Lose Belly Fat Fast
Good Trans Fats vs. Bad Trans Fats
There is a distinction between good trans fats and bad trans fats. There is some evidence that the good trans fats can help you with fat loss, muscle building, and even cancer prevention, while the bad trans fats have been shown to cause heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and the general "blubbering" of your body. .
• The Bad Trans Fats are the man-made kind. These are represented by any artificially hydrogenated oils. The main culprits are margarine, shortening, and partially hydrogenated oils that are in most processed foods, junk foods, and deep fried foods. Man-made trans fats are right up there with smoking in terms of their degree of danger to your health!
These hydrogenated oils are highly processed using harsh chemical solvents like hexane (a component of gasoline), high heat, pressure, have a metal catalyst added, and are then deodorized and bleached. A small percentage of the solvent is allowed to remain in the finished oil. This has now become more of an industrial oil rather than a food oil, but somehow the FDA still allows the food manufacturers to put this crap in our food at huge quantities, even with the well documented health dangers.
These hydrogenated oils cause inflammation inside of your body, which signals the deposition of cholesterol as a healing agent on artery walls. Hence, hydrogenated oil = inflammation = clogged arteries. As time goes on, and science continues to unveil how deadly these oils really are, perhaps they'll eventually become illegal and banned from use. Certain countries around the world have already banned the use of hydrogenated oils in food manufacturing or at least set dates to phase them out for good.
However, keep in mind that as companies are starting to phase out the use of hydrogenated oils in processed foods, they are replacing them, in most instances, with highly refined polyunsaturated oils such as soybean oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, etc, etc. These are still heavily processed oils using high heat, solvents, deodorizers, and bleaching agents. Even refined oils are known to produce inflammation in your body... a far cry from natural sources of healthy fats. Don't be fooled by the new onslaught of foods claiming "trans fat free"... if they use heavily refined oils (even if they're non-hydrogenated), it's still pure evil for your body!
Once again, for the best results, avoid highly processed foods altogether and choose whole, natural, minimally processed foods. Your body will thank you!
• The Good Trans Fats are natural and are created in the stomachs of ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, etc. and make their way into the fat stores of the animals. Therefore, the milk fat and the fat within the meat of these animals can provide natural healthy trans fats (best in grass-fed organic versions only). Natural trans fats in your diet have been thought to have some potential benefit to aid in both muscle building and fat loss efforts. However, keep in mind that the quantity of healthy trans fats in the meat and dairy of ruminant animals is greatly reduced by mass-production methods of farming and their grain and soy heavy diets. Meat and dairy from grass-fed, free-range animals always have much higher quantities of these beneficial fats.
One such natural trans fat that you may have heard of is called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and has been marketed by many weight loss companies. Keep in mind that these man-made CLA pills you see in the stores may not be the best way to get CLA in your diet. They are artificially made from plant oils, instead of the natural process that happens in ruminant animals. Once again, man-made just doesn't compare to the benefits of natural sources.
One more important note about food labels and trans fat listings... keep in mind that food manufacturers are allowed to label a food "trans fat free" if 1 serving size contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat. So you may see some products with hydrogenated oils as one of their main ingredients, but if they make the serving size small enough so that it contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, they can label it as trans fat free... so beware!
The author of this article is Michael Geary, a nationally Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist, a recognized International Fitness Expert, contributing writer for Muscle & Fitness Magazine, and author of the internationally-popular "The Truth about Six Pack Abs."
• The Bad Trans Fats are the man-made kind. These are represented by any artificially hydrogenated oils. The main culprits are margarine, shortening, and partially hydrogenated oils that are in most processed foods, junk foods, and deep fried foods. Man-made trans fats are right up there with smoking in terms of their degree of danger to your health!
These hydrogenated oils are highly processed using harsh chemical solvents like hexane (a component of gasoline), high heat, pressure, have a metal catalyst added, and are then deodorized and bleached. A small percentage of the solvent is allowed to remain in the finished oil. This has now become more of an industrial oil rather than a food oil, but somehow the FDA still allows the food manufacturers to put this crap in our food at huge quantities, even with the well documented health dangers.
