Losing weight can be a challenge and having a coach as your partner along the journey can make a difference in successfully achieving your goals and maintaining results. A study in the National Library of Medicine states that coaching raises awareness and responsibility for health behaviors.1 Being accountable to someone for your weight loss typically… Read more »
If you have been battling unwanted pounds or gained weight over the holidays, you are not alone. There are many reasons we maintain unwanted pounds and even gain weight – all of which are within your control. More people die from feasting than from famine, so its important to remember that overeating is a crime… Read more »
With 70 percent of Americans being overweight or obese, most people have excess body fat. Being lean means having low body fat, and many of us with this healthier state are often accused of being underweight. What makes us have excess fat? This is commonly misunderstood. Our genes play a role, but that is generally… Read more »
I know firsthand that weight loss hypnosis works. Twenty-five years ago, I lugged around 260 pounds. Thanks to hypnosis, healthy eating and exercise, I ditched 120 pounds and have kept it off for twenty-four years. As we are in the midst of a global obesity pandemic, I am more passionate now than ever about helping… Read more »
Most of us are keenly aware that dieting can be a constant yo-yo. In our quest to maintain a healthy weight we’re often motivated to try just about any diet that’s been shown to have at least a modicum of success. Now take it a step further, when weight becomes such an issue that our… Read more »
For most of us eating is a pleasurable experience, but for some it is a double-edged sword that leads down a path of emotional cues, cravings and bad choices. In previous issues of Desert Health, I discussed the neurotransmitter dopamine and how it drives us toward foods and substances to fulfill pleasure to get us… Read more »
Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) is the main calming neurotransmitter released to keep our brain relaxed and balanced when we need it. GABA controls the actions of the excitatory neurotransmitters, so understandably, a person with low GABA may have anxiety, racing thoughts, insomnia, addictions, or even weight gain. Deficiency of GABA levels can be genetic, but more… Read more »
The ketogenic diet was developed in the 1920s to treat epilepsy. Physicians had long noted that there were fewer seizures when their patients fasted, so to mimic the fasting state, a diet high in fat and very low in carbohydrates was created. When carbohydrates are restricted, the body runs out of glucose quickly and must… Read more »
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a popular method of weight loss with the additional benefits of increased energy, lowered inflammation, improved insulin sensitivity, revved-up metabolism, and possibly even cancer prevention. IF is simply applied by extending the hours between dinner and breakfast. The fasting period typically ranges from 12 to 18 hours. Men do particularly well… Read more »
What if the inability to lose those unwanted pounds was all in your head? According to local fitness guru and Thrive Tribe leader, Jay Nixon, it is. Nixon, who has been implementing his theory of mind-over-matter for over twenty years, has transformed hundreds of lives. Now, through his new book, The Overweight Mind, he is… Read more »
There are plenty of reasons why grains can impact your weight loss goals, aside from gluten. We are aware of the obvious benefits of swapping burger buns for whole grains or gluten-free options, but often grains, and wheat in particular, are overlooked as a hidden cause of resistant weight loss. Let’s take a look at… Read more »
As the days shorten and holiday festivities loom, so does the prospect of seasonal weight gain. Is it possible to prevent the inevitable cycle of gain and loss, or of denial and guilty indulgence that recur time and again? Fortunately, a balanced, systematic approach that includes acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can offer a solution.… Read more »
Weight loss is one of the most recommended lifestyle changes to improve health. When losing weight, most people hope to simply shed fat; however, most will lose weight by decreasing both fat and muscle mass, which is not always good. The manner in which one loses weight is critical for long-term health, and research now… Read more »
With the New Year upon us, many have started their weight loss program with enthusiasm and full intention. Psychology Today reports that studies show while the first two weeks are usually encouraging, by February people start sliding back in to sedentary habits… and by the following December, most of us are back to where we… Read more »
A five-year study presented at the annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society by Dr. Farid Saad shows that testosterone therapy can help men with hormone deficiencies reduce body weight and waist circumference. 225 men were treated with long- term testosterone replacement therapy over the five- year study, and 90% lost an average of 36 lbs… Read more »
In the beginning of this great country, people got from point A to point B by horse and carriage. It worked well. It got the job done. A couple centuries later the automobile was invented and revolutionized the way people traveled. People were able to get to their destination in a fraction of the time,… Read more »
There is a new scientific movement on the health and wellness horizon that I want to share with you. It is the concept of Too Much Sitting. Researchers have identified two major health risks: too much sitting and too little exercise; and both are significant risks for your health and your waistline. We are seemingly… Read more »
Discovered in the 1920’s, HCG is a hormone produced by women only during early pregnancy which peeks at 14 weeks1 to sequester calories and nutrients for the fetus regardless of how much or how little the mother eats. How does this work? HCG is reported to selectively metabolize calories from areas with high fat stores,… Read more »
When contended therapies are presented, Desert Health will attempt to publish two viewpoints for reader consideration. The use of HCG as a dietary treatment was first published in 19541 by Dr. A. Simeons and has been controversial ever since. Early studies published in the 60’s and 70’s supported Simeons’ claims that HCG, when administered with… Read more »
