Best Weight Loss for Women: April 2016

Exercise & Water: Getting it in and Making It Count!

EXERCISE and WATER : GETTING IT IN and MAKING IT COUNT!

Exercise and water are an important part of any diet program. You cannot succeed without them.

If you want to lose weight you have to get rid of the fat and strengthen your muscles. This is how you'll get a healthy body.

A lot of us don't like diet or exercise though. So how can you get past that hurdle so you can reach the finish line?

Find Something You Love To Do

If you find something that you love to do, it's not going to seem like exercise. The reason why is simple: you're having so much fun doing it you don't realize you're burning calories.

Here are a few suggestions for exercises that are fun and help you burn calories:

? Belly dancing:

Learn a new art form while expressing yourself! Belly dancing is for women of all sizes. It helps to boost your confidence and connect with other cultures. You can burn up to 400 calories an hour. That doesn't seem like a lot, but you are working muscles all over your entire body, so it counts as a full body workout.

? Moshing:

Yes, this counts as a style of dance and exercise. You can burn up to 750 calories in an hour just jumping around to your favorite music. So turn up the volume and rock on!

? Gardening/yard work:

It's hard work digging around in dirt and planting things. If you've got a vegetable garden or a flower bed and you work in it regularly, that counts as exercise. You can burn up to 400 calories working in your garden. If you're raking leaves or mowing the lawn, expect to burn between 350 to 400 calories an hour.

? Swimming/water aerobics:

Being in the water renders you weightless, but you're still moving around. You can burn up to 600 calories per session. Who doesn't love splashing around in a pool?

Remember, the key is to find an activity that you enjoy that doesn't feel like you're burning calories. It can be bike riding, hiking or even just walking around the mall. The point is to get active and stay active.

Use Water Recipes

If you hate water, you may be tempted to substitute it for zero calorie drinks. Unfortunately you can't always do this. Your body needs plain water in order to flush your system of fat, toxins and other impurities. So you have to find a way to get plain water in without resorting to drinking diet soda instead.

Fortunately there are a couple of ways that you can do this without gagging or frowning every time you bring the cup to your lips.

? Add a splash of juice:

Here's a trick that many people still use in order to get their water in. Buy some no sugar added juice. Add ¾ cup of water to ¼ cup of juice. People usually use this for cranberry flush drinks, because cranberry juice is a great way to clean out your system. But don't rely on this system to get all of your water in. Juice is high in calories and sugar, so you should use it sparingly.

? Add some fruit/veggies:

There are plenty of recipes online for water flavored by soaking fruits and vegetables in it. One popular recipe calls for cucumber and lemon. There is even a recipe for apple cinnamon water. Experiment to find out what's right for you, or look up some more recipes online.

? Buy flavored water:

A lot of companies are starting to sell zero calorie flavored water. This water doesn't have any sugar or sweeteners (natural or otherwise) added to it. It's just fruit flavored water. This counts as water because it's just like fruit fusion water.

A good rule of thumb for buying water is to look at the label. If it says "water beverage" it isn't water. It's just a water based drink. You should also look at the nutritional facts on the bottle. If it's got sodium in it, you should probably avoid it. Too much sodium in your diet can make you thirsty; not to mention purposefully adding sodium in water defeats the purpose of drinking water in the first place.

Please keep in mind that sparkling water with sweetener is not water. An example of this would be Sparkling Ice waters. They can be found in nearly any grocery store. Even though they are zero calorie drinks, they're not water. If you read the ingredients you'll see why they don't count as water. They can be used as a substitute for soda though.

It may be difficult to get in your water and exercise but there are ways to work around these hurdles.

You will need to keep an open mind and be ready to try new things. You never know what you may wind up discovering.

Do We Really Need Supplements?

DO WE REALLY NEED SUPPLEMENTS?

While you are "going down a different road", because you have found The Venus Factor and you are really excited that it is going to FINALLY make changes to your health and well-being you are probably looking at other options that might support and / or enhance your journey; so I have been able to find some great advice / information about health related matters that will increase your knowledge and support what you are achieving with VF.

