less than you were before
you went on the diet.

In addition, low-calorie diets cause you to lose both muscle
and fat in equal amounts. However, when you eventually
gain back the weight, it is all fat and not muscle, causing
your metabolism to slow down even more. Now you have
extra weight, a less healthy body composition, and a less
attractive physique.

Diets require you to sacrifice by being hungry; they don't
allow you to enjoy the foods you love. This does not teach
you habits which you can maintain after the diet is over.
Most diet programs force you to lower your caloric intake
to dangerously low levels. The common theory is that if
you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight.
But when you eat fewer calories than your body needs to
maintain its life-sustaining activities, you're actually losing
muscle in addition to fat. Your body breaks down its own
muscles to provide the needed energy for survival.

Traditional diets which use calorie restriction to produce
weight loss are no longer appropriate. Most weight-loss
programs measure success solely in terms of the number
of pounds lost per weight loss attempt. Diets don't take
into account the quality of the process used to achieve
that weight loss or the very small likelihood of sustained
weight loss. For long-term good health, you need to move
away from low-calorie diets and focus on enjoyable
physical activity and good nutrition. Exercising regularly
and eating lean-supporting calories, protein and
carbohydrates, and reducing fat-supporting calories will
not only help you look and feel better, it will also significantly
reduce your risk of disease.

America spends billions of dollars on different ways to fix
people. If we focused more on prevention and on improving
our day-to-day behaviors, we could cut health care costs in
half. Contrary to popular belief, leading a healthy lifestyle
doesn't have to be difficult; it doesn't have to painful or
time-consuming. Making gradual, simple changes in your
diet and physical activity will make great improvements in
your health and well-being, and they can drastically reduce
your risk of disease.

If your weight management program is to be a success,
everything you eat and every exercise you do must be a
pleasurable experience. If you're not enjoying yourself,
it is unlikely that you'll continue your program. It's that
simple. These small, gradual changes are not painful or
overwhelming but rather the core of an exciting lifestyle
that you will look forward to.

Take the frustration, guilt, and deprivation out of weight
management, and allow yourself to adopt gradual, realistic
changes into your life that will make healthy eating and
physical activity a permanent pleasure. You will soon
discover what your body is capable of and begin to look,
act, and feel your very best.

Good luck and enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a healthy,
active lifestyle.

To Your Good Health

Jorma Persson

P.S. Check out this plan Every Other Day Diet

A unique dietary trick to boost your metabolism

**Metabolism-Boosting Dietary Secrets**

I just finished a huge meal with my family today - ham,
yams, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and ice
cream & cake as dessert...

Yeah, I know... how could a fitness freak like
myself ever consider gorging on such a huge calorie-dense
meal?

What if I told you that you can still eat your favorite
foods while simultaneously shedding body fat like
crazy... Yes, it's true... but only IF you understand
how to manipulate a few KEY aspects of your diet.

Today I want to introduce you to a unique dietary trick
that actually allows you to eat your favorite foods while
simultaneously boosting your metabolism so that you can
shed off body fat easier.

It involves a little bit of rotation of foods in your
diet but is actually quite easy and fun to do once you
get it right.

In fact, if you do this right, you'll actually boost your
metabolism and make it easier to burn body fat.

Let me be clear about something... by using this unique
method, you do NOT need to starve yourself, overly
restrict your food intake, or try to live on nothing but
chicken, broccoli, and salad.

Remember, if you do this right, you can actually enjoy
most of your favorite foods every week.

My friend and colleague Jon Benson came up with this
unique dietary system with the help of Jan Hauser.
I have to say that it's brilliant what they've come up
with. See for yourself below...

Every Other Day Diet

Jon and Jan were both obese years ago. Over the past
four years, they perfected a System that shows you
how they went from obese to "cover model" fit and
still eat their favorite foods.

Not "once a week" either -- they INSIST you eat
delicious food frequently and without guilt or worry.

