Nuts To You… Just One Way to a Healthy Heart
Dr. John Rumberger

Nuts are readily available and provide a highly nutritious food. In addition to protein, carbohydrate, and fat, nuts contain many other important nutrients: fiber, vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, and magnesium. Although on some food charts you may see nuts listed in the same food category as diary products, eggs, and red meat because of the fat content, new information calls into question this designation.
While nuts do contain a high proportion of fat, tree nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazel nuts, Brazil nuts, and macadamia are actually low in saturated fat. Most of the fat comes in the form of monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, which are considered to be acceptable forms of fat that actually “reduce” the incidence of heart and vascular disease.
Several large studies have examined the relationship between the risk of heart disease and intake of omega-3 fatty acids from plant sources. In the Seventh Day Adventist Health Study researchers found that those who reported eating nuts more than four times per week had a 50% lower risk of heart disease than those who rarely ate nuts. The Nurses’ Health Study found that heart disease risk was reduced by 35% in those who ate nuts compared with those who rarely ate nuts. An addition study found that the risk of type 2 diabetes went down by nearly 1/3 in women who consumed 1/4 cup of nuts five times per week compared to those that did not eat nuts at all.
One recent study looked at almonds in particular. They examined the effects on LDL [“bad”] cholesterol values. Each person served as his own control and they were each on three different “diets”: almonds representing about 1/4 their entire daily calorie intake, OR a “handful” of almonds per day, OR a muffin [containing about the same number of calories as a “full dose” of almonds]. The LDL cholesterol went down about 10% when the subjects took a “full dose” of almonds, went down about 5% with intake of a “handful” of almonds, and did not go down at all with eating a muffin. In those with the higher “dose” of almonds, the “ratio” of bad to good cholesterol [LDL/HDL ratio] went down by 12%.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recognizes nuts [including almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, macadamia, and pistachios] may help to lower your blood cholesterol and may be a very healthy “snack”. However, they also warn that they are a source of calories and should not be used to great excess in those with calorie restricted diets and that you should avoid nuts with added oils or added salt. The AHA recommends eating an overall balanced diet that is high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and includes low-fat [or non-fat] diary products, fish and lean meats. If you add nuts to your diet, just be sure that you don’t inadvertently add considerable total calories – despite the benefits of nuts, maintaining an ideal body weight is more important. Weight is often a simple lesson in physics – what comes in either stays [as increased pounds] or is used up for energy and metabolism [which is increased by a regular exercise program].

Disclaimer: If you are under 18, pregnant, nursing or have health problems, consult your physician before starting any weight loss plan. The information here is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning any course of treatment.

About the Author

Dr. John Rumberger’s experince in the field is extensive, and includes achieving his doctorate in 1976 (Bio-Engineering/ Fluid Dynamics/ Applied Mathematics) from Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, with a dissertation on, A Non-Linear Model of Coronary Artery Blood Flow. He has just completed his book The WAY Diet available on amazon.com or direct through the publisher at http://www.emptycanoe.com

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The second phase of the Atkins diet is called Ongoing Weight Loss or OWL. After the rapid weight loss of the 2-week Induction phase, youll be slowing your weight loss down just a bit. Youll add in specific carbohydrates that will make your diet a little easier and your weight loss just a bit slower. However, you will continue to lose weight at a steady even pace with ease.

During the OWL phase you will boost your bodys ability to burn fats. Although youll be adding carbohydrates slowly, youll still remain in the state of ketosis. You will continue to use your excess fat as fuel for your body, and the pounds and inches will continue to come off.

The OWL phase will also teach you to make better carbohydrate choices. The recipes and guidelines for OWL will increase your knowledge about nutritious food. Youll replace the poor carbohydrate choices that you relied on in the past with new and better choices.

Youll also learn how many carbohydrates you can consume and still lose weight. The process of the OWL phase is an experiment in what your specific body does with carbs. During the OWL phase, youll gradually increase your daily carb intake from the 20-gram level that you used in induction. Each week youll try adding another 5 grams of carbs and then take note of what happens. When weight loss slows too much, youll know that youve exceeded your personal carb limit.

OWL also prepares you for your permanent weight management program (called maintenance). The habits and practices that you develop during OWL will go a long way toward your long-term success. Treat this period of your diet as training for the real test your post diet life.

During the OWL phase, youll still be getting most of your carbohydrates from vegetables (just as you do during Induction). Its important to continue to eat a wide variety of vegetables, as they are good for your overall health and good for maintaining intestinal health during the Atkins diet. You will be able to add more portions of vegetables, and then gradually be able to add nuts, seeds and even berries. However, the main focus of the diet will still be protein.

In a way, the Induction phase is easier than any of the other phases of Atkins. The strict plan always works and always produces weight loss. As you enter the OWL phases, youll need to be more mindful of your carbohydrate count and keep better track of your weight. Youll have more choice and that may lead to more temptations, which could result in a stalling of your weight loss or even weight gain.

Counting carbohydrate grams is critical in your OWL success. If you dont count, you will end up consuming more carbohydrates than you should. However, there are many tools available that can help you with counting. There are several handy, portable books that will tell you the number of grams of carbohydrates in certain foods. Over time, youll know the carb count for your favorite foods instantly.