These hydrogenated oils cause inflammation inside of your body, which signals the deposition of cholesterol as a healing agent on artery walls. Hence, hydrogenated oil = inflammation = clogged arteries. As time goes on, and science continues to unveil how deadly these oils really are, perhaps they'll eventually become illegal and banned from use. Certain countries around the world have already banned the use of hydrogenated oils in food manufacturing or at least set dates to phase them out for good.
However, keep in mind that as companies are starting to phase out the use of hydrogenated oils in processed foods, they are replacing them, in most instances, with highly refined polyunsaturated oils such as soybean oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, etc, etc. These are still heavily processed oils using high heat, solvents, deodorizers, and bleaching agents. Even refined oils are known to produce inflammation in your body... a far cry from natural sources of healthy fats. Don't be fooled by the new onslaught of foods claiming "trans fat free"... if they use heavily refined oils (even if they're non-hydrogenated), it's still pure evil for your body!
Once again, for the best results, avoid highly processed foods altogether and choose whole, natural, minimally processed foods. Your body will thank you!
• The Good Trans Fats are natural and are created in the stomachs of ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, etc. and make their way into the fat stores of the animals. Therefore, the milk fat and the fat within the meat of these animals can provide natural healthy trans fats (best in grass-fed organic versions only). Natural trans fats in your diet have been thought to have some potential benefit to aid in both muscle building and fat loss efforts. However, keep in mind that the quantity of healthy trans fats in the meat and dairy of ruminant animals is greatly reduced by mass-production methods of farming and their grain and soy heavy diets. Meat and dairy from grass-fed, free-range animals always have much higher quantities of these beneficial fats.
One such natural trans fat that you may have heard of is called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and has been marketed by many weight loss companies. Keep in mind that these man-made CLA pills you see in the stores may not be the best way to get CLA in your diet. They are artificially made from plant oils, instead of the natural process that happens in ruminant animals. Once again, man-made just doesn't compare to the benefits of natural sources.
One more important note about food labels and trans fat listings... keep in mind that food manufacturers are allowed to label a food "trans fat free" if 1 serving size contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat. So you may see some products with hydrogenated oils as one of their main ingredients, but if they make the serving size small enough so that it contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, they can label it as trans fat free... so beware!
The author of this article is Michael Geary, a nationally Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist, a recognized International Fitness Expert, contributing writer for Muscle & Fitness Magazine, and author of the internationally-popular "The Truth about Six Pack Abs."
The Hidden Dangers of Your Excess Belly Fat - It's More Serious Than a Vanity Issue!
Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess belly fat? The first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and makes them self conscious about showing off their body. However, what most people don't realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health. Scientific research has clearly demonstrated that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess belly fat. Mehmet Oz, M.D., the famous cardiothoracic surgeon, author, and contributing editor to Oprah magazine agrees.
There are two types of fat that you have in your abdominal area:
- The first type that covers up your abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fatand lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles.
- The second type of fat that you have in your abdominal area is called visceral fat and that lies deeper in the abdomen beneath your muscles and surrounding your organs. Visceral fat also plays a role in giving certain men that "beer belly" appearance where their abdomen protrudes excessively but at the same time, also feels sort of hard if you push on it.
Both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health risk factors, but science has shown that having excessive visceral fat is even more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both of them greatly increase the risk your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases.
Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that it apparently releases more inflammatory molecules into your body on a consistent basis.
If you care about the quality of your life and your loved ones, reducing your belly fat should be one of your TOP priorities! There's just no way around it. Besides, a side-effect of finally getting rid of all of that excessive ugly abdominal fat is that your stomach will flatten out, and if you lose enough stomach fat, you will be able to visibly see those sexy abdominals that everyone wants.