>>> Even better, they never count a single calorie!

They get to eat pizza, burgers, ice cream, and more...
and still drop the lbs!

This is not a pill, scam, or gimmick...this is science
applied to the real world.

The science:  you take advantage of the fact your body
prefers a change of pace and can respond by burning
ugly fat.

The real world:  no one is going to eat salad and tuna
every day for the rest of their life in order to shed
bodyfat and feel good again.

Simple, right? Common sense!

You absolutely MUST HAVE a diet-plan you can live with
for life.

And that's what this is.

Every Other Day Diet

Enjoy!

Don't be lazy... be lean.

Jorma Persson

Honey vs. Sugar?

**Honey vs. Sugar

I'm sure from reading my posts, you already know my
stance that artificial sweeteners are pretty much one
of the most evil things you can put in your body.

This leaves many people confused about what to use
to sweeten their tea and other food and drink.

First of all, the less of any sweetener you can use,
the better... if you can slowly over time adjust your
taste buds to enjoy the natural taste of foods and
drinks without the need for heavily sweetening them,
you'll see many benefits for your body.

However, this leaves the question... If I really want
to at least use a little sweetener, should I use sugar
or honey?

The easy answer is that honey is better for you than
refined sugar. Keep in mind that they are both calorie
dense and eating large amounts of honey will still
make you deposit body fat.

However, refined sugar is a "negative" nutrient...it's
literally devoid of nutrition and using it actually
makes your body use up stored nutrients to process it.

Honey on the other hand has many beneficial nutrients,
enzymes, and antioxidants... raw honey is best as
typical honey processing destroys many of the enzymes
and antioxidants that give the benefits.  I won't use
any honey other than raw honey. You can find raw honey
at certain health food stores or online at:

http://healthygrassfed.2ya.com (left menu condiments)

Also, honey has been shown in several studies to
improve the body's ability to process glucose,
whereas refined sugar negatively affects your body's
ability to process glucose over time.

In fact, I don't use refined sugar for anything at all.
It's either raw honey, pure maple syrup (not fake corn
syrup), or stevia for all of my sweetening needs. 
Those are better choices than processed sugar or
artificial sweeteners.

Til next time...

Don't be lazy, be lean.

Jorma Persson
http://vur.me/jorma/EODD

Why We REALLY Overeat

Fitness author Jon Benson sent this to me today.
I found his frank approach refreshing.

Hope you enjoy it as well!

Jorma

----------------------------------------------------------------------|

A Rant:
Why We REALLY Overeat...

----------------------------------------------------------------------|

Fair warning ... this one is a rant. It's probably a bit long, but take the
time to read it.

I have some things to get off my chest ... and a lot of people reading
this will find it refreshing.

We have a problem in this country... hell, this world... with people
overeating.

Obviously overeating is one of the primary reasons people are struggling
with bellyfat and excess bodyweight in general. The solution to this
problem is not "don't eat so much", although that is the end goal.

The solution is to really, REALLY understand how your body uses fuel
and how to create a dietplan that allows you to take advantage of it.

First, my rant.

You want to know why 99% of the people who fail to see results from
my dietplans... or any dietplan for that matter... REALLY fail?

They do not understand how smart and powerful their bodies really are.

Look... no dietplan on earth will allow you to eat whatever you want
every day. That's fatloss suicide.

No pills will cure this. No surgery.

Only this will cure it:

Use your body's own internal appetite mechanisms to your advantage.

I receive hundreds of emails every day from people who see results
from my Every Other Day Dietplan.

But I won't lie to you: I also get emails from people who do not.

Welcome to the real world, right? Some people succeed, others do not.
It's the same story no matter what your goals may be.

But in fatloss, the difference between success and failure, at least in the
case of my readers, is NOT the dietplan... it's the need to fully
appreciate how and why it works.

Let me explain...

