Lose Weight And Keep It Off!

Besides winning the lottery, there may not be a more universally shared goal than losing body weight and keeping it off.1 If this is a goal you are after, you may not want to read the rest of today’s piece! That is because brand new research has pointed out that the odds of going from obese to a normal weight and staying there – are vanishingly slim.2, 3 For men, the odds are 1 in 210, and for women the odds are 1 in 124. That’s less than 1% – no matter what gender you are.

So how do we beat these (very depressing) odds? Quite simply, by following a Paleo diet! By consuming foods that are high in satiety and nutrients, we keep hunger at bay, and our body and brain happy.4, 5, 6, 7 Satiety and nutrition are both absolutely vital if long term, sustainable weight loss is one’s goal. As has been seen in scientific studies, a Paleo diet works better than even condition-specific diets (like those seen in patients with diabetes).8 One study sums it up thusly: “The Paleolithic diet might be the best antidote to the unhealthy Western diet.”9

Combining a great diet with a smart exercise routine (like CrossFit) is a great recipe to start stacking these odds in one’s favor.10 As the CrossFit Games are in full swing, we get to see professional athletes at their absolute peak – hopefully inspiring us to spend less time on the couch and more time at the gym. But you do not need to be a CrossFit Games competitor to enjoy a healthy exercise routine. If you are sedentary, just start walking around your neighborhood every day after work. Get your head in the game with baby steps, you’ll feel the difference.11 Once you’ve mastered that, you can progress to higher feats of fitness.

Erickson, Kirk I. et al. “Exercise Training Increases Size of Hippocampus and Improves Memory.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108.7 (2011): 3017–3022. PMC. Web. 27 July 2015.

And even more than exercise, make sure you get plenty of sleep! This overlooked factor allows many to work extremely hard, eat right and still not keep the pounds off. Scientific researchers have known this for years.12 Sleep is an important modulator of neuroendocrine function and glucose metabolism.13Both are usually disrupted when a person becomes obese, so getting them back in line requires eating well, exercise, and plenty of shuteye!

Sleep loss has also been shown to result in metabolic and endocrine alterations, including decreased glucose tolerance, decreased insulin sensitivity, increased evening concentrations of cortisol and increased levels of ghrelin.14 Bottom line: With all of this at play, our chances of losing weight and keeping it off are very slim! We want our body to be insulin sensitive, cortisol lower in the evening, and to express low levels of ghrelin (a key hunger hormone).

Beccuti, Guglielmo, and Silvana Pannain. “Sleep and Obesity.” Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care 14.4 (2011): 402–412. PMC. Web. 27 July 2015.

Patel, Sanjay R., and Frank B. Hu. “Short Sleep Duration and Weight Gain: A Systematic Review.” Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) 16.3 (2008): 643–653. PMC. Web. 27 July 2015.

Finally, sleep loss leads to decreased levels of leptin (one of the main satiety hormones) and increased hunger and appetite.15 So, the longer you go without sleep, the hungrier you get. Stop the cycle by hitting the pillow earlier.

With our world in an ever-increasing obesity pandemic, think of all the healthy ways you can lose weight and keep it off.16, 17, 18, 19, 20 Put your mind to it, don’t let anything stand in your way, and you’ll be on your way, to a leaner, healthier you!

Article Source: http://thepaleodiet.com/lose-weight-and-keep-it-off/

The Top 5 Health Benefits Of Dark Chocolate

Almost everybody likes chocolate. It is usually thought of as a sinful decadence, something we eat when we are choosing to indulge. Chocolate is also synonymous with happiness; do you ever notice people who are eating chocolate always seem happy to be doing so? There’s a good reason for that! Chocolate has been shown to actually raise serotonin levels (the happiness hormone) within the brain. I should clarify here though, there is a huge difference between regular old, overly processed milk chocolate, and dark chocolate that has little or no milk added and significantly less sugar. The best quality dark chocolate has cocoa percentages ranging from 70 to 99%.

Here are the top five benefits of dark chocolate.

1. High Levels Of Antioxidants And Minerals

Did you know that chocolate has one of the highest levels of antioxidants of any other food in the world? Yes, it is definitely a superfood. Antioxidants help to protect the body from free radicals that can cause cancer. Dark chocolate is also loaded with minerals such as: iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, fibre, phosphorous, zinc, and selenium.

2. Relieves Stress

As mentioned above, dark chocolate helps to increase levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which acts as an antidepressant and can lower levels of stress. A study performed by scientists in Switzerland determined that the chemical compounds found in dark chocolate play a key role in improving the stress levels of people who are prone to high stress levels. According to the study, eating 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate daily for two weeks can actually reduce stress hormones. If using dark chocolate to lower stress in your life, make sure it is 85% cocoa or higher.

3. Lowers Cholesterol

The cocoa in dark chocolate has been shown to reduce the “bad” cholesterol (LDL) levels in the blood – which can clog up the veins and inner walls of arteries – allowing for proper arterial function.

There has also been evidence to suggest that dark chocolate can increase the “good” cholesterol (HDL) levels in your body. Low LDL combined with high HDL levels can significantly reduce the risk of cardiac arrest and heart disease.

4. Improves Brain Power

A study conducted at the University of Nottingham determined that consuming dark chocolate can boost the blood flow to the brain for up to three hours. In turn, this improves short-term memory and alertness for short periods of time. Apparently, the cocoa can also help to improve concentration, response time, and memory recall. You should definitely consider eating some dark chocolate while studying for a test and right before taking one!

5. It’s a Delicious Healthy Treat

Dark chocolate (between 75-99%) is something you don’t have to feel guilty about eating. It is actually good for you, and as mentioned above, has numerous amazing health benefits. Meaning, you can eat it and know you’re doing your body a favour! Just be careful not to overdo it because many brands do contain a lot of sugar. Remember, the higher the cocoa percentage, the less sugar it has.

Have you ever had 99% cocoa chocolate? Now that is intense!  You can eat the dark chocolate in bar form, or use cacoa powder or cacoa nibs in smoothies or baking.

Enjoy, much love!

Article Source: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/07/23/the-top-5-health-benefits-of-dark-chocolate/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Collective-evolution+%28Collective+Evolution%29