Blood Type Key to Wellness and Weight Loss

Obesity and weight loss. These words have the power to strike a chord of dread even in the most fearless of people. Most people at some point in their lives have tried some type of “diet” that may work in the short-term, but more than likely has very little to zero long-term benefits.

The reasons that most weight loss programs do not work in the long-term are varied. There are not very many people who can sustain themselves very long on a cabbage soup diet or a plan that strictly prohibits you from eating a variety of different foods. People are not wired that way. To top it all off, the recommendation is to engage in some form of moderate to intense exercise program. The problem with this is that if a person has not had proper nourishment, there is positively no way that any type of exercise program is going to happen, let alone be successful. Just imagine this scenario: You have been eating cabbage soup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Now, you are supposed to work out at an intense enough rate to keep your heart rate up, as well as strength training. You probably barely had enough strength just to make it through your day after your healthy” cabbage soup "meals." Exercising is not going to be an option because you are just too beat to do anything more than what you absolutely have to do. This whole scene is discouraging and is a setup for failure.

To make matters even worse, when you go to see your doctor and he or she advises you that you need to need to eat better to improve your health. You then ask the usual questions, but mainly you want to know how to lose the excess pounds for your overall wellness. Your physician then proceeds to tell you that the only way to shed those excess pounds is through vigorous exercise and calorie restriction. You try to explain to your doctor that you have already been on that ride, did not find it fun, and could he please advise something better for you. His reply is probably going to be to tell you to just stick with it. Your mind is screaming, “Are you kidding me right now?”

Being obese has many negative health implications. The most obvious of these is that obesity is not physically attractive. Everyone wants to be able to look and feel his or her best. This does not necessarily mean that you have to be excessively thin, as that has its own set of problems. However, achieving numbers that are suitable for your age and gender is ideal and reaching your goal may not be as difficult as you previously thought.

Losing extra pounds with the blood type program could possibly be the answer to you finally getting to your ideal goal. I recently read Eat 4 Your Blood Type, developed by naturopathic physician, Dr. Peter D’Adamo. The basic way that this works is by finding out your type, A, B, O, or AB. Once your type has been determined, you are given an eating plan that is both satisfying and nourishing.

Blood Type Weight Loss

The blood type weight loss plan addresses individuals and does not assign a one-size-fits-all type of “diet” to everyone. This plan is really tailored to an individual person's needs at the cellular level. It addresses things such as allergies, disease susceptibility, food combining, etc. Once you know your blood type, you will know which foods will specifically help you to lose body fat safely and effectively. Another bonus to Dr. D’Adamo’s plan is that you do not have to wait for a long period of time before you start to see results. Many have seen results in as little as two weeks. Remember the strenuous exercise program that was discussed earlier? This plan even addresses that. Based on your type, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that the exercise plan that you need may not be as difficult or as time-consuming as you had been previously told by other physicians.

A person with a Type A blood is likely to predisposed to diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Therefore, these types should concentrate on eating foods that are organic. An eating plan that is rich in organic fruits and vegetables is best. Type A’s prefer exercises such as tai chi and yoga for calmness and centering.

Someone who is Type B has a very strong digestive and immune system. Also, someone who is type B, tends to be more resistant to chronic illnesses. These types best benefit from moderate exercise like hiking and tennis.

Type O people tend to respond well to intense physical activity like running, martial arts, and contact sports. Foods rich in animal proteins work best, while grains and dairy tend to contribute to gaining excess pounds. Gluten is a major contributor of weight gain in Type O.

Those who are type AB are more biologically complex. A combination of both the A and B program is well-suited to them.

If you or someone that you know is obese, Dr. D’Adamo’s plan may be just what you need to improve your overall health and wellness. Doing so will lead you to a healthier, happier, and more vital life. Hey, I started following the plan for a Bloody Type A and I'm 10 lbs down in less than 2 weeks! 

Take good care of yourself!

Where did my roll go?

Most people get on the scale to measure their weight loss progress. Me...I actually count my back rolls. I'm down a roll! Ohhhh Yeaaahhh! Or for some people....they try on their skinny jeans. Whatever your method for determining if your dieting and exercise is paying off, do you ever wonder where the fat actually goes? I mean we hear the term "burn" the fat. But where does the melted fat go? 