Walk down the health food aisle of any supermarket and you'll notice there's a ridiculous amount of supplements on the market.

But do we need them?

For most people who follow a well balanced diet the answer is probably no.

Food is the best source of nutrients, and if you have a varied diet it's likely you're getting everything you need.

Unfortunately there's a lot of marketing that goes into these products, and it can be easy to be convinced that you need to pay money for something your body is already getting. So when are supplements necessary?

Well, supplements are advisable when the required amount of a particular nutrient isn't being obtained through food.

Some examples of this includes vitamin B12 supplements for vegans, as vitamin B12 is only available through the consumption of animal products or fortified foods.

Iron supplements may also be required for vegetarians and vegans, but only if there is a deficiency. This can be identified through a blood test.

Pregnant women, or those trying to conceive, are advised to take folate supplements as most women don't get the required amounts through food.

This is something that should be discussed with your GP. (Family doctor).

Calcium and vitamin D may also be required for those who do not obtain enough from their diet, or for thoise who have osteoporosis.

Again, this should be discussed with your GP before you start on a supplement.

The other issue with supplements is that because they don't require a prescription, and are often seen as being "natural", we're not as careful with them as we should be.

It's important to remember that supplements do have their risks and potential side effects. some supplements interact with prescribed medications, and there's also the potential for toxicity issues if they are over consumed.

For these reasons you should always speak to your doctor before starting on any supplements, and remember the best supplement is a well balanced diet.

This post is from : westernweekender.com.au

Publish date : March 3, 2016
The author is Kate Reid. She can be contacted on Twitter : @kate_reid6

Kate is a journalist and qualified Nutritionist with a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition) Degree from the University of Wollongong.

Kate does not have any affiliation with this website and does not necessarily agree with the claims of the Venus Factor program. I am just a fan of health and dietary issues she chooses to write about and think they are worth sharing.

Minor additions / changes to the content of this article by the website Administrator are presented as :
"the text is shown in black Italics"

What's on the Menu with the Venus Factor?

VARIETY AND SPICE : WHAT'S ON THE MENU WITH THE VENUS FACTOR?

Different diets only allow you to eat certain things. Some diets make you cut out carbs. Other diets make you cut out sweets or alcohol. This causes people to have trouble with these diets because they have to get rid of their favorite things cold turkey.

The Venus Factor is completely different. You'll be happy to know that you can eat whatever you like on this diet. You don't have to do all of those crazy substitutes for sweeteners or sodas or anything else. This diet is built around enjoying yourself - but in moderation.

Fruits & Veggies

There is no restriction on fruits and vegetables. Some diets will tell you to avoid fruits because they're filled with sugar, but the Venus Factor does not. Fruits have natural sugars that are turned into carbs. You need the nutrients in fruit in order to stay healthy and keep yourself from being hungry.

The same thing applies with vegetables. There are no “good” or “bad” vegetables. There are only vegetables. Starchy vegetables, like green beans and peas, are just as good as leafy and green vegetables like broccoli and kale. As long as you eat your vegetables, it doesn't matter what type they are.

One thing you should remember is that corn and potatoes are not vegetables. They're starches. You can eat these too but try to get in more vegetables. Don't fill up on starch. You won't succeed on any diet like that.

Protein

Any type of protein is allowed. One thing they do caution you about is peanuts and soy.

Soy is a nut but it's also a protein. Soy tends to have a negative effect on some women. It can actually slow down their weight loss. If you drink soy milk you may have to watch your progress to see if it's affecting your weight loss.

Another thing that they caution you against is peanuts. You can have peanuts but you can't eat a lot of them. Peanuts are high in calories, and since the Venus Factor is about counting calories, you need to watch how many peanuts (or how much peanut butter) you eat.

Other than that, you can eat any type of protein you want. Most women opt to eat leaner meat in order to reduce their calorie intake, but it's not necessary. As long as you stay within your caloric limit for the day, you will be fine.

