However, recent studies have proved that adults and elderly individuals have also an important need of Vitamin D. German studies state that Vitamin D and Vitamin D supplements are helpful for overweight individuals. Vitamin D aids in weight loss. More, this vitamin lowers the triglycerides level and the serum markers of inflammation level. This means that the cardiovascular disease risk is also lowered.

Vitamin D sources
1. The Sun
The main source of Vitamin D is the sun. Our body produces Vitamin D if it’s exposed to sun. However multiple factors as time of day, season of the year, geographic location or sunscreen directly affect vitamin D synthesis. Usually 10-15 minutes of sun exposure, several times a week, can make a huge difference and increase the vitamin D production.

2. Foods
Vitamin D is not often found in food. However the flesh of fish like tuna and salmon as well as fish liver oils are good and rare sources. Vitamin D is also found in fortified foods.

3. Nutritional Supplements
Supplements are a sure source of vitamin D. They are usually a must for people living in areas with low sunlight or areas which are highly polluted.

Vitamin D and weight loss
A daily supplement of 83 mcg of vitamin D keeps the heart and the blood vessels healthy during a weight loss process. Benefits are registered for both males and females, no matter how many kilograms one loses or how much fat tissue the individual burns. As a conclusion vitamin D boosts weight loss and, in the same time, keeps the cardiovascular system healthy.

US researches have recently proved that adding vitamin D to a low calorie diet results in an obvious weight loss boost. Every 1 ng/mL plasma level increase of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (a measure for vitamin D level in the human body) resulted in an 0.2 kg (0.44 lb) weight loss boost in all individuals which took part at the research. This means that all individuals which followed the low calorie diet imposed by the research and also added vitamin D supplements to it lost 0.2 kg or 0.44lb more as the ones that did not took the vitamin.

Vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency can lead rickets if we refer to children. For adults and insufficient amount of vitamin D can lead to osteopenia (general bone mass deficiency), osteoporosis, muscle strength loss, bone fracture risk increase. It also increases the risk of cardiovascular, infectious and autoimmune diseases.

Note: Vitamin D brings a lot of benefits. However this vitamin is soluble, can be accumulated in the human body which can lead to hypervitaminosis. Please consult your doctor for an optimal planing before taking vitamin D supplements.

Here is a simple example about energy balance. Just compare your body with a car that’s running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A car needs fuel in order to be able to run from point A to point B. You need to constantly refuel, to keep it running, knowing that you can’t pour more fuel in, as the tank allows it.

Sadly, many of us don’t know that our body works in a similar way. We often try to push our body to work at its optimal parameters although we know that our “tank” is “empty”. This happens sometimes for hours. The second big mistake is that after such a stress we “refuel” with a huge amount of energy, which is equivalent to more than our “tank” can store.

Researches completed by various nutrition experts show how counterproductive the above presented strategy is. Lets assume that you have decided to lose weight and are planning to run, every morning, on an empty stomach, in order to accomplish your goal. You should know that, in this case, the easiest energy source for our body is the muscle tissue. The human body can convert amino acids (the “bricks” of every muscle tissue) in glucose. Glucose is the sugar which fuels our day by day activities. This way, everyone running on an empty stomach, ends up burning muscle tissue and this really shouldn’t be anyone’s goal.

Body weight control tips
1. Avoid starvation
One of the most important tips for controlling your energy balance is avoiding starvation. Many people which try to lose weight or aim on maintaining their body weight try to starve themselves. This leads to a big gap between meals. Eventually when they decide to eat, they end up devouring large quantities of food. After a large meal insulin levels raise more than normal and the body deposits more fat than needed.

2. Maintain your balance
The energy balance is the key to success if we want to control our body weight. Researches have shown that the best results are obtained when the energy intake-consumption ratio is balanced between the levels of 300-500 kcal (Kilocalories), equivalent to 1256-2093 kJ (Kilojoules).

Energy balance control tips
- Eat every morning, right after waking up.
- Eat something before you workout, no matter what time of the day you plan to do some sports.
- Eat something immediatley after your physical exercises, when your body’s energy levels are dried out.
- Schedule yourself a diet with 5 to 6 light meals per day.

