Statistics show that only 5% of dieters are successful at keeping the weight off after a two-year period.

Everyone wants to look, feel and perform their best! Anyone who says otherwise is to say the least, “in a bit of a quandary.” But there is more to looking, feeling and performing your best than meets the eye. Many of us will do almost anything to reach our physical ideal.

With almost one-third of women and one-quarter of men either starting or finishing a diet at any one given time, one can quickly appreciate the shear magnitude of the situation. But this is a situation filled with confusion and deception. Confusion due to the fact that there are new diets popping up almost every other month. But how could all these diets work when they all resort to different means? The deception comes in the fact that 99% of these diets are set up for failure!

Statistics show that only 5% of dieters are successful at keeping the weight off after a two-year period. It’s no wonder that so many North Americans are discouraged with the diet industry. Yet these are the same people spending in excess of 60 billion dollars a year on diet products, and doing the same thing they’ve always done yet expecting different results!

The fact remains that many do not understand the true mechanisms involved in long term fat loss. Weight gain is a very complex issue and research shows that there are numerous hormones, enzymes and brain chemicals in the human body that play a role in how much fat we store or burn.

The majority of diets would probably succeed if we were able to stay satisfied on them long enough to see the results. Many times when people make a commitment to lose the weight, its usually those insatiable cravings for the sweet, starchy fatty foods that gets the best of them.

So why do we seem to always have the same cravings for the very foods that make us fat and keep us there? Because we usually follow the most extreme method to weight loss. We forget that it took months and years to gain those unwanted pounds, and we want them gone yesterday! We reduce our calories to the point of actually slowing our metabolism, we get rid of all the fat (forgetting that the brain is 60% fat) and raise our fat converting carbohydrates through the roof or we get rid of the carbs all together. When we take the “all or nothing approach” to dieting, we offset the intricate biochemical balance of the body and invariably create cravings that cannot be ignored.

As it pertains to how your 30 billion fat cells behave, it’s not always the actual size of your meals that matter, but instead the size of your appetite does. Your body’s ability to up regulate fat storage may be directly linked to the degree to which you desire and crave foods rather than solely the degree to which you consume them.

Why?

These insatiable cravings send false starvation signals to your body, switching it into an extreme fat-storing mode. While in this state, your body will slow its metabolic rate and stop “burning” excess calories, opting for stockpiling them for a perceived famine.

Hormonal Hunger

The majority of our cravings are due to the extreme fluctuations in our blood sugar levels. The more high glycemic (simple sugars) carbohydrates we consume (even when they are void of fat) like, grains, pastas, and even fruit juices, the more dramatic the rise in our storage hormone insulin.

High blood sugar levels and high insulin levels create a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) response due to the higher half-life of insulin, which tends to remain active even after blood sugar levels are lowered. This creates a craving response on the brain for sweet carbohydrate rich foods that are able to once again raise blood sugar levels.

This rise and fall of insulin and blood sugar also creates an enhanced environment conducive to fat storage by preventing the metabolism of fats for energy, instead setting into play the usage of sugars and proteins as energy. Without a steady supply of high quality protein and essential fatty acids (omega:3 and omega:6), our bodies cannot deal with the onslaught of these sugars as they are broken down into glucose (a simple sugar). Protein is responsible for boosting your metabolism by stimulating the release of the hormone glucagon, which helps to balance blood sugar and stimulate the necessary enzymes for fat burning.

Brain Chemical Imbalances

Our bodies have a remarkable way of self-medicating themselves. When we are feeling down, depressed or stressed out we instantly reach for the sweetest foods we can find. One of the reasons for this, is because through sugars we are able to increase insulin levels, and by elevating insulin, we are able to raise certain levels of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters (chemicals that relay messages from one neuron to the next) that culminate in a sigh of relief.

Unfortunately this escapade quickly leaves and the brain calls out for more sugary medication. In this case the medication would come from the neurotransmitter serotonin which balances our moods by creating feelings of calmness and satiety to the rest of the body.

Out of 40 known neurotransmitters, serotonin is the most important in terms of appetite and sleep.

Balanced serotonin levels are important in any fat-loss program because they provide a calming and appetite suppressing action, which allows you to feel satisfied without needing to cheat. When serotonin levels rise, we are greeted with instant gratification in the reward centers of the brain.

