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It seems like reports are coming out linking autism to vaccines. I had never put any thought into it, but it seems like there's a link there. It could however be like Pirates and Global Warming where the two are unrelated coincidences.
The big news is that the United States government seems to be conceding a connection by compensating the family of a girl who has autism-like symptoms. The ...
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<h3>Supercharging your weight loss with the South Beach diet isn’t easy, but it may be worth it.</h3>
Although many diets come and go every year, the South Beach diet has managed to stay on top for a very long time. Some people swear by it, others can’t stand it and don’t get any results. While each one of us is different, there are specific diets that can be useful for most people. Let’s take a look at whether or not the South Beach diet may be right for you.
First, it’s a good idea to look at your long term goals as well as your short term goals. The South Beach diet is about losing weight quickly, but it is also about retraining your eating habits. If you want to keep the weight that you lose off, you’re going to have to stick to your modified diet. This is perhaps the component of this diet that is so difficult for many people.
Your first two weeks on the South Beach diet will be the hardest. During this phase, you are required to cut out all sugars and all flours. Basically, anything with a carb in it is a big no-no. This means fruit, juice and many other foods. This is very difficult for a lot of people and during this phase you may not feel the best physically. In fact, most people don’t make it beyond the two week period, simply because it is just so hard.
Those that do are allowed to enter phase two of the diet plan. During this phase you are allowed to slowly reintroduce fruit, pasta and whole grains into your diet. However, white flour may be banned permanently from your life. This is a big lifestyle change for many people and it is very difficult to adjust. I’ve tried it a couple of times and couldn’t pull it off.
If you have any sort of health illness, if you are a diabetic or you have problems with your blood sugar, I might think twice about the South Beach diet. The first two weeks can wreak havoc on your sugar levels and you may experience hypoglycemic attacks. It is best to consult with your doctor if you are interested in this diet (or any diet) and do have issues with your blood sugar. Since you are cutting out carbs, your body will be going through some changes and you may have more keytones present in your urine. I’ve heard that for diabetics, this may be a dangerous problem.
The South Beach diet does seem to get results for those that are able to stick with and modify their lifestyles. If you have trouble with will power, this diet may not be right for you. It may be best to stick with a gradual change diet that will allow you to slowly adapt to a healthier lifestyle.
Perhaps starting the South Beach Diet on a vacation when you don’t have to worry so much about productivity at work is a good idea. You may feel pretty lousy for those first two weeks. Then again who wants to have a lousy two weeks of vacation?
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Posted by Lazy Man on August 6, 2008
in Nutrition.
Is Alli the magic weight loss diet pill we’ve been looking for?
Despite the fact that most of us understand that losing weight is the product of fewer calories in and more calories burned, it doesn’t mean that we don’t wish weight loss came in an easy pill form. Alli is one of the first over-the-counter medications for weight loss that has been approved by the FDA. As always discuss this pill with your doctor before taking it to ensure safety. Truth be told, I thought about taking it 18 months ago when news of it’s approval came out.
What is Alli
Alli isn’t a completely new face on the market. It’s a new brand name for a low dose treatment of Xenical, which is a prescription medication. By reducing the amount of Xenical in each pill, the new formula was approved for sale without a prescription. Since so many people have experienced significant weight loss with Xenical, the availability of Alli was big news.
Potential Alli Results
While it is not a magic pill, the results for those taking Alli have been very good so far. When combined with a low calorie diet and exercise plan, those taking the pill have the potential to lose 50% more weight than those that do not take the pill, according to GlaxoSmithKline. This is can be pretty significant for those who have a lot of weight to lose. For those that are frustrated with their seeming inability to lose weight, this may be a great tool to add to your arsenal.
Recommended Use of Alli
The manufacturer recommends taking three 60 mg pills a day, each one with a meal. Each meal should be composed of less than 15% fat. This may be difficult for a lot of people however, especially if they are not used to reading labels or paying attention to the fat grams in their food. Calculating may be tough for some, and this may be the biggest barrier to the pills acceptance.
