The 10 Commandments of Weight Loss

Archive for November, 2011

This natural remedy for losing weight has a fascinating history and a ton of really useful things it is used for, not the least of which is supposedly being at fat attractant.  One thing to note if you are considering trying this natural remedy for weight loss – if you have shellfish allergies do not take this product.

Chitosan is made from something called chitin – a starch found in shrimp, crab and other shellfish skeletons.  It’s most common uses are:

As a plant growth enhancer, and defender against fungal infections.

As a filtration component in water processing engineering that binds sediment and removes it.  It also removes phosphorus, heavy minerals, and oils from water.

As a clarifying agent for wine, mead and beer that removes yeast cells, fruit particles etc

As a blood clotter, used in bandages. Hypoallergenic with natural anti-bacterial properties.

But, what about weight loss?  Where does Chitosan fit into losing weight.  Here’s where the fat attractent theory comes into play.  It’s frequently sold in health food stores and billed as a substance that attracts fat from the digestive system and expels it from the body.  This in theory means a dieter could lose weight without eating less.  Unfortunately, it appears to be just that, a theory.  Research has shown unmodified Chitosan would possibly remove about 30 calories a day from a person’s diet.  Modified, this product boasts claims (mostly unsubstantiated) of absorbing from three to six times its weight in fat and oil.

Evidently initial trials with the product to test its effectiveness as a weight loss remedy were conducted on animals, not humans.  So most of the speculation about what this product can or can not do is moot and just that, speculation.  It seems most weight loss professionals agree that Chitosan doesn’t do the job when it comes to weight loss.  And what recent trials there have been only show no more weight loss than a person who took placebo sugar pills.

Chitosan (KITE-o-san). This dietary supplement is made from chitin, a starch found in the skeleton of shrimp, crab, and other shellfish. Chitosan cannot be digested; therefore it passes through your intestinal tract unabsorbed without adding any calories. The chemical nature of Chitosan makes it bind with fatty foods, removing some of the fat from your body as it passes through rather than allowing it to be absorbed. Several studies, however, found no more weight loss from Chitosan than from a placebo (sugar pill).

What child doesn’t grow up with Dr. Seuss books? We have quite a few of them lying around the house. The kids love the silly characters and the rhymes. The Dr. Seuss inspired recipes that I’m about to share with you have been a great hit in my house. Of course the famous green eggs and ham are included, but there are also quite a few other snack and meal ideas. Create a fun Dr. Seuss inspired afternoon with some of these recipes and of course don’t forget to read a few of the books with your kids. (If you don’t own any, enjoy a trip to your local library.)

Green Eggs and Ham

This has to be the most famous Dr. Seuss inspired dish. Scramble a few eggs, add a couple of drops of blue food coloring to the mixture and cook as usual. You can serve a warmed up slice of ham with it, and if you want to go all out, brush the ham with a little green food coloring.

My kids love either biscuits, or mashed potatoes with this dish. Add a little food coloring (either green, or a complimentary color like red) to the biscuit dough or the finished mashed potatoes for even more fun.

Cat in The Hat Snack

Make the Cat’s Hat for a fun snack. All you need is a few Ritz crackers, gummy lifesavers (preferably in white/clear and red) and a little vanilla frosting. Put the Ritz cracker on a plate. Use a little bit of vanilla frosting to glue the first lifesaver on the cracker. “Glue” more lifesavers on top of the first one alternating between red and white.
These snacks are so cute; you may want to take a picture of your child’s creation before it is devoured.

Wiggly Fish

This snack was inspired by “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish”. Prepare several different colors of Jello according to package directions and pour each flavor into a shallow pan. Use a fish shaped cookie cutter to cut the Jello into fish shapes. (If you don’t have a fish shaped cookie cutter you could also just cut fish shapes with a knife.) You can also add small pieces of fruit to the Jello mixture before it cools. This is a great way to sneak an extra serving of fruit into your child’s diet.

Pink Ink for The Yink

The Yink in “One Fish, Two Fish” love to drink pink ink. Make your own version by combining a few strawberries (either fresh, or frozen and thawed) and some milk in a blender. Add a few drops of red food coloring if the “ink” isn’t pink enough.

A Fruity Hat For The Cat

How about this for a fun Sunday breakfast? Whip up a batch of silver dollar pancakes and cut up some fresh strawberries. Grab some whipped cream and let the kids assemble the Cat’s hat by stacking pancakes, and strawberries on top of each other using the whipped cream as “glue”.

Enjoy a few of these Dr. Seuss inspired snacks and meals with your family, or invite a few neighbor kids over for a Dr. Seuss party. Either way they are a lot of fun and a great way to bring some of the Seuss stories to life.

Are you interested in improving your health by eating organic foods?  If you are, you may be looking for ways to buy organic foods.  One of the best ways to do so is by shopping at an organic food store.  Organic food stores are defined as stores that specialize solely in the selling of natural, organic foods.  As for how you can go about finding these specialty stores, please continue reading on.

The internet is a great way to find organic food stores.  Speaking of which, you may want to examine online organic food stores.  These stores are just like storefront stores; however, you can do your shopping online and at just about any point in time, including late at night and in your pajamas.  You also get your organic food orders delivered directly to your door.  Shopping online also makes it easy to find, order, and compare prices.  Shopping online for natural foods is also nice if you do not have a specialty organic food store located locally.

Speaking of local, you can use the internet to examine online phones and online business directories.  These resources can be used to find information on local organic food stores.  Many online phone books and online business directories allow you to search for a specific type of business, such as a natural or an organic food store.  Your results should include a telephone number and address.

In keeping with using the internet to find organic food stores locally, a standard internet search should be performed.  As organic foods and food stores continue to increase in popularity, many are facing more competition than they had before.  That is why many end up developing websites, as a way to target new customers.  These online websites could provide you with a telephone number, address, list of foods sold, average prices, and much more.  If you don’t already know the name of a local organic food store, you can find these stores with a search, like “organic food stores in Boise Idaho.”

Your local phone book is another one of the many ways that you can go about finding local organic food stores to shop at.  If you already know the name of a local organic food store, but just don’t know where that store is located, you can use the white pages.  With that said, many searchers find the best results when turning to the back of the phone book, which is commonly referred to as the yellow pages or the business directory section.

Keeping your eyes open at all times is another great way to find a local organic food store to shop at, although this approach can sometimes be considered a hit or miss approach.  What you may want to do is take another way home from work or when you are out running errands.  Many people are surprised when they learn that their city or town has had an organic food store, possibly for years.  If you see a new organic food store in your travels, be sure to stop in and see what is available for sale and what the prices are like.

Speaking to those that you know is another nice, yet easy way to find organic food stores to shop at.  If you know of any friends, family members, neighbors, or coworkers who eat natural, organic foods, ask them where they shop.  If they shop locally, ask for the address of their favorite food store.  If they shop for organic foods online, ask for the website address.  Seeking organic food store recommendations from those that you know is one of the easiest ways to find the best places to shop at.

The above mentioned ways are just a few of the many ways that you can find organic food stores to shop at, both locally and online. Although specialty organic food stores are advised, be sure not to discount traditional supermarkets and grocery stores, as many have organic food sections.