Note: If you jog 10 km (6 miles) on an empty stomach you will end up eating as much as you would need for a 15 km (9miles) run. More, you will “manage” to lose muscle tissue during the run and deposit fat from the rich meal taken after the jog!

The ideal body weight formula is used for obtaining the ideal body weigh using simple arithmetic. In fact, there are a series of formulas available, but most of them provide a similar result. They are obviously different for male and females. This arithmetic formulas take in consideration factors as height, age and gender.

You need to compare your actual weight with the ideal one before starting any weight loss diet. This way you will exactly know how much weight you need to lose to accomplish your target. Knowing how many pounds (kilograms) you need to lose will help you to carefully plan your weight loss venture.

One more very important overweight indicator is the body mass index (BMI), but I will handle this subject in one of my next articles. Further on I am presenting you some of the most popular formulas for calculating your ideal body weight.

Ideal body weight formula
As mentioned before, the ideal body weight can be estimated using various formulas. Some of the most interesting results are provided by the Lorenz equation and the New York metropolitan insurance company formula.

1. Lorenz Formula
The Lorenz formula was launched in 1929 and has two versions. One fore males and the other for females. You need to know your height and weight before you apply it. Here is the equation:
Female: W(kg)= H(cm) – 100 -[H(cm) - 150]/2
Male: W(kg)= H(cm) – 100 -[H(cm) - 150]/4

2. New York metropolitan insurance company formula
This ideal body weight formula resulted from the ideal weight tables and charts dating from 1943-1983.
Female: W(kg)= 50 + 0.75 * [H(cm) - 150] + (A – 20) /4
Male: W(kg)= 50 + 0.75 * [H(cm) - 150] + (A – 20) /4

Note
The formula is presented in the metric version. You can convert standard intro metric using our own unit converter.
Legend
W(kg) – Your ideal body weight calculated in kilograms.
H(cm) – Your height measured in centimeters.
A – Your actual age.

An extra intake of energy foods is needed if we plan do include physical workouts in our daily routine. To get right to the point, of course, we need energy for weight loss. I underlined this many times on this blog. I am militating for active weight loss. This means losing weight trough exercise and an overall active lifestyle and not trough pills or starving. An optimal diet in this case is to obtain the following great proportion. We need to maximize the intake of energy foods, keeping the fat intake at the lowest level possible.

Another proverb says, ‘A rich meal, shows a rich soul!’, and I would add a healthy body. We all agree that a healthy diet and physical workouts do wonders. I just read an article stating that this year’s highest male death rate was caused by lung cancer. With some countries reaching an incredible percentage of 70%. This is why I included some energy foods which prevent cancer in this top 10.

One more, thing until I present you the list. It is highly recommended to perform some sports outdoors, in nature. This way lungs are ventilated with fresh air. You can refresh your whole body with a simple 30 minutes evening jog in the park. By the way this will also help you improve your sleep.

OK, time to share the top 10 energy foods. Below are listed aliments which prevent cancer, offering in the same time energy for and active lifestyle.

Top 10 Healthy Energy Foods
1. Apple
You know the proverb: ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away!’. This one seems really true. The apple provides the necessary fibers to maintain a healthy bowel, while the apple pectin retrieved from the apple’s peal, prevents cancer. Moreover, apples are an oasis of healthy energy. They also activate the blood flow.

2. Eggplant
Eggplants are the perfect sedative. Including them regularly in your diet helps you to escape from stress. They are ideal to eat about 1 hour before your daily sports activity. Antioxidants provided by eggplants maintain the muscle tone. This vegetable also contains carotenoids which aid in cancer prevention.

3. Apricot
The apricots have been considered a good aphrodisiac for hundreds of years. You can easily figure it out why I included it in this energy foods, top 10. Apricots contain lycopene and vitamin B which drive our hormones and give us the lust for life. It was also scientifically proved the apricots keep the prostate cancer away.

4. Grapefruit
Just try this out. Press a grapefruit in the morning and poor all the juice in an empty glass. Drink it, slowly, on an empty stomach. You will actually feel how your energy revels rise and you will be more than ready to start the new day. Grapefruits also aid in preventing Influenza viruses. Perhaps the most important thing is that grapefruits help us to get rid of excess calories, while providing the high energy.