Snacks

All of us love snacks. Some of us don't like healthy snacks. Fortunately the Venus Factor allows you to snack on basically whatever you want. This includes chocolate, chips and soda.

They do caution you against empty calories. Empty calories are calories that add no nutritional value to your body, like chips. This is why it's possible for you to eat an entire bag of chips in one sitting: they aren't satisfying. They're simply something to munch on. You can have them, but it is advised that you just do one serving at a time.

Another thing you should watch out for is drinking your calories. You can still have soda, sports drinks and alcohol, but you really need to watch how much you consume. These drinks can be very high in calories. You can wind up drinking half or all of your calories for the day if you go overboard. Again, you can have them, but you should only have one serving at a time. If it is a diet or low-calorie drink, such as zero-calorie soda, you can drink that liberally. But that is not a substitute for water.

Water

Some diets allow you to use zero calorie drinks like coffee, tea and diet soda as substitutes for water. The Venus Factor encourages you to drink actual water. There is no specified amount that you should drink. Some people drink four glasses a day. Others drink six or eight glasses a day.

Some people drink up to half their body weight (in ounces) in water a day. For example, if you weigh 180lbs, you would drink 90oz of water a day. As you lose weight you will drink less water. So if you drop down to 150lb, you would drink 75oz of water a day.

So how much is the right amount? No one can really tell you that, but a good rule of thumb is six to eight glasses of water a day. You need water to flush the toxins and fat out of your system. That is why it's important to drink plain water instead of substituting it with something else.

How Often Should You Eat in a Day?

The Venus Factor just encourages you to eat within your caloric limit for the day. It doesn't tell you how often you should eat.

In fact, the book specifically states that it doesn't matter how often you eat on the program. You can eat once a day or six times a day. You need to do whatever is comfortable for you.

The Venus Factor is all about personalization. The creators realize that most of us have favorite foods and we want to keep them in our lives. That is why they allow room for error and growth with their diet plan. Consuming your favorite foods in moderation is a great way to make sure you'll stick to this program.

After all, you're not really restricting yourself from something you love. You're just eating less of it.

My super snoop reporter will be back with even more of the inside story SOON, so keep coming back for the next installment ....... won't ya !

Tracking Your Progress With the Venus Factor

TRACKING YOUR PROGRESS WITH THE VENUS FACTOR

On a diet, success is usually measured by how quickly you lose weight. In fact, the more weight you lose in the shortest period of time, the more successful you are on a diet. As an example, if someone loses 20 or more pounds in 4 weeks, everyone will ask what they're doing. If they only lose 8 pounds in 4 weeks, people won't really be impressed.

The Venus Factor is different. It trains you to measure success not just by how much weight you've lost, but by many other different victories. Each victory, whether big or small, counts as a success. Losing weight is the end goal, but it shouldn't be your only goal.

Progress Tracking Tools

Membership to the Venus Factor comes with tools that help you determine how you can successfully navigate your diet. However, there are other tools that you can use in addition to these that can help you track your progress more efficiently.

MyFitnessPal is the default progress tracking tool for the members of the Venus community. It's free, and is available as an app for your phone or tablet. You can use it to keep track of how much water you consumed, what you ate, how many inches you lost and how much weight you've lost. You can view your progress as a line graph so you can get a sense of how you're doing.

You may also want to use a pedometer or a similar app that keeps count of how many steps you take each day. Professionals recommend that you walk at least 10,000 steps every day. Walking is a very natural way to get exercise. You don't have to push or exert yourself. The more you move, the more active you will be.

How to Measure Success

The reason the progress tracking tools were mentioned is because these tools are how you're going to measure your progress and success. You can use them to set small goals for yourself to help you to reach the bigger goal of losing weight.

Let's say, as an example, you don't like exercise, water or vegetables, but you love sweets. How are you going to lose weight?

The answer is simple: use your tracking tools to set goals.

