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With all the attention being paid to the Atkins diet today following the release of this major study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, I have to admit I am personally disturbed by what I have witnessed as an antagonistic demeanor amongst the health elites responding to the healthy low-carb nutritional approach.

As I noted in this blog post regarding a teleconference call debate between Dr. Michael Dansinger and Dr. James Hill that took place on Tuesday night (CLICK HERE for the audio), the spin coming from the low-fat diet supporters on this new positive Atkins diet study is this: sure, you can lose weight following the Atkins, low-carb diet, but the impact is only for the short-term--there is no evidence that anyone can possibly stay on a diet like this beyond one year.

Say what?!

In response to that ridiculous claim, I only have to look in my own mirror to know that assessment is about as far away from the truth as it can possibly be. Why? Because I lost 180 pounds in one year on the Atkins diet three years ago. Yep, that's me--Jimmy Moore--and I am all too happy to share my low-carb weight loss success since these so-called health "experts" choose to ignore people like me.

Do you want to take a wild guess what happened to my weight after the end of that one year when I lost 180 pounds? Did I simply balloon back up to 410 pounds again and prove these "experts" were right that people can't keep a low-carb diet up over the long-term? Yeah right! NOT!

Um, I hate to break the news to 'em, but not only have I kept the 180 pounds I lost in 2004 off of my body, but I've dropped an additional ten pounds in the process. And, more importantly, my weight has remained stable for well over two years now--the longest such stint in my 35 years of life where I haven't seen drastic weight fluctuations. Check out my dramatic BEFORE and AFTER pictures!

Unless you've walked in my shoes as a morbidly obese man, then you cannot possibly know how incredibly freeing it is to not have to worry about whether you will have to keep buying new pants because they ripped out in the crotch or new shirts because the buttons keep shooting off of them from that fat belly. Additionally, you never realize how precious having excellent health is until you've seen it seeping out of your body ever-so-slowly and then miraculously have it given right back to you.

That's EXACTLY what the Atkins diet did for me.

While the study participants who were on the Atkins diet only lost a modest 10 pounds in one year, the overwhelming majority of people (like these other low-carb weight loss succes stories) are able to lose A WHOLE LOT MORE WEIGHT when they have committed themselves fully to the low-carb diet as a lifestyle change that they will continue doing for the rest of their lives.

The health gurus think the Atkins/low-carb diet is okay as a temporary fix for weight loss, but don't stay on it for very long because it COULD POSSIBLY MAYBE PERCHANCE lead to health problems. Does this make any sense at all to you? Why would people who successfully lose weight on the Atkins diet want to change the method they used to lose the weight? Do these people think we're all a bunch of idiots or something?

This is an issue that just absolutely baffles me to no end. The double-speak that comes out of the mouths of "experts" purporting to provide dietary advice is glaring. On the one hand they say that it's okay to do the Atkins diet as long as you only do it for the short-term. But then without taking a breath, these same people assert that there are grave concerns over the long-term impact of eating a low-carb diet.

So which is it? That's like saying it's okay to breathe in methane gas into your lungs for an hour, but be sure you don't do it beyond that hour or it may be dangerous. If you truly believe something is hazardous to your health, then does it really matter how long you do it? Of course not! Yet, that's exactly what these people are saying about the Atkins diet. That's what people here in the South call bassackwards!

I know my low-carb weight loss success story is but one example out there, but it should not be dismissed by those who oppose the low-carb approach to weight loss and improved health. As much as they hate to admit it, I'm a living, breathing, alive-and-well example of someone who is living proof they are just plain WRONG when it comes to their opinions about the Atkins/low-carb nutritional approach. In fact, they couldn't be MORE wrong if they tried.

The truth about livin' la vida low-carb (that's the catchy phrase I use to describe my permanent commitment to the low-carb way of life now) is in the dramatic changes that happened in my life as a result of this amazing way of eating:

From 410 pounds to 220 poundsFrom 62 inch waist to 38 inch waistFrom 5XL shirt size down to XLFrom HDL cholesterol of 23 up to 72From triglycerides of 227 down to 43From blood pressure of 180/95 down to 125/80From body fat percentage of 52% down to 11%From three prescription meds to ZERO in nine months

On and on I could go talking about the dramatic changes that happened to me, but suffice it to say they are endless. It saddens me that people have been pushed away from even trying to lose weight on the Atkins diet because of all the negativity they have heard from the media and the medical community. Let me encourage you to ignore the propaganda machine that is against low-carb and learn the truth about the health dangers of excessive consumption of sugar, refined carbohydrates, and junk food.

If you are overweight, obese, or just plain sick and reading this right now and deep within your heart want to believe the Atkins diet could work for you, then it's time to meet someone who has been through the pain of obesity, taken the steps to begin a new healthy low-carb lifestyle, implemented those changes in his life permanently, and never lost sight of where he has been or how far he has come.

It would be my distinct privilege if you would allow me the opportunity to interact with you via e-mail to bring you just a glimmer of hope and inspiration on this amazing journey. Write to me anytime with your questions or comments at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

You may be interested in some other resources I have available, including my blog, my podcast show, and my book entitled Livin' La Vida Low-Carb: My Journey From Flabby Fat To Sensationally Skinny In One Year. I am so grateful for the chance to share my Atkins diet weight loss story with the world and make it abundantly clear that there are REAL people who have done VERY well on this diet despite what the low-fat spin doctors are saying.

Don't let the media and those so-called "experts" frighten you to the point that you do NOTHING about your weight and health. Do you want to see your health continue to decline? Probably not! But you need to take that first step and do low-carb the RIGHT way by constantly educating yourself about what it is all about and then DO IT!

If you are wanting to find what could very well be the lasting answer to your obesity problem, then how about giving the Atkins/low-carb diet a try. It quite literally changed the course of my life forever for the better and the same can happen for YOU, too!

