Most DANGEROUS diets!

In today’s world, the pressure to be thin is unnerving. It’s too easy to exercise and eat healthy. Scratch that, it’s too HARD to exercise and eat healthy. But why is that? Is it because we’re all lazy human beings or is it because we’re too impatient to see results? The main reason is the latter. Fad diets come and go. We’ve all heard of the low-carb Atkins Diet, which works for some, but leaves the body exhausted. And then the ever-popular South Beach Diet comes about which promises to get you back on track. However, with all of the rules and restrictions between what you can and can’t eat in Phase 1 or Phase 2.  Well, it just leaves the mind confused.

Losing weight and keeping it off requires determination. But people will do anything for quick and easy results. Here are nine of the craziest, if not extremely dangerous, diets that have come and go.

1. Master Cleanse
The Master Cleanse (aka the Lemon Cleanse and the Maple Syrup Diet) is a ten-day program that was developed by Stanley Burroughs in 1941. The whole idea is to detoxify. With this strict regimen, it is believed that the body should be rid of harmful toxins in the body, as well as losing weight and curing disease. In the period of these ten days, nothing is consumed except for lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. It has been stated that some people have stayed on the diet for as long as 45 days. Crazy.

However, there are definite risks involved. The diet lacks many of the important vitamins and nutrients that are necessary for the body. You do lose weight for certain, but in return you are rewarded by massive headaches and constipation, due to the lack of food passing through the body.

2. Sleeping Beauty Diet
It was believed that the King himself, meaning Elvis Presley, was an advocate of the Sleeping Beauty Diet back in the 1970’s. Basically, in a nutshell, this diet is described as sleeping off unwanted pounds. So, you can sedate yourself for several days and lose weight at the same time. Nothing like multitasking.

3. Grapefruit Diet
Otherwise known as the “Hollywood Diet,” this fad diet basically involves eating half a grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice with each meal. However, daily caloric intake must be below 800 calories. So the diet is strict, but weight loss is promised because of the supposed fat-burning enzymes found in grapefruit. Unfortunately, experts state that there is no medical evidence of this being true. Going further, the monotony of the diet is a prescription for future boredom that may result right back to bad eating habits. 

4. Tapeworm Diet Pills
Regardless of how disgusting it sounds, some people desperate to lose weight have actually been interested in trying this weight loss option. You can get tapeworms by eating raw meat. The other option is in the form of a pill, which as many people know, is an urban legend.

The idea behind this diet option is that these parasites secrete protein in our intestinal tracts that make our digestive processes less efficient. Since the tapeworms are already doing the work of digesting for you, you can actually lose pounds by this method because in essence, you can eat whatever you want. The tapeworm is already breaking down the food for you for its own growth. Disgusting.

Fortunately, the FDA has banned this diet “option”. It is both dangerous and downright gross.

5. Vision-Dieter Glasses
Okay, so this option isn’t really dangerous. It’s more along the lines of stupid. These glasses were designed so that when you wore them, the food you saw looked unappealing. So with the blue tint of the lenses, food might look less desirable, but at the same time, so will you. Shame.

6. Cotton Ball Diet
Cotton. It’s the fabric of our lives. But can eating cotton balls help you lose weight? According to some, it was believed that eating cotton balls could suppress your appetite, since apparently they are low in calories, but high in fiber. The side effect? They could clog your digestive system, since cotton balls, you know, absorb things. And they’re kinda fluffy, so imagine what it could produce. Ew.

7. Diet Fork
This is just as silly as the vision-dieter glasses. If the size of your fork is smaller, that means your food portions should be smaller too, right? What a concept. Next.

8. Ear Stapling
Sure, there is such a thing as ear piercing. But ear stapling? This diet involves stapling your ear cartilage because it supposedly suppresses your appetite. However, this method is illegal in Florida and can cause infections, nerve damage, and extreme pain. Duh.

