Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Todays Diets Whats Hot!

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Todays Diets Whats Hot!


For the person who wants to shed a few pounds (or even a lot of pounds), there are many choices of diet programs. To pick the best one for your tastes and lifestyle, you need to look at the attributes of each diet plan. A listing of just a few is below.

L. A. Weight Loss

L. A. Weight Loss is based on a unique combination of regular foods that you purchase at your local grocery store or in a restaurant. Each diet plan is personalized and includes one-on-one counseling.

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers includes eating regular foods that you purchase at your local grocery store or in a restaurant. However, there is no pre-set combination of food for each day. Foods are assigned points. As long as you do not exceed your points each day, you can eat whatever you want. You will of course want to vary your food to include all of the food groups in your daily diet. Group meetings or internet tracking is available.

Jenny Craig

Jenny Craig includes food that is already prepared and pre-packaged for you. This saves you time and makes choosing what to eat very easy. They also recommend physical activity as a way to accelerate your weight loss. You meet with a personal counselor each week to discuss successes and challenges.

Nutrisystem

Nutrisystem food that is already prepared and pre-packaged for you. This saves you time and makes choosing what to eat very easy. You can order your foods on-line, and they are delivered right to your door. Most of the food includes low Glycemic Index carbohydrates which make losing weight easier. You have the option of calling or emailing your counselor so that you do not have to attend any meetings.

Finding the right diet program can be easy if you do your research. The important thing is to get on a program and stick to it. Diet, exercise, and counseling seem to provide the proper ingredients for lasting weight loss.

Copyright 2005 Susan Daniel and Debbie Overstreet

About Susan and Debbie: Susan and Debbie are internet marketers. You can review more articles and Web sites on diets and weight loss by visiting http://www.thedietstartstomorrow.com.

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Tips for Effective Muscle Building Diets

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Diet Articles

Tips for Effective Muscle Building Diets


One of the biggest mistakes many new bodybuilders make is that they don't pay attention to their muscle building diets with the same detail, desire and determination with which they pay attention to their weight training program.

You constantly see people throw out numbers such as your weight training program is 85% of your results or that muscle building diets are 95% of your results. I've always rolled my eyes at these sorts of statements and found them rather silly. No one can know for sure how to break this down.

But I can tell you this, if you neglect (or ignore completely) one or the other, whether it be your training or muscle building diets, your results will only be a fraction of what they could be - if you get any results at all!

So let's talk about the importance of your diet and nutrition plan in your quest to gain pounds of quality muscle masss.

The truth is, no one will ever gain muscle without food. Muscle building nutrition for muscle gain is simply a matter of eating. But that doesn't mean there isn't a lot to learn. Stuffing your face with the wrong type of food, or just eating 1 or 2 large meals a day isn't the way to gain muscle. You'll just end up with the other weight problem. That's right, even if you are lifting properly, you'll find yourself adding more fat than muscle to your body. And no bodybuilder I know wants to do that.

High quality protein should be the center point of all your meals. Intense exercise increases demand for protein, which support muscle repair and growth. When you train with weights, you should eat a minimum of 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.

If you weight 150 pounds, try and take in at least 225 grams of protein each and every day. I know this sounds like a lot and you could probably do okay with 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. But if you find it really difficult to gain muscle, this extra protein can help.

Here's a good starting guide for the number of calories you need to eat in your musclde building diets. A simple, yet highly accurate formula is to multiply your bodyweight by 20. For example, if you weight 150 lbs, you need at least 3,000 calories per day to maintain your bodyweight.

To grow and build muscle, you'll need more. Here's a quick guideline based on your weight. Remember, these numbers are for underweight people with high metabolisms trying to build lots of muscle quickly.

175 pounds and under - add 400 calories per day

176-200 ponds - add 500 calories per day

201 pounds and over - add 600 calories per day

To break down what you need in your muscle building diets:

Eat A Lot of Protein - At least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, preferably more.

Eat A Lot of Calories - If your goal is to gain weight fast, you most likely have little body fat and a high metabolism. While in the gaining weight stage, don't worry about adding a little bit of fat during your gaining weight phase. A good rule of thumb to start with is to multiply your body weight by 20 to get the number of calories you should be consuming each day.

If you weigh 150 pounds you should be consuming at least 3,000 calories a day. If you find, after a couple of weeks you haven't added any weight, you'll need to increase this number. This is just a starting guide. If you have a really high metabolism and you are working as hard as you should, you may need to increase your caloric intake.

Eat 6 meals a Day - This makes sure your body has the protein and calories it needs at all times. It also allows you to eat the high number of calories that you need.

Use Protein Shakes - This will make it easier for you to consume enough calories and protein each day, as well as making it much more convenient to have 6 meals a day.

Here's a sample weight gain drink you can make up and use in your muscle building nutrition program.

100 grams of protein powder

2 quarts of whole or 2% Milk

2 cups of skim milk powder

2 cups of chocolate ice cream

4 tablespoons of peanut butter

1 banana

Mix in a blender and drink throughout the day, in addition to your regular food meals.

Add or subtract ingredients based on individual taste preferences and number of calories needed.

Gregg Gillies is the founder of http://www.buildleanmuscle.com and has contributed articles to Ironman magazine and is a regular contributor to Body Talk magazine. He publishes a free newsletter availabe at Build Lean Muscle He is the author of two books, also available at his site.

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Saturday, January 20, 2007

The Non-Diet Diet

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Diet Articles

The Non-Diet Diet


Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A. would be the thinnest, trimmest nation in the world, with over 40 million Americans spending billions each year on weight loss products. In fact, the opposite is true. The Center for Disease Control claims that at least 65% of adults are overweight or obese. With the growing list of woes associated with obesity, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, the weight problem in America has become a serious concern. Yet we continue to look to fad diets as the answer to this serious problem - as if living on bacon and eggs, cabbage soup, or low-calorie meal replacement drinks could ever be construed as a healthy solution.

