The Link between Carbohydrates and Obesity

There is a popular belief that overweight people eat more carbohydrates than those without weight issues. But on the contrary, it’s the kind of carbohydrates you consume, not how much, that matters when it comes to weight management.

The results of a study on obesity showed that people with a higher body mass index – which takes into account both a person’s height and weight – tend to eat carbohydrates with a higher glycemic index.

Glycemic index ranks carbohydrates based on how they affect our blood sugar levels. Low GI foods only cause small fluctuations in our blood sugar and insulin levels while high GI foods do the opposite.

The height and weight of around 600 healthy participants were measured and they were asked to record the kind of carbohydrates they ate for a year.

The researchers noted two key findings: 1. as mentioned earlier, those with a higher body mass index ate more carbohydrates with a higher glycemic index; and, 2. the amount of carbohydrates they ate did not influence body mass index.

The results of the study suggests that a low-carb diet like the Atkins diet, which asks dieters to cut back on all carbohydrates, is missing the mark, when it’s actually the kind of carbohydrates you eat that determines your risk of obesity.

That’s because not all carbohydrates are created equal and because one-third of Americans need a high-carb diet.

Dr. Joseph Mercola explains that your body prefers the carbohydrates found in vegetables rather than grains because they are converted into simple sugars slower and decreases your insulin level.

However, if you’re addicted to refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta and sugar-rich processed foods, don’t be surprised if you don’t like what you see when you step on the weighing scale.

How Refined Carbohydrates Increase Your Obesity Risk

Everyone needs to eat a certain amount of carbohydrates but your body’s ability to store carbohydrates is limited, so if you consume more carbohydrates than what you need, they are converted, through insulin, into fat and stored as fat, thereby increasing your risk of obesity, bloating, depression, fatigue, frequent sleepiness, and almost all chronic degenerative diseases.

Eating a meal or snack high in grain and sugar carbohydrates will typically generate a spike in blood glucose. Your pancreas compensates for this surge by secreting insulin into your bloodstream, which lowers your blood sugar. Increased insulin levels will suppress two other important hormones – glucagon and growth hormone – which are responsible for burning fat and sugar and promoting muscle growth.

While many dietitians consider the glycemic index to be an important tool, Dr. Mercola explains that is not very reliable because it contains many exceptions that render it ineffective.

For example, if you would follow the index standards, you will find that fructose is acceptable because it has a very low glycemic index, when in reality, fructose (especially in the form of high fructose corn syrup) is one of the main reasons why people are overweight. If your goal is weight loss, you should also avoid other low-glycemic-index foods like apple juice, chocolate and cherries.

The glycemic index is not a reliable method to lose weight or improve your health. One of the best ways to prevent your insulin levels from going overboard and your body from storing too much fat is by eliminating grains and sugars, which you can achieve through the no-grain diet.

How the No-Grain Diet Helps in Clearing Up Acne

Acne, pimples or zits, whatever you may want to call it, this common skin condition affects more than 80 percent of Americans, teenagers and adults alike, at some point in their lifetime.

An acne breakout can be a very stressful episode, at whatever age it may strike. Acne comes and goes on its own but some people develop severe cases of acne that warrant medical attention.

Every year, people suffering from acne spend hundreds of millions of dollars on different over-the-counter and prescription acne treatment methods, including antibiotics, drugs like Accutane, and even acne gadgets.

But what is the best way to treat acne?

Many dermatologists will tell you that what you eat has nothing to do with acne but they couldn’t be further from the truth.

Dr. Joseph Mercola explains that some people are predisposed to developing acne lesions. And if your diet is causing an increase in your insulin levels and associated insulin growth factors, it will trigger an acne breakout.

When you consume refined carbohydrates and sugar, it causes a spike in your insulin levels and a surge in an insulin-like growth factor called IGF-1 in your body. This in turn, leads to an overproduction of male hormones, causing your pores to secrete a greasy substance called sebum, which attracts the acne-causing propioniform bacteria.

Some say that acne started in the West because studies show that it is almost non-existent in non-westernized countries where refined carbohydrates and sugar are not widely consumed. No acne cases were found among Papua New Guinea islanders and Paraguayan hunter-gatherers, suggesting the significant role of environmental factors, such as diet, in acne.

So why isn’t your doctor telling you to change your eating habits to treat your acne? Simple: a healthy diet can’t be “sold,” and they can’t prescribe you with conventional acne treatments like topical acne creams and antibiotics.

The no-grain diet will help you radically reduce your insulin production by reducing or severely limiting your consumption of grains and sugars. This will involve avoiding bread, cereal, pasta, rice, potatoes, and corn.

