New Weight Loss Drug Discovered Accidentally

A new weight loss drug called Tesofensine has proven to be twice as effective as the best existing anti-obesity medicines.

The drug was originally developed to treat brain diseases, but in clinical trials, doctors found that side effects included suppressed hunger.

Obese patients who took the drug for 24 weeks lost approximately 28 pounds, at least double the weight that patients taking other available anti-obesity drugs have been able to lose.

Just as encouraging, patients taking the prescribed dosage saw no side effects.

The drug will now go on to further studies before possibly hitting the market.

Iodine: The fountain of Health, Energy and Weight Loss

Iodine is a wonder mineral that is often overlooked, but can aid increase your energy levels, give you shiny, strong hair and even help you lose weight.

Several recent studies show that a shortage of iodine can lead to poor function of metabolism and immunity. It also promotes free radical damage and hinders brain development. But many people are iodine deficient because they are eating less salt and more organic foods (which have low iodine levels).

Symptoms of iodine deficiency include depression, weight gain, weak heartbeat, extreme dry hair and skin, swelling of the legs, decreased ability to concentrate, muscle cramps, puffiness or swelling of the eyes, and chronic aches and pains.

If you think you need more iodine in your diet, you can fight it in asparagus, garlic, lima beans, mushrooms, sesame seed, chard and summer squash

Wanna Lose Fat: Pick Up the Pace!

High-intensity exercise burns fat, including belly fat, better than low or moderate intensity exercises.

A new study released today in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise concludes that although all types of exercise lead to better health, high-intensity exercise is likely necessary to achieve significant improvements in body composition.

The study followed three groups of women who suffered from abdominal obesity, unhealthy cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides and elevated fasting glucose. The first group did not change their activity levels. The second group performed low-intensity exercise (50-60% of maximum aerobic capacity) five times per week. And the third group performed low-intensity exercise two days a week and high-intensity exercise (75-80% of maximum aerobic capacity) three times per week.

The high-intensity group reduced total abdominal fat, subcutaneous abdominal fat and visceral abdominal fat during the 16-week study.

This is especially important because visceral abdominal fat has been known to have a connection to heart disease.

As we noted in earlier blogs, you need an average of 275 minutes of exercise per week to see real and long-lasting weight loss, and if you incorporate high-intensity workouts as part of those 275 minutes, you are well on your way to being fit and healthy!

Running and Your Knees

Many people think that participating in regular running programs will destroy their knees, but experts agree that running, if done properly, will actually strengthen knees and other joints.

Studies show that people who run have fewer knee problems compared to those who are less active. Running is also shown to reduce the rate and onset of conditions such as arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Doctors do warn, however, that people who have sustained traumatic knee injuries will probably be subject to more chronic injuries if they run on a regular basis.

Even healthy people can experience pains from running but research shows that most running injuries involve hip muscle weakness. If you are taking up running or are already running, you will definitely benefit from hip muscle strengthening exercises.

Also, structural imbalance or misalignment can also cause knee pain, so if you run and do happen to feel pain, you should talk to a doctor or see a specialist to figure out where the imbalance is coming from.

As long as you have good alignment and are supplementing your runs with weight strengthening exercises, you should be able to run, pain-free, for decades!

What Are You Waiting For?

I recently came across an interesting article that stated that one of the reasons many people fail to reach their fitness goals is that they spend too much time analyzing and trying to put together a "perfect" plan, rather than just start working out.
How many times have you said "right now is not the perfect time to begin training. Or I won't work out today because I haven't put together my training plan"?

Yes, plans are important. We all know that saying "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail," but what most people don't realize is that every small positive change you make will help get you to where you need and want to be.

Not working out before Thanksgiving because you're going to "blow it" by eating a big meal is really counterproductive. By working out, you will burn hundreds of calories which you can effectively subtract from your big meal. I'm not saying you should excuse eating big meals all the time just by working out ahead of time. All I'm suggesting is that every calorie you burn, every weight you lift and every nutritious meal choice you make will have a positive impact.

While you're waiting to put together your plan, begin with small changes and build on it daily until you have a plan that works for you. And remember, you can always tweak a plan. Try new things and keep workouts and meals you like while discarding those that don't work for you. In no time at all, you will find your fitness goals are within reach!

So, what are you waiting for?

That's Bananas!

A new banana diet is taking over Japan, so much so, that bananas have become almost impossible to find in that country.

We at Regenesis Fitness don't condone fad diets but this does seem to have some merit. The new diet is based on eating nothing but raw bananas and room-temperature water for breakfast and then continuing the rest of the day eating a sensible diet.

The bananas and water are said to boost the body's metabolism so much that the rest of the day's calories are more easily burned off.

The diet was accidentally discovered by 31-year-old Hitoshi Watanabe and his girlfriend who is a pharmacist with training in Chinese herbal medicine. Watanabe lost 29 pounds over the next 6 months and posted his results on local blogs.

Since then, his diet has been so popular that it became the focus of a series of banana-diet books which have sold more than 600,000 copies.

Dieters are also expected to finish all their meals by 8 pm and to be in bed by midnight. Watanabe also says people should try to alleviate stress from their lives because health is adversely affected by stress and is a hindrance to weight loss.

Now we're not saying this diet is something you should pick up right away, but a diet of fruits and vegetables is always a good thing and as long as you are eating all your nutrients for the rest of the day, then there's no detriment to your health!

Bananas!

Give Your Workout The Boot

Taking part in boot camp style workouts burns almost 10 calories a minute. That makes boot camp workouts one of the best ways to burn calories.

A study by the American College of Sports Medicine found that average exercisers burned approximately 9.8 calories per minute during a typical boot camp work out.

The study found that boot camps are excellent ways to enhance aerobic capacity and help control body weight. At the same time, they offer a good variety with a combination of aerobic exercise and muscle conditioning, which is much more of a total-body workout than just going out for a run or a bicycle ride.

Just remember that not all boot camp workouts are created equal. Make sure your workout keeps your heart rate elevated while challenging your muscles. Also, ask for your instructor's credentials. Boot camps have become so popular that people are offering workouts in parks without any training whatsoever.

Thanksgiving in the Great White North

It may be Thanksgiving in Canada this Monday but that doesn't mean you have to gain weight.

The average Thanksgiving meal runs about 3,500 calories. That's means most people actually gain almost a whole pound in one day.

But it's Thanksgiving right? Even if you're dieting, you still want to enjoy a traditional meal. Here are some tip to help you enjoy your holiday dinner without packing on the extra weight.

- Choose white meat - Turkey's low fat naturally, but the breast is even leaner. One skinless ounce of breast meat I just 44 calories.

- Add low-fat, low-odium broth to make your gravy rather than using the meat drippings. If you prefer drippings, try straining some of the fat from the juices.

- Use whole grain stuffing. Also, choose to cook your stuffing separately so that it gets fully cooked and is not drenched in turkey grease.

- Fill up on steamed veggies such as green beans, broccoli and cauliflower. They'll fill you up and contain less calories than mashed potatoes.

- Try making your own cranberry sauce in place of store bought canned varieties that are packed with sugar.

- Dissect the pie - Did you know many of the calories in pies are in the crust. So scrap the dough and go for the yummy filling instead.

And since the weather's going to be great this weekend, finish your meal off with a nice stroll and enjoy the last of Indian summer.

With these tips, there's no reason you can't enjoy a tasty and healthy Thanksgiving! Happy Holidays!

Get Nutty!

Adding fatty foods to your diet will help you lose weight, according to a recent study conducted in California.

Scientists say foods rich in unsaturated fat, including olive oil and nuts, send signals to your brain that decrease your appetite and make you feel full.