Counting carbs is also essential during the OWL phase because you are playing detective. You are investigating to find your personal carb count, the amount of carbohydrate grams that you can eat daily and still lose weight. During the first week of OWL, youll move from 20 carbohydrate grams to 25. It is recommended that you add this in the form of more vegetables, like asparagus or cauliflower. Youll continue at the 25-gram level for a week, and then move up to 30 grams a day.

As you increase your carbohydrate gram level, watch your weight closely. If you experience too much of a slowdown, you know youve gone too high. Youll find your maximum carbohydrate gram level when you stop losing weight at all. When this happens, youll know youve reached your limit. Once you discover your personal carb count, drop down below that number if you want to continue losing weight.

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If you are one of the millions of people who is overweight and have to deal with health issues associated with being overweight, you are no doubt anxious to lose the weight as quickly, and safely, as possible. For this reason you may have found yourself wondering if a weight loss supplement could help and hoodia is probably at the top of your list. Hoodia comes in many forms such as capsules, liquids, chewable bites, teas, and even hoodia powder. This article will give you a general overview of what hoodia can do for you as well as some general knowledge about this ‘miracle’ plant.

Hoodia is a plant found in the deserts of South Africa. This plant was used by the natives for centuries to naturally suppress their appetites and thirst when they had to make long journeys across the desert. They claimed that it not only decreased their appetites and thirst but that it also increased their energy levels.

Scientists have isolated the compound that they believe is responsible for the appetite suppressing abilities of the plant and named it P57. This compound is thought to work by sending signals to the brain and tricking it into believing that the body is full thus eliminating the desire for food or drink and ultimately leading to weight loss.

While there are over 20 species of the hoodia plant, only the hoodia gordonii has been shown to possess the appetite suppressant compound. When you are considering buying a hoodia supplement, make sure that you carefully look at the ingredient labels to find out how much hoodia is in each serving. The amounts can range from as little as 250 mg all the way up to 1,000 mg.

The powder form is favored by many since it can be mixed in with a favorite drink and can be absorbed more quickly into the system, thus making the benefits show up faster than with other forms of the supplement. Two types of powder are used: whole plant powder and core powder. Using the whole plant results in a poor product because the actual compound that is useful in appetite suppressant isn’t found in various parts of the plant such as the roots. Core powder is taken for the heart of the plant where the actual compound is found and therefore makes a much higher concentrate and will offer superior results… but it will also cost more.

When you are deciding between brands make sure that you stick with only those that offer C.I.T.E.S certification which indicates that the hoodia gordonii is 100% pure and undiluted.

There is nothing wrong with trying to use all the tools you can to help you get the weight loss results you want and need, and one of those options is pure hoodia powder. Be sure that you are cautious about the brands you use and the expectations you have. Hoodia gordonii can help you keep your appetite in check so you eat less and lose weight, but you still have to do your part. You will need to provide your body with enough nutritious food and water along with regular exercise to really achieve healthy and permanent weight loss.

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One very popular contestant in the weight loss supplement contest is hoodia. What many people don’t realize is that hoodia isn’t a brand, it’s an ingredient. There are dozens of manufacturers that make supplements that contain (or so they claim) hoodia. One of the most popular brands is hoodia diet max, this supplement has been shown to help greatly reduce appetite so weight loss can be achieved more quickly and easily.

If you’re not very familiar with hoodia in general, here is a brief overview of what it is and what it can do:

1. Hoodia is a succulent found only in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. It has been used for centuries by the natives as a way to stave of hunger and thirst when they needed to make treks into the desert.

2. There are over 20 varieties of the hoodia plant but the only one that has been shown to have the appetite suppressing compound (dubbed P57 by scientists) is the hoodia gordonii.

3. The P57 compound is only found in the core of the plant and not in the skin or roots therefore the most effective, and expensive, supplements will use only core hoodia powder as opposed to whole powder.

4. Though there are no known side effects with taking a hoodia supplement you do have to be careful that you eat enough nutritious food and drink plenty of water. Even though you are trying to lose weight you still need to keep your body fueled with enough high nutrition food. With such an effective appetite suppressant you may find that you ‘forget’ to eat, and that’s not good. Make suer you eat enough throughout the day. The same thing applies to drinking enough water since hoodia can also decrease your feelings of thirst making it very east to get dehydrated if you aren’t careful.

5. This supplement isn’t a quick fix, you still have to eat properly and get plenty of exercise. The biggest mistake you can make (and many dieters do make) is to think that they don’t have to make any lifestyle changes and the supplement will do all the work. That’s simply not true, after all it’s called ‘supplement’ for a reason. It’s only intended to supplement your other weight loss efforts.

6. It’s very important that you make sure that the product you are buying is certified that it is 100% pure hoodia. Any product that meets this requirement will have a C.I.T.E.S seal on the label. If the product you are considering doesn’t have that label you should keep looking since it probably isn’t 100% pure.

Hoodia diet max is one of the many brands of hoodia currently on the market. It has a lot of loyal followers that swear by it’s effectiveness in helping them control their appetite thus allowing them to lose weight more quickly and easily. It’s certified and has the C.I.T.E.S. seal on the label so you know it’s pure. Give it a try today and you may find that you are well on your way to your weight loss goals much more quickly than you may have thought possible.

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