So what gets rid of extra belly fat? Is there actually a REAL solution beyond all of the gimmicks and hype that you see in ads and on commercials for "miracle" fat loss products?
The first thing you must understand is that thereis absolutely NO quick fix solution. There are no pills or supplements of any sort that will help you to lose belly fat fast. Also, none of the gimmicky ab rockers, rollers, or ab belts will help get rid of abdominal fat either. You can't spot reduce your stomach fat by using any of these worthless contraptions. It simply doesn't work that way.
The ONLY solution to consistently lose your abdominal fat and keep it off for good is to combine a sound nutritious diet full of unprocessed natural foods with a properly designed strategic exercise program that stimulates the necessary hormonal and metabolic response within your body. Both your food intake as well as your training program are important if you are to get this right.
Now the important thing to realize is that just any old exercise program will not necessarily do the trick. The majority of people that attempt getting into a good exercise routine are NOT working out effectively enough to really stimulate the loss of stubborn abdominal fat. Most people will do your typical boring ineffective cardio routines, throw in a little outdated body-part style weight training, and pump away with some crunches and side bends, and think that they are doing something useful for reducing their abdominal fat. Then they become frustrated after weeks or months of no results and wonder where they went wrong.
Well, the good news is that after a decade of research on this topic, analyzing the science, and applying it "in the trenches" (thousands of people from all over the world) we know what truly works to really stimulate belly fat loss.
The entire solution... all of the nutritional strategies, as well as training sequences, exercise combinations, and more, have all been compiled in Mike Geary's Truth About Six Pack Abs Program. No, the whole program is NOT abdominal exercises (that is only a very small portion of it). The main point of this program is showing you the absolute most effective strategies for losing your stubborn belly fat, so you can get rid of that dangerous health risk, as well as get a flatter more defined midsection.
If you follow the guidelines, you WILL lose your belly fat that has been plaguing you for years. This is not guesswork... it is a proven system that works time and time again for clients on every corner of the globe that actually apply the information. If you apply it, the results will come. It's really that simple. The only reason most people fail in their fitness goals is that they have good intentions at first to adopt a new lifestyle, yet after a few weeks or months, they abandon their good intentions and slip right back into their old bad habits that gave them the excess body fat in the first place.
I want to help you succeed in finally getting rid of that extra abdominal fat that is not only UGLY, but also DANGEROUS. So don't waste another day allowing that nasty belly fat to kill your confidence as well as contribute to your risk for MAJOR diseases. Learn the best way to lose belly fat!
Michael Geary is a nationally Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist, a recognized International Fitness Expert, contributing writer for Muscle & Fitness Magazine, and author of the internationally-popular "The Truth about Six Pack Abs."
Are Potatoes Friend or Foe?
Many health and fitness professionals trash talk potatoes about being a bad carbohydrate choice because of the high glycemic index. Some even say such ridiculous things as "avoid any and all white carbohydrates." While white bread and refined white sugar are two of the worst things we can be feeding our bodies, avoiding any and all "white carbohydrates" is just plain silly.
While a generalization can be made that most low glycemic index carbohydrate choices will help you lose body fat easier than high glycemic index choices, it is not all that it's cracked up to be. There are many other factors that determine how your body will react-to and process the carbohydrates you ingest, such as glycemic load and also how you combine the high GI food with other foods.
For example, using glycemic load as an example... it is known that watermelon has a high glycemic index. However, the glycemic load of a normal serving of watermelon is just way too low for your body to start packing on body fat just because you ate a high glycemic index fruit. You would have to eat such an enormous quantity of watermelon just to get enough grams of carbohydrates to have any negative glycemic effect, that it is just non-sensical. Not to mention that watermelon is also a great source of vitamins, minerals, and lycopene. There's just no reason to avoid it simply because it has a high GI. Candy bars, cupcakes, and donuts make you fat... NOT watermelons, carrots or potatoes... (french fries excluded, of course!).