9. Diet Patches
These are designed for the lazy. Nicotine patches help smokers avoid the craving, and they are also FDA approved. However, diet patches are not. So while these patches seem too good to be true, it’s best off to save your money and lose weight the right way. The effect of these diet patches will most likely not help you at all.

#FITNESS FIRST!

Honey, you gotta grab some HONEY!

There is something undeniably enchanting about honey; the product of flower nectar transformed by bees, as if by alchemy – but in fact through the far less-poetic act of regurgitation – into a sweet, golden elixir. Honey has held sway over humans since ancient times.

 

But aside from honey’s seductive color and flavor, it has some scientific superpowers that add to its appeal. Honey has an unusual chemical composition, one which makes it keep indefinitely without spoiling; as is seen whenever ancient pots of honey, still perfectly preserved, are found during excavations of early Egyptian tombs. It is uniquely low in moisture and extremely acidic, making it a forbidding environment for bacteria and microorganisms. On top of that, bees add an enzyme, glucose oxidase, to it that creates hydrogen peroxide as a byproduct. According to the National Institutes of Health, honey is hygroscopic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and has remarkable debriding action. Who knew?

 

With this bonanza of properties, honey has been used for millennia as a medicinal remedy. As Smithsonian.com reports, the earliest recorded use of honey as a curative comes from Sumerian clay tablets, which convey that honey was used in 30 percent of prescriptions at the time. The ancient Egyptians used honey regularly to treat skin and eye problems; as did the Greeks, Romans, and a number of other cultures.  

 

And ever since – along with being a favored gift to the gods and employed for sweetening cakes and drinks – honey has been used to treat that which ails us. It has been hailed as a fix for everything from scrapes to cancer. The following are some of honey’s best-known health benefits; whether confirmed by science or passed down through folk tradition, they prove honey to be as efficacious as it is delicious.

 

1. Soothes coughs
A 2007 study from Penn State College of Medicine that involved 139 children, found that buckwheat honey outperformed the cough suppressant, dextromethorphan (DM), in calming nighttime coughs in children and improving their sleep. Another study published in Pediatrics included 270 children aged one to five with nighttime cough due to simple colds; in this study, the children who received two teaspoons of honey 30 minutes before bed, coughed less frequently, less severely and were less likely to lose sleep due to the cough when compared to those who didn't get honey. (For more ideas on fighting coughs, see 10 natural cough remedies.)

 

2. Boosts memory
According to research reported by Reuters, 102 healthy women of menopausal age were assigned to consume 20 grams of honey a day, take hormone-replacement therapy containing estrogen and progesterone or do nothing. After four months, those who took honey or hormone pills recalled about one extra word out of 15 presented on a short-term memory test. That said, some critics of the study say that it wasn’t scientifically sound because it was small and didn’t last long. But still... 

 

3. Treats wounds
In numerous studies, honey has been found effective in treating wounds. In a Norwegian study, a therapeutic honey called Medihoney (a New Zealand honey that undergoes a special purification process) and Norwegian Forest Honey were found to kill all strains of bacteria in wounds. In another study, 59 patients suffering from wounds and leg ulcers – of which 80 percent had failed to heal with conventional treatment – were treated with unprocessed honey. All but one of the cases showed remarkable improvement following topical application of honey. Wounds that were sterile at the outset, remained sterile until healed, while infected wounds and ulcers became sterile within one week of applying honey. 

 

For the treatment of burns and wounds, WebMD notes: Honey is applied directly or in a dressing which is usually changed every 24 to 48 hours. When used directly, 15 mL to 30 mL of honey has been applied every 12 to 48 hours, and covered with sterile gauze and bandages or a polyurethane dressing.

 

4. Provides nutrients
According to the National Honey Board, honey contains “small amounts of a wide array of vitamins and minerals, including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.” Thus, using honey instead of sugar provides you with more nutrients for your calories.