5. Yogurt
Yogurt is not really a high energy food, but I added it to the list because it helps in preventing all bone problems that might occur in time, like osteoporosis or bone cancer. Moreover, yogurt increases our immunity and protects the stomach from germs.

6. Banana
This exotic fruit contains a lot of fibers. Fibers help us to get rid of the toxic substances contained in our body. The banana is a good doctor for the body because it rejects all impurities. Banana is a good energy food because it provides potassium. Potassium helps in maintaining normal muscle function and also aids the nervous system. Potassium is easily lost by our bodies during stress periods or during strenuous physical activities.

7. Green tea
Asians do not let the day pass without drinking a cup of green tea. They strongly claim that this drink, full of polyphenols, maintains the body strong and energized. They also claim that green tea prevents breast cancer and many researchers tend to agree with them.

8. Cheese
Cheese contains calcium and lactic germs. They act like a dressing for our stomach and strengthen its functions. Most of the scientist claim that if the stomach is healthy the body is healthy too. All you have to do is to eat cheese and you will be free from all disease.

9. Orange
Fresh natural orange juice provides extra energy along with a complete series of vitamins. Check the grapefruit section and use the same tip provided there. Orange also helps with colds and sore throat problems. This fruit increases the number of antibodies and helps you handle to low temperatures which occur during wintertime. Over time, oranges act as a shield against throat and stomach cancer.

10. Tuna
Tuna fish is great for anemic persons. If you need to tone your body, all you have to do is to eat tuna fish. Tuna is rich in Omega 3, a substance which helps both body and mind. Tuna also aids in muscle development, so don’t avoid it if you are performing regular sports activities.

All patients received extra Calcium under different forms during a 20 weeks period. The result did not show any positive results in terms of people burning more fats during the Calcium diet.

However this is no final verdict yet. Same scientist believe that Calcium plays indeed an important role in the human metabolism and weight regulation but this hasn’t been proved yet by studies like the ones performed in Lausanne.

Calcium might help us losing weight by controlling our appetite and preventing us from getting to hungry to soon. This has of course an important role in weight reduction as eating less spears our body to burn more fats.

As a general conclusion Calcium might be better perceived as a weight regulator rather as a weight loss ingredient!

Did you know that 30 minutes of tennis help you burn around 300 (Kcals) calories. Considering that an average individual can easily play singles for 1 hour, we can conclude that you could drop 600 calories, having fun and building your health in the same time. If you play doubles the above values drop with about 30%.

OK, hopping that I determined you to play some tennis I will go now to watch the second set of Safin vs Federer. If I wasn’t that convincing watch the Australian Open live yourself and perhaps you will find your motivation and discover the sportsman from within.

Follow the Olympic Games Spirit

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games have recently kicked-off. I want to profit from the worldwide presence of the 2008 Summer Games and determine you to increase your sports activity. The Olympic Games are a symbol of all around sports reigned under the fair play umbrella. As you might already know competing at the Olympic Games is a dream for almost every athlete. This is can be compared with a long Marathon. It’s not that important how you perform, rather than the actual participation.

Olympic Games have alway been a favorite moment in my life. They offer me the possibility to watch lots of my favorite athletes at work. Seeing them during their live performances, pushes me to go out on the pitch, track or swimming pool and try to get a small step closer to their performances. Have you ever had this feeling? I am sure you did. If not, watch live Olympic games online or on your favorite TV station and you should start feeling it.

Sports are a great health solution for us humans. Sports help us to maintain a good mental and physical shape. Practicing sports leads to relaxation after a busy and stressful day. This physical activities maintain and develop our competition spirit and fuel our desire to improve and tend to perfection.

Last, but not least important, sports help weight loss my dears. Practice sports and you will be 100% sure that you do something that surly helps in burning calories and losing the extra kilograms. I recommend you to follow the Beijing Summer Games and catch the sports illness. I ensure you that this is the only illness that won’t hurt you. More, it will cause exactly the opposite effect. It will make you healthier!