Well I did some research and here's what the Mayo clinic says:

When you burn more calories than you consume, your body uses fat (triglycerides) for energy. This causes your fat cells to shrink. In turn, triglycerides are broken down into two different substances — glycerol and fatty acids — which are absorbed into your liver, kidneys and muscle tissue. From there, the glycerol and fatty acids are further broken down by chemical processes that ultimately produce energy for your body. These activities generate heat, which helps maintain your body temperature. The resulting waste products — water and carbon dioxide — are excreted in urine and sweat or exhaled from your lungs. [http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/body-fat/AN01327]

So to sum up...fat turns into heat and then whatever is left over comes out in your urine, sweat, and breath. So now we know and this underscores the importance of drinking lots of water everyday to help your body remove the fat through our URINE. It's key to exercise to remove the fat through our SWEAT.  We have to breathe deeply and fully to push the fat out through our BREATH.    

Take good care of yourself. 

My lunch sucks today

Once and awhile I find myself pissed at what I brought for lunch. Baked chicken and boring green beans. I was so disappointed last week I almost skipped lunch altogether, and I'm not one to miss a meal:-) Not wanting a repeat of last week's last minute throw-together crap, I got on it today. For 2 hours this afternoon, I planned, bought, and cooked my lunch for a 4-day work week. At first 2 hours seemed like a major time commitment during my precious weekend, but I just saved myself a whole bunch stress, headaches, and probably some money by preparing my lunches and snacks in advance...that I'm actually excited to eat. By all means batch cooking isn't a novel idea, but in busy times we tend to ignore our healthy habits and fall back on what's quick and easy. Problem with the "open it and microwave it meals" (processed TV dinners or fast food or carryout) is that they include way too much salt, sugar, and crappy oils. Not only can it burn up your behind...but your wallet too.

One thing I've learned in my many readings on nutrition and mental wellness, you need to make food a no-brainer. Once you give your mind time to think about what to eat, you are more likely to deviate from healthy meals and give in to cravings. Until healthy eating becomes part of your permanent lifestyle like showering in the morning, it's best to take the guess work out of diet and prepare your meals early. 

Pictured above are my meals for this week. I prepared AM and PM snacks, and an entrée for lunch. AM snacks consist of 2 boiled eggs and a piece of fruit, lunch consists of 2 broiled cilantro and onion turkey burgers on top of a pile of kale mixed with a tad bit of olive oil and apple cider vinegar along with a few cherry tomatoes, and the PM snack is a can of tuna or sardines mixed with mustard and black olives, and a sliced red/orange bell pepper. Veggies and protein baby!...veggies and protein. 

2 hours in advance = lunch is gonna be good this week. 

Take good care of yourself. 

Getting to know L-Carnitine...your weight loss buddy

Carnitine, often referred to as L-Carnitine, is an essential element that breaks down fat within the body and helps to transport fat through the body to be converted into energy.  Proper levels of carnitine in the body will help to promote overall physical fitness, as any fat you eat will be efficiently used to fuel the functions of the body.  L-carnitine is widely used as a natural method for weight loss since it enables the burning of fat at much higher speeds.  It can also decrease your food cravings, increase your energy during exercise, and increase your metabolic rate.  In the same way, carnitine is used to promote heart health and in treating and managing angina, arrhythmias and other heart ailments.  It is also used by athletes to promote further sports endurance. And word on the street is it can also support male fertility…way to go Carnitine!

For the folks that need a scientific explanation… l-carnitine is an essential amino acid. Amino acids are used in every cell of your body and are used to build the proteins you need to survive.  L-carnitine transports long-chain fatty acids across the mitochondrial (mitochondria are known as the powerhouses of the cell) membrane to be metabolized. L-carnitine aids in the release of stored body fat, triglycerides, into the bloodstream for energy.

L-carnitine is available in the following food sources: red meat, diary products, avocado, and tempeh.  With a well-balanced diet, you should have sufficient amounts of l-carnitine in your body.  But then again how many of us are eating well-balanced diets? That said, adding about 500 - 2000 mg of L-carnitine to your daily regimen will ensure you have a full army of fat transporters to get your body right for the summer…or for the men, help get your little soldiers in order.

How to Take L-Carnitine. Start by taking two 500 mg capsules of l-carnitine before or with breakfast. After one week the dosage can be increased, if needed, to two 500 mg capsules before breakfast and lunch. Increase your dose of l-carnitine gradually until you see a difference in weight loss, energy and overall well-being. Taking l-carnitine after 4:00 pm may make it harder to fall asleep at night, so try not to take carnitine then. This is the only side effect of taking too much carnitine is too much energy.  When possible, use l-carnitine in the carnitine tartrate form, which is the purest available. You can find l-carnitine at your local vitamin store...make sure to get L-Carnitine and not Acetyl l-carnitine (different supplement). 

Take good care of yourself.