Here is a picture of me (excuse the quality; this was snapped with a
mirror and a cellphone...)

http://www.jonbenson.com/img/jbtowel.jpg

Obviously I have abs... and I'm lean... and because I love to lift
weights I also carry a lot of muscle... but the real power behind
this picture is what you do NOT see:

--> You do not see what I ate the night before; half a pizza.

--> You do not see how obese I was ten years ago... yes, 70lbs
over-fat with a belly that looked like I swallowed a basketball.

--> You do not see how I set my body up to receive this pizza and
actually get leaner after eating it.

In case you think I'm on some magical dietplan or taking some
fatburning-stimulants... wrong.

I just woke up 5 years ago after studying nutrition for 15 years and
finally put 2 and 2 together.

So, here's the facts.

My EODD Plan is build around a simple concept: Eat your favorite foods
"frequently" and still drop the bodyweight you want.

And it works... not because it's a gimmick, but because it uses the science
of metabolism, natural hormonal manipulation, and psychology to prepare
your body to eat more calories.

Now those calories could easily come from, say, three yams... but
I prefer pizza. ; )

If you've tried EODD with success, you know what I'm talking about.
If not... then read on.

First, EODD never promises you that you can eat however MUCH
you want every other day (or in my case, since I'm athlete, every three
days)... no, no, NO!

It's whatever you want... not however MUCH you want. That is the
sole reason a small fraction of my readers are not seeing the results
they want.

Now, here's the beauty of it all:

After about 3 weeks following my System of eating, you simply cannot
overeat... well, you can, but you'd have to force-feed yourself in order
to pull it off.

You've been feeding yourself frequently for the day or two before
your favorite food meals. The higher protein and very low starch content
of the nutrition plan (with plenty of veggies) ensures that your body's
metabolism stays elevated. BUT... and this is crucial... the amount of
food consumed on these days before is not that much.

I'm never starving... I eat too frequently for that, plus the foods on my
Plan curb your appetite. But I am not eating anywhere near my
maintenance level of calories. I do not count calories (nor should you)...
I just follow the System, which does the calorie-counting for me.
Plus I know my body really well after all these years.

So, after days of eating enough to keep my metabolism relatively high,
and right BEFORE it starts to slow down (your metabolism slows
when you do not eat enough, bringing fatloss to a rapid halt) I hit the
body with a lot of calories.

BUT... at the right time, and never at certain times.

And, please read this: I do not eat "however much" I want on my feed
meals... I eat WHATEVER I want in reasonable portions. I don't have
to fight to not overeat, even when it's pizza or burgers (my two favorite
cheat meals.) Why? Because my body is set up to want more food,
but also trained not to eat too much food at one sitting.

This is because I've been "grazing" -- eating small, frequent meals the
days before my feed day. And the body learns to adapt... quickly.

The brain is actually re-trained to signal the stomach that you've had
enough food... yes, even when it's dessert, or pizza, or whatever
your favorite food may be.

So here's the deal: Yes, you can lose all the bellyfat and bodyfat you
want eating like this... but like anything else that works, you have to
follow a few simple rules.

The result is a dietplan where you never feel trapped. You always
know that tomorrow, or possibly the day after, you can have
whatever food you want. Just in reasonable amounts.

If you ask me, this is the perfect trade-off. No starvation, super-healthy
eating at least 4 days a week, and you get to eat your cake as well
(literally if you want.)

It's not magic -- it's science, and a bit of work on your part. Yes, work.

Nothing happens with effort. But put some effort into this System and
boy... there's not a better dietplan on the face of the earth.

Click the link below and watch my full presentation on how and
why this works...

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/fitness4yo/video

Now, one more thing: I do take a few supplements to help the
process along. I have a video on the Member's Only page that
explains what I take and why.

The good news: Not one of these supplements are stimulants or
dangerous. In fact they're all very healthy nutrients the body needs.