Food combinations are important in how your body processes the carbohydrates and the associated blood sugar and insulin response you receive. For example, if you mix a high glycemic index carbohydrate with an extra source of fiber, healthy fats, or even certain proteins, many times the blood sugar and glycemic response will be slowed down considerably by the way you combined the food.
White potatoes are actually a healthy carbohydrate as long as you eat them in the right form... with the entire skin, and please don't ruin them by deep frying them into french fries either! French fries are one of the most evil things ever invented for your health, but only because we ruin them by soaking them in a scorching bath of trans fats in the deep fryer from the hydrogenated oils that are typically used.
Keep in mind that potatoes contain so many vitamins and minerals that the list is way too long to even try. Also, as long as you eat the skins, you get a decent shot of fiber too. So, yes, you can eat potatoes in your effort to lose belly fat fast.
While a generalization can be made that most low glycemic index carbohydrate choices will help you lose body fat easier than high glycemic index choices, it is not all that it's cracked up to be. There are many other factors that determine how your body will react-to and process the carbohydrates you ingest, such as glycemic load and also how you combine the high GI food with other foods.
For example, using glycemic load as an example... it is known that watermelon has a high glycemic index. However, the glycemic load of a normal serving of watermelon is just way too low for your body to start packing on body fat just because you ate a high glycemic index fruit. You would have to eat such an enormous quantity of watermelon just to get enough grams of carbohydrates to have any negative glycemic effect, that it is just non-sensical. Not to mention that watermelon is also a great source of vitamins, minerals, and lycopene. There's just no reason to avoid it simply because it has a high GI. Candy bars, cupcakes, and donuts make you fat... NOT watermelons, carrots or potatoes... (french fries excluded, of course!).
Food combinations are important in how your body processes the carbohydrates and the associated blood sugar and insulin response you receive. For example, if you mix a high glycemic index carbohydrate with an extra source of fiber, healthy fats, or even certain proteins, many times the blood sugar and glycemic response will be slowed down considerably by the way you combined the food.
White potatoes are actually a healthy carbohydrate as long as you eat them in the right form... with the entire skin, and please don't ruin them by deep frying them into french fries either! French fries are one of the most evil things ever invented for your health, but only because we ruin them by soaking them in a scorching bath of trans fats in the deep fryer from the hydrogenated oils that are typically used.
Keep in mind that potatoes contain so many vitamins and minerals that the list is way too long to even try. Also, as long as you eat the skins, you get a decent shot of fiber too. So, yes, you can eat potatoes in your effort to lose belly fat fast.
How to Dress to Cover Up Belly Fat
Many women have concerns how to cover up unwanted belly fat when they dress. An understandable conclusion that many have is to cover up everything in large, loose clothing. But what you should be looking for are well-fitting clothes that give you a streamlined look. Don't hide away in sweat suits when you can dress to feel your best, especially if you're working hard to lose belly fat permanently.
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- Wear clothes that fit you well, and aren't too tight or too loose. Tight clothes will cling to bulges, emphasizing them more. Loose, oversized clothes will just make you look larger.
- Choose tops that draw attention away from the belly area. Empire-seamed tops (when a seam runs right under the bustline) draw attention upwards, while the fabric under the seam floats away from the body, camouflaging a larger belly. V-neck tops elongate the torso.
- Wear pants that have flat, not pleated, fronts. Pleats only add more volume. Women's pants that have a side zipper and a flat front give a slimming illusion. Do not wear tight pants to "hold in" extra fat.
- Find jackets that fit well in the shoulders and can button over the stomach area. Choose jackets that fall to mid-hip. Well-fitting jackets are flattering because they accentuate your shoulders, making them look wider, which draws attention away from the belly.
- Wear skirts and dresses that have a slight A-line shape. The flare helps to balance out a larger stomach.
- Avoid tops that have large patterns which will draw attention to your stomach. Instead, select small patterns that can camouflage bulges.
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How Does Drinking Alkaline Water Helps Fight Disease and Aging?