 

5. Potentially prevents low white blood cell count
The Mayo Clinic notes that honey may be a promising and inexpensive way to prevent low white blood cell count caused by chemotherapy. In one small trial, 40 percent of cancer patients who were known to be at risk of neutropenia (very low blood count) had no further episodes of the condition after taking two teaspoons daily of therapeutic honey during chemotherapy. More research is needed, but the remedy could hold great potential.

 

6. May relieve seasonal allergies
Many people swear by honey’s ability to lessen symptoms of seasonal allergy. As honey has anti-inflammatory effects and is known to soothe coughs, it may not seem like much of a stretch; but honey’s efficacy for treating allergy hasn’t been proven in clinical studies. That said, some experts say that honey can contain traces of flower pollen, and exposure to small amounts of allergens works as good treatment to combat reactions. Whether it can be proven by science or not is one thing; but at its worst, it makes for a delicious placebo. (And don’t knock the healing power of placebos!)

 

7. Kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria 
In clinical studies, medical grade honey has been shown to kill food-borne illness pathogens like E. coli and salmonella, as well as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, both of which are common in hospitals and doctors' offices.

 

8. May help metabolize alcohol
This one's for you cocktail swillers, The NYU Langone Medical Center reveals that honey taken orally might, "increase the body's ability to metabolize alcohol, thereby limiting intoxication and more rapidly reducing alcohol blood levels." Honey shots all around.

 

9. Makes great workout fuel
Many athletes rely on sugar-laden sports drinks and gels for carbohydrates to fuel their bodies before and during endurance events, and afterwards to help muscle recovery. At 17 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon, honey makes an excellent source of all-natural energy that is superior to other conventional sources since it comes with added nutrients. The National Honey Board recommends adding honey to your bottle of water for an energy boost during workouts. Snacks with honey can be eaten before and after, and honey sticks can be used during endurance events.

 

10. Resolves scalp problems and dandruff
In a study involving patients with chronic seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff, the participants were asked to apply honey diluted with 10 percent warm water to their problem areas and leave it on for three hours before rinsing with warm water. In all of the patients, itching was relieved and scaling disappeared within one week. Skin lesions were completely healed within two weeks, and patients showed subjective improvement in hair loss as well. And when applied weekly thereafter for six months, patients showed no sign of relapse.

 

All of that said, there are two important things to remember about honey: One, just because it proffers numerous health benefits doesn't mean it's not caloric; one tablespoon yields 64 calories. Also, it's crucial to remember that honey is not appropriate for children younger than 12 months because it can contain the bacteria that causes infant botulism.

So, go grab your bottle of honey today itself.

Take Care,

#FITNESS FIRST!

Worthless Exercises You Probably Do!

Take a second to think about your gym routine (I'll wait). Got it? Now, I bet you feel pretty good about the fitness moves that you've incorporated -- you're hitting the big muscle groups, you're the champion of the weight room, and plus, these moves are so popular that they have to be effective. Right?

Wrong.

Here, find out if any of your fitness routine is actually falling flat -- plus, expert-approved advice on taking your workout to the next level.

1.

Overrated: Crunches - This gym-class standard needs an update: According to research from San Diego State University, the traditional crunch is the least effective strengthener for both the rectus abdominus (6-pack muscles) and the obliques (waist muscles). What's more, because sit-ups require more strength from front ab muscles than obliques, this move can create a strength imbalance in the core -- setting you up for back problems.

2.

Your Upgrade- The Plank - Not only does the plank require more muscle activation in the obliques than the traditional crunch, according to research, but researchers have also found that practicing this position can actually help lower the risk of developing lower back pain later in life, according to Matthews. Why? "The plank targets your abdominal muscles, helps to build muscular endurance and spares your spine in the process," she says.

3.

OVERRATED: PEC DECK/CHEST FLY - While research has found that the pec deck machine is a great way to build chest muscle, the fact is that this machine puts your shoulder joint in an extremely vulnerable position, as it simultaneously rotates and abducts, according to Matthews.