For 40 years, Dr. Mercola had his own struggles with acne but after understanding the influence and dangers of grains on health, acne became a non-issue for him.

But helping prevent acne is just a side effect of the no-grain diet; leading you to optimal health is its main goal.

BioThin: The Healthy and All-Natural Weight Loss Supplement

Still in search of that perfect diet pill? Sorry to burst your bubble, but it doesn’t exist.

Let’s face it: there are no short cuts in weight loss. Sure you can say there’s liposuction and cosmetic surgery, there are all sorts of diet pills, weight loss products and fad diets that come and go, but the fact of the matter is, they may be able to help you shed a couple of pounds, but can they keep the extra weight off permanently?

Obesity has risen to epidemic levels in the U.S. With two out of three Americans being overweight, and one out of three clinically obese, it’s no wonder everyone wants to lose weight. But the problem is not everyone is willing to sacrifice and work hard to achieve weight loss the right way.

In order to effectively lose those extra pounds and keep them off, you need to understand that an effective weight loss program is a combination of having the proper diet and good exercise.

For Dr. Joseph Mercola, having the proper diet means eating according to your Nutritional Type. He believes that different types of food were designed for our genes and unique biochemistry, therefore, eating the foods that are right for your genetic makeup and personal metabolism will help normalize your weight.

If you are not yet at your ideal weight, Dr. Mercola’s No-Grain Diet is a great way to help you beat grain and sugar addiction – two of the main causes of your weight problems.

Getting 30 minutes to an hour of appropriate exercise daily is the second most important thing you need in order to effectively lose weight. Besides weight loss, regular exercise provides you with a host of other health benefits.

The proper diet and good exercise go hand in hand to help you lose weight. But if you want something to boost your weight loss efforts, Dr. Mercola has exactly what you need.

BioThin is an all natural weight loss supplement formulated by Dr. Mercola to help you manage your weight the healthy way. BioThin combines the benefits of seven of the best natural weight loss products – fucoxanthin, pomegranate, hoodia gordonii, ginger root, cayenne, garcinia cambogia and apple cider vinegar – to give you one amazing product that helps you lose weight, improve your metabolism and overall digestion, and provide you with generous amounts of powerful antioxidants and vitamins and minerals.

These seven active ingredients come from real food and botanicals that help enhance the weight loss benefits of eating according to your Nutritional Type and following the no-grain diet.

Start shedding those excess pounds and say goodbye to your old figure by eating right, exercising and taking BioThin. It’s one of the best things you can do for yourself this spring.

The Many Ways Corn is Making Americans Unhealthy

Corn is the world’s most widely grown cereal crop. Yes, it’s a grain, not a vegetable, as many mistakenly assume it to be.

Being a grain, corn has been causing health problems for thousands of years. Based on studies done on excavated bones of some Native American tribes in Florida, renowned anthropologist Dr. Clark Spencer Larsen found that a corn-rich diet contributed to serious and widespread disease.

His team found evidence of anemia, dental cavities, osteoarthritis, bone infections and other problems in the bones of Native Americans who lived after the arrival of Europeans and adopted a more homogenous diet largely based on corn, than in those who lived prior to colonization and had a traditional hunter-gatherer diet rich in animal meat, plants and seafood.

Aside from the fact that corn breaks down into sugar very rapidly to increase insulin levels, Dr. Larsen provides other nutritional problems attributed to a corn-rich diet:

• Corn’s sugar content promotes cavities and contributes to poor oral health.
• Corn is a poor source of protein and is usually deficient in 3 of the 8 essential amino acids: lysine, isoleucine and tryptophan.
• Corn contains significant amounts of phytate, a chemical that binds to iron and inhibits its absorption by the body. A diet high in phytate may increase the risk of iron-deficiency anemia, as well as other problems associated with poor iron status.
• Corn is also a poor source of certain minerals such as calcium and some vitamins such as vitamin B3 (niacin). Lack of niacin or the amino acid tryptophan can result in pellagra, which is common in corn-eating communities and can cause a variety of symptoms such as dermatitis, diarrhea, and depression.

The 'Cornification' of America

We are a nation saturated in corn, says Michael Pollan, author of the The New York Times bestseller The Omnivore's Dilemma, which examines the American way of eating. Pollan explains that our entire food supply has undergone "cornification" in recent years.

In Mexico, people have been eating corn for centuries, but in the United States, we don’t even see most of the corn we consume, having been heavily processed, usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup, or passed through food animals before it reaches us. Chickens, pigs and cows are fattened with a diet of corn, regardless of whether it is good for them.

Even farm-raised salmon are being bred to feed on corn, because it's the cheapest thing you can feed any animal. Because fish aren’t used to eating corn, who knows what kind of effects it could have.

The dangers of high fructose corn syrup have been well documented. It’s probably no coincidence that the obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemics in America started when we switched from sugar to corn sweeteners in the 1980s. High fructose corn syrup was a blessing for soft drink makers (and a bane for us) because it gave them a cheap sweetener, resulting in bigger servings and marketing budgets.

Other beverages, snacks and processed food products then began using high fructose corn syrup, causing an unhealthy spike in the amount of fructose in our diets. A quarter of the 45,000 items in the average supermarket now contain processed corn, often in the form of high fructose corn syrup.

Because corn is such an important crop in America, scientists are constantly looking for ways to increase production, and as a result, genetically modified corn has slowly been introduced in the food supply.

Studies show that the process of genetically altering food can damage the digestive and immune systems of mammals. Rats fed genetically modified corn had smaller kidneys and variations in their blood composition, signs that human health can also be compromised by eating such foods.

These are just some of the dangers of corn and how it is damaging your health. But did you know that our 80 million acres of corn are also causing serious and permanent damage to the health of the environment?

Pollan cites that modern corn hybrids are the greediest of plants because they need more nitrogen fertilizer and pesticide than any other crop. These chemicals find its way into the groundwater and, in the Midwestern corn belt, into the Mississippi River, and all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, where marine life is dying in a 12,000 square mile area.

Vast amounts of oil and natural gas are also needed to produce the chemicals we apply to our cornfields, which is another way that corn is contributing to pollution.

We should stop sacrificing the health of our bodies and the environment by limiting our corn intake. Eliminating corn from your diet will greatly contribute to your good health and weight loss aspirations. The no grain diet will help you break free from corn and carbohydrate addiction and guide you into selecting the right types of food.

Why Use Whey Protein?

Whey protein is one of the most popular dietary supplements for athletes and bodybuilders. Why? Because whey protein is considered as the richest source of biologically active protein, and proteins are important in maximizing muscle growth.

Whey is a byproduct of the production of cheese. When the milk curdles, and later on, coagulates, the hard portion (casein) and the liquid part, which is whey, are separated.

The liquid turns into a transparent, yellowish-green liquid and is slightly tart in flavor. When the liquid whey dries, it turns into powder, where the nutrients are concentrated.

But whey protein isn’t just for jocks and fitness buffs; it’s a highly-nutritious food that everyone can enjoy. Whey proteins are complex and can provide you with distinct health benefits.

In fact, whey protein is one of the world’s first health foods, as Hippocrates, the Greek recognized as the father of medicine, recommended whey to his patients as early as 420 B.C.

Here are the top reasons why you should include whey protein in your diet:

• Provides more energy by helping you digest and use protein more efficiently – The measure of the efficiency that proteins can be absorbed and utilized by your body is called the Biological Value (BV); the higher the BV, the greater the efficiency. Concentrated whey protein supplements have a BV of around 104 while whey protein in isolated form can reach 170, compared to beef protein (75), milk protein (85) and egg protein (100).
• Contains all the essential amino acids – including glutathione and its precursor, cysteine. Dr. Mercola explains that glutathione is your body’s chief antioxidant and detoxifier. It helps support your immune system, decrease signs of aging, cleanse your liver and support athletic performance. In general, amino acids are important in developing and sustaining new muscle mass.
• Contains immunoglobins, substances that help boost your immune system
• Helps enhance insulin secretion and helps insulin work more efficiently to maintain your blood sugar level after eating.
• Helps promote optimal intake of carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals for your overall wellness.
• May promote weight loss by providing satiety or fullness signals to help you regulate food intake, both short term and long term.
• Helps maintain normal blood pressure levels

A little known fact about whey is that 60 to 80 percent of the protein in breast milk is whey protein, meaning you start experiencing its health benefits as a baby.

A whey protein supplement is an excellent addition to a well-balanced diet – whether you’re a serious athlete or bodybuilder or just want to get fit and healthy.

Whey Protein Powder with Aminogen is an instant, convenient and quality source of protein that gives you that much-needed energy boost to start the day right, sustain you anytime during the day, or help revitalize your muscles after a dynamic workout. It contains an extraordinary, plant-derived enzyme called Aminogen, which helps you absorb amino acids and digest protein more efficiently, promote lean body mass, increase your strength and help your muscles recover after physical activity.

How does it taste? Whey Protein Powder with Aminogen comes in 3 of your favorite flavors – vanilla, chocolate and strawberry – to give you a delicious experience while enjoying the benefits of a “whey” better life.

Make Whey Protein Powder with Aminogen a part of your mornings, workouts or snacks and stay active longer!