In conclusion, I like to think of The Every Other Day Dietplan as
"The Thinking Person's Dietplan." Anyone who considers every
angle of what it takes to shed bodyfat: Food you enjoy, freedom,
a plan that's easy to follow, and flexibility will recognize this right
away as the ideal approach.

But, like all ideal approaches, it requires you to re-think the way you eat.

You eat for fuel... period. But you CAN (and should) eat for pleasure
too. As long as you keep FUEL as the main reason you are eating in
the forefront of your mind, your body (and mind) will follow.
Your body will adapt and begin to use both healthy and "not-so-healthy"
foods as fuel.

Fuel to power your workouts, help you burnoff that bellyfat and
bodyweight you don't want, and empower your sense of control.

Especially now, "food as fuel first; food as pleasure second" should be
carved into your dinner table. Because, let's face it:
When all that holiday overeating is over with, you will be left with a
bigger belly, feeling sluggish, and just one more step away from the
body you desire.

My alternative offers the best of both worlds. You just have to be
willing to re-think some things and give your body a few weeks to
re-learn what it already knows --

When to signal you that you're full, and way before you overeat.
And, believe it or not, you can (and should) do this by eating your
favorite foods each and every week.

That's the only way to keep your MIND satisfied and happy.
And your mind is the key to your body's success.

Thanks for reading.

Jon Benson
Best-selling Author

1 unique spice that beats abdominal fat

I have a great article for you today from one of my trusted
colleagues, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Mike Geary.
It's about a specific spice that could help you to burn body
fat and get leaner, in an indirect way...Enjoy!

1 Unique Spice That Beats Abdominal Fat:

Ok, this spice that I'm going to mention is one of the
most overlooked, but healthiest spices in the world...

You might even call it a "fat burning spice"... in a
roundabout way.

And yes, it can actually help you win the battle against
abdominal fat if you use it daily...I'll explain why.

Here are some other benefits of this miracle spice:

*controls blood sugar levels
*helps maintain insulin sensitivity
*a very powerful antioxidant
*may have antibacterial and antifungal properties
*and dozens of other benefits

So what is this miracle spice?

Well... it's good old tasty Cinnamon!

Although cinnamon does not directly increase fat burning
(such as by increasing metabolic rate, etc), it CAN
actually help you to burn off abdominal fat and get
leaner through an indirect link.

Here's how...

Although cinnamon has dozens of health benefits,
the main benefit that will help you to get leaner is
through it's strong effect on controlling blood sugar
levels in your body.

In a study published in 2003 in the medical journal
Diabetes Care, groups were split into people taking
1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon per day in capsule form
(the equivalent of approx 1/4th to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon).

The results of the study showed that all 3 amounts of
cinnamon reduced fasting blood glucose levels by 18-29%
after 40 days.

Cinnamon can also increase insulin sensitivity, which
essentially means that it is helping your body to control
blood sugar while simultaneously allowing your body to
produce less insulin.

As you know, chronically high insulin levels can make
your body pack on the blubber.

How to harness this to lose more fat...

One possible way to benefit from cinnamon to lose more
fat is to use cinnamon daily in your meals when you can,
such as in yogurt or cottage cheese, in smoothies,
oatmeal, or anything else you can think of where it
would go well.

Also, you could use a cinnamon capsule before each of
your meals.

This could help to control blood sugar and insulin
response from your meals and thereby control your
appetite and cravings throughout the day... hence,
helping you to lose body fat more effectively over
time.

So now you can see that not only is cinnamon a powerful
antioxidant that can help you stay youthful longer,
it can also help you to control blood sugar and get a
leaner body!

Note: please make sure to consult your doctor before
adding any new foods or spices to your nutrition plan
if you are taking any medications or have food allergies.

Go to the link below to discover over a dozen more
unique foods, spices, and weird styles of workouts
that help to burn your abdominal fat faster:

www.TruthAboutAbs.com

Talk soon,

Mike Geary
Founder - TruthAboutAbs.com