Here are a few goals that you can set for yourself:

? Drink 20 ounces of water every day. This is a big step if you don't like water.
? Eat one vegetable every day. Again, this is huge if you hate vegetables.
? Instead of walking 10,000 steps, make a goal of walking 1,000 steps.
? Eat one sweet a day.

Do this for about a week. Use your tracking tools to measure your progress. Now go back and see how many days you reached your goal.

Let's say you only had one day within the week where you were "good" and you met all four of your goals. That's still a success.

If you met only one goal every day, that's still a success. What you don't realize is you are taking very small steps towards a very big goal. For most people these changes cannot be sudden. They have to be gradual so that you can get used to them before you can take everything to the next level.

What to Do If You "Fail"

What if you don't reach any of your goals at all? Does this count as failure?

No !!

As a famous songwriter once said, "If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again."

It's going to take a lot of hard work to break yourself of the bad habits that caused you to gain weight. You have to be patient with yourself and realize that you are only human.

In fact, if you browse the Venus Factor forums, you will notice so many women - including veteran members - talking about how they "messed up" and ate too much, or devoured an entire bag of chips, or ate half a cake.

That's what makes this diet program great: it allows room for failure. You're going to mess up. You're going to make mistakes. The important thing is that you don't quit entirely.

Don't give up. Just take everything one day at a time. Set your goals, and try to stick to them. If you don't reach them, keep trying. The fact that you keep going is progress in itself. As long as you don't quit, you'll eventually reach your goal.

Its Time To Dump The Soft Drinks

ITS TIME TO DUMP THE SOFT DRINKS

While you are "going down a different road", because you have found The Venus Factor and you are really excited that it is going to FINALLY make changes to your health and well-being you are probably looking at other options that might support and / or enhance your journey; so I have been able to find some great advice / information about health related matters that will increase your knowledge and support what you are achieving with VF.

Earlier this year it was announced that the UK will bring in a tax on soft drinks in a bid to lower sugar consumption and curb the rise in obesity rates.

Now celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, who has been one of the most prominent lobbyists for the sugar tax, is encouraging Australia to follow suit. And it will only be a matter of time for other nations to follow suit, particularly if the UK experiment is successful.

Regardless of where your views lie in the discussion about a potential sugar tax, it is clear that worldwide there is an over consumption of these types of high sugar, nutrient lacking products.

A can of soft drink can include as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar, and besides adding to your energy consumption for the day, they provide nothing of nutritional value.

While this is true I think it’s important that we understand that soft drinks don’t work in isolation.

Yes, nutrition wise soft drinks are a poor beverage choice, but if you hav
e a balanced, nutritious diet there’s no harm in enjoying a soft drink every now and then.

Unfortunately for some of us it’s the “every now and then” part we struggle with.

If you fall into this category and are looking to cut back on your soft drink intake there’s a few things you can do.

The best change you can make is to replace soft drink with water.

Now I know for some people water isn’t the most appealing option. If this is the case for you, try having soda water with a squeeze of lime, lemon or orange.

This is a great way to up your water intake while still enjoying a carbonated beverage with a little taste to it.

Another option that I recommend is to mix fruit juice with water.

While fruit juice is also high in sugar it does have the benefit of being high in vitamin C and by watering it down your sugar intake will be less.

Of course milk, tea or coffee are other good alternatives if you’re looking for a more nutritious beverage.

So once again the take home message is simple, moderation.

A healthy diet can include the occasional soft drink; just don’t overdo it.

This post is from : westernweekender.com.au

Publish date : April 7, 2016

The author is Kate Reid. She can be contacted on Twitter : @kate_reid6

Kate is a journalist and qualified Nutritionist with a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition) Degree from the University of Wollongong.

Kate does not have any affiliation with this website and does not necessarily agree with the claims of the Venus Factor program. I am just a fan of health and dietary issues she chooses to write about and think they are worth sharing.

