Lose Weight Naturally With The Grapefruit Diet

ByMunir Omar

Researchers there found that the simple act of adding grapefruit and grapefruit juice to one's diet can result in weight loss.

The basic idea behind this diet is to eat grapefruit whenever you can, drink a glass of unsweetened grapefruit juice with every meal, add grapefruit to cocktails and also to salads. Grapefruit is supposed to go well with the lean meat from crab and chicken and with vegetables, such as red onions, spinach and celery. The biggest advantage is, of course, the fact that grapefruit is virtually fat-free and has few calories. An entire grapefruit has about 70 calories, which means that you can eat about as much as you can stomach and still lose weight.

The best thing about the Grapefruit Diet is a recent study carried out by a team of scientists led by Doctor Ken Fujioka, from the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center of the Scripps Clinic in San Diego. The study has found that, contrary to the opinions voiced by experts in the 1980s, adding grapefruit and grapefruit juice to your diet can actually help you lose weight. And what's really great about it: you don't have to change your eating habits at all. Naturally, eating less fat and sweets and doing some exercises is a very good way of speeding up the weight loss process, but you don't have to go out of your way with this diet.

The study included 100 obese people who were divided into three groups. The first group ate half a grapefruit before each meal three times a day. The second group drank grapefruit juice before each meal. The third group received no grapefruit. No other changes were made to their diets.

After 12 weeks, those participants who ate grapefruit with each meal lost, on average 3.6lb. Only a third of a pound a week, but pretty good considering they didn't make any other changes to their diet. Meanwhile, those who drank grapefruit juice three times a day lost 3.3lb in the 12 weeks. By comparison, the grapefruit-free participants lost, on average, only 0.5lb.

But weight loss wasn't the only health benefit seen when grapefruit or the juice was consumed. The research also found the grapefruit-consuming participants had lower levels of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels and fat metabolism, which in turn might help to reduce the risk of diabetes or stroke.

The researchers believe grapefruit contains unique plant compounds that reduce insulin levels, which in turn promotes weight loss.

The link between raised insulin levels and excess weight is complicated and multifaceted. To start with, high levels of insulin may indicate that sugar isn't efficiently utilised for energy with the result that it's more likely to be stored as fat. Secondly, high levels of insulin can make people feel hungry so that they eat more. And finally, high levels of insulin prevent the body from breaking down fat. Add these together, and it's easy to see why lower levels of insulin may promote weight loss. What exactly it is in grapefruit that has this insulin-lowering effect remains unclear.

According to the study, eating half a grapefruit before each meal and exercising a bit every day helped a group of obese people drop an average 3.6 pounds in 12 weeks without any change in their eating habits whatsoever. A second group had to drink a glass of grapefruit juice before every meal and lost 3.3 pounds in the same 12 weeks. While it's true that losing 1 pound per month gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "slow diet", you have to appreciate a diet that lets you eat whatever you like and still shed a pound per month. If weight loss is not a stringent affair, then you can stick to this diet for a long time and reap the benefits.

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How to Get Rid of Cellulite Naturally Through Exercise

ByEloise D Reilly

Although getting rid of cellulite may seem like a hopeless cause, there is a way to banish the ugly cottage cheese looking stuff from your thighs. Cellulite is trapped fat that looks like horrible creases of slightly loose skin. Exercise has always been the best solution for any problem area in the body. Sure, it will require commitment but with hard work, you can bid your cellulite goodbye. So if you are wondering how to get rid of cellulite naturally, the answer is simple - exercise!

You really need to exercise every day if you want do away with cellulite. Exercise not just when you feel like it, but every single day. Removing cellulite from your body is a process that doesn't happen overnight so you will need to make a concerted effort to get rid of it. If you exercise, then you don't have to bother spending money on expensive creams that claim to perform miracles (and generally deliver nothing). All you need to do is commit to exercising daily-just 20 minutes or so will do the trick-and in a short while, you will notice a significant difference in the cellulite on your thighs, bum and belly. Aside from getting a great, cellulite-free figure, you will also feel younger and more energized.

How to Get Rid of Cellulite Naturally- Walk it off

Cardio is an effective activity that can help you shed some pounds. However, when it comes to getting rid of cellulite, the best cardio exercise technique for those craters in your thighs is to regularly do some brisk walking. It doesn't seem too rigorous, but you'll be surprised at the amount of workout you will get from walking vigorously. At the right pace, you could burn over 300 calories in just an hour. You can even tone your bum and muscles quickly. To really get that cellulite off, try to walk 1-3 miles per day, six days a week. For added benefit, carry a couple of light dumbbells in your hands as you walk, or else get one of those adjustable weight vests. They're comfortable, and you can really increase your results without adding any extra time to your workout.

Strength Training

When it comes to knowing how to get rid of cellulite naturally, you need to understand that your workouts must also include some strength-training exercises. Walking will certainly help burn fat and tone your body, but doing these additional exercises will seal the deal. Strength training builds muscle and will boost your metabolism, so that more fat is transformed into muscle quickly. Exercises like thigh raises, squats, and lunges will help melt your cellulite away. Lifting dumbbells over your head and some chair dips will also work great for your upper body. Most women tend to neglect this area, but that's a mistake. Why ignore half your body? Exercise it too and half the amount of time it'll take to get the results you want.

Reading about how to get rid of cellulite naturally is the first step. However, if you actually want to see results, you need to take that next step as well. Get moving! Remember, anything is possible so long as you try. On top of exercising, you should also start getting used to eating in a healthy manner. Even if you exercise, you won't see much of a difference if you are stuffing yourself with unhealthy food at the same time. Cellulite can be partially attributed to genetics, but more than 50% of its cause is due to your lifestyle. Therefore, if you really want to get rid of your cellulite, then you need to find a balance in your life by living healthy through exercise and eating proper meals.

It's easy to learn how to get rid of cellulite naturally. You really don't need books, exercise machines and expensive supplements. In fact, all you need is good old fashioned exercise. Learn more about different cellulite treatments in our website.

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