Labels: Atkins, blog, book, diet, Jimmy Moore, Livin' La Vida Low-Carb, low-carb, obesity, podcast, weight loss

See the rest here:
My Long-Term Weight Loss On The Atkins Diet

Review

'The revolutionary new diet by Dr Michael Mosley, creator of the 5:2. It is the most eagerly awaited health book of the year' Daily Mail

'This new book is full of fascinating information and is incredibly readable. I picked it up in something of a post-Christmas haze and couldn't put it down.' Dr Andrew Bailey, Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners

'An important, easy to follow book which is full of surprising and effective weight loss tips. It should change a lot of lives for the better.' Professor Desiree Silva, University of Western Australia

'Dr Mosley, one of the world's leading writers covering nutrition and health, does it again with a very informative and entertaining book.' Dr Valter Longo, Director of the University of Southern California Longevity Institute

'This diet changed my life. I lost 16kg (35lbs) in the first 8 weeks and I ve lost another 6kg (13lbs) since. I was a borderline diabetic but I'm not anymore, in fact I'm healthier than I've ever been.' Denise Bach, aged 51

'I lost 40lb and I'm now a size 10. I feel so much better. This approach is now part of my daily life.' Penni Cuthbert, aged 33

'Not so much a diet as a new way of living. I've followed Michael's advice ever since my third bout of cancer and I have not looked back.' Patrick McIntosh, who at the age of 58 became the first man to walk to the South Pole after surviving surgery for bowel, skin and prostate cancer.

'In this fast-paced, no-nonsense book, Dr Michael Mosley brings together the latest science - which approaches to dieting and exercise actually work with inspiring accounts of his and others using these strategies to vastly improve their health. This book is a triumph, providing just the right balance of practical advice, scientific reasoning and hope. Dr Mosley shows that armed with the right information, it is within all of our powers to shift excess body weight for good.'

Dr Jack Lewis, broadcaster and neuroscientist --.

Michael Mosley trained to be a doctor at the Royal Free Hospital in London. After qualifying he joined the BBC, where he became a well-known TV presenter. He is the author of the internationally bestselling Fast Diet, The 8-week Blood Sugar Diet and The Clever Guts Diet.

Read the original post:
The Fast 800: How to combine rapid weight loss and ...

The ketogenic diet puts your body into a state of ketosis, which ultimately allows you to use fat for energy.

Fat burning is just one of the many benefits of ketosis that improves overall health and makes it an effective tool for weight loss.

Keto has a cult following for a good reason: it makes you feel great. Keto-ers feel more satiated throughout the day and have increased energy levels, both physical and mental, leading to:

These benefits all contribute to weight loss; however, keto is not synonymous with weight loss.

Far from being a magic tool, the ketogenic diet takes accurate and diligent tracking and adjustment to work. You need a balance of the right macros, realistic goal setting and tracking to take you closer to achieving your weight loss goals.

In this guide, well cover the following:

What is Ketosis

What are KetonesBenefits of Ketosis

The Ketogenic Diet

What is the Ketogenic DietKetogenic Foods: What to Eat and What to Avoid

Designing a Keto Plan for Weight Loss

Using a Keto Macro CalculatorExerciseIntermittent FastingDealing with Plateaus

Testing and Tracking Results

How to Test Ketone LevelsThe Glucose-Ketone IndexBody Fat Tracking/PhotosTape MeasurementsUsing the Scale

Making Adjustments to Your Keto Diet

How to Adjust to Induce KetosisReview Your Goals and Results

By the end of this guide, youll have everything you need to get started on the ketogenic diet to lose weight the right way for the long term.

The ketogenic diet promotes and maintains ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body uses fat rather than glucose from carbohydrates as its primary source of energy.

To achieve ketosis, you stop supplying your body with carbs and sugar. This depletes your stored glucose also known as glycogen and your blood sugar and insulin levels decrease. Your body starts to look for an alternate source of fuel (fat), releases it and burns it for energy.

Hence, weight loss on keto.

Because of the decrease of glucose and increase in the metabolism of fat, ketosis has a ton of benefits its unique ability to induce weight loss is just one of them. Many people use ketosis as a treatment for epilepsy, diabetes and even cancer.

When your body burns fat, it produces ketones. Without ketones, youre not in ketosis. Therefore, the ketogenic diets sole purpose is to aid and promote ketone production.

Ketones are the metabolic fuel produced when your body shifts into fat-burning mode.

Glucose and ketones are the only energy sources used by the brain. Think of ketones as the auxiliary power source of your body.

Before the advent of agriculture, when our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, they fasted regularly. When food was scarce, they didnt have a choice but to wait for an opportune time to hunt for food and cook it.

They had a very low intake of carbs and protein and thus were unintentionally running on ketones. Converting stored fat into energy is hardwired for our survival and a natural part of human existence.

Your body burns fat to use and produce ketones whenever glucose sources are low or depleted, such as:

Lipase (an enzyme responsible for fat breakdown) releases stored triglycerides (fats). These fatty acids go to your liver and your liver turns them into ketones.

There are three types of ketone bodies:

Now that you know what ketones are and how ketosis works, you probably want to know why you should consider eating a ketogenic diet the diet that promotes ketosis.

The benefits of ketones come from your body burning fat for fuel and the lowered glucose and insulin in your blood.

The benefits of ketosis include:

Aside from the therapeutic benefits of ketones, many people fall in love with keto because of the way it makes them feel both mentally and physically.

Recommended Reading

The ketogenic diet is an effective tool for weight loss because of the dramatic decrease in carb intake, forcing your body to burn fat instead of carbs for energy.

Results vary among individuals due to several factors such as insulin resistance and unique body composition. Nonetheless, keto has consistently lead to a reduction in weight and body fat percentage in a wide range of situations including but not limited to obesity, type 2 diabetes and athletic performance.

A randomized control study in 2017 examined the effects of a ketogenic diet combined with Crossfit training on body composition and performance. Results from this study concluded that subjects following a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (LCKD) significantly decreased body weight, body fat percentage and fat mass compared to those in the control group[*].