Minor additions / changes to the content of this article by the website Administrator are presented as :
"the text is shown in black Italics"

Busting Some Common Nutrition Myths

BUSTING SOME COMMON NUTRITION MYTHS

MYTH 1 – THERE IS SUCH A THING AS CHEMICAL FREE FOODS

This one is a particular pet peeve of mine. Quite often you’ll hear things about going “chemical free” when it comes to food choices.

Which on the surface sounds reasonable, who wants chemicals in their food?

Well unfortunately these “chemical free” statement conveniently ignore science 101 which states that everything is a chemical.

Every food you eat, your own body, even something as “natural” as water is a chemical compound.

So going “chemical free” is not possible, and it also assumes that every chemical is inherently bad, which is incorrect.

MYTH 2 : IF A FOOD IS GLUTEN FREE / DAIRY FREE / RAW / VEGAN IT MUST BE HEALTHY

Visit any health blog or nutrition related Instagram account and you’re bound to find a gluten free / dairy free / raw / vegan dessert that is labelled as a “healthy” or “guilt free” alternative to a traditional dessert.

Unfortunately these foods are still quite often quite energy (calorie) dense, along with being high in fat and sugar.

Which is fine in moderation, and if you enjoy the taste by all means go for it, but it’s important to understand that a chocolate cake, even if it is gluten free, dairy free or raw is still a chocolate cake.

MYTH 3 : YOU NEED TO EAT LESS TO LOSE WEIGHT

Often people think that the first thing they need to do to lose weight is to restrict how much food they eat, which isn’t 100% accurate.

Healthy, nutrient rich foods are often less calorie dense than nutrient poor foods which means you can actually consume more of them.

For example, the energy content of 1 chocolate bar is the equivalent of 4 apples.

Making the best food choices means you won’t have to eat less, and you may actually be able to eat more.

This post is from : westernweekender.com.au

Publish date : August 28, 2015

The author is Kate Reid. She can be contacted on Twitter : @kate_reid6

Kate is a journalist and qualified Nutritionist with a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition) Degree from the University of Wollongong.

Kate does not have any affiliation with this website and does not necessarily agree with the claims of the Venus Factor program. I am just a fan of health and dietary issues she chooses to write about and think they are worth sharing.

Minor additions / changes to the content of this article by the website Administrator are presented as : "the text is shown in black Italics"

Busting Some Common Food Myths

BUSTING SOME COMMON FOOD MYTHS

FOOD IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR MEDICINE

Is a healthy diet an important foundation for good health? YES. Should you rely on food alone to cure or treat every disease or illness? NO.

It’s scary how many reports there are of people who have forgone traditional medicine for diet therapy, often with terrible consequences.

Now don’t get me wrong, nutrition is an important aspect of good health. But to give the body the best chance to deal with any health issues that may arise, we need to be realistic about the limitations of food and be able to recognise when medical treatment is required.

FOOD WILL NOT MAKE YOU HAPPY

Do you find yourself regularly binging on high fat / sugar / salt foods when you’re feeling sad / angry / lonely, etc.?

If so you’re definitely not alone.

While there is nothing wrong with enjoying food, for some people it can become a coping mechanism to deal with underlying mental health issues.

If you find yourself constantly relying on food to treat emotional distress it may be a good idea to seek from a mental health professional.

FOOD IS NOT THE BE ALL AND END ALL

As a self confessed foodie (yes I am one of those annoying people who takes arty photos of their food). That’s a hard statement to write. But as much as food is enjoyable and necessary for health and development there is a point at which we can become too obsessed.

If you’re too restrictive with what you eat, often feel guilty about your diet, or find your life revolves around controlling your food intake, it may be time to take a deep breath and realize that food is just one aspect of a healthy and balanced life.

This post is from : westernweekender.com.au

Publish date : February 4, 2016

The author is Kate Reid. She can be contacted on Twitter : @kate_reid6

Kate is a journalist and qualified Nutritionist with a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition) Degree from the University of Wollongong.