Serotonin levels decline throughout the day and are replenished during the sleep phase. Many people who have sleep difficulties also have serotonin deficiencies. This would also account for why people who consistently stay up late tend to binge eat the most. Serotonin levels are also quickly depleted during times of stress. And with the stressful lives we subject ourselves to day in and day out, it is not hard to imagine our serotonin tanks are running on half empty at most times.

As mentioned earlier, serotonin levels are increased in response to high carbohydrate foods, especially those that break down into sugars rapidly, but why? Because blood sugar raises the hormone insulin and insulin creates an easy access to the main building block of serotonin- the amino acid tryptophan.

Usually dietary proteins prevent tryptophan from entering the brain. In fact, tryptophan, which occurs in smaller amounts than all the other amino acids in protein (we consume about a gram or two each day), is actually bullied out of the way as it competed for passage into the brain. When you raise insulin in response to incoming sugars (carbohydrates), the insulin lowers the blood sugar along with all the amino acids in the blood except one-tryptophan.

This elimination of the competition allows tryptophan to pass through the blood/brain barrier and induce a feeling of calmness and satiety but only for a short while. Within an hour or two, your brain is once again screaming for its carbohydrate fix.

Thankfully, by consuming a proper balance of the three macronutrients, protein, essential fatty acids and low-glycemic carbohydrates at regular intervals throughout the day (eating every 2 1/2 – 3 hrs.) you can stabilize blood sugar levels and create a proper balance between insulin and glucagon.

This is why the all or nothing scenario never works for long. It always offsets the homeostasis (balance) of the body and cravings ensue. For added health insurance, you can also supplement your diet with a high quality vitamin and mineral supplement making sure it has adequate levels of the B vitamins, vitamin C and minerals such as magnesium, chromium, manganese and zinc.

Here’s a short quiz that will show you if you have signs that point to carb sensitivity.

1. Do you work out but see no results or lost inches?

2. When dieting are you usually hungry or starving?

3. Are you overweight, although you don’t eat more than your slimmer friends?

4. Do you often find yourself munching at night or binging?

5. Do you often crave carbohydrates, particularly sweets, breads, pasta, chips, pretzels or popcorn?

6. Do you have or have you had hypoglycemia symptoms or yeast infections?

7. Do you have gas or indigestion or take a lot of anti acids?

8. Have you tried many weight loss diets, only to lose little or no weight?

9. Do you suffer from several of the following: irritability, bouts of fatigue, mood swings, difficulty concentrating or sleeping, anxiety and sadness without definable cause or foggy thinking?

If you answered yes to 5 or more of these questions there is a strong possibility you are Carb sensitive and you might want to consider a Carb Clean-Out Plan.

Additionally, a Carb Clean-Out Plan may be beneficial for you if any of the following conditions apply:

- hypoglycemia
- crohns disease
- wheat allergy
- irritable bowel syndrome

Check with you physician before using Carb Clean-Out Plan if you have liver disease, sluggish liver, colorectal cancer, arteriosclerosis, gall bladder removal, hereditary conditions of iron overload or antacid abuse.

Benefits of Juicing

Making fresh juice with a stainless steel juicer gives you with a fast boost of energy because of how quickly vitamins and minerals are absorbed. In addition, adding fresh vegetables and fruit also helps bolster your immune system

A primary reason to juice is because of its ability to help reduce inflammation. Dr. Kelly Traver points out that reducing inflammation helps your body make good bacteria. Andrew Weil, M.D. also notes that, juicing is also good for lowering your chances of developing heart disease.

If you’re thinking store bought juice would be easier – you would be right. However, store bought juices have been heated to very high level in the pasteurization process which strips them of many of the nutrients.

Bottom line – Juicing means your body does not need to work as hard to break it down and digest it. Increasing the amount of vegetables and fruits builds a strong immune system which helps you ward off disease.

Your body doesn’t need to spend the same amount of time and work of breaking them down and digesting them. A diet rich in vegetables and fruit also helps you to build a strong immune system and keep your body in proper working order, which in turn makes you feel more energetic.

Fruit is one of the most important sources of minerals and vitamins and many people are unaware of this and continue to consume vast quantities of protein and starchy foods. The result of this is that there is increasing incidence of diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Fruit can help to put all this to a stop.

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It is well established in scientific circles that you must have fats in your diet if you are to remain healthy and vibrant. Scientists estimate that a healthy diet should contain no more than 30% fat. Fats help improve the immune system and help in the absorption of beta-carotene and vitamins A, D, K.

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