The subjects following the ketogenic diet:

Dashti et al. performed a study in 2004 observing the long-term effects of a ketogenic diet in obese patients and found the following[*]:

Partsalaki et al. carried out a study in 2012 comparing the effects of a ketogenic diet versus a hypocaloric diet in obese children and adolescents. Results showed[*]:

Additionally, a 2008 study looking at the effects of a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet versus a low-glycemic index diet in type 2 diabetics was conducted.

Results from this study concluded that participants following the ketogenic diet had significantly greater improvements in weight loss, hemoglobin A1c, and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol compared to the low-glycemic index diet group[*]:

Those following a ketogenic diet:

The ketogenic diet works for weight loss because its based around high fat, adequate protein and very low carb intake.

Theres a common misconception that fat is bad for you; however, this misconception fails to adequately represent healthy fats which are actually good for you.

Aside from other scientifically-proven benefits, saturated fats like medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) go directly to your liver to be used for energy.

The ketogenic diet, with its high percentage of good fats, leads to a fat-adaptive metabolic state.

Fat-adaptation occurs when your body becomes more efficient at burning fat for fuel. The longer you maintain a fat-adaptive state, the more ketones you produce.

The goal of a ketogenic diet is to maintain high amounts of ketones so you can reap all of the benefits that occur from being in ketosis.

A high fat, ketogenic diet is also protein-sparing: your body keeps burning fat and doesnt turn to protein as an energy source.

Protein is extremely important on keto as well. Ideally, you should consume0.8 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass.This will prevent muscle loss.

To calculate your lean body mass, you have to:

Worried that 0.8 grams per pound of lean body mass is too much protein?

The truth is that on a keto diet, you can eat a lot more protein than the standard 10-15% of total calories (that some other sources promote)without being kicked out of ketosis.

Too much protein wont raise your blood glucose and decrease your ketone levels. Thats just a myth.

Check out the video below by Perfect Keto founder Dr. Anthony Gustin to understand the role protein plays on keto, why we recommend a higher protein intake, and why gluconeogenesis is not a problem:

The difference between ketogenic and low-carb diets is that the ketogenic diet aims for ketosis.

Other low-carb diets may not have a large enough decrease in carb intake to shift your metabolism into producing and burning ketones for fuel.

But, certain types of keto diets do have some leeway with carb and protein intake.

Like intermittent fasting, you can customize the ketogenic diet according to your goals or needs.

There are four common types of ketogenic diets:

Ketogenic foods are high quality, whole, natural foods processed as little as possible. To avoid processed foods, many keto-ers prefer to make everything themselves, from burgers to homemade ghee).

Ketogenic foods are high in fat, adequate in protein and of course, low carb.

The most common mistakes on a ketogenic diet include not watching the quality and composition of your food and being careless about your carb intake.

To lose weight on keto you must:

Your carb and protein intake makes (or breaks) your ketogenic diet. You can tweak your macros according to what works for you, but the general macronutrient ranges are:

These can vary according to your goals, needs and body composition. Designing your ketogenic diet involves calculating your macros.

Keto has been called Atkins on steroids and is often compared to other diets like paleo and the Mediterranean diet. What are the similarities and differences between keto, Atkins, paleo and the Mediterranean diets?

Well, to start, all four diets are centered around whole food. Any of these diets can be used to achieve your desired weight and health goals but the main differences come down to the macro distributions and of course, ketosis.

The Atkins diet, formally called the Atkins Nutritional Approach, was founded by cardiologist Dr. Robert Atkins as a weight loss tool based on the idea of eating right, not less.

The similarities: Both the ketogenic and Atkins diets reduce your intake of carbs and sugar while shifting you toward eating whole, healthy foods.

If done correctly, the result is ketosis, weight loss and better mental acuity and physical energy from the steady fuel of ketones.

The difference: Atkins has four phases. The induction and balancing phases (Phase 1 and 2) resemble the ketogenic diet most closely.

In the ketogenic diet, the carb, protein and fat macros are sustained in their allotted portions to induce and maintain a state of ketosis.

The Pros of Atkins:

The paleo or paleolithic diet also called the caveman diet, hunter-gatherer diet or Stone Age diet is based on consuming the foods available to our ancestors in their hunter-gatherer days and the early days of agriculture,about 10,000 years ago.

With paleo, processed food is out. This means no sugar or flour-based foods since producing sugar and milling wheat wasnt invented yet back then.

Anything you could hunt, catch, pick or dig from the ground easily is in, such as meat, seafood, fruits, nuts and vegetables.

The similarities: Both the ketogenic and paleo diets are rich in non-starchy vegetables. Both also restrict sugar, grains, legumes and recommend high-quality animal proteins and fats.

The differences:

As long as your gut doesnt have a problem breaking them down, keto is perfectly okay with full-fat, all natural dairy cheese, butter, ghee. Conversely, paleo avoids anything that can compromise the gut like dairy.

Compared to the very low carb restriction of the ketogenic diet, paleo does not restrict starchy vegetables and sugary fruits, making it close to impossible to get into ketosis.

The Pros of Paleo:

Physiologist Dr. Ancel Keys noticed that the Mediterranean people living in southern Europe (Greece, Italy, Crete) had much lower risks of heart disease than Americans. He recorded what they ate and the Mediterranean diet was born.

This diet consists predominantly of fish, vegetables, fruits, seeds, beans, olive oil, nuts, cheese, yogurt and grains. Poultry and eggs eaten every two days, red meat restricted to 3 ounces per week and a glass or two of wine daily.

The similarities: Like keto, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes simple, whole foods.

The differences: The Mediterranean diet is relatively low-fat, with non-ketogenic net carbs coming from grains like bread, quinoa, brown rice, starchy fruits and vegetables.

The Pros of the Mediterranean Diet:

The ketogenic diet has one purpose: to induce ketosis, burning fat instead of carbs.

The other diets have their own share of health benefits, particularly the Mediterranean diet[*], and all of them help with weight loss, though only the ketogenic diet helps you induce and maintain ketosis.

The focus of these diets is to eat healthy, whole foods that are as close to nature as possible. Even without the rigorous tracking involved on keto, you still have to watch the amount of food you are consuming on these diets in order to attain the benefits.

Keto is already considered Atkins on steroids. If youre eager to gain the benefits of being in ketosis, the paleo and Mediterranean diets can be customizable to induce a ketogenic state.

Simply replace all of the bread and starchy root vegetables with more oil, fatty meats and fish and low-carb nuts.

We feature all three of the above diets on Perfect Keto:

Using the ketogenic diet for weight loss is all about tracking and calculating:

Anything out of balance like too much protein or excessive exercise can do something as simple as slow your progress into ketosis, or something more grave like disrupt your health.

Your personal needs and goals determine a lot when using the ketogenic diet for weight loss. The most important step is calculating (and sticking to) your macros.

Visit link:
How To Use The Ketogenic Diet for Weight Loss

Review

'The revolutionary new diet by Dr Michael Mosley, creator of the 5:2. It is the most eagerly awaited health book of the year' Daily Mail

'This new book is full of fascinating information and is incredibly readable. I picked it up in something of a post-Christmas haze and couldn't put it down.' Dr Andrew Bailey, Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners

'An important, easy to follow book which is full of surprising and effective weight loss tips. It should change a lot of lives for the better.' Professor Desiree Silva, University of Western Australia

'Dr Mosley, one of the world's leading writers covering nutrition and health, does it again with a very informative and entertaining book.' Dr Valter Longo, Director of the University of Southern California Longevity Institute

'This diet changed my life. I lost 16kg (35lbs) in the first 8 weeks and I ve lost another 6kg (13lbs) since. I was a borderline diabetic but I'm not anymore, in fact I'm healthier than I've ever been.' Denise Bach, aged 51

'I lost 40lb and I'm now a size 10. I feel so much better. This approach is now part of my daily life.' Penni Cuthbert, aged 33

'Not so much a diet as a new way of living. I've followed Michael's advice ever since my third bout of cancer and I have not looked back.' Patrick McIntosh, who at the age of 58 became the first man to walk to the South Pole after surviving surgery for bowel, skin and prostate cancer.

'In this fast-paced, no-nonsense book, Dr Michael Mosley brings together the latest science - which approaches to dieting and exercise actually work with inspiring accounts of his and others using these strategies to vastly improve their health. This book is a triumph, providing just the right balance of practical advice, scientific reasoning and hope. Dr Mosley shows that armed with the right information, it is within all of our powers to shift excess body weight for good.'

Dr Jack Lewis, broadcaster and neuroscientist --.

Michael Mosley trained to be a doctor at the Royal Free Hospital in London. After qualifying he joined the BBC, where he became a well-known TV presenter. He is the author of the internationally bestselling Fast Diet, The 8-week Blood Sugar Diet and The Clever Guts Diet.

Read the rest here:
The Fast 800: Everything you need to know about fasting ...

Check Also

You're reading 7 Ways You Can Improve Your Concentration, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Concentration and memory are the two key focus points for every individual. When you are concentrated, your memory automatically improves as you are able to retain the information for a longer period of time.

Having a sharp memory and good concentration power is useful to people of all ages and all professional domains, whether a student or a CEO. Do you not wish that you could have the memory of an elephant who never forgets anything? So, in this article, we are going to discuss some similar tricks and methods that you can use in your daily life to improve your concentration power and in turn, memory.

Before you plan to beat me up, listen. Mind games are an amazing method to improve your concentration.

Moreover, it is more effective when you are playing these games offline rather than opening a new tab and searching for the best mind games to improve concentration.

A to-do list is probably the simplest thing that you can do. With the availability of almost everything over the internet, we are now the people who take out the phone and ask Google everything right then and there. But, what about after that?

Also, have you ever noticed that once you ask your Google assistant whats the weather like tomorrow, you are browsing through your Instagram feed before you realise it?

So, create a to-do list that you can paste right in front of you. Keep it in your view and you will be saved from getting distracted.

You dont need to be a sage almighty or you dont need the peace of nature with a waterfall and chirping birds so that you can meditate peacefully.

Meditation can be done right at your home, at your desk! You just need to calm and focus. Play relaxation music, but take care to not fall asleep. Close your eyes and focus on the one thing that motivates you to go on about your day.

It can be anything, some fictional character, your girlfriend, your parents, money or any other thing. You dont need to pack your bags and depart for the Himalayas but work here and now.

A lazy body is the devils abode. You should not even cry that you have such a poor concentration when all you do the entire day is eat pizza, drink beer, watch tv and sleep.

The first step to a healthy mind is a healthy body. Dust off the shoes in the shelf, put em on and go jogging. Watch yoga tutorials on YouTube and learn the techniques that will open up the jammed parts of your body.

When you start exercising, you will not restrict your energy to your body but channelise it and allow it to flow. Hence, it will improve your concentration and your memory significantly.

I know it hurts but this is actually a way you can improve your concentration power and your focus. It is natural that the person want feels the need to juggle so many tasks at once and try to complete them all at once. Though the capabilities of the human brain are not fully known, we do not know very well that how can multitasking become more efficient.

Hence, for the time being, avoid multitasking and focus on one thing at a time. Rather than trying to complete 5 different works with your 20% efficiency, allow your 100% efficiency on one single task.

There is a phrase I am fond of phones are getting smart and humans dumb. This is really true. If you ever look around yourself, you will see that everyone is busy with their necks down and thumbs moving.

These smartphones and other gadgets affect our brain directly and hamper with our decision making capability, our judgment and our concentration.

Whatever be the thing, we simply ask Google assistant to save a reminder. We ask Alexa to create our to-do list for the day. We need to set birthday reminders for the people who are close to us! Such dependency on technology should be reduced and the brain should be made to function more and more.

Trust me, your concentration will improve significantly after a couple of weeks when you start remembering everything and not your phone.

Every human has a preferred learning style with which they learn everything. Whether you remember better and focus more during a video or by hearing something. Once you identify this, your concentration will improve.

What happens is that you will be able to identify which style of learning suits you more. As a result, you will automatically strive to focus more when your preferred learning style is available. See, your concentration improved.

These 7 tips are easy to incorporate in your daily lives as a way to improve your concentration.

This post is written by a qualified psychology professional who is an Australian assignment help expert at My Assignment Help OZ and has a five years of experience in nursing and psychology.

You've read 7 Ways You Can Improve Your Concentration, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

The most critical and challenging period of addiction recovery, according to the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, is the first 90 days. It is during this period that a newly recovering addict is overwhelmed with rebuilding his life from the ground up. This includes facing disregarded responsibilities, fears, and emotions from the past. The pressure []

The post How to Cope with The First 90 Days of Addiction Recovery appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

You're reading Ancestry DNA Tests Dont Always Find What We Expect, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Advances in DNA testing in recent years has made tracing your family tree accessible to the masses, prompting millions to go down the route of discovering their lineage.

But what people find is not always welcome. The results of genetic tests are life-changing, but in some cases people are left wishing theyd remained in blissful ignorance.

Ancestry DNA tests help people to discover their genealogy by taking just a small amount of the subjects DNA, with some of the best ancestry dna test sites claiming that they can reveal a person's family tree and ancestral homeland for a fee.

The most popular is the aptly-named AncestryDNA itself, from whom you can currently order a kit online for $79. All you have to do is spit into a tube, send it back for testing and analysis and you'll receive your results in 6-8 weeks. Your results are also kept indefinitely, so at any time you can log on to view and update your family tree.

It can perhaps be one of life's most rewarding experiences, providing enormous perspective, but finding out everything about your family's past means finding out about the bad stuff too. And the extreme's of that are what people aren't prepared for.

Most people who attempt to trace their genealogy are open-minded and curious, whilst also incredibly excited that science and technology can now give them the tools to unpick their family tree.

But excitement can often mean viewing certain things through rose-tinted glasses. Going through the intimate and very personal task of tracking your family tree is a warts and all experience and has to be treated as such.

Weve all seen the TV shows that unveil shocking things about celebrities past and it can do the same for you.

There are people who find out that their ancestors were adopted, or that someone was conceived as the result of a sperm donor, or maybe that they were the result of an illicit affair.

There are occasions when people discover that a family member in the not too distant past was a very unsavoury character, a serious criminal perhaps.

Of course in many cases it can unveil traits which could well be passed down generations, for example alcoholism or other forms of addiction. Perhaps even an illness or disease that is hereditary. In this case it can be even lifesaving to review your family tree.

There have been a number of cases where this has happened, allowing family members to get checked early and prevent and manage what could eventually be passed down.

Thats an extreme case though. A much more common issue for people from smaller families is that they get introduced to cousins they never knew they had and then don't quite know how to deal with it.

On the other side of the coin, not everyone wants to bring up the past and have their world turned upside down either. Imagine a biological father who is completely unaware that a one night stand more than 20 years ago resulted in a pregnancy.

Imagine being the sperm donor who had expected anonymity and had been used to it for decades, starting a new family in later life only to have someone claiming to be their offspring turning up at the door.

Ultimately though its all part of your history and only adds to your story and heritage. For all the bad, there will also be good and for all the heartbreak, there will be plenty of pride over what your family has achieved.

Its perhaps not for the faint hearted but if your curious or have a little insight into your family history already, then it could well be worth going full steam ahead.

Tracing your ancestry can be a marvelous journey, but you should be prepared to find absolutely anything!

Just remember, you may not like every discovery that you make.

You've read Ancestry DNA Tests Dont Always Find What We Expect, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Planet Earth has more than its share of magnificent spectacles, many of which tourists queue to see. Earthly wonders like the Niagara Falls and spectacular man-made miracles such as Egypts pyramids are fascinating for sure, but they keep our feet and imaginations planted firmly on the familiar ground. Postcards, textbooks, and holiday brochures make us []

The post Alien Landscapes: Places on Earth You Should Totally See appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

You're reading A Wee Wiggle in my Journey to Family, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Many of us have faced depression, struggled with low self-esteem, and other debilitating mental health challenges. My own journey with depression was a result of growing up with a rare blood disorder and being told I could never have children of my own. This completely changed my dreams of what family and life meant. Years later I suffered with a rare soft tissue sarcoma, yet, baffling the best of doctors, I survived. Im a tough nut to crack!

My book, Falling into Faith, A Journey to Freedom, is a candid and honest account of my journey. I detail the struggles of living with constant pain and disease, and the power associated with learning to forgive and break free from the heavy chains that encumber and prevent us from moving forward.

No one gets through this life without pain and suffering. The key is to use those challenges toward growth and success. Little did I know the many children God planned to bless us with. The setback I suffered proved to be just a wee wiggle in my journey to family. My husband and I have been mom and dad to forty-nine young people, and we are now proud grandparents. Im healthy, happy, and free from depression!

The family God gave us faced painful and emotional battles. Some suffered with depression, bipolar, eating disorders, learning disabilities, etc. My own struggles gave me the ability to help our family and others. Its also the reason I became a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, Motivational Speaker, Author, Comedian, and Chaplain.

As a mental health professional, Ive seen painful and debilitating effects caused from depression and other mental health disorders, but there is hope! Im joy-filled proof change and mental stability is possible. To all who know and love me, stop laughing!

A positive change began for me when I embraced faith. I went on a quest to discover what I believe and why. I questioned everything that effected my thoughts and behaviors. Along my sojourn, I discovered a destructive habit I developed over the years. My focus seemed fixated on the ever-present negative circumstances, instead of the positive day-to-day joys.

To experience genuine and authentic results in your personal and professional growth, a person must be willing to self-evaluate and stand up to the giants in their life. Then comes the challenging part: A purposeful decision to change your thinking and actually choose to do something about it! Its not a journey for the faint of heart. Breaking free from long-standing habits that hinder progress is filled with obstacles and uncertainty. Take a step of faith and refuse to give up. As you begin seeing positive results, defeat and negativity will no longer dominate and control your existence.

One of my certifications is in Rational Living Therapy (RLT). It is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and is highly effective when helping a client with depression and other mental health challenges. RLT is a motivational therapy. It effects positive change and utilizes empirical research in the areas of linguistics, cognitive development, learning theory, general semantics, neuro functioning, social psychology and perceptions, and linguistics.

Utilizing this method, we will analyze three common viewpoints on the subject of depression shared by mental health experts. Understanding is important in the healing process.

Common Viewpoints Concerning Depression Shared by Mental Health Experts

I. The causes of depression are not fully known; however, studies show it is most likely a combination of the following:

A. Genetic and Biological: Some types of depression tend to run in families, suggesting a genetic link; however, depression can occur in anyone. What often appears to be inherited is a susceptibility toward depression.

B. Medical Causes: Diseases affecting the brain, such as, Parkinsons, Multiple Sclerosis, Dementia and Alzheimers. Chronic pain or disability can trigger depression. Particularly when physical problems cause major changes to someones lifestyle. Depression is often common in diseases affecting the immune system, such as, Lupus. Also hormonal imbalances contributes to depressed moods and fatigue.

C. Lifestyle Factors: There are three major lifestyle factors usually common in those diagnosed with depression: Lack of exercise, poor diet, and substance abuse.

D. Environmental Factors: Life stressors, such as: relationship issues, finances, death of a loved one, or illness can cause depression. Environmental factors encompass actual physical surroundings, along with cultural and social background situations.

II. Thinking is a common pathway to depression. Learning to control your thought life or what some experts call, pathway of thinking, is a powerful tool in preventing the onset of depression.

III. There is no one answer for what causes depression, yet there appears to be four main pathways: Physiology, Stress, Learning, and Thinking.

Now that we understand what mental health experts agree on in regards to depression, lets turn our focus on application and how to overcome the strongholds preventing healing.

Depression is a battle! It focuses on all things negative and destructive. When someone is suffering with depression, they may be living and breathing but they do not feel truly alive. One of my patients described it this way; I felt invisible, as though I barely existed; however, I watched other people living their lives.

Proverbs 18:21 became a powerful tool for me while fighting depression: The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. I realized the first thing I needed to change was my mouth. I began to watch and weigh the words I spoke. My words affected my choices, and this ultimately perpetuated a positive and lasting change.

Let me save you $150 an hour therapy bill and share some key things that are vital in starting your journey to a healthy mind. Grab pin and paper. Your work is about to begin.

There is no shame in seeking help. Talk to someone you trust. Our brain is an amazing organ but just like other organs in our body, it can become sick and in need of healing.

You have value and worth. Go forth boldly and become all you are meant to be!

About Dr. Donna Grant Wilcox, MTH, CBT, PhD

Dr. Wilcox is a cognitive behavioral therapist with a Ph.D. in Christian counseling with certifications in cognitive behavioral therapy and rational living therapy and a non-denominational interfaith licensed chaplain with a masters in theology who is self-employed under Donna Wilcox Ministries. She recently released her entertaining and inspirational memoir, Falling into Faith: A Journey to Freedom and works as a hospice chaplain with Namaste Hospice and as a counselor and motivational speaker for Heartbeat of a Woman, located in Colorado. Also, a Christian comedian known as Southern Sass Florabama, Dr. Wilcox volunteers her time weekly in nursing homes and assisted living homes, providing music therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy tools for patients with Alzheimers and dementia and serves her community as a volunteer counselor for victims of sexual abuse, at-risk youth, marriage and family, and mental health disorders. For more information about Dr. Wilcox and her new book, please visit http://www.donnagrantwilcox.com.

You've read A Wee Wiggle in my Journey to Family, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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5 Tips for Long-Term Weight Loss

You have lost a certain amount of weight and get back in shape and now looking for ways to keep your weight under control for the long term. It is really hard for some people to lose pounds and when they successfully shed weight, they start finding different ways for long-term weight loss. So, here are 5 tips to keep in shape for the long term. Also, be sure to check out Coupon Code Day Online Discount Codes if you find a product you like and want to try out on your weight loss quest.

Doing weight training at least 3 times a week by short rest intervals around 30 to 60 seconds will help you to keep your weight under control. The 1-hour workout is enough to keep catabolic hormones low and anabolic hormones high. If you do more than 1-hour weight training, then you will lose fat and muscles quickly. Your goal should be the maintenance of muscles that will keep your metabolic rate high. In this way, your body fat will reduce in a steady way. Try to lose 1 to 1.5 pounds of fat in one week.

To increase your metabolic rate, start taking a lean protein that will increase the anabolic hormones and help you to keep muscles in shape. Through lean muscle mass, you will burn more calorie and keep your metabolic rate maintained. Add a low-fat protein like lean red meat, seafood, skinless chicken etc. in your diet chart. In case, you are not getting enough protein in your daily diet, you can eat protein supplements of high quality.

Take care of your diet and eat healthy. Watch your daily diet. Keep away from fat-free or low-fat food products as these products are rich in carbohydrates. Such type of food is giving you calories through carbohydrates that can be not good for your body.

Moreover, sugary food products are harmful to you. Instead, you should eat complex carbohydrates that will prevent fluctuations of blood sugar and reduce the output of insulin which is the main hormone that stores body fat. If your insulin level is high, your body cannot burn stored body fat easily.

If you want to preserve the lean muscle then avoid High-carbohydrate. Start eating high-fiber carbohydrates like lentils, oatmeal, and brown rice. You should avoid pasta, bread, white rice, processed low-fiber carbohydrate sources, and sweets. In order to prevent dehydration, drink 10-12 glasses of water in a day that help to release stored fat to burn as energy.

Saturated fats are not good if you want to reduce weight for the long term. It is better if you reduce the intake of saturated fats and substitute with monounsaturated fats like avocado, olive oil and polyunsaturated fat like flax oil. These types of fats are good fats which you can add to your daily diet. Studies have shown that if you get omega 3 from different sources such as haddock, fish like cod, perch, sea bass, salmon etc, your health will improve and your body lose fat.

People who drink a lot will gain more weight than those who do not drink. When you are doing dieting and putting your efforts to lose weight for the long term it is better to avoid alcohol. If you consume a meal with alcohol, then the body will metabolize alcohol first and the rest of the calories will be stored as fat. If alcohol is something you need to decompress after a long day once in a while then drink a glass of red or white wine. That would be the best option.

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If you don't want to waste time searching for the best weight loss plan, and especially if you are looking for long term results, look no further. Here are few things that will make deciding on the best plan for weight loss quick and easy. You'll want to make sure you investigate a few key things that the best weight loss plans in the country all seem to have in common.

We've come up with a set of essential rules for the best ways to lose weight when following a plan for weight loss. You will absolutely want to follow these if you want to lose weight and keep it off.

Guidelines to follow for the best weight loss plan:

1. Don't cut out a whole food group.

It is vitally important choose a balance of foods to make sure you don't miss out on any key essential nutrients. When you completely cut out a whole food group for example, grains, breads, potatoes, cereals, pastayou might miss out on the fortified vitamins and minerals that are found in these foods. It's better to reduce your portion size of these foods, rather than to completely cut them out for months on end to lose weight. Also, it's nearly impossible to cut out an entire food group for your whole lifetime, and this could set you up for future failure when it comes time to begin maintaining your weight.

2. No fewer than 1000 calories, per day, unless recommended and supervised by your doctor.

While keeping your diet at 900 calories per day may seem like the best way to lose weight in the moment, it's actually the worst. Why? Because you will without a doubt begin to lose lean muscle tissue. This is the last thing any of us want when we are attempting to achieve a healthy weight. Muscle protein is the largest contributor to metabolic rate, meaning it burns the most calories, even at rest. When you lose muscle, you'll see the scale drop, but this is not from losing fat! The fat tissue is still there, so it is extremely misleading when you inspect the scale. So steer clear of plans that decrease daily calories to under 1,000 kcals per day.

3. Focus on habits and lifestyle change.

The best weight loss plans all have one thing in common. They help you switch your entire lifestyle, not just your diet. Normally they will include lots of education, portion control, and will list ways to help you develop skills in food preparation. They should absolutely provide tips on how to order at restaurants, and what a healthy, balanced meal looks like. The best weight loss plans almost always help you with grocery shopping lists, or planning menus for a family. Most importantly, these plans will focus on changing how you live your life around food not just making temporary changes. If a program claims they have a fast way to lose weight, then you might want to think twice, because you may not develop the skills you need to keep the weight off once it's gone. And no one wants to have to lose weightagain.

4. Skip diets that skip protein, or recommend severely limiting protein intake.

If a diet is dropping your lean protein intake drastically, such as a vegan or vegetarian diet, you might want to skip it. You can easily add in all the healthy foods that a vegan diet containsand achieve all the same health benefitswithout dodging lean proteins. Contrary to popular belief, beans are NOT a complete source of protein. We're not sure where this rumor began circulating, but it's absolutely false and here's why: Beans contain a very, very small amount of lysine. Too small to count toward your daily amino acid needs. And so you MUST combine them with another food source, such as rice or bread, in order to get the complete amino acid profile your body requires. But the real problem is this: any of the amino acids found in plant foods will never be absorbed as well as amino acids from lean animal proteins. Plants contain fibers and indigestible complexes that bind amino acids and minerals, making them much more difficult to absorb. Lean proteins are easily broken down into separate amino acids, and are readily absorbed along with minerals like iron and zinc. So if a plan encourages a total vegan diet, you might want to reconsider the protein part, and embrace all of the healthy foods present in a vegan diet.

5. No fat and ultra-low carb diets are a no-go.

Most of us have moved on from the 80's and 90's no-fat dieting craze. However, there are still diets that recommend removing all the fat you can from your diet, which is truly crazy. You absolutely need certain essential fats. Without them, you might develop dry skin, texture changes in your hair, and deficiencies in certain vitamins, such as Vitamin A, D, E, and K. Additionally, your brain is composed mainly of fat, and healthy fat intake is crucial to maintaining healthy brain function. The essential fats you need are found in a variety of foods, such as flax seed, chia seeds, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, salmon, and avocados. Any diet that does not include foods that contain essential fats is one you will not want to explore.

In summary, the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to follow a weight loss plan, such as bistroMD, that focuses on lifestyle changes, and helps you learn the skills you need to achieve a normal weight. Explore our menu and get started today!

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Youre reading 3 Mindset Shifts Needed for Long-term Weight Loss, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If youre enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

You know what were all really great at? Yo-yo dieting.

We jump into every new diet with excitement and anticipation, and tell ourselves that this time well lose the weight for good. We start eating healthier and exercising more, and we gleefully watch as the pounds begin melting away.

But as time goes on, obstacles begin popping up.

Maybe our diet is too restrictive, and we start having cravings for the foods weve left behind. Or maybe our circumstances change in unforeseen ways, and it becomes harder to maintain our new routines.

As our weight loss inevitably starts to slow, we begin questioning our choices. We start feeling resigned and discouraged, and wonder why were sticking with a plan that isnt getting us results. Eventually (or sometimes far too soon) we throw in the towel, go back to our old ways, and watch as the weight slowly creeps back on.

So what can we do?

It comes down to one important piece of the weight loss puzzle thats usually missed: our mindset. When were feeling motivated and ready to jump on the healthy eating train, we dont stop to consider the preconceived ideas and beliefs we have about weight loss and health.

But how we think and feel about dieting and weight loss has a big impact on our success. It can be the difference between a plateau feeling like a minor inconvenience, or an insurmountable obstacle; a healthy diet feeling like a deprivation, or a source of energy. Our mindset affects our entire experience, and sometimes, a new way of looking at things is all we need.

So if youre ready to lose that weight for good, here are 3 mindset shifts that will help you get there:

This one right here is a biggie. People tend to have unrealistic expectations when it comes to weight loss; they decide they want to lose weight, and they want to see that weight loss yesterday!

Its a completely understandable mindset to have though. Shows like The Biggest Loser and weight loss surgeries have completely skewed our perception of what normal weight loss looks like. We think if were not losing 10lb per week weve failed!

The truth is, if we want to lose weight and keep it off, slow and steady is the way to go.

And that doesnt mean theres some magical (or even physiological) reason that slow and steady works better; slow and steady works better simply because it gives us time to really change our habits.

Knowing that it could take 1-2 years to lose 100lb puts us in a completely different mindset than thinking it will only take 10 weeks. After 10 weeks we could easily revert back to our normal routines, but after 2 years its much less likely to happen.

Instead of thinking that you want to lose weight as quickly as possible, set a realistic timeline. Aim for 0.5-2lb weight loss per week, and calculate how long that will actually take.

Heres another one that comes up all the time. For some reason, we get it in our heads that if were going to eat healthy, we have to eat 100% healthy ALL THE TIME. That means we can never have desserts or chips again, and dont even think about bread!

This mindset is so unhelpful because its setting us up for failure. No one is perfect, and its unrealistic to expect ourselves to stick to this strict way of eating 100% of the time. Plus when we dont stick to it, we feel like a failure and lose the motivation to keep going.

Thinking this way results in a constant state of either deprivation or guilt we feel deprived when we cant eat the foods we want, and we feel guilty when we do. Theres no space for us to feel happy or content, which makes it all the more challenging for us to stick to this way of eating for long.

Instead of thinking that certain foods are off-limits, think about how you can improve the overall nutritional quality of your diet. This means focusing on eating mostly whole foods, while still leaving room for the not-so-healthy foods that you crave.

This is the most unhelpful mindset of all! If we keep telling ourselves that nothing works, how likely are we to try something new?

When we think this way, were essentially feeling resigned before we even begin. This then causes us to overemphasize our failures and de-value our successes. It also makes it SO MUCH easier for us to give up at the slightest hint of a challenge.

So instead of insisting to yourself (and others) that nothing will help you lose weight, start experimenting. Test out different approaches and see what happens. Notice your accomplishments and achievements, and brainstorm ways to work around roadblocks. Go into it with an open mind, and see whats really possible when it comes to losing weight.

Youve read 3 Mindset Shifts Needed for Long-term Weight Loss, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If youve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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3 Mindset Shifts Needed for Long-term Weight Loss | | How ...

Image: Bigstock

Published: March, 2016

The popular eating pattern that's good for your heartthe Mediterranean dietis also good for your waistline, according to a review of five studies that compared the Mediterranean diet with other weight-loss diets.

The trials, which included a total of 998 overweight or obese people, pitted the Mediterranean diet (which is rich in vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, and olive oil but light on meat, dairy, and eggs) against one or more of three other diets: a low-fat diet, a low-carb diet, and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) diet.

Over all, people lost between 9 and 22 pounds after a year on the Mediterranean diet, which was similar to the number of pounds shed by those on a low-carb diet or the ADA diet. In comparison, those on the low-fat diets lost between just 6 and 11 pounds.

For people who want to lose weight, there is no single, ideal diet. But because the Mediterranean diet also appears to cut the risk of heart attack and stroke by 30%, it's an especially good option for those prone to heart disease. The study appeared in the Dec. 22, 2015, issue of The American Journal of Medicine.

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Losing weight is hard work, but many people who have lost weight may agree that keeping it off can be an even greater challenge.

A lack of self-control or a few too many dietary indulgences are often cited as reasons for regaining weight. But a new study in the November issue of BMJ questions this conventional view, finding that the type of calories you consume may influence how likely you are to keep that weight off for the long term.

The human body is designed to protect itself when it sheds weight, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, by increasing the urge to eat while slowing down the metabolism and more efficiently storing fat. Although it may be exciting to see the numbers on the scale drop, this makes it harder to keep losing weight or even maintain weight loss.

The purpose of the BMJ study was to see if different levels of carbohydrates in the diet could prevent these metabolic changes from occurring, so that weight lost might stay off. The focus on carbohydrates was based on the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity, which holds that high insulin levels that result from eating a high glycemic load diet (i.e., highly processed carbohydrates like refined breads, crackers, cookies, and sugars) cause energy from the food to be stored more easily as fat, and may increase hunger and food cravings, lower energy expenditure, and promote weight gain.

This study raises the possibility that a focus on restricting carbohydrates, rather than calories, may work better for long-term weight control.

David Ludwig

Participants were first placed on a diet to lose about 12 percent of their starting weight (weight loss averaged 25 pounds) to kickstart metabolic changes. The next phase randomly assigned the 164 participants who achieved this loss to one of three test groups:

The protein amount was the same in all groups, at 20 percent. Total calories were adjusted up or down in each participant to prevent any weight changes. All meals were provided to the participants during the weight-loss phase and throughout the 20-week test phase. The types of foods in each diet group were designed to be as similar as possible, but varying in amounts: The high-carbohydrate group ate more whole grains, fruits, legumes, and low-fat dairy products, while the low-carbohydrate group ate more fat but eliminated all grains and some fruits and legumes.

After participants followed the diets for 20 weeks the researchers measured their total energy expenditure. They found that participants in all groups maintained their weight, and there was minimal difference in secondary measures, including physical activity and resting energy expenditure (factors that could independently increase total energy expenditure).

This study raises the possibility that a focus on restricting carbohydrates, rather than calories, may work better for long-term weight control, said David Ludwig, professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who led the study with Cara Ebbeling from Boston Childrens Hospital.

Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard Chan School, who was not involved in the study, noted that, These findings from a carefully conducted investigation can help explain why low-fat/high-carbohydrate diets are not successful for most people and have failed to maintain weight loss in formal randomized trials that have lasted for one year or longer.

This story originally appeared on the Harvard Chan Schools website, The Nutrition Source.

This work was conducted with grants from Nutrition Science Initiative (made possible by gifts from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and Robert Lloyd Corkin Charitable Foundation), New Balance Foundation, Many Voices Foundation, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. David S. Ludwig was supported by a mid-career mentoring award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (K24DK082730).

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