Kate does not have any affiliation with this website and does not necessarily agree with the claims of the Venus Factor program. I am just a fan of health and dietary issues she chooses to write about and think they are worth sharing.

Minor additions / changes to the content of this article by the website Administrator are presented as : "the text is shown in black Italics"

Juices and Smoothies Are Not Always Best

JUICES and SMOOTHIES ARE NOT ALWAYS BEST.

While you are "going down a different road", because you have found The Venus Factor and you are really excited that it is going to FINALLY make changes to your health and well-being you are probably looking at other options that might support and / or enhance your journey; so I have been able to find some great advice / information about health related matters that will increase your knowledge and support what you are achieving with VF.

Green juices and smoothies are everywhere these days and are often promoted as the holy grail of healthy eating.

While there are benefits to consuming these types of beverages, the nutrition claims that accompany them are often over-hyped.

As with much of the nutrition information we get fed these days the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Blending your fruits and vegetables to a semi-liquid or liquid form won't up the nutrient content of already nutritious foods, no matter how much advertisers may like you to think so.

In fact, the best way to eat your fruits and vegetables is as whole foods. This way you'll increase your fiber intake and reduce the risk of over-consumption. After all it's much easier to drink six apples than it is to eat them.

While whole foods should be top priority there's nothing wrong with having the occasional juice or smoothie, especially if it helps you reach your fruit and vegetable target for the day.

But it is important to understand the pros and cons.

For example, a fruit based smoothie can contain as many kilojoules as a main meal, which is OK if you're having it as a quick breakfast but not so great if you're having it alongside an already substantial lunch or dinner.

Smoothies and juices also deliver a large hit of sugar very quickly, and don't contain the same fiber content as whole foods.

The best way to consume a smoothie or juice is to keep the portions to a minimum and look for options that contain a good amount of vegetables, which will help to keep the kilojoule and sugar count down.

If you have your own blender, play around with different combinations and see what you enjoy best.

Take into account your diet as a whole, and as with all foods moderation is the key.

Finally, if you don't like drinking green juices or smoothies, don't force yourself to have them just because you've been told they're "healthy".

A salad or steamed vegetables will be just as good, if not better, for you.

HAPPY EATING !!

This post is from : westernweekender.com.au

Publish date : April 14, 2016

The author is Kate Reid. She can be contacted on Twitter : @kate_reid6

Kate is a journalist and qualified Nutritionist with a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition) Degree from the University of Wollongong.

Kate does not have any affiliation with this website and does not necessarily agree with the claims of the Venus Factor program. I am just a fan of health and dietary issues she chooses to write about and think they are worth sharing.

Minor additions / changes to the content of this article by the website Administrator are presented as : "the text is shown in black Italics"

Over Complicating Your Eating

OVER COMPLICATING YOUR EATING

While you are "going down a different road", because you have found The Venus Factor and you are really excited that it is going to FINALLY make changes to your health and well-being you are probably looking at other options that might support and / or enhance your journey; so I have been able to find some great advice / information about health related matters that will increase your knowledge and support what you are achieving with VF.

The ideal way to manage your food intake is to only eat when you're hungry and to stop when you feel comfortably full.

Seems like common sense doesn't it. But decades of fad diets have thoroughly confused us when it comes to the simple act of eating.

Adding to the evidence that the best diet is actually no diet at all is a recent study of more than 50,000 participants that showed a correlation between those who ate intuitively and lower rates of overweight and obesity.

It sounds so simple, but unfortunately there's many other factors .... like our emotions .... that come into play when we talk about eating.

So how do you learn to listen to your intuition and develop a better relationship with food?

One of the first things you can do is to say no to dieting.

The majority of people who go on a diet put the weight back on in the long term. Restricting your food intake, counting calories, or labeling foods as "good" or "bad", is not a sustainable, or enjoyable, way to live.

Instead make the effort to listen to your body. Though we're programed to think that certain times of the day mean we must eat, it's important to recognize when you're truly hungry and eat accordingly.