A review of popular diet programs conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, stated that most weight loss programs offered little or no proof that participants were successful in loosing weight or keeping weight off in the long run. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has stated that of the millions of people that diet, less than 5% of those who actually loose weight will be able to keep it off in the years to come. It has been surmised that a dieter may shed approximately 100 pounds in the course of a lifetime, but gain back 120 lbs. One benefit of weight loss organizations, however, was group support. Dieters who joined support groups appeared to loose more weight than those who decided to go it alone.

Fad diets themselves bring with them a plethora of health concerns. Restrictive low calorie diets can be self-defeating. The body's metabolism slows moving the system into energy conservation mode and holding on to every calorie for future use instead of burning it. Precious muscle mass is broken down, and low lethargy occurs. Low carbohydrate diets can result in dehydration and constipation. The risk of heart disease is escalated due to the increase of bad cholesterol found in animal fats. When nutritional integrity of the body is threatened due to the elimination of a particular food group, the dieter is at risk for many health problems including osteoporosis, certain types of cancers, immune system issues, electrolyte imbalances, and eating disorders. And with diets, as opposed to permanent lifestyle changes, the probability of gaining back what you have lost, and then some, is high.

In a culture obsessed with physical perfection perhaps we must evaluate how we think about weight in general. Are we dieting to be healthy, or just thin? If the later is the objective, then further investigation into dieting motivation may be necessary, but if health is the ultimate goal, then looking at lifestyle changes may the place to start. Are you an emotional eater, have a compulsive sweet tooth, or someone who eats out of boredom? Do you eat fresh foods or only things that come in a box, bag, or through a drive-up window? What is the overall condition of your health? Is your lifestyle sedentary or active? What type of physical activities do you enjoy? Questions like these help you build the foundation for creating a customized Non-Diet Diet - a common sense plan for living that will result weight loss, elevated energy levels, and improved health and well-being.

Quick fixes usually result in long term failures, and while the answer to America's weight problem may not come in the form of a magic diet, it need not be extremely complicated either. Maintaining a sensible meal plan, including complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, good fats, fruit and vegetables, and sweets in moderation, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy attitude regarding the weight/health connection may be the simple answer you've been looking for.

Deborah Martin is a writer, life coach, and co-founder of The Woman Project. For more information regarding her Non-Diet Diet and other programs visit her website at http://www.dreamlearncreate.com .

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The Hidden Truth About Diets


Quick, what's the first thought that pops into your head when you hear the word "diet?" Probably that when you're on one, you feel like you're going to "d-i-e" right?!

WHAT EXACTLY IS A DIET?

Most people believe that a diet is something that involves pain, suffering, and giving up foods we enjoy. Some of the symptoms of "being on a diet" usually include being hungry and cranky all the time. But this is not really the true meaning of the word and if you get hung up on all the negative stuff, you'll miss the entire concept.

Webster's dictionary defines a "Diet" as:

a: food and drink regularly provided or consumed;
b: habitual nourishment;
c: the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person for a special reason.

In other words, it's what we regularly or habitually eat and drink to nourish our bodies. That's not so bad. But here's the hidden truth that will turn your understanding of diets on its head and practically guarantee that you'll reach whatever weight goal you desire: Being "on a diet" really means having a plan for your eating instead of eating according to any spur-of-the-moment mood or habit. That's it!

This is so simple. But then most basic truths are. However, it's extremely powerful if you take the time to think about it and fully understand what it means. Let me say it again so that you don't miss it: Being on a diet really means having what you eat controlled by a PLAN instead of by your moods or habits.

WHY MOST DIETS DON'T WORK

The reason most diets don't work is because of the extreme measures most of them require. Some force you to give up everything except cabbage soup, or everything except meat and meat products, or everything except salads. This is not only monotonous, it's also pretty harsh -- not only harsh to stick with, but harsh on your physical wellbeing as well.

True, a monotonous diet is often effective at losing weight over the short term (ie: the Atkins Diet) but you have to wonder if you aren't giving up a part of your health in the process (ie: ketosis, acidosis, etc). Many conventional diets put the body in a highly acidic state which can create a number of health problems.

Our bodies are designed to absorb vitamins, nutrients, and minerals from a wide variety of foods and a monotonous diet runs directly counter to that. It simply isn't natural, and is the main reason most conventional diets just don't work in the long run.

THE RIGHT WAY TO DIET

The right way to diet is to think of dieting as a system of correct eating. Your diet should include a balanced plan for a variety of foods, taken in moderate amounts, and in the proper combination. Eat when you're hungry, not when the clock says it's lunch or dinner time.

So forget the fad diets that don't work and get started on planning a diet that you can stick with over the long term. This is the balanced approach to good health and nutrition, and it's an approach that you can live with for the rest of your life.

Hiram Perez has made good health a lifelong study. Find other simple and common sense techniques to improve your health by signing up for a free 5-part email mini-course at the Balance Your Health website.

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Thursday, January 18, 2007

The Diet Dilemma. Why Diets Dont Work

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Diet Articles

The Diet Dilemma. Why Diets Dont Work


Lets face when it comes to overweight and obesity there are 2 basic facts we have to take into account.

First, dieting is a huge industry.

Second, Industries live by getting and keeping customers and not by loosing them.

Sounds sarcastic? Maybe it is, but the fact of the matter is that if you buy a dieting product for a specific time and you do not need it any more after, say, 6 weeks you are a lost costumer. If all customers would do the same the business would cannibalize itself by curing diseases it is living from.

And, because the above fact is a general principle in every business (keep your customers and make them buy constantly) and industry I can think about, huge amount of the players run by the same mind set. Maybe the pharmaceutical and food industry for example?

Was only a question not a statement.

Bottom-line the interest in keeping people healthy, at a healthy weight or help them through dieting to get there and stay there without a need for their products anymore is at best very limited by those who make a living out of selling things like drugs, diet food or even restaurant and fast food chains.

Keep an open mind and raise all kinds of questions before you decide to use any industry dieting product to loose weight. The common experience is that weight loss using certain products without a change in mind set (more on this later) leads to building up weight again after a short period of success.

How many times have you dieted, lost some weight just to get it back and maybe even more of it only months after you ended your diet? See what I mean?

