It’s not just what you eat or how much you exercise that matters; it’s the timing of each component that is the true secret to weight loss success. Research shows that our bodies’ inner eat-and-sleep clocks have been thrown completely out of whack, thanks to all-day food cues and too much nighttime artificial light. The result: You’re caught in a “fat cycle”: a constant flow of hunger hormones that makes you prone to cravings. By tuning in to your body’s natural eat/sleep schedule, you can finally say good-bye to your belly.  Follow this hour-by-hour slim-down schedule to control hunger hormones,banish cravings, and get a trim and toned-belly–fast!

6 TO 8 AM: GET MOVING.
Within a half hour of rising and before you eat breakfast, do 20 minutes of cardio. Research has found that exercising before breakfast may help you burn fat more efficiently. If you can get outside, even better. Early morning sunlight helps your body naturally reset itself to a healthier sleep/wake cycle (regular indoor lights don’t have the same effect).

6:55 TO 8:55 AM: DRINK UP.
Before every meal, drink two 8-ounce glasses of water.Research shows that people who drank this amount lost 5 pounds more than non H20 guzzlers.

7 TO 9 AM: EAT BREAKFAST.
The alarm clock also wakes up ghrelin, the “feed me” hormone made in your stomach. Ignore ghrelin and your body will produce even more, eventually making you ravenous. To suppress ghrelin’s effect, eat a mix of complex carbs and protein, such as eggs and whole grain toast, within an hour of waking.

10 TO 11 AM: MUNCH MIDMORNING.
Ghrelin begins to rise again a couple of hours before lunch. It turns off when you chow down, particularly on carbs and protein, so have a small combo snack, like blueberries and Greek-style yogurt.

12 TO 1 PM: HAVE YOUR MIDDAY MEAL.
Galanin, another hunger hormone that makes you crave fat, rises around lunchtime. However, dietary fat causes you to produce more galanin, which then tells you to eat more fat. Instead, fill up with complex carbs and protein, such as chicken-vegetable soup or black bean chili.

2 TO 3 PM: TAKE A NAP.
Instead of hitting the vending machines, find a quiet place to grab a few Zzzs.  Just set an alarm–15 to 20 minutes will energize your body without affecting your ability to sleep at night.

3:30 PM: LAST CALL FOR CAFFEINE
Need a boost? This is your last chance to have a cup of joe. Drinking coffee after 4 PM disturbs circadian rhythms and can keep you from falling asleep at night.

4 TO 8 PM: TRIM AND TONE.
Now’s the time to do your strength training, plus any additional cardio. This is when your body temperature is highest, so you’re primed for peak performance. In one study, subjects who worked out in the late afternoon or early evening built 22% more muscle than morning exercisers.

5 TO 7 PM: TIME TO DINE.
To ensure you don’t wake up hungry in the middle of the night, add a serving of healthy fats, such as flax seed or fish oil, to your meal. If you’re a wine drinker, pour a glass now. Drinking later can delay dream (REM) sleep, waking you frequently during the night.

9 TO PM: HAVE A PRESLEEP SNACK.
Enjoy a carb-based bedtime snack, such as a serving of low-fat frozen yogurt. Nighttime carbs create tryptophan, which helps your brain produce serotonin. This feel-good chemical triggers your body to make melatonin, the sleep hormone.

9 TO 10:30 PM: POWER DOWN.
Step away from digital devices, including the TV. They emit a blue spectrum of light that’s even more disruptive to sleep than regular bulbs. Do something calming–read, take a bath–in dim light so you’re ready to nod off when you hit the sheets.

9:30 TO 11 PM: GO TO SLEEP.
Crawl under the covers at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, even on weekends. Having a regular sleep-and-wake schedule helps you fall asleep faster over time.

There ya have it! We’ve given you the hour-by-hour formula to help most efficiently burn calories and banish belly fat! Now, it’s your turn to re-set your body clock to achieve your weightloss and wellness goals.

Spinach is a healthy, brightly colored leafy vegetable packed with nutrients. Spinach is a low fat food, with just 2% fat per bunch, making it an ideal vegetable to accompany a protein. What’s more interesting about spinach nutrition facts is the amount of fiber found in one bunch. With 30% of your daily value (DV) of fiber, this small amount of spinach will help you burn a tremendous amount of fat.

But it’s not just the fat burning property of spinach that provides with so many health benefits. There are many vitamins found in spinach in abundance, including vitamins A, C and K which give you well over 100% of your daily value of each vitamin. Other vitamins available in significant quantities in spinach include folate, vitamins E and B6.