If you're serious about your health, you'll want to drink ionized alkaline water. Pure clean "super" water that is FREE of chemicals helps fight the effects of aging and disease. Medical studies have recognized for years that the average human body contains acidity levels that can be harmful to good health. These unhealthy levels are due to the American diet being comprised mostly of pasteurized and processed foods and soft drinks. This acidic condition creates an ideal environment in our body for disease to thrive. Accumulated acid waste in the joints encourages inflammation and arthritis. Because it is very alkaline, Ionized Water dissolves accumulated acid waste and returns the body to a balance. Therefore, drinking ionized Alkaline water is the first line of defense in fighting any disease.
Read more about the benefits of drinking alkaline water and you'll be amazed! Drink nature's best antioxidant by the glass, use it for cooking, to brew coffee, tea, beer, even water your plants with it. The MMP – 7070 Turbo water ionizer from TyentUSA turns ordinary tap water into chemical free super water! Learn more about the powerful benefits of a Tyent water ionizer today
- Alkalizes Your Body: Ionized water balances the acidity of the body and makes it harder for diseases and viruses to take hold and develop.
- Hydrates Your Body: Ionized water transports vitamins, minerals and nutrients through your body at a much faster rate than normal tap water
- Neutralizes Free Radicals: Ionized water is a powerful anti-oxidant; it neutralizes the free radicals in your body.
- Cleans the Colon and Eliminates the Root of Sickness: Ionized water cleanses your colon which may include poisoning fecal matter from days, weeks, months.
- Alkaline/Ionized Water: Has been known to help treat constipation, diabetes, dry skin, high blood pressure, indigestion, obesity, osteoporosis, tension headaches and many other ailments.
Read more about the benefits of drinking alkaline water and you'll be amazed! Drink nature's best antioxidant by the glass, use it for cooking, to brew coffee, tea, beer, even water your plants with it. The MMP – 7070 Turbo water ionizer from TyentUSA turns ordinary tap water into chemical free super water! Learn more about the powerful benefits of a Tyent water ionizer today
Increase Overall Fat Burning Using 4 Simple Tips!
Of course you're trying to lose belly fat, but who doesn't want to burn more fat overall and from just about everywhere on the body? Here are 4 tips to help you do it...
TIP 1 Ditch the Starch Most Days. Starches, such as rice, potatoes, some veggies, oats, etc. are often considered "health foods." While they can be healthy, they can also pack on belly body fat like crazy if you overdo them. Timing is everything. Take a "weekly" approach to starchy foods rather than a daily approach. This keeps your metabolism guessing. If your body cannot figure out what you're up to, fat burning is that much more powerful. And you can get by with eating starches... but not every single day.
TIP 2 Can the Sodas. This one can be really hard because it means ALL sodas, both "real" sodas AND diet. Real pop is loaded with sugar. But why should you not drink diet-sodas? A recent study revealed that people who drank diet sodas actually increased body fat when compared to those who drank sugar sodas. Your body cannot be fooled by aspartame and chemicals. Sorry, but that's the truth.
TIP 3 Cardio Clarity. Hours of cardio a day is not the answer. However, a "light" cardio (i.e. brisk walking, or riding the bike at 60% of your max) just to burn off calories is great. You can walk outside or do it on a treadmill indoors... it's not too boring if you're watching a TV show or listening to music at the same time. Walking burns off about 400 calories an hour.
TIP 4 Get Raw at Night. Raw veggies with your last meal and as a snack will really help your fat burning along. Try red peppers if you like something a little sweet, but virtually every veggie eaten raw at night will help. Bon Appetit!
Tips from Jon Benson, Nutrition, Fitness and Fat-loss Specialist
TIP 1 Ditch the Starch Most Days. Starches, such as rice, potatoes, some veggies, oats, etc. are often considered "health foods." While they can be healthy, they can also pack on belly body fat like crazy if you overdo them. Timing is everything. Take a "weekly" approach to starchy foods rather than a daily approach. This keeps your metabolism guessing. If your body cannot figure out what you're up to, fat burning is that much more powerful. And you can get by with eating starches... but not every single day.
TIP 2 Can the Sodas. This one can be really hard because it means ALL sodas, both "real" sodas AND diet. Real pop is loaded with sugar. But why should you not drink diet-sodas? A recent study revealed that people who drank diet sodas actually increased body fat when compared to those who drank sugar sodas. Your body cannot be fooled by aspartame and chemicals. Sorry, but that's the truth.
TIP 3 Cardio Clarity. Hours of cardio a day is not the answer. However, a "light" cardio (i.e. brisk walking, or riding the bike at 60% of your max) just to burn off calories is great. You can walk outside or do it on a treadmill indoors... it's not too boring if you're watching a TV show or listening to music at the same time. Walking burns off about 400 calories an hour.
TIP 4 Get Raw at Night. Raw veggies with your last meal and as a snack will really help your fat burning along. Try red peppers if you like something a little sweet, but virtually every veggie eaten raw at night will help. Bon Appetit!
Tips from Jon Benson, Nutrition, Fitness and Fat-loss Specialist
Do Artificial Sweeteners Make You Fat?
There seems to be a lot of confusion and misconceptions revolving around non-caloric sweeteners. You might have noticed that a great deal of products that contain artificial sweeteners are marketed as "healthy foods" or "healthier" than sugar or corn syrup sweetened products. But are they really? The most popular artificial sweeteners on the market today are: Splenda (sucralose), Aspartame, Saccharine, and Acesulfame Potassium (aka - acesulfame K).
These artificial sweeteners are used in abundance in almost every "diet" drink, "lite" yogurts, puddings, and ice creams, most "low-carb" products, and almost all "reduced-sugar" products. Heck, even most protein powders are loaded with artificial sweeteners too (just look on the ingredients and you'll usually see one or more of them). Splenda is probably one of the worst offenders of claiming to be "healthy" as they say that it's made from real sugar. Don't be fooled! It's still an artificial substance. What they don't tell you is that Splenda is actually a chemically modified substance where chlorine is added to the chemical structure, making it more similar to a chlorinated pesticide than something we should be eating or drinking.
The truth is that artificial sweeteners are not even close to being healthy, and can easily be just as bad for you, if not worse, than sugar or corn syrup. Most people think that they are doing something good for themselves by choosing the "diet" drinks or "lite" yogurts compared to the sugar-laden versions, but the problem is that you're exposing yourself to a whole new set of problems with the artificially sweetened drinks and foods. The fact is, artificial sweeteners vs. sugar or corn syrup is really just a battle between two evils. Which evil is worse?
You already know the problems with sugar or high fructose corn syrup sweetened products. The excess empty calories, blood sugar spike, and resulting insulin surge this creates in your body not only promotes fat gain, but also stimulates your appetite further, making things even worse. On the other hand, artificial sweeteners save you calories, but there's growing evidence that they can increase your appetite for sweets and other carbohydrates causing you to eat more later in the day anyway. Therefore, you don't really save any calories at all. Also, studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can stimulate high insulin levels in your body too, which again can promote fat storage.
All of the 4 artificial sweeteners listed above are nasty chemicals that the human body is simply not meant to ingest. However, most of us are ingesting a whole lot of these chemicals on a daily basis. Aside from the problems discussed above, other health issues that have been related to artificial sweeteners in scientific studies as well as observations are:
So what are your options for alternatives? Well, your best alternatives for sugar or corn syrup are either raw honey, organic maple syrup, or even a little-known high antioxidant syrup called sorghum syrup (common in the southern US). Even though these alternatives still have the same amount of calories as sugar or corn syrup... honey, organic maple syrup, and sorghum syrup actually provide some nutrients and antioxidants, so it's not just empty calories. Empty calories stimulate your appetite more because your body is lacking nutrients.