Think about it for a moment. Why does our body store more and more fat in their tissue? Maybe because it gets nutrition it can not use up within an appropriate time?

In fact our body is a very efficient system that makes sure all cells get energy and it can survive without getting fed for some time by storing energy in the form of fat. Just in case of a famine.

If we incorporate more food on a constant basis than our body can use up, we store more and more fat in our tissue transform it into energy and let the cells use it . This in turn makes us more immobile and puts extra tear and wear on our skeleton, especially the joints.

Worse, after we gained weight our tendency for moving gets weaker and weaker, because moving becomes more and more painful.

Classical vicious cycle. The only way to balance the additional energy and prevent it from becoming stored as fat would be additional movement, that is getting the cells (especially the muscle cells) to work more and to use up more energy. Yet, this doesnt happen. We get more and more propelled into a dont move behavior.

There is a second reason for overeating that adds to the issue. Eating feels sooooo gooood. Right?

We all link massive joy and pleasure to eating. Which makes sense as it helps us survive. The problem is, that we link massive pleasure to a nutrition that doesnt keep us healthy.

Now, at some point in time the pain of being fat even if we only believe it becomes more evident and we look for a way to reduce our stored energy.

We are ready for a diet. We are ready to take some short term pain for the outlook of long term pleasure.

Now we look for a way to keep the pain at a minimum. The industry answer is often using something that makes us feel we have a full stomach. We buy the wonder drug and start dieting.

Once we done that our body starts thinking, hey, a famine and releases some of the fat to overcome the threat. All the while we consciously fight with the pain of not eating what we like to eat but are still committed to follow through.

At the end of the famine, that is at the end of your dieting you have lost weight. But now your mind and your body are sad of the famine (your body) and the pain it brought (your mind).

You deserve pleasure, so you start eating all the nice stuff you have missed so long and have linked pleasure to. At the same time your body starts to immediately store fat again, just to be prepared for the next famine.

The result is devastating. You gain your weight back quicker than you would have built it up in the first place.

This is the reason why diets usually do not work.

What you need to constantly reduce your weight to a healthy level is threefold.

First you need to switch to a nutrition that is healthy and balanced (and fast food and convenience food does not go into this category).

Second you need to stop starving (dieting) to convince your body there is no more famine to come and it does not have to exploit every piece of energy your fed it.

Third you need to find a way to turn around your beliefs about what is pleasurable and what is painful when it comes to eating.

If you dont turn your beliefs about how pleasurable eating a healthy nutrition is (yes it is really as pleasurable as any other food) and on the other side build up a belief how disgusting the old kind of food is you are not going to succeed.

Turning your beliefs is certainly the most unusual advice you heard. But it is the only way to ensure you will constantly keep your weight at a healthy level.

If you have to fight pain, if you have to fight the feeling of a loss (I can never eat chocolate) you always will link pain to where you are and as soon as the pain level gets to high you will do something against it. This do something is eat the stuff you have linked pleasure to like fast-food, chocolate or whatever.

Once you done this you feel guilty and that is painful. Guess what your reaction will be to overcome that painful guilt? Yes, eat some more as it is the pleasure of the moment that makes you overcome the pain of guilt.

Bottom line. Overweight is not resolved by dieting, overweight is resolved through change in our mind. Dieting without changing what we connect pain and pleasure to has only two effects, it ensures that the producers of diet products have a constant income stream from you and it makes sure you spend money without getting the results you expect.

Do you think it is worth a second thought if I might be right? You can have the weight you want constantly and without any effort. All you have to do is change what you link pain and pleasure to.

How? There are many ways to do this but you need some assistance either through books or, better from a real person that is trained and knowledgeable in this area like NLP practitioners or Ericsonian hypnotists (see my article about hypnosis on that topic).

This article may published freely only in its whole including all appendices.

2005 by Norbert Haag

A complimentary copy of any newsletter or a link to the site where the article is posted is greatly appreciated.

Norbert Haag is a business consultant, entrepreneur and sought after speaker for more than 20 years. His company - Online Business Coach http://www.onlinebusinesscoach.com - provides information and services for online businesses, small business owners and freelancers. You can reach Norbert at nhaag@onlinebusinesscoach.com.

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Surviving Glycemic Diets (Ketogenic, Low-Carb or Atkins):


1.The first step to living a Glycemic Diet Lifestyle is knowing what you can have, and have lots of. This includes a large variety of vegetables and fruits. The best you can do is eating 5 vegetable servings of cup per day and 4 cups of fruits (Please be selective) per day.

2.Remember that eating refined white flour, white potatoes, white rice to your body, is like eating sugar, making a diet high in White Stuff, typically, breads, rolls, bagels, pretzels, and crackers made from white flour a high sugar diet. Whole grains mean extra fiber, which aids in weight loss. Not only does the fiber fill you us quickly with fewer calories, but is also eliminate some of the calories you eat. Fiber can go through the digestive system so quickly that some of the calories never have a chance to actually digest.

3.Try to eat 2 or 3 calcium rich foods every day. Calcium not only supports your bones and helps prevent osteoporosis, but it also helps prevent colon cancer, high blood pressure, and PMS. Calcium may also lower your body fat.

4.Beans are the highest-fiber foods you can find, with the exception of breakfast cereals made with wheat bran. Beans are high in soluble fiber, which lowers cholesterol levels, and foliate, which lowers levels of homocysteine, another risk factor for heart disease.

5.People who eat nuts regularly have less heart disease and other illness than people who avoid them do. There are compounds found in most nuts called tocotrienols. You just have to limit the amount of nuts that you eat. The best thing to do is to chop your favorite kind, keep them in your fridge and sprinkle 2 Tablespoons a day on your food.

6.People who east fish twice a week have fewer fatal heart attacks. Fish is rich in Omega-3 fats, which have the ability to prevent the development of a dangerously irregular heartbeat. Fish is a good source of protein, which promotes satiety the feeling of fullness you look for in a meal.

