I want to talk to you about cows and what they can teach us about weight loss, or more specifically, fat loss. While it may not be obvious, we can learn a very important lesson from cows.
Not so many years ago, cattle were herded across the central plains. North in the summer and south in the winter, following the good weather. While moving several thousand head of cattle on horseback, it was impossible to bring food for the animals, so the route taken had to include grasslands or prairies where the cattle could graze.
With the advent of cattle ranches and barbed wire, it became increasingly more difficult to run cattle across the open range. Instead of moving the cattle to the food, ranchers began to bring the food to the cattle. With a change in diet came a change in the meat and dairy products as well.
You know the old saying "you are what you eat"... well, the same is true for cattle. Cows that consume a diet of fresh grasses instead of dry cattle "feed" end up consuming a higher concentration of many nutrients as well. One in particular that I'd like to discuss with you is a fatty acid called conjugated linoleic acid, or cla.
Throughout time, people who ate beef and drank milk from cows that were "range fed" ended up consuming a healthy amount of CLA. Since then, the amount of CLA that cattle consume has decreased dramatically, and so they are passing less along to those of us further down the food-chain.
So, what does that mean for us? Well, once upon a time, people were able to make meat and dairy a part of a healthy diet, and that beef and milk actually helped them to stay lean.
The actual way in which CLA keeps animals (like us) lean is still somewhat of a mystery, but through observation, scientists are able to see that it works... and it works very well. A double blind study of obese humans in Norway showed that after 12 weeks, the group that took a little over 3 grams of CLA per day had a statistically significant decrease in body fat mass (BFM) and a statistically significant increase in lean body mass (LBM). These results were acheived without a significant lifestyle change.
Now I'm not going to suggest that anyone tries to lose weight without making significant lifestyle changes. Changes should include (but not be limited to) a decrease in calories per day and an increase in exercise per week. If people can get significant results without making a lifestyle change, what can they do when the two are working together?
I've been hearing about CLA for years now from friends who have lost pounds, fat and inches, and I've begun to take it myself as well, finally. I'm walking thirty minutes a day, five days per week, reducing my caloric intake, and taking CLA three times per day. I'm looking forward to updating you on my progress, and I hope you'll join me as well.
Before you decide, let's look at what we know about CLA and its effects. Studies show that CLA reduces body fat and weight in four ways:
* By decreasing the amount of fat that is stored after eating
* By increasing the rate of fat breakdown in fat cells
* By increasing the rate of fat metabolism
* By decreasing the number of fat cells
In addition to decreasing fat, CLA also helps to increase lean muscle mass. This helps in two ways, first of all, muscle looks better and more natural than fat, and secondly lean muscle burns calories. It's a synergistic effect that compounds as you lose more fat and increase muscle.
Give CLA a try, you've got nothing to lose but fat!
Michael Callen is the author of the Weekly Weightloss Tips Newsletter (conjugated linoleic acid, or cla) and the Chief Technology Officer for WellnessPartners.com (conjugated linoleic acid, or cla), an online retailer of dozens of health and wellness products such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), r+ alpha lipoic acid (R+ ALA), and green tea extract.
cleaning team near Winnetka ..The importance of drinking water is mentioned in almost every... Read More
The words I read made me furious. There it was,... Read More
LivingAfterWLS reader feedback indicates snacking is the single biggest problem... Read More
Low carb beer and lite beer are two different animals.... Read More
Body wraps can help tone and tighten the skin, improve... Read More
Calorie burn can be really enhanced if you follow a... Read More
When losing weight, most of us don't have the time... Read More
Is a weight loss workout routine right for you? Answer... Read More
(But What You Need to Know if You Want to... Read More
You may be considering weight loss surgery if you are... Read More
How's this for a diet: Take in fewer calories than... Read More
After weight loss surgery it is important to include as... Read More
Weight loss specialists will tell you that attitude has a... Read More
If you have ever been snow skiing you know that... Read More
We've entered the Twilight Zone when it comes to the... Read More
Natural Weight Loss Is PermanentOnly natural weight loss can be... Read More
NLP Setting an Anchor Process to Get Back Motivation for... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
With the rise of obesity and the increasing incidence of... Read More
What to Do with the Leftovers?Okay, tell me if you've... Read More
We all know that weight loss is important. We know... Read More
The South Beach Diet was not created by your typical... Read More
I have tried many "diets" here in the USA and... Read More
When Instant Results Take TimeYesterday I decided to "get back... Read More
Fifteen years ago the doctor's suggested that we eat pasta... Read More
family-safe home cleaners Northbrook ..Which diet is the best? ALL of them and NONE... Read More
April 14, 2005 federal judge Tena Campbell of the federal... Read More
Frankly, I'm puzzled whenever I hear this from somebody who's... Read More
Cellulite ? a word most women are very familiar with.... Read More
It has been 15 years since I was diagnosed with... Read More
In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More
In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More
Here are seven tips for getting the calories out of... Read More
First of all we need to find out a reason... Read More
Food is not simply fuel to keep you going. Nor... Read More
When was the last time you focused so much on... Read More
Running For Weight Loss??.Slow DownYou may be out running your... Read More
Ah the ever present battle to lose those unwanted pounds.... Read More
World Health Organization has observed that obesity has now reached... Read More
I want to make this perfectly clear, fruits are healthy... Read More
If you're serious about losing weight and getting fit, you... Read More
The most common and popular diet fad over the past... Read More
As our country gains weight at an alarming rate, we... Read More
Water is useful when we are trying for losing weight.... Read More
I made myself a sandwich today and thought I'd be... Read More
Yesterday, out of the blue, without any foreboding gossip or... Read More
Did you know that less than 2% of dieters lose... Read More
One common question I receive is, "What do you do... Read More
For years we heard that a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet would... Read More
If it seems that you have been eating as usual... Read More
Weight Loss |