If you still want to save on calories and avoid the nasty artificial sweeteners, try Stevia. It is not artificial like the other chemical sweeteners. Stevia is a natural non-caloric herb. It is a South American herb and when dried into a powder, has a sweetness about 200-300 times stronger than sugar. Since Stevia is a very powerful sweetener, so you can easily use too much. Do yourself a favor (and your family), and if you are currently an artificial sweetener junkie, please consider switching to stevia. You can use it in your coffee or tea, to sweeten up plain yogurt, add to smoothies for extra sweetness, on cereals or oatmeal, in baking, or where ever else you might need a sweetener but want to reduce the sugar content.
Michael Geary is a nationally Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist, a recognized International Fitness Expert, contributing writer for Muscle & Fitness Magazine, and author of the internationally-popular "The Truth about Six Pack Abs."
These artificial sweeteners are used in abundance in almost every "diet" drink, "lite" yogurts, puddings, and ice creams, most "low-carb" products, and almost all "reduced-sugar" products. Heck, even most protein powders are loaded with artificial sweeteners too (just look on the ingredients and you'll usually see one or more of them). Splenda is probably one of the worst offenders of claiming to be "healthy" as they say that it's made from real sugar. Don't be fooled! It's still an artificial substance. What they don't tell you is that Splenda is actually a chemically modified substance where chlorine is added to the chemical structure, making it more similar to a chlorinated pesticide than something we should be eating or drinking.
The truth is that artificial sweeteners are not even close to being healthy, and can easily be just as bad for you, if not worse, than sugar or corn syrup. Most people think that they are doing something good for themselves by choosing the "diet" drinks or "lite" yogurts compared to the sugar-laden versions, but the problem is that you're exposing yourself to a whole new set of problems with the artificially sweetened drinks and foods. The fact is, artificial sweeteners vs. sugar or corn syrup is really just a battle between two evils. Which evil is worse?
You already know the problems with sugar or high fructose corn syrup sweetened products. The excess empty calories, blood sugar spike, and resulting insulin surge this creates in your body not only promotes fat gain, but also stimulates your appetite further, making things even worse. On the other hand, artificial sweeteners save you calories, but there's growing evidence that they can increase your appetite for sweets and other carbohydrates causing you to eat more later in the day anyway. Therefore, you don't really save any calories at all. Also, studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can stimulate high insulin levels in your body too, which again can promote fat storage.
All of the 4 artificial sweeteners listed above are nasty chemicals that the human body is simply not meant to ingest. However, most of us are ingesting a whole lot of these chemicals on a daily basis. Aside from the problems discussed above, other health issues that have been related to artificial sweeteners in scientific studies as well as observations are:
- some have been linked to potential cancer risks
- negative effects on the liver, kidneys, and other organs
- stimulating cravings
- gastrointestinal problems
- developmental problems in children and fetuses
- headaches
So what are your options for alternatives? Well, your best alternatives for sugar or corn syrup are either raw honey, organic maple syrup, or even a little-known high antioxidant syrup called sorghum syrup (common in the southern US). Even though these alternatives still have the same amount of calories as sugar or corn syrup... honey, organic maple syrup, and sorghum syrup actually provide some nutrients and antioxidants, so it's not just empty calories. Empty calories stimulate your appetite more because your body is lacking nutrients.
If you still want to save on calories and avoid the nasty artificial sweeteners, try Stevia. It is not artificial like the other chemical sweeteners. Stevia is a natural non-caloric herb. It is a South American herb and when dried into a powder, has a sweetness about 200-300 times stronger than sugar. Since Stevia is a very powerful sweetener, so you can easily use too much. Do yourself a favor (and your family), and if you are currently an artificial sweetener junkie, please consider switching to stevia. You can use it in your coffee or tea, to sweeten up plain yogurt, add to smoothies for extra sweetness, on cereals or oatmeal, in baking, or where ever else you might need a sweetener but want to reduce the sugar content.
Michael Geary is a nationally Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist, a recognized International Fitness Expert, contributing writer for Muscle & Fitness Magazine, and author of the internationally-popular "The Truth about Six Pack Abs."