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.
professional maid services Park Ridge ..Before many Australians recently, a devastating story unfolded on a... Read More
WOW!! Here we are on lesson #10. Hasn't it been... Read More
Weight loss programs often have big claims. Understand the "science"... Read More
According to the American College of Surgeons, most severely obese... Read More
Body Mass Index (BMI)Body Mass Index is an accurate indicator... Read More
I want to talk about the "all or nothing" outlook... Read More
Nitrates and nitrites are preservatives that are added to certain... Read More
Gastric Bypass surgery is becoming increasingly more popular for the... Read More
Supporters of the Atkins Diet claim that a low carbohydrate... Read More
We all know it's hard to begin losing weight, no... Read More
For years the experts have been telling us that diets... Read More
I was thinking about diets and such and it occurred... Read More
1. Become aware of what you are eating.Before I started... Read More
If you have ever been snow skiing you know that... Read More
This little known secret has been used by bodybuilders for... Read More
Have you ever dreaded the idea of pulling weeds, planting... Read More
Many celiacs lose weight before they are diagnosed; indeed it... Read More
Cellulite ? a word most women are very familiar with.... Read More
Well, with the success of my article, "Wrinkle Remover That... Read More
Do you know this year Florida will go through a... Read More
Not losing weight but gaining it is why we are... Read More
How was it for you? Did you get through the... Read More
"I'm too busy!" "I'm always on the run." "I... Read More
There are tons of fad diets and weight loss schemes... Read More
Many women want to be slim. Maybe you're one of... Read More
cleaning lady near Lincolnshire ..One of the worst things you can hear in life... Read More
Finding Mad Cow in Oregon puts a new wrinkle in... Read More
If you are overweight and searching for the diet program... Read More
Exercising too hardThis is probably the most common mistake. As... Read More
Dieting will continue to fail most dieters, unless personalized weight... Read More
Fat is fuel. That is basically what it is. A... Read More
This is the second article in the series, Weight Loss... Read More
When you're taking Phentermine, you should go to the emergency... Read More
Most people think of the Atkins diet when they hear... Read More
Are you ashamed of your weight? Do you have a... Read More
The Constant Quest for Restriction; Not enough vs. too muchRestriction.... Read More
Glycemic index ranks different carbohydrate foods depending on their potential... Read More
If you are losing, trying to lose, or think you... Read More
Are you sick of the hype? Wondering what diet products... Read More
Looking to avoid the dieting mistakes many of our weight... Read More
If you're on a weight loss program you're under constant... Read More
With millions of people aiming for successful weight loss, many... Read More
You won't believe what happened to me today!I was getting... Read More
Do a little people-watching, next time you're in the grocery... Read More
Liposuction works best with people who are a normal weight... Read More
Weight Loss Their Greatest Opponent --------------------------------- Before high school and... Read More
Yoga is wonderful for nurturing a state of mental and... Read More
Being over weight is usually being 20 percent or more... Read More
If you know someone that has been trying to lose... Read More
All of the things we tell sick people so that... Read More
Weight Loss |