When you do eat do it slowly, as it can take up to 20 minutes for your body to recognize that you're full. It's also important to learn to actually enjoy your food. Many of us are not aware of how switched off we are when we eat.

Think about it; how many times have you sat down on the couch with some chips or chocolate and demolished a whole bag without even realizing? We may really enjoy the first few mouthfuls, but after that it just becomes an automatic action.

Instead, take the time to actually enjoy the delicious taste of each mouthful and you'll feel more satisfied and will be less likely to over consume.

For those that struggle with emotional eating it's best to seek help to address the cause of the emotions so you're less likely to use food as a coping strategy.

This post is from : westernweekender.com.au

Publish date : April 7, 2016

The author is Kate Reid. She can be contacted on Twitter : @kate_reid6

Kate is a journalist and qualified Nutritionist with a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition) Degree from the University of Wollongong.

Kate does not have any affiliation with this website and does not necessarily agree with the claims of the Venus Factor program. I am just a fan of health and dietary issues she chooses to write about and think they are worth sharing.

Minor additions / changes to the content of this article by the website Administrator are presented as : "the text is shown in black Italics"

The Body Measurement Everyone Should Know

THE BODY MEASUREMENT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

Your Waist Circumference Can Mean Life Or (Premature) Death - And We're Not Being Dramatic !

For years we have been obsessing about body mass index (BMI), but all the time there was another number that revealed a whole lot more about your health and even about how long you'll live ..... a simple waist measurement.

And these are the magic numbers ..... 94 centimeters for a man
...... 80 centimeters for a woman

A number greater than these is a red flag that you may be at risk of developing diseases that can seriously impact your lifestyle and longevity.

The size of your waist band is essentially measuring the amount of visceral fat you have .... that is, the fat stored in the abdominal cavity surrounding important organs such as the liver, pancreas and intestines.

If your waist circumference is greater than the measurements above, you're at a much higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, (your body's inability to produce enough insulin to remove sugar from blood), and may even lead to premature death.

WHY THE FAT COMES

When we eat, the food is broken down into components that are absorbed into the blood and used to build muscles, fuel the brain and repair the body in times of stress. We all know that if we eat more than we need, we put on weight.

However, there's a critical point where this weight gain goes too far and the body simply can't work properly anymore and excess and unhealthy fat starts being stored around our bellies, and nothing is functioning the way it should.

The biggest issue is that the build-up of fat impairs the body's ability to to extract sugars from your bloodstream and use them for energy ..... in earlier stages this is called "pre-diabetes". The sugars continue to climb and insulin is then released in excess amounts ironically giving the body a confused signal to store fat at a time when you least need it.

But don't panic .... with a little dietary intervention, this can be reversible.

A SCIENCE LESSON

Insulin is released when carbohydrates are digested and the sugar, known as glucose, is released into the bloodstream. Carbohydrates provide fuel for the brain, like petrol to a car. Once the tank is full, you don't need to keep filling it.

Now I'm not about to jump on the "carb-bashing" bandwagon here, but there are some of us who definitely need to eat a lot less of these carbohydrates-dense foods at each meal.

If you're really struggling with a large waist band, then cut back (not cut out) on the following foods :

bread, cereals and grains, fruit and juice, starchy vegetables such as potato, pasta, rice, milk, yogurt and anything containing sugar such as chocolate, desserts, soft drinks and confectionery

This will give your body a chance at using some of the energy it has efficiently stored.

Try choosing only one source of healthy carbohydrate at each meal. For example ....

AT BREAKFAST ..... choose to have 2 eggs and 1 slice of toast
AT LUNCH ...... instead of having a bread sandwich use high-fiber bread size crackers with a healthy
filling
AT DINNER ..... eat half a cup of cooked rice or pasta with dinner or have a piece of fruit instead

There may be occasions where you don't need a serve of carbs at all. This will decease your production of insulin and encourage your body to use up its fat stores.

What happens then? ........ Weight loss!!

For advice and guidance see an accredited practicing dietician, who will put together a tailored menu plan to lead you on a path to a healthier future.

This post is from : bodyandsoul.com.au

Publish date : April 17, 2016

The author is Kate Di Prima - Kate is an accredited practicing dietician. Find her on FaceBook at :
facebook.com/katediprimaAPD

Kate does not have any affiliation with this website and does not necessarily agree with the claims of the Venus Factor program. I am just a fan of health and dietary issues she chooses to write about and think they are worth sharing.

HOW TO MEASURE YOUR WAIST CORRECTLY

1. find the top of your hip bone and the bottom of your ribs

2. breathe out normally (relax your gut)

3. place a tape measure midway between these points and wrap it around your waist

4. check your measurement

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Is There Anything Else I Should Know About the Venus Diet?

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE VENUS DIET?

The first thing you should know is The Venus Factor is a 100% online product. There is nothing physical; everything that you need is online and can be downloaded.

The Good Stuff

Once you are signed up, you will get frequent emails from the owners. They send out emails nearly every day. Some of the emails are just for encouragement, (and who doesn't need that?) Others are to share the latest success stories, announce contests or to share podcasts from Venus Immersion.

The Not So Good Stuff

Sometimes the emails are very pushy and use high pressure sales tactics; it seems like they're always trying to get more money out of you. There are a few vitamins and supplements that complement the diet very well, but they are expensive. They will be mentioned in a number of emails.

The Good News About The Not So Good Stuff

The good news is you don't need the supplements to make the diet work, and you can buy vitamins from your local store. As for the emails, you can opt out of them any time you want to clear your inbox of clutter.

You do get workout videos with your membership, but you will need to go out and purchase your own equipment. However the equipment is only the very basic equipment you would expect anyone might have if they have or have had some basic fitness exercise.

You will be counting calories, but there is no built-in calorie counter in the app. You can download MyFitnessPal (this seems to be the default calorie tracker most members use) or another free calorie tracker to keep track of your calories and meals.

Counting calories can be extremely hard to do for a lot of women. You may "cheat" (they don't really like to use that word) or fall off the diet a lot. However the creators actually tell you that you will have your days when you do well and days when you don't. The point is that you keep trying. That is one of the reasons they set up such a strong community: to support you no matter how hard it gets.

BOTTOM LINE : there is no "finger pointing" or any type of humiliating feedback if you happen to falter in your journey forward.

How Much Does the Venus Factor Cost?

The Venus Factor costs a one-time fee $37. Once you purchase membership you will be allowed access to everything mentioned in the Venus Factor product review promotional material .....

except for ....... (yeah there is always an "except for")

>> the coaching and
>> the Venus Immersion.

so are these "extras" worth further financial investment ? Lets have a look .....

Venus Immersion

Venus Immersion allows you to access exclusive workouts, podcasts, past, present and future Venus Index products, and a community of like-minded individuals. It is different from the general Venus community. It's like a community within a community. You get 30 free days of Immersion with your purchase of the Venus Factor. After that it costs $79 a month for eight months, but don't worry, you can cancel it at any time. If you don't want to be charged, cancel it before the 30 days are up.That should be plenty of time for you to see whether the value is there to stay subscribed; it is a decision you can make without the stress of a total commitment.

The Coaching

The coaching costs $497 one time, or $197 for three months. Your coach will have been successful on the Venus Factor, so they will know exactly how to help you. I guess this is for those of you who commit to the program but are not sure if they have the will-power to stay on track. Personal support doesn't come cheap but if it helps you achieve your goals ..... ??

The Bottom Line

None of these "extras" are necessary to make the Venus Factor work for you. (TRUTH).

You can stick to the basic program and get everything you need in order to succeed. However, if you need motivation or a coach, those options are available.

If you're interested in learning more about the Venus Factor or purchasing it, you can click here.

My super snoop reporter will be back with even more of the inside story SOON, so keep coming back for the next installment ....... won't ya !