Honey Weight Loss

Honey represents a natural source of energy and nutritious substances for our organism. The Greeks where among the first to recognize the nutritional qualities provided by the honey and because of that they called it ‘a gift of gods’. Honey is easy assimilated by our organism, because it has a similar composition with the human blood. In the honey composition, researchers found the B vitamins, organic acids and other beneficial ingredients.

Honey also helps weight loss. If you follow a weight loss diet, you should know that 2 spoons of honey and some water consumed on an empty stomach, will accelerate the process of losing weight. For the long term, if you replace sugar with honey, you will obtain a better balance in your diet.

In contradiction with sugar, honey contains a lot of substances, like growth hormones and enzymes, that have positive effects for our organism. Another difference is that honey is a natural product. This allows you to consume it in larger amounts. The consumption of sugar on the long term affects the organism in a negative way. Since honey was replace by sugar, the number of patients with dental caries raised 40 times and those with diabetes increased 100 times.

Avoid carbonated juices

Time to warn you about carbonated juices. This type of drinks are usually not natural and cause mostly only negative effects on your body. The carbonated drinks as Coke, Pepsi and other similar stuff are particularly harmful for children.

This juices, especially does containing caffeine are the most harmful. Studies have proved that a child drinking 1.5 liters of carbonated drinks during a week will suffer from a considerable Calcium deficit. This leads to propagation of cardio-vascular diseases and the diminution of the mental capacities.

Another negative effect would be the lack of sleep. A child drinking carbonated juice that contains caffeine will suffer from lack of sleep and will have a general bad shape during the whole day. This eventually leads to increased stress and nervousness levels, which makes the child harder to control.

The Caffeine has also long term negative effects. Regular consumption weakens the internal organs and makes them vulnerable to further illnesses during the later stages of a human life.

The carbonated juices also have a negative effect on everyone that searches for weight loss. The CO2 contained by this drinks leads to acid accumulation in your stomach which eventually results in a distended belly.

As a general conclusion, no matter of your age, try to avoid carbonated juices.

Sauna Weight Loss

Sauna was invented by the Finish people. This is why the sessions where you experience extreme heat conditions in a small room, where called Finish Saunas. The finish people used this overheated rooms for reinvigoration and for strengthening the body. The temperatures in this small rooms where starting from 70-80 degrees Celsius (160-180 degrees Fahrenheit and reaching up to over 90 °C (200 °F). Saunas where mixed places where people where allowed to enter naked using only a towel.

The sauna inventors never intended to build them for weight loss but this days modern saunas are also used to aid in losing extra kilograms. Further on I will concentrate only on the weight loss benefits that result from repeated sauna sessions. I will only remind you that sauna sessions are used for numerous health benefits starting with asthma and chronic bronchitis and ending with diabetes, arteriosclerosis, obesity, hypertension and smoking induced symptoms.

Sauna Weight Loss
Obesity can be threated with sauna sessions. As all the treatments that aid in weight loss they are not efficient while used alone, outside of a well designed weight loss program.

In order for the sauna sessions to be efficient against obesity, you need to follow a moderate diet. This means that you shouldn’t overeat yourself and also you should follow a healthy food menu. More, you have to combine sauna sessions with fitness exercises.

Sauna sessions help in eliminating fats from our body. It is known that fats become water-soluble starting with 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). During this wet heat session our body is forced to eliminate a large quantity of excess water and if done properly it will also eliminate fats.

I recommend you to perform sauna sessions after your fitness training. This way the sauna heat will attack directly your fat reserves. I usually do sauna twice a week and perform fitness exercises 4 times a week. After a fitness training, I rest for around 20-30 minutes and proceed with the sauna. You should drink water during the fitness exercises and before the sauna. But NEVER drink water during the sauna and 30 minutes after it if you want to obtain a weight loss effect on your body.

A 30 minutes sauna session provides the amount of transpiration that is caused by 10 kilometers (around 5.5 miles) of jogging. There are several types of saunas including heat-storage types (smoke sauna, heat storage-sauna) and continuous-heat types (continuous fire sauna, infrared saunas).