How Alli Works
The main premise behind the pill is that it blocks the absorption of fat, and thus calories, in approximately 25% of the food you eat. For example, if you are eating 1200 calories and taking this pill, it would be similar to actually eating 900 calories. The fat that is not absorbed by your body is then eliminated through the natural process.
Alli Side Effects
As with Xenical, this “natural process” can be a problem. Common side effects are listed as uncontrolled urination and bowel movements. Since the dosage is still pretty high with Alli, these side effects are still present. It is a good idea to still check with your doctor to see if you need to adjust your dosage before taking the pill. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not go through life worrying about uncontrollable urination or bowel movements, so it is vital to read the instructions carefully and make sure that you follow them to the letter.
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Posted by Lazy Man on August 5, 2008
in Supplements, Weight Loss.
Selecting a gym can be confusing. These tips for choosing a gym will help you.
If you’re ready to get in shape, one of the easiest ways is to go down to the local gym and sign up for some classes. If you live in a bigger city where there a lot of different gyms, it can be pretty tough to find the right one. Here are some tips to make your search a lot easier.
- Visit the gym as a guest - Before you spend any money on a gym membership, try to get access as a guest for a few days. Most any gym worth it’s salt will give you a 7-day trial. You’ll be able to get a feel for the different classes, see if the staff is friendly and learn more about what they have to offer. If you feel comfortable there, then you can move forward to become a member. If not, you won’t have wasted any money on your membership.
- Inspect the equipment - Not all gyms will have the latest equipment, so it is a very good idea to take a walk through and make sure that everything is operational. A good gym will keep the machines clean and in working order. If you see a lot of broken equipment, or it appears overly worn, the best choice is to find another option.
- Location, location, location - Just like real estate, finding a gym is largely related to location. When you’re working out either on the way to or from work, it’s all too easy to put it off if the gym is too far out of the way. Try to find a gym that is as close as possible either to your home or your place of work. You’ll save money on gas and it will be a lot easier to get there. In addition, if you’re not in the car the whole time, you’ll have more time to devote to your workout.
- Classes and training - If you’re interested in strength training or aerobics, you’ll want to find a gym that has the right classes for you. My wife loves her Body Pump class. Smaller gyms may have a pretty inflexible schedule, but the larger ones will offer a variety of different classes throughout the day. Try to find the gym that has the best classes at a time when you can attend. Alternatively, you can see if they make personal trainers available, but they almost always cost extra.
- Value for your dollar - This is probably the biggest factor for most people. Gym memberships can be expensive and the terms can be pretty tough. It’s best to find a gym that will offer you a month-to-month agreement if possible (but you’ll likely have to pay extra for it). Otherwise, you may be legally bound to keep paying your membership fee, even if you’re not using the facility any more.
- Reputation - We recommend checking with your state’s Better Business Bureau before signing any agreement with a gym. You can search by name or phone number and learn if there are any complaints about the gym. This can save you a lot of time and money.
Photo Credit: kthypryn
This post deals with:
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Posted by Lazy Man on August 4, 2008
in Exercise.
Looking to eat a lot of meat in Los Angeles? Check out Mastro’s and Fogo De Chao.
Earlier today, I mentioned a recent trip to Los Angeles. There I reviewed Gordon Ramsay at the London and Noe Restaurant. I thought I’d follow that up with a couple of Atkins friendly dining experiences that we had from the same trip.
Mastro’s Steakhouse Reviewed
Like any good steakhouse, they make sure the steak is great. My wife had the Filet Mignon and said it was one of the best steaks she’s ever had. I had the prime rib (I know it’s horrible for you with tons of saturated fat). It was up there, but I can’t say it was the best I’ve had. If you aren’t on an Atkin’s diet, I highly recommend the macaroni and cheese. It was the best I’ve had in some time. The food was plentiful - we had enough for two meals. The service was incredible, just very nice, friendly people. We walked out of the restaurant thinking that it was one of the best meals we had it long time. From a price perspective, we paid around $160 and thought it was a very good value compared to Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant.
Fogo de Chao Reviewed
Fogo de Chao is a Brazilian churrascaria. I’ve been to several Brazilian churrascarias and they always seem to have a couple of things in common. It’s all-you-can-eat (dangerous for any diet), and the waitstaff brings big cuts of meat to the table. You get several types of steak, chicken, lamb, pork, almost anything that was living and part of a standard American diet. In the past I’ve been Texas de Brazil (Aruba), Churrascaria Plataforma (New York City) and a couple of smaller ones in Massachusetts.
I first heard about Fogo de Chao from Jim’s review. Since I’m a huge fan of Texas de Brazil, I knew that I’d have to give it a try if I had the chance. I have to say that it was good, but probably a little shade behind Texas de Brazil. I think the cuts of meat were just better there. However Fogo de Chao did have some outstanding bread with cheese baked in. (Perhaps they could have provided some gravy to complete the clogging of my arteries.) We ended up spending close to $150 again for dinner, blowing our dining out budget for some time.
Here are some links from the Fitness Health Network that I liked this week:
- J.D. went to physical therapy this week. When he talked about being out of balance, I instantly thought of my Wii Fit. It talks about how important balance really is. Perhaps J.D. can add a little more Wii Fit into his stretching routine.
- Perhaps J.D. can also use some tips on preventing runner’s knee from WeightLadder. I don’t think that’s really his problem, but it can’t help to be proactive.
- No Calories Needed is looking for the best way to cook chicken. If health is your only concern, I’d say boiling it. However, the result is often dry, flavorless chicken. Instead I just go with the George Foreman grill. I will marinate it in lemon juice and use some garlic powder when cooking it. Yum!
- Journal of Healthy Living talks about avocados as a superfood. It wasn’t until I moved to California that I found that avocado is fantastic food.
- Fat Man Unleashed writes about the ultimate bicep. If it’s anything like the photo, I’ll stick with my own biceps, thanks.
This post deals with:
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Posted by Lazy Man on August 3, 2008
in Review, links.
I review the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells. How does it fair?
If you’ve got limited space for your gym equipment, or you are just trying to save money by thinking small, the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells
may be the perfect answer to your problems. These innovative new weights are comparable to a full 16 piece set and at just a little over $350, they are very economical. Are the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells all that they are cracked up to be? Let’s take a look!
First off, you’ll be getting two weights that look pretty simple. However, thanks to their unique design, you can adjust each one from five pounds all the way up to fifty. Each weight comes with plates that are adjusted with the dial system that is built in. You can start off with five pounds and then add weight in 2.5 pound increments until you reach 25 pounds. Each dumbbell is very compact. There is a five year warranty on the plates with a one year warranty on labor. (I’m not sure I’ve seen a labor warranty on a set of weights until now.)
When I tested Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells out, I found that the weights were very well made. I was concerned about the dial, but it seemed to hold up well to stress making me feel that it is as well made as the rest of the weight. This was an area that could have been a problem for the weights, but it seems as though they considered this ahead of time to cut down on complaints.
The one major problem that we found with the weights was that they were a little bit too big for dumbbells. While the overall concept is great, they are a bit bulky for many exercises and you may find that they get in the way. This is particularly true if you have shorter arms. Those that are quite big and tall may not experience this issue. I would have liked to have seen them come in a bit narrower design to take care of this issue.
The dial mechanism may be a bit confusing for some. Each weight comes with two and they rotate in opposite directions. This can be little annoying when you’re trying to increase the intensity of your workout and you have to drop everything to get them calibrated. In addition, the plates seem to shift quite a bit and if you’re not using the right form, it can be easy to get thrown off balance.
Overall, I’d give the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells a solid B+ for the idea, but a B for overall implementation. There are a few issues that could easily be corrected. I’ve seen cheaper versions on the market, so if price is a concern, that might be an option. The concept is terrific and in theory they sound great. In practice however, they just fall a bit short of where they could be. However, if you don’t have a lot of space, they may be just what you are looking for, particularly if you were blessed with longer arms and some patience to get them dialed in perfectly.
This post deals with:
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Posted by Lazy Man on August 1, 2008
in Review.
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