7.Drink at least eight glasses of water every day, plus a cup or more of tea. Water is so important to our body. Water also helps to metabolize the fat. Big water drinkers also appear to get less colon and bladder cancer. Every cup of tea you drink provides a strong infusion of anti-oxidants that help keep blood from clotting too easily and that may help lower you risk of cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.

8.Try to stay within a healthy fat budget and watch the type of fats you consume. Get most of your fat from Cold Pressed Virgin Olive Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Borage oil or Walnut Oil. You may use Butter and creams for your daily dose of Vitamin E, but remember that you only need a little.

9.What nutrition you cant get from your foods, you can take in a pill. Just remember to be sensible. Most vitamins will not dissolve in your stomach, or your intestines. Make sure that your vitamins are food source or they can cause vitamin toxicity in your liver. If you are eating correctly, non-processed foods being 95% of your diet, then you should be getting all that you need. If you feel you need more nutrition, only take of the amount of vitamins that have been recommended. Remember that your body will store what it doesnt use, and if it stores too much, you can be asking for trouble.

10.Be careful with the choices you have in your diet. You carry with you a guide for the amount of meat that you should eat in a day. Make of fist and put it down on a piece of paper with the little finger down against the surface. That is the size of meat that you should be eating in a day. Make sure that your choices in meat are free of other chemicals that can interfere with your health or medication.

D.S. Epperson is the top formulator for Home Blend Gourmet / South Pacific Health, a leader in the functional food industry in the U.S. With 20 years of experience in Nutritional Biochemistry, she has written reference books on botanicals and manufacturing of medicines from botanicals, and published articles on health, fitness and foods. She has formulated over 240 formulas and inventions for health, the environment and agricultural uses, and continues to research and study microbial advantages in nutraceuticals and functional foods. For more information or to view the articles that she has written: http://www.sugarblend.com

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Friday, January 12, 2007

South Beach Diets and Fast Food Franchises

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Diet Articles

South Beach Diets and Fast Food Franchises


Franchised Business Models and American Diets could be at odds. Yes there is significant issues with this in franchising. First before I get into my discussion for fear of someone, screaming foul. I would like to point to Krispy Kremes recent crash as an example of the changes in consumer buying behavior. We also noticed the IFA-International Franchise Association and the comments made by the Restaurant Association calling this Atkins, South Beach Low Carb Diet a mere fad. I can understand why the IFA wishes to help their members by quoting articles such as this one:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-usda04.html

And the USDA is right to make a statement as the shift and focus on the Atkins Style and South Beach Diets are helping Americans lose weight and causing a severe shift in the eating habits. Last time the shift was the five food groups 30 years ago, which caused the obesity of today. Even today the GAO discusses the need for changes in school meals programs and nutritional reasoning and how this will effect pricing and competitiveness: School Meal Programs: Competitive Foods Are Available in Many Schools; Actions Taken to Restrict Them Differ by State and Locality. Obesity slows the human spirit and energy levels and adversely effects productivity in our country, making us lazy, stupid and fat. You can tell by looking at your employees in your franchised business on the frontline.

The USDA is attempting to assist industry with this very fast shift which came out of the blue. After all a big and immediate switch in dietary consumption from consumers will affect farmers, wheat growers, etc. in a very big way. Too fast of a pendulum swing as we are seeing now could adversely effect the agricultural industry. Which today is highly government subsidized, but soon may be a huge target of the WTO as other countries complain. We see conservative think tanks, like the Heritage Group, CATO Institute, Ayn Rand Foundation, discussing the issues of Free Trade and Corporate Welfare. Most of the subsidies go to the Corporate Farmers not the little guy who is used as a reason to write the checks. If people eat less wheat then wheat farmers take a huge hit. Cattle ranchers may see lower prices for grain and they will be glad to see they are selling more beef too.

Remember the old Wendys Commercials made famous by Dave Thomas? Well instead of Wheres the Beef it is going to be Wheres the Bun? And we already see how much the diet issues effect fast food when Subway had blockbuster sales increases after their campaign where the fat guy lost weight by eating there everyday. Personally, I once went to that Subway store that he made famous and there were some cute girls working there behind the counter too, so some of his motivation to go there was probably due to the cuties or babes behind the counter? Never the less, what ever his reasoning was it worked, he lost weight and a smart marketing exec at Subway saw this and scored one of the greatest marketing campaigns ever, ranks right up their with; Two-All Beef Special patties, pickles, lettuce tomatoeson a sesami seed bun and the Taco Bell Dog and the Have it Your Way and the Low Down Menu and the like. Every ten years or so there is a call to action for healthy Americans and that means watching what you eat.

Is this a short term trend? Well, not really it is a cycle set forth by Health Care Professional and a mandate for America. We have heard Presidential talks on this. We have heard recently that Diabetes has surpassed AIDS for death counts. Over weight causes heart disease etc. Moderation of things like ice cream and donuts is going to be a tough one. Nearly all the Fast Food Restaurants have had articles, PR and advertising telling of their low carb deals. Atkins lives on in spirit. Low Carb foods are flying off the shelves at Wal-Mart, Albertsons, Safeway, Win Dixie, Piggy Wiggly, Hughes, HEB, etc. See for yourself, some of these shelves have only a few items left on them each time you shop. Well if anyone says that trend is going away, I would respectfully disagree but be willing to listen to well articulated ideas that maybe contrary to this observational comment. As a matter of fast as I sit at Starbucks and chat, I hear people say they are on a new diet. Literally 1 in 3 people I talk to? So it is not a 20% trend it is a 30% plus trend. And we know from watching modern day trends such as the Homosexual movement and Credit Card Consumption trend, wireless trend, Debit Card preferred payment choice trends that once you beat that 8% barrier it cannot be called a fad. No folks this is not a short term anything.

People I have talked to are happy to look better, feel better, etc. Soon they will be at a weight to start working out again too. It was not all that long ago that Body Builder Arnold the governator headed up Bush Seniors get in shape program, and we see a return of a cycle and the trend is to eat different than the 30 year old food pyramid we were teaching the boomers and Exers.

If you are looking to buy a franchise, which involves food, check out the lines at the outlets folks, because we are seeing things not look so good. If you are wondering which business will perform better, watch the public as they vote with their dollars. This will help you visualize what is happening and the full extent of this newest trend.

We have seen Duncan Donuts switch to upscale coffee shops in the urban and suburbs to compete against Starbucks, and those are well received. And to their credit I say excellent work, they saw that one coming. In franchising nothing is guaranteed either you roll with the punches and you adapt to the market or you become an old Fad, one which is not necessarily going to deliver you your American Dream. Show me a food franchise without a sign in the window saying low carb and I will show you a fast food franchise, which has no lines and less same store sales in this quarter. Low carb a trend? No, it is just getting started. Companies are working extra hard to meet the rising demand of the consumer. Any franchise system denying this trend will have stores sales plummet and franchisees upset. Those brands which are known for high carb type foods, will have to spend big or be very innovative in their marketing to re-train customers, not as easy said than done. Any business including C-Stores, 7-11 and Truck Stops must also listen to the customers. As the attitude, consumer buying behavior and consumer sentiment is changing in America along with their belt size. "Convenience Store News" had a two page story on this very thing this months issue confirming our observations, that industry is changing and expect new low carb impulse food items to be emerging everywhere, this is a good thing.

People soon will be buying smaller clothes and fitting into their old favorites. You can already see this at the donation stations and thrift stores from my discussions from those wonderful American Volunteers giving their 2000 plus hours, thank you for this.

Some consumers say they tried the low carb diets but they made them constipated, even so anyone who would say low carb diets are a fab is really the one full of crap. We appreciate the USDA trying to uplift the industry spirits by telling the Food Associations that it is a fad, but to claim they know the future on this without looking at the trend is an incorrect view of observation. Even the GAO has studied these things: Nutrition Education: USDA Provides Services through Multiple Programs, but Stronger Linkages among Efforts Are Needed.

My advice to the franchise buyer? Sure, if you are looking to get into business for yourself; stay away from franchise offerings, which have long branded histories of the types of food associated with high carbs of fattening products. Newer franchises with less brand recognition can shift faster and re-educate quicker. Do not invest in a franchise with food unless you see that the franchisor and marketing departments are focused on this low carb issue. And check out the stores themselves the outlets are people lining up? Sit near the register and listen to what people ask, order and say, you will immediately say, youre right. If you run a small business of any type which sells food, buy those things that will be wanted by those who are on these new diets. That is what they want and it is good for America and our future health care costs, quality of life and life expectancies.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

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Some Straight Talk About Low-Carbohydrates and Your Health


There have been many diets and weight loss plans that have come and gone over the years. Low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets were popular decades ago. And today are making a comeback.

These diets do promote weight loss. Low-carbohydrate, high- protein diets are more effective. Than low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-calorie diets. Also your cholesterol levels often improve more on a low-carb diet.

A low-carb diet plan structures your eating choices around the selection of lean protein sources. Focusing on fish, soy, poultry, low fat dairy and lean red meats.

It is a diet high in fibrous, crispy vegetables and fruits. Like green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, peppers, spinach, lettuces, berries, cherries, grapes and melons, to name a few.

You are also allowed limited size portions of starchy vegetables. Such as potatoes, carrots, beets and beans/legumes.

However, sweets and sugary foods are eliminated. With the exception of small portions on occasional *diet holidays*.

Your focus should be on healthy choices of fats. That Include raw nuts, seeds, nut butters, olives, olive oil, nut oils. Also some butter, fish oil and flax seed meal.

You should avoid trans fats (partially hydrogenated fats). Like fried foods, excessive saturated fats and margarine that contains trans fats.

Your objective should be to have a protein source at each meal. Along with vegetables, fruit and fats as mentioned above. To help avoid dietary deficiencies. You should include daily nutritional supplements. Consisting of a multivitamin, essential oils, diet formulation and chromium picolinate.

Possible Adverse Physical Effects

You may experience some adverse physical effects with a low- carb diet. Here are some of the negative consequences that could affect your health. Constipation and headaches. Digestive irregularity from lack of fiber. Potential strain on your kidneys. Increased stomach acid levels. Due to a high protein content. And high levels of fat could cause high cholesterol.

If your on diuretic or diabetes medications you should be monitored by a doctor. The low-carb diet affects your hydration and blood sugar levels. Current testing is on going whether a low-carb diet can help diabetics control their blood sugar levels.

Planning The Ultimate Diet

The ultimate goal of a low-carb nutritional diet structure. Allows your metabolic rate to stay high. While satisfying your appetite. And preserving your lean body mass.

However, in order for you to keep this weight off. You must follow the diet structure for your lifetime. This has many health experts worried.

Any extreme type of eating plan. That you follow for just a short time. Most likely will not have long term health risks.

But a lifetime plan of virtually cutting out an entire food group. Essential for your health. Without knowing the long-term risks, is a concern. At this time, the long-term health risks of low-carbohydrate plans have not yet been determined.

However, To minimize or avoid theses specific diet deficiencies. That are associated with low-carb diets. You should approach your low-carb diet as an integrated part of *Your Lifestyle*. Not solely an ingredient focus.

About The Author

Rick Trojan

Helping You Reach Your Goals for Good Health and Living Well

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THE 200 POINT SYSTEM

With so many different diets available, how are we to know what works and what is safe? The only way to be sure is to discover the author's background and the research behind the diet's methodology. Every good diet should give a background about the author and his/her credentials and experience in the fields of nutrition and biochemistry. However, even a vast resume does not mean a credible and safe diet. But it does suggest, at least, that the author has some knowledge of nutrition. Providing research behind the diet proves that the diet is not something the author invented, so long as the research is not self-serving and altered to fit a hypothesis.

Some diets may not need a great deal of tests and studies behind them, simply because they are based on fundamentals. For example, many women's magazines have articles on dieting and weight loss, but they are common sense suggestions that most people concerned about weight should know already: "Eat smaller meals", "cut down on sugar and fat", etc., are typical philosophies. More structured diets should give some scientific reasons for its suggested success, preferably case studies and research performed on everyday test subjects, as well as athletes.

Since we have established the importance of eating a balanced diet in accordance to selecting healthy foods and obtaining RDA minimums, it is possible now to rate the diets in accordance to those specific criteria. Begin with a score of 200 and subtract 10 points from the total for each statement below in which the diet concedes. An ideal diet should maintain a score of 200, but a score of 160 or greater is acceptable.

1. The diet does not include the food groups in adequate amounts. Some fad diets eliminate one or more of the food groups. Do not deduct 10 points if a food groups nutrients (e.g., carbs, proteins, fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals) are adequately substituted with that of another food group.

2. The diet does not provide at least 45% of its calories from carbohydrate sources. In order to prevent ketosis, at least 150g of glucose/day is required. Thats 33-50% of total calorie intake on a 1200-calorie diet. Keep in mind that is the minimum. For highly active individuals, that amount should increase to 60% at times, i.e., immediately after exercise.

3. The carbohydrate content exceeds 20% concentrated sugars. At least 80% of carbohydrate sources should be complex, and preferably in the form of vegetables, seeds, and legumes.

4. The protein content exceeds 30%. A very high protein intake is unnecessary, it places additional strain on the urinary system, and it is a poor source of energy. Thirty percent is more than adequate, even for growing children and teenagers. The only group that requires higher protein intake are those who recently suffered a severe injury (e.g., leg amputation), infection, or surgery. However, these individuals will be under the care of a physician with a special high protein diet.

5. Protein content accounts for 15% or less of total calories. Although unnecessary in large amounts, protein still has many vital functions, including tissue repair and the formation of enzymes.

6. Fats exceed 30% of total intake. Besides increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, high fat diets have not been demonstrated to decrease weight better than other methods of proper eating.

7. Total fat consumption is less than 15% of total calories. Fat in moderate amounts is essential for a healthy diet, and such a diet provides taste to many foods. Fat intake below 15% for long periods, for most individuals, is unrealistic. Fat intake that is too low can also be detrimental to children and teenagers who require ample kcalories for continued growth.

8. Total fat consumption is less than 25% essential fatty acids, and saturated fat is more than 30% of total fat consumption. Deduct 10 for each.

9. The diet does not suggest common foods, meaning foods you should be able to obtain at any grocery store or market.

10. The foods for the diet are expensive or monotonous. Some diets require the purchase of their foods or expensive organic foods only obtained through health food stores. Some foods taste so bad they are difficult to tolerate repeatedly (e.g., seaweed). Deduct 10 for each.

11. The diet consists of an inflexible meal plan. The diet does not allow for substitutions or deviations, requiring a person to live under house arrest with the same food selections every day.

12. The diet provides less than 1200 kcalories per day. Less than that and the body's basic functions may not be getting the energy, vitamins and minerals needed to work properly, and the dieter almost is certain to feel hungry all the time. Diets below 1200 kcalories should be reserved for those under the supervision of a dietitian or licensed physician.

13. The diet requires the use of supplements. If the diet provides adequate energy and it is well balanced, supplements are unnecessary. Fat accelerators, such as ephedrine, may increase the rate of weight loss, but the diet should be able to stand on its own merit. Some diet clinics promote a vast array of herbal preparations and fat accelerators, and this is where these clinics make their money not in their knowledge and ability as nutritionists.

14. The diet does not recommend a realistic weight goal. Diets should not be promoting the body of a Greek god or a supermodel. They should not be suggesting that a person lose 100 pounds (even if 100 pounds overweight). Nor should diets recommend weight loss below an ideal weight.

15. The diet recommends or promotes more than 1-2 lbs/week weight loss. Do not expect to lose more than 1-2 pounds of fat a week it is physically impossible unless chronically obese, at which point 3 pounds may be possible. If more than two pounds is lost per week, the body change is due to a loss of water and/or muscle tissue. Gimmicks that promise 10 pounds in 2 weeks are either simply not true or else something other than fat is being lost. Also keep in mind that the more fat a person wishes to lose, and the less a person has, the more difficult and slower it will be to lose additional fat.

16. The diet does not include an evaluation of food habits. Dieting should be a slow process by which a person changes normal eating habits. It should not include looking for quick fixes and quick plans promising short cuts and extreme changes a person would never stay with these programs and such diets do not work long-term. The number of kcalories eaten, and the food selections and their amounts, should be reevaluated on a regular basis perhaps once every 1-2 months to determine the programs effectiveness.

17. Regular exercise is not recommended as part of the plan for proper weight loss. Weight loss occurs twice as fast with exercise, and without exercise there is a greater tendency to lose lean muscle tissue as well as fat. This is not ideal.

OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS DIETS

Low Carbohydrate Diets: Ketosis occurs, and this presents the same problems as fasting. Once glycogen stores are spent (which happens quickly with athletes and those who exercise regularly), glucose must be made from protein sources, and there is greater wear on the kidneys as a result. Even on a high protein diet, some protein will be taken from body tissues in order to produce enough energy for the nervous system and regular activity. The onset of ketosis is an indication that this process has begun and it is not a positive aspect, regardless of what pro-high-fat authorities indicate.

Great weight loss on a low-carb diet is evident because of the fact that carbs hold water in the muscles at a ratio of 1:3. As carb intake decreases then so, too, does water retention. Much water flushes as a result of lack of glycogen to hold water molecules. Moreover, by increasing protein intake, excess nitrogen flushes with even more water since the kidneys use water to dilute the concentration of nitrogen. Once leaving a low-carb diet and the muscles refill with glycogen, fluid concentrations increase and the dieter regains some of the weight.

Low calorie diets of 400-600 kcalories that consist primarily of protein have the same problems as fasting and low-carbohydrate diets: proteins are used for energy and weight loss comes largely from water. Low-cal diets must be supervised properly by a medical professional and only as a last resort for those who cannot seem to lose weight by other methods. However, even those individuals tend to regain most of their weight back once they return to a balanced diet.

Beverly Hills Diet a diet consisting of grapefruit, eggs, rice, and kelp; it is deficient in minerals and vitamins.

Cambridge Diet a very low kcalorie (300-600 kcal/day); protein/carb mixture with mineral imbalances; the dieter is close to fasting.

Complete Scarsdale Diet this diet is unbalanced nutritionally; some days are calorically restricted; the dieter alters portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat; the diet consists of low carbs (20-50 g/day), and high fat and protein; the diet has a high meat (saturated fat and cholesterol) content.

Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution this diet is unbalanced nutritionally; some days are calorically restricted; the dieter alters portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat; carbs are very low (20-50 g/day), whereas fat and protein are high; there is high meat (saturated fat and cholesterol) consumption.

Dr. Linns Last Chance Diet this diet has a very low kcalorie intake (300-600 kcal/day); it consists of a protein/carb mixture with a mineral imbalance; the dieter is close to fasting.

Dr. Reubens The Save Your Life Diet this is a calorically dilute diet consisting of high fiber (30-35g/day); the diet is low in fat and animal products; there is poor absorption of minerals because of too much high fiber.

"Fake" Mayo Diet this diet consists of grapefruits, eggs, rice, and kelp; it is deficient in minerals and vitamins.

F-Plan Diet this is a calorically dilute diet consisting of high fiber (30-35g/day); it is low in fat and animal products; there is poor absorption of minerals because of too much fiber.

LA Costa Spa Diet this diet promotes weight loss of 1-1_ lbs/day; there are various plans of 800, 1000, and 1200 kcal/day composed of 25% protein, 30% fat (mostly polyunsaturates), and 45% carbohydrate; the diets includes the four food groups.

Medifast Diet this diet is balanced nutritionally, but provides only 900 kcal/day; use of liquid formulas makes this diet monotonous and expensive.

Nutrimed Diet/Medifast Diet this is a nutritionally balanced diet, but it supplies only 900 kcal/day; the use of liquid formulas makes this diet monotonous and expensive.

Optifast Diet this diet is nutritionally balanced, but supplies only 900 kcal/day; use of liquid formulas makes this diet monotonous and expensive.

Pritikin Permanent Weight-Loss Diet this is a nutritionally unbalanced diet; some days are calorically restricted; the dieter alters portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat; the diet consists of high protein (100 g/day); unless the foods properly chosen, it may be low in vitamin B12.

Prudent Diet this is a balanced, low kcalorie (2400 kcal/day) diet for men; it is low in cholesterol and saturated fats; a maximum of 20-35% calories are derived from fat with an emphasis on protein, carbohydrates, and salt; there is ample consumption of fish and shellfish, and saturated fats are substituted with polyunsaturated fats.

Quick Weight Loss Diet this diet is unbalanced nutritionally; some days are calorically restricted; the dieter alters portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, although there is low carbs (20-50 g/day), and high fat and protein; there is high meat consumption (saturated fat and cholesterol) with this diet.

San Francisco Diet this diet begins at 500 kcal/day, consisting of two meals per day of one fruit, one vegetable, one slice of bread, and two meat exchanges; the second week limits carbohydrates, with most food coming from the meat group and with some eggs and cheese, and a few vegetables; week three includes fruit; in week four there is an increase in vegetables; week five the dieter add fat-containing foods (e.g., nuts, avocados); week six includes milk; week seven includes pastas and bread, where the diet is maintained at about 1300 kcal/day; this diet avoids the issue of saturated fats and cholesterol.

Slendernow Diet this diet is unbalanced nutritionally; some days are calorically restricted; the dieter alters portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat; the protein is generally high (100 g/day); unless foods are properly chosen, there may be a deficiency in vitamin B12.

Weight-Watchers Diet this diet is balanced nutritionally, at about 1000-1200 kcal; use of high nutrient-dense foods are consumed; economic and palatable food makes it one of the most successful diets with no real health risks.

Wine Diet this diet is about 1200 kcal/day, containing 28 menus together with a glass of dry table wine at dinner; besides the medicinal components of wine, it is believed that individuals reduce portion sizes when wine is consumed with a meal; the diet is low in cholesterol and saturated fats; there is a focus on fish, poultry, and veal with moderate amounts of red meat.

Yogurt Diet this diet consists of two versions, being 900-1000 kcal/day, and 1200-1500 kcal/day; plain low-fat yogurt is the main dairy dish, consumed at breakfast, lunch, and as a bedtime snack; the diet is high in protein, and it is low in cholesterol, saturated fat, and refined carbohydrates.

Diets that do not provide 100% of the U.S. RDA for 13 vitamins and minerals:

Atkins
Beverly Hills
Carbohydrate Cravers Basic
Carbohydrate Cravers Dense
California (1200 kcal) California (2000 kcal)
F-Plan
I Love America
I Love New York
Pritikin (700 kcal) Pritikin (1200 kcal)
Richard Simmons
Scarsdale
Stillman

Brian D. Johnston is the Director of Education and President of the I.A.R.T. fitness certification institute. He has written over 12 books and is a contributor author to the Merck Medical Manual. An international lecturer, Mr. Johnston wears many hats in the fitness and health industries. You can visit his site at http://www.ExerciseCertification.com

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Friday, January 05, 2007

Rating The Diets: A Mindless Exercise?

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Diet Articles

Rating The Diets: A Mindless Exercise?


There has been a recent surge in the experts weighing in (pun intended) on popular and celebrity diets to rate them in terms of effectiveness, nutritional adequacy, and balance. Look at the latest crop of magazines, Internet news reports, and television specials.

What is a semi-motivated would-be dieter to do?

Every diet listed seems to give rise to a chorus of criticism. Either it contains too few fruits and vegetables, not enough fiber, not enough fat, or too few calories. The glycemic index is too high or too low, the nutritional content of its staples are not good enough, there is too much or too little of something.

Who rates what we are eating now? We simply pig out on everything from pizza, to fast food, to snacks (did you know that potato chips are the most popular snack food in America - accompanying 32% of our lunches?), desserts, ice cream and beer.

While it would be nice, I suppose, to have a population who ate only healthy foods, in moderation, exercised daily, and took care to ingest at least the minimum requirement of vitamins and minerals, that is not reality, my friend. We overeat on all the wrong foods, we avoid regular exercise like the plague, and huff and puff our way into enlarged bodies that are twenty to fifty pounds heavier than our frames deserve.

Any way that we can take off some or all of that weight is worthwhile. No one is going to stay on any of the popular diets for a lifetime, let's face it. We look at them as temporary (which is part of the problem, but I digress) fixes. The last thing we need are experts who make us afraid to start because we might not be obtaining the right nutrition. Or do we take a certain degree of self-satisfaction in telling ourselves that we can't start until the "perfect diet" is identified?

Are we eating the right way without a diet? No, our nutrition is still deplorable, it's just that we are eating a lot of everything. Let's have at least one expert come out and truthfully report that no matter the deficiencies of any specific diet - going on it is absolutely better than eating the way we are now!

Let's get our collective weight down, and then start worrying about nutrition and health. Diabetes, heart attacks, and gall bladders care a lot less about what we eat than how much.

Start a diet, ANY diet, and follow through for a few weeks and I guarantee you'll be in a much better place, physically and mentally, to start looking after your health and long term fitness than when hemmed in by too much blubber, reading scare stories from the media about how your intended diet is somehow unbalanced.

Virginia Bola is a licensed psychologist and an admitted diet fanatic. She specializes in therapeutic reframing and the effects of attitudes and motivation on individual goals. The author of The Wolf at the Door: An Unemployment Survival Manual, and a free ezine, The Worker's Edge, she recently completed a psychologically-based weight control book: Diet with an Attitude: A Weight Loss Workbook. She can be reached at http://www.DietWithAnAttitude.com

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Protein - The Denominator Customary to All Diets


The Human Body is in a constant flux with the environment. Matter and molecules flow in and out, casting themselves into its complexities. Although the body lends them structure, it is the intakethe dietthat decides its physique. To control what goes in a diet is to choose what stays inside. Dietary decisions reflect an awareness of metabolism and the nutrients needed to modify it. There may be a host of diets purported for each activity and illness. However, the one macronutrient that is invariably required, in substantial amounts irrespective of the physiological state, is protein.

Proteins hold this special place in every diet for a variety of reasons. They connect the DNA to the rest of the cell and modulate all cellular functions and responses. They are the scaffolds of the human body that struts a billion cells. Proteins are also the workers that shuffle around the body relaying messages, carrying out repairs and digestion. Oxygen from the lungs and many nutrients from the gut are protein packed and delivered to their destination. The motors in the muscles and the antibodies in the immune system are all proteins. If genes code life in a helix of DNA, then proteins are life in its decoded form. Their pervasiveness makes them indispensable and, protein synthesis a priority in metabolism.

Add to this myriad of functions the astronomical turnover rate of proteins, and continuous protein synthesis becomes vital. Every protein has a short life span and is soon broken down into its constituent amino acids. New proteins are required to take their place. The skin itself is renewed every seven days. Then there are proteins that get used up, damaged or excreted, and need to be produced again. Protein synthesis goes on at a frantic pace even in normal people. Then there are periods of rapid growth, like athletes in training, teenagers, convalescent patients, babies, pregnant or lactating mothers, where protein synthesis reaches an all time high. Proteins are broken down for other reasons as well. In times of stress, illness or starvation, the body just cannot find enough sources of energy. In such circumstances, proteins are taken apart into their constituent amino acids and are used as fuel. Therefore, in all physiological states, cells are constantly at work, churning out new proteins.

To maintain this obligatory and intense rate of protein synthesis, the body needs a dedicated supply of amino acids. Unfortunately, unlike carbohydrates and fats that are stockpiled, the human body has no arrangement to store extra amino acids. The persistent demand for proteins and amino acids has to be met anew every day and from three possible sources: cellular production, the diet or breakdown of other body proteins. Of these, cellular production would be most convenient. If the cell could produce all the required amino acids, there would be no compulsion to provide them in the diet. However, there are amino acids that just cannot be produced in the body. These essential amino acids have to come from the diet.

Proteins, from the diet or supplements, are the best alternative. The supply of all amino acids can be ensured and in sufficient amounts. Cellular metabolism is relieved of the obligation to produce amino acids except for making minor adjustment in the supply chain. Protein synthesis can go on uninterrupted. Unless the diet meets the perpetual demand for amino acids, other, relatively expendable, body proteins are broken down to fulfill the requirement. In effect, a dietary deficiency of proteins forces the body to feed on itself.

The need for proteins in every diet is undeniable. The average American diet provides 1.2 g/kg of protein against the recommended daily allowance of 0.8 g/kg. The question, then, is whether to add protein supplements to an existing diet? While proteins from food may seem adequate, there is no telling whether all essential amino acids are supplied, and there is little way of knowing how easily those proteins are digested and assimilated into the body. A carefully researched protein supplement like Profect, when taken regularly, would remove such uncertainties.

Apart from supplying amino acids for protein synthesis, a high protein diet based on Profect has other advantages. Studies on high-protein diets have demonstrated their ability to induce weight loss. A high-protein diet produces early satiety and decreases the total energy intake. Protein synthesis, an energy consuming process, is promoted. The energy to assimilate such a diet, calculated as the Thermogenic effect of feeding, is high. More calories are burnt, more proteins are synthesized and the lean body mass increases while the body weight goes down. Brawn is exchanged for flab.

Proteins from Profect form bioactive peptides in the gut that can enhance gut defenses. The harmful gut bacteria are killed and normal flora is allowed to colonize the intestinal lining. Profect also protects the system from free radicals, free electron molecules produced during intense activity and stress. Free radicals are known to damage cell membranes. Their role in aging, cancer and blood clotting is being intensely investigated. Profect increases the levels of Glutathione, a free radical scavenger that mops up free radicals shielding the cell from their effects. The added water-soluble vitamins and mineral in Profect prevent the loss of calcium and other micronutrients seen on high-protein diets.

About Protica

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at www.protica.com. You can also learn about Profect at www.profect.com.

Copyright 2004 - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com

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