There are also many minerals that highlight the health benefits of spinach, including 34% (DV) calcium, iron (54%), magnesium (67%), potassium (54%) and manganese (152%).

What all these vitamins and minerals should tell you about the health benefits of spinach is that in addition to helping you burn more fat, it also safeguards you against many weight-related illnesses.

Spinach also improves overall bone health thanks to the large amount of vitamin K. Men and woman alike can benefit from stronger bones to help maintain overall good health. Thanks to vitamin K, spinach is also a brain food, enhancing nervous system health and improving brain functions.

With more than 600% of your daily value of vitamin A, one bunch of spinach can help you fight infections by protecting at risk entry points like mucous membranes. For those of you concerned, another health benefit of spinach thanks to vitamin A, is healthy and moist skin!

Spinach is packed with antioxidants that reduce blood pressure, as well as nutrients that reduce inflammation to prevent illnesses that include hearth disease, diabetes and stroke.

Yet another reason to eat your broccoli and it’s a big one! Researchers have found that the compound sulforaphane found in many cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and kale is believed to help restore proper enzyme balance in the body to allow our genes to suppress the development of tumors.

This branch of science is known as epigenetics, the study of the way that diet, toxins and other forces influence which genes in our DNA get activated or “expressed.”  The process of turning on or turning off certain genes can play a powerful role in everything from cancer to heart disease.

From the foods we eat to the chemicals we put on and in our bodies, many things can have an effect on how our cells function and how our genes work within the body. Scientists are just beginning to understand that turning on or off certain genes can have a profound effect on all kinds health concerns. In fact, many scientists believe that this sort of research may hold the key to curing many types of cancer and other diseases; if doctors can figure out how to prevent certain genes from activating, or how to activate others at the right time, they believe they might be able to prevent or reverse many types of disease.

The compound sulforaphane that is found in cruciferous vegetables seems to partner up with our DNA to help our bodies maintain proper cell function. This is important because cell function controls cell division—and when cell division is disrupted, that is a hallmark of tumors and cancer.

Both laboratory and clinical studies have shown that increasing the number of cruciferous veggies you eat can lower your risk for cancer, so bulk up on broccoli and keep the kale coming!

Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center recently presented strong data proving that diet soda makes us fat. They found that the more diet sodas a person drank, the more weight they gained. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

But it does get more serious than that. Overall, all soda drinkers (both sugar-sweetened and diet) gained weight compared to a control group that did not drink soda. But those drinking only diet soda gained more weight than those drinking regular soda.  So much, in fact, that researchers concluded there is “a 41% increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day.”

Why does diet soda make us fat?

• People allow themselves to binge on other foods thinking they can “balance it out” by drinking diet soda later. Wrong. You’re not balancing anything out. You’re just binging. Try drinking water and eating less instead.
• Putting any food or drink into our stomachs (that isn’t water) triggers our gastric juices to get flowing for digestion, which makes us feel hungry. It’s like revving the engine for digestion. When we tell our bodies to get ready to absorb nutrients from a diet soda that’s actually delivering nothing (but a whole lot of chemicals), our brains get the message that we need to eat something to fill this now revved up engine.
• The tongue recognizes “sweet” flavors as sugars or carbohydrates, and it signals the body to start producing insulin to help regulate blood sugar levels.  This brings on food cravings and sugar cravings in particular. For this reason, diet soda also causes diabetes and pre-diabetic conditions.

The real way to fight fatigue and hunger is to drink more water. We often mistake thirst for hunger, and by downing a full glass of water, you can stave off random cravings. It’s also pretty amazing what downing a full glass of water will do for a foggy head—clears it right up with a bit of freshness. Down a full can of diet soda, and you may feel high for about 15 minutes, but chances are you’ll feel downer, hungrier and even a bit fatter soon enough.

Environmentalists cite meat production as one of the biggest contributors to global warming, and the USDA’s new food pyramid (MyPlate) suggests the healthiest choice is making vegetables and fruit the biggest part of every meal by reducing consumption of animal proteins. Kale is far more nutritious than other leafy green, but these seven reasons why it is such an important future superfood may just surprise you.

1. Anti-inflammatory ability: Inflammation is the number one cause of arthritis, heart disease and a number of autoimmune diseases, and is triggered by the consumption of animal products. Kale is an incredibly effective anti-inflammatory food, potentially preventing and even reversing these illnesses.

2. Iron: Despite the myth that vegetarians are anemic, the number of non-vegetarians with iron-deficiencies is on the rise. Per calorie, kale has more iron than beef.

3. Calcium Rich: Dairy and beef both contain calcium, but the U.S. still has some of the highest rates of bone loss and osteoporosis in the world. Kale contains more calcium per calorie than milk (90 grams per serving) and is also better absorbed by the body than dairy.

4. Fiber: Like protein, fiber is a macronutrient, which means we need it every day. But many Americans don’t eat nearly enough and the deficiency is linked to heart disease, digestive disorders and cancer. Protein-rich foods, like meat contain little to no fiber. One serving of kale not only contains 5 percent of the recommended daily intake of fiber, but it also provides 2 grams of protein.

5. Omega fatty acids: Essential Omega fats play an important role in our health, unlike the saturated fats in meat. A serving of kale contains 121 mg of omega-3 fatty acids and 92.4 mg of omega-6 fatty acids.

6. Immunity: Superbugs and bacteria are a serious risk to our health. Many of these come as a result of factory farm meat, eggs and dairy products. Kale is an incredibly rich source of immune-boosting carotenoid and flavanoid antioxidants including vitamins A and C.

7. Sustainability: Kale grows to maturity in 55 to 60 days versus a cow raised for beef for an average of 18-24 months. Kale can grow in most climates and is relatively easy and low impact to grow at home or on a farm. To raise one pound of beef requires 16 pounds of grain, 11 times as much fossil fuel and more than 2,400 gallons of water.

Sources:

http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/meat-wastes-natural-resources.aspx

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2461/2

Among the cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower is something you might want to add to your regular diet because of its multiple health benefits. We at Voyager headquarters have recently become a little obsessed with baked cauliflower which prompted us to research how good the white, crunchy veggie really is. Cauliflower consumption has been studied for its cancer-preventing potential and antioxidant properties. Cauliflower contains many nutrients, making it an excellent addition to any diet.

1. Antioxidation

Cauliflower is a very good source of vitamin C and manganese, which are both powerful antioxidants. In fact, 1 cup of boiled cauliflower can already give you 55 mg of vitamin C. Aside from these antioxidants, cauliflower also contains carotenoids, such as beta-carotene and phytonutrients that include kaempferol, ferulic acid, cinnamic acid and caffeic acid. With these antioxidants, you can be certain that eating cauliflower regularly will help protect you from free radical damage and reduce your risk for diseases caused by oxidative stress, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

2. Anti-Inflammation

Cauliflower also contains high amounts of Vitamin K and Omega-3 fatty acids, which help decrease inflammation. A cup of boiled cauliflower contains about 11 micrograms of vitamin K and 0.21 g omega-3 fatty acids. Regular cauliflower consumption can help decrease the risk of inflammation-related diseases such as arthritis, obesity, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative colitis.

3. Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular

By virtue of having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, cauliflower consumption is protective against cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

4. Digestive

A cup of boiled cauliflower delivers about 3.35 g of dietery fiber, which helps clean your digestive system and gets rid of unnecessary substances. Additionally, a substance called glucoraphin present in cauliflower appears to have a protective effect on your stomach lining. With glucoraphin, your stomach is not prone to the bacterium helicobacter pylori, thereby reducing your risk for stomach ulcer and cancer.

5. Nutritional

Cauliflower also contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 , B6 and B9. It serves as a good source of proteins, phosphorus and potassium.

You can add boiled or steamed cauliflower to your diet, but if you do not cook it properly, it can become mushy and lose its flavor. An alternative is to sauté this vegetable for 5 minutes. Make sure that you do not eat more than 4 to 5 servings of this vegetable each week though. This is because cauliflower contains purines, which are broken down by the body to produce uric acid. And, If you have too much uric acid, you could eventually develop gout. Otherwise, steam, boil or lightly bake and enjoy!

Many people still believe that nearly all fats are bad. In truth, fats are a key component to any healthy diet as “good fats” aid the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals as well as feed the brain, heart, liver, lungs, bones, cells and nervous system the nutrients they need to function properly.

The word fat doesn’t necessarily refer to obesity. Yes, it’s true for trans fats and certain other unhealthy fats but there are healthier fats such as avocados, coconut oil, certain nuts, grass-fed butter and naturally-produced lards.

It’s important to learn what fats can be good for you and how to incorporate them into your daily diet. Low fat diets are usually high in carbohydrates and often incorporate rapidly-digested food like white flour, white rice, potatoes, sugary drinks and refined snacks. Eating these types of foods can cause sharp spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels and over time can cause an increase in the risk of diabetes and heart disease. In short, high carbohydrate, low fat diets can have a negative effect on the fats and cholesterol in our blood, raising “bad” blood fats and lowering “good” blood cholesterol.

In contrast, saturated fats can be good for you. Especially those found in coconut and palm oils, grass-fed meats, milk, eggs, butter and cheese, are crucial to maintaining healthy cells, organs and a healthy body.

*Source: NaturalNews.com

Environmental toxins can make you fat and cause diabetes by toying with your blood sugar and your ability to metabolize cholesterol. Because there are no conventional drugs known to combat this epidemic, you have to optimize your body’s ability to rid itself of toxins.

We live in an environment that’s steeped in chemicals that our bodies are not designed to process. And, while it’s true that we live in a toxic world, it’s important to remember that there is a lot you can do to enhance your body’s natural ability to detox. The body has four main exit routes for toxins: kidneys via urine, bowel, perspiration and pranayama (Sanskrit for breath).

Every moment of every day your body is relying one of of the exit routes to mobilize, transform, and excrete toxins.

Here is a quick primer on how to make the most of each strategy:

Kidneys: The kidneys are responsible for flushing waste from the blood. Make sure you give them what they need by drinking plenty of water. Humans are predominately composed of water (about 66 percent by weight for men, about 60 percent for women). Drink plenty of clean water, at least eight 8-ounce glasses of filtered water a day. One of the first signs of dehydration is the color of your urine. Your urine should be mostly clear or with only a slight tinge of yellow.

Not all water is good for you. In many communities, tap water is not safe to drink and bottled water isn’t much better. The best option is to filter your own water and carry it with you in stainless steel bottles. If possible, install a reverse osmosis filter in your house, at least for your drinking water or use a carbon filter.

Bowels: One or two well formed bowel movements every day is one of the best ways to give toxins a one-way ticket out of your body. If that goal seems high you’re not alone. As many as 20 percent of people struggle with constipation and, unfortunately, the problem can get more onerous with aging. But bowel function is something you have a lot of control over. For starters, up your fiber intake. Fiber cleans out the colon by making our stool heftier and easier to expel.

Secondly, drink plenty of water. The body is very good at conserving water. Sometimes it’s almost too good. When the walls of the colon suck too much moisture out of stool, it dries and hardens, which can lead to pebble-like poop and constipation. Drinking more water and other liquids during the day (aim for eight 8-ounce glasses) can make your BMs softer and easier to expel. And, if you still can’t get going, then you need some help and this can include taking two tablespoons of ground flax seeds, taking acidophilus and extra magnesium capsules in the form of magnesium citrate.

Perspiration: Your skin is your single largest organ of elimination. Make sure you’re maximizing the detox-potential of your pores by working up a sweat at least three times a week. Of course, heart-thumping exercise that gets the body sweating for 20 minutes, three times a week is ideal, since it confers other health benefits. But, if that is not an option, consider using a sauna, steam or detox bath to trigger the body’s natural ability to detoxify itself through sweat.

On a purely physical note, sauna therapy can improve circulation, help with weight loss, balance blood sugar and improve detoxification. While the exact mechanism is not clear, it is likely due to its effects on calming the nervous system, relaxing the muscles and increasing vasodilation

Pranayama (breath): The lungs are the unsung heroes of the body’s detox squad. With each breath, they bring in fresh oxygen and help transport it throughout the body. Unfortunately, the air we breathe is not always clean. Every day the lungs filter out carcinogens in gas fumes, allergens from pets and plants, and spores of mold. Restricted or shallow breathing can diminish the power of the lungs by preventing oxygen from reaching all of your tissues. Breathing deeply and fully will oxygenate your brain, body, and spirit, transforming your health in the process.

One of the best ways to harness the power of the lungs to heal and detoxify is to learn how to belly breathe. Start by putting your hand on your belly. Breathe out, squeezing the air out of your lungs with your stomach muscles. As you breathe in, relax your stomach muscles and, after filling your lungs, try to push your hand off your belly with your breath, filling the lower part of your lungs. Continue to breathe in and out slowly through your nose. Each in and out breath should last to the count of three. Do this for five minutes a day.

If you are struggling to lose weight despite eating well and exercising your butt off, toxins may be interfering with your body’s metabolism.

Yes, there are foods that can add weight to your waistline. For starters, many people assume that drinks are free passes for your diet endeavors but with sips like soda this isn’t the case. Your average sodas are saturated with calories and chemicals. In addition, coffee drinks can kill your abs as many have that added sugar, milk even whipped cream or chocolate shavings. Black coffee is okay but curb the caloric content added via your am latte or cappuccino.  Another not so great liquid alternative is 100% juice. A piece of whole fruit is much better for you, otherwise, dilute your daily juice with some water to help decrease the amount of sugar you intake.

Think granola is good for you? Most actually aren’t. In fact, an excessive amount can be fattening because many are high in sugar, which can make you feel hungry after consuming. If granola is your am must, then try making your own with honey versus sugar or consider trying out as a topping on some greek yogurt.

Crackers are another food that most people think are much better for you then they are however most brands are high in butter thereby fat and calories. While cheese and crackers can be an okay snack, that’s only if the crackers are whole grain or gluten free.

Yogurt is said to be beneficial to your waistline however this depends on this type that you select. Many types are high in sugar, fat and calories. Yogurt drinks and cups with “fruit on the bottom” are the worst. Greek yogurt is one of the best as it’s high in protein and helps you feel fuller longer.

Smoothies are the last stomach deceiving food on our list. When choosing a smoothie, make sure that you don’t see much more than fresh fruit. A small dose of non-fat milk or yogurt can be okay but many smoothie spots add ice cream, sugar or fruit juice to their creations adding tons of calories and fat.

One of our favorite indulgences, chocolate, also offers a plethora of health benefits inside and out meaning you can enjoy a chocolate treat every day. Consider shopping raw cacao or dark chocolate (at least 70%).

Avoid commercially produced candy and chocolate bars, as most contain low levels of cacao after the production process with their nutrients being replaced by sugars, milk fat, hydrogenated oils and artificial colorings.

Yes, raw cacao and dark chocolate is best and here’s why. Not only does cacao offer mouth-watering pleasure, it also provides mood-boosting effects and is jam-packed with antioxidants. In terms of antioxidant flavanoids, cacao is said to have more than blueberries, red wine and green teas. In fact, cocoa has up to four times the quantity of antioxidants found in green tea! This super food is incredible for the cardiovascular system.

Pure, raw cacao also has extraordinary potential for helping to support weight loss, not to mention the euphoric feeling you receive after consuming a true chocolate treat. Chocolate boasts miracle compounds, which offer the ability to satiate our appetite for pleasure like no other. Cacao increases the levels of specific neurotransmitters in our brains, helps to promote positive outlook, facilitate rejuvenation and lift our spirits. How you might ask?

Cacao raises the level of serotonin in the brain and therefore acts as an anti-depressant, promoting an overall sense of well-being. Cacao also stimulates the secretion of endorphins, which can help to produce a pleasurable feeling. And, chocolate positively impacts Phenylethylamine (PEAs) levels, the natural chemical compound that are also created within the brain and released when we are in love. It acts as a mild mood elevator and an anti-depressant, and it helps increase focus and alertness. Plus cacao contains N-acylethanolamines that are believed to increase levels of anandamide (the bliss chemical) in the brain and promote relaxation.

In addition, the miracle bean is noted to alleviate fever, anemia, poor appetite, mental fatigue and poor breast milk production as well as aid the digestion, heal the nervous system and help symptoms of gout, kidney stones and low virility.

And, among all of it’s healthful benefits one of its most impactful is its believed ability to drastically lower blood pressure, even better than modern day drugs. Flavanols from cacao and dark chocolate inhibit the action of angiotensin to influence the body`s fluid balance and effectively regulate blood pressure. Information reported in the journal BMC Medicine combines the results of 15 independent studies on the vessel dilating effects of flavanols from chocolate. Researchers found that moderate consumption of chocolate with a high percentage of cacao showed significant blood pressure reduction in people with high blood pressure, and no effect on individuals with normal pressure readings. Flavanols increase the natural formation of endothelial nitric oxide that exhibits a relaxing effect on blood vessel walls and lowers blood pressure.

Cacao from chocolate is shown to be yet another example of how a natural compound can promote health and prevent disease.

With all of these incredible health benefits, cacao is literally a “food of the gods.” Of course, with anything, consume chocolate in moderation. The key is to eat raw cacao in small quantities to enjoy its health benefits and curb chocolate cravings too. Cacao bean is also found in your favorite daily vitamin, V3. V3 includes cocoa powder from jet black cacao that helps give an extra boost of energy without the crash. The cocoa in V3 slows down oxidation of LDL Cholesterol and is high in anti-oxidant power.  Taking your daily dose of V3 is just another way, to get your daily cacao fix!

Sources: NaturalNews.com