4.

YOUR UPGRADE: BENT-FORWARD CABLE CROSSOVER - Engaging the same muscles as the Pec Deck, the Bent-Forward Cable Crossover allows you to build strength quickly and effectively.

5.

OVERRATED: BENCH PRESS - Though research has shown this staple gym exercise to be excellent for building chest and triceps strength, some bench press-related shoulder injuries are common enough to have earned the nickname "bench-presser's shoulder."

#FITNESS FIRST!

Have your handshake the deadliest one with super wrist grip!

You can’t get pumped-up wrists the same way you get pecs and biceps, but there are plenty of compelling reasons to train your grip. Use this routine to get the paws of a grizzly bear.

THE GRIP WORKOUT

DIRECTIONS: Include one of the following exercises at the end of each workout.

TWO-HAND PINCH

Place two same-size weight plates (think 35s) together so the smooth sides face out, and grip them with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other. Squeeze the plates together and lift them off the floor as though you were deadlifting. Hold them in front of your body at arm’s length for time. Perform 3–5 sets. To make it even tougher, run some chain through the holes in the center of the plates and rotate your wrists. The chains will add weight and will swing when you twist your wrists, adding another element of challenge.

PLATE CURL

Hold a 10-pound plate by hooking your thumb around the lip on the outside edge and spreading your fingers on the smooth side. Curl the plate as normal but keep your wrist straight—don’t let it buckle from the weight. Work up to two plates and then a 25-pounder. Perform 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps on each hand.

SLEDGEHAMMER TWIST

Tie a 24-inch strap or rope to a 2.5-pound weight plate. Tie the other end to the head of a sledgehammer (the longer the handle, the harder the exercise will be). Hold the hammer at the end of the handle with both hands at waist height. While keeping the hammer parallel to the ground, rotate the handle so the strap wraps around it and it begins hoisting the plate up in the air. Continue until the plate touches the handle, and then unroll it to the floor. That’s one set. Change the direction you roll every set along with the hand that’s in front. Do 2–3 sets with each hand in front.

This exercise works wrist flexion and extension while forcing you to overcome bad leverage, so it strengthens the wrist in multiple directions.

#FITNESS FIRST!

Water is a lot more than you think!

1. Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.

"Through the posterior pituitary gland, your brain communicates with your kidneys and tells it how much water to excrete as urine or hold onto for reserves," says Guest, who is also an adjunct professor of medicine at Stanford University.

When you're low on fluids, the brain triggers the body's thirst mechanism. And unless you are taking medications that make you thirsty, Guest says, you should listen to those cues and get yourself a drink of water, juice, milk, coffee -- anything but alcohol.

"Alcohol interferes with the brain and kidney communication and causes excess excretion of fluids which can then lead to dehydration," he says.

2. Water Can Help Control Calories. For years, dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight loss strategy. While water doesn't have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.

"What works with weight loss is if you choose water or a non-caloric beverage over a caloric beverage and/or eat a diet higher in water-rich foods that are healthier, more filling, and help you trim calorie intake," says Penn State researcher Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan. Food with high water content tends to look larger, its higher volume requires more chewing, and it is absorbed more slowly by the body, which helps you feel full. Water-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, oatmeal, and beans.

3. Water Helps Energize Muscles. Cells that don't maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue. "When muscle cells don't have adequate fluids, they don't work as well and performance can suffer," says Guest. 

Drinking enough fluids is important when exercising. Follow the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for fluid intake before and during physical activity. These guidelines recommend that people drink about 17 ounces of fluid about two hours before exercise. During exercise, they recommend that people start drinking fluids early, and drink them at regular intervals to replace fluids lost by sweating.

4. Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. But don't expect over-hydration to erase wrinkles or fine lines, says Atlanta dermatologist Kenneth Ellner, MD.

"Dehydration makes your skin look more dry and wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration," he says. "But once you are adequately hydrated, the kidneys take over and excrete excess fluids."

You can also help "lock" moisture into your skin by using moisturizer, which creates a physical barrier to keep moisture in.

5. Water Helps Your Kidneys. Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. The main toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen, a water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the kidneys to be excreted in the urine, explains Guest. "Your kidneys do an amazing job of cleansing and ridding your body of toxins as long as your intake of fluids is adequate," he says.

When you're getting enough fluids, urine flows freely, is light in color and free of odor. When your body is not getting enough fluids, urine concentration, color, and odor increases because the kidneys trap extra fluid for bodily functions.

If you chronically drink too little, you may be at higher risk for kidney stones, especially in warm climates, Guest warns.

6. Water Helps Maintain Normal Bowel Function. Adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation. When you don't get enough fluid, the colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration -- and the result is constipation.

"Adequate fluid and fiber is the perfect combination, because the fluid pumps up the fiber and acts like a broom to keep your bowel functioning properly," says Koelemay.

5 Tips to Help You Drink More

If you think you need to be drinking more, here are some tips to increase your fluid intake and reap the benefits of water:

1. Have a beverage with every snack and meal.
2. Choose beverages you enjoy; you're likely to drink more liquids if you like the way they taste.
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Their high water content will add to your hydration. About 20% of our fluid intake comes from foods.
4. Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your desk, or in your bag.
5. Choose beverages that meet your individual needs. If you're watching calories, go for non-caloric beverages or water.

#FITNESS FIRST!

Tracking your Fitness Is Much Easier Now!

If you're looking to lose weight, increase your physical activity, or simply improve your overall health, a personal activity tracker can help you reach your goal. Seeing how much activity you do (or don't) get, day-by-day and week-by-week, could motivate you to start taking the stairs or walking the dog an extra lap around the block. At the very least, it will make you more mindful of your activity level, which is a huge first step to getting fit.

The devices on the market today are highly evolved cousins of pedometers from yesteryear. They're much smarter, more accurate, and do a whole lot more than measure how much you walk. Paired with a companion Web account, mobile app, and maybe a few auxiliary devices, they give you better insight into the habits that make up your lifestyle, including sleep, calorie consumption, heart rate, blood pressure, and more.

If you're shopping for your first activity tracker, you'll find the market is flush with choices. The problem, however, is making sense of which tracker will be best for you.

Take a look at my article on how to choose a fitness tracker that's right for you for more help on that front.

Whether your health goals are modest or you're hoping for a full fitness transformation, using a personal fitness tracking device can go a long way toward helping you understand if the exercise and health habits you keep are contributing to the new you.

FEATURED IN THIS ROUNDUP

Basis Carbon Steel Edition
 
$199 direct
$149.99 at MyBasisTech and fitness enthusiasts, as well as anyone who regularly rides a bicycle, should check out the Basis Carbon Steel Edition, as it's by far the most interesting activity tracker on the market. It can automatically detect when you're walking, running, and bicycling. This watch measures steps taken and calories burned, but adds a heart rate monitor that takes your pulse day and night right through your skin. The Basis also measures skin temperature, perspiration, and sleep. An online account focuses on habits more than raw data, which is another interesting and intriguing twist. For high-end wrist-worn trackers, the Basis is our Editors' Choice. Read the full review ››

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Fitbit One
 
$99.95 direct
£79.99 at Argos.co.ukThe Fitbit One is a super-smart pedometer that tracks how many steps taken, stairs climbed, distance traveled, calories burned, and quality of sleep. For its accuracy, wonderful display, and lovely form (it slips comfortably and discreetly onto the front of a bra strap), it's an Editors' Choice for clip-on activity trackers. One special feature is the "silent wake alarm," which causes the Fitbit One to vibrate at whatever time you set to wake you without waking your sleeping partner. It does not have any included heart-rate detection technology, however, like the Basis does, but it costs half as much. The One's companion Web account at Fitbit.com lets you add more information about your body and health, like what you've eaten and your weight, as well as other activities that the Fitbit can't track on its own, such as bicycling. Read the full review ››

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Fitbit Flex

$99.95 direct
$99.95 at AmazonThe Fitbit Flex is Fitbit's slightly lower cost wrist-worn activity tracker, compared with the now-recalled Fitbit Force, and while it's not as advanced as its successor, it's still a pretty capable device. It's extremely similar to the Force, but doesn't have an OLED display or the ability to track stairs climbed, and the tracker component itself can pop out of the band, so be careful not to lose it. The benefit of the removable tracker, however, is that you can swap out the bracelet to change its color. It wirelessly (and effortlessly) syncs to your computer, iPhone, or Android phone, which is extremely convenient. The included sleep tracking and silent wake alarms are useful features, too. Fitbit has my favorite Web dashboard for monitoring your fitness, and its line of trackers tend to be compatible with many other apps and services, a huge plus. Read the full review ››

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Jawbone UP24

$149.99
$115.99 at AmazonThe Jawbone UP24 is sleek, comfortable, and light to wear on the wrist. When it comes to monitoring your sleep, it knows the difference between light and deep sleep. It also has the best vibration alarm system I've seen, which reminds you to move if you've been idle too long, or that you can set to wake you within a window of time so that it only vibrates when you're in light sleep, not deep sleep. The Jawbone UP24 requires a mobile device (Android or iOS) because it can't sync with your computer. This tracker also doesn't have a display on it, so you'll be looking at your smartphone a lot. The design of the wristband also makes it easy to catch on your clothes. Read the full review ››

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Fitbit Zip

$59.95 direct
$48.69 at AmazonThe petite Zip is a lower-cost option from Fitbit. You get the same great experience on the Fitbit website, where all your data is displayed and you can log other fitness information, but you lose the ability to track stair climbing. And there's no wireless syncing with the mobile app (it does still sync wirelessly with a PC or Mac, though), and the silent alarm that's included in Fitbit One and Fitbit Flex is absent here. It uses a watch battery, so there's no need to charge up the device every so often. If cost is your primary concern in choosing a fitness tracker, Fitbit Zip may be an ideal option.Read the full review ››

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Misfit Shine

$119.95
$99.99 at Best BuyElegantly stylish and petite, the waterproof Misfit Shine may be the most unassuming fitness tracker we've tested. The Shine has the standard three-axis accelerometer you'll find in most activity trackers, but no altimeter for logging stairs climbed. The best feature in the Shine is its ability to discern between walking, running, swimming, and cycling (although the last two require an extra step for tracking). You use the app (iOS only for now) to change the activity mode and sync, however, so if you're not an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch user, the Misfit Shine isn't for you. Similar to the Fitbit Zip, the Shine doesn't have a charger. There's a watch battery inside the device that lasts about four months. Read the full review ››

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Nike+ FuelBand SE

$149.00
$132.99 at AmazonIf you liked the original Nike+ FuelBand and are looking to upgrade, the FuelBand SE is a fine choice. The design of this sporty bangle is the highlight. It's a hard black bracelet with a rubberized texture and retro-chic dot-matrix display that's invisible most of the time. Press a discreet button, and you can cycle through your data: steps, calories burned, the time, the number of hours that you were active at least five consecutive minutes, and "fuel," which is Nike's own unit of measure for activity. The "fuel" thing may seem arbitrary at first, but over time, you'll notice your daily average and can aim to earn more fuel points—but you need some time to develop that context. It doesn't track distance, stairs, or sleep, and the mobile app is iOS-only. You can sync the Nike+ FuelBand SE to a computer, however. Read the full review ››

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Samsung Gear Fit

$199.99
$149.99 at AmazonIt sure is gorgeous, but the Samsung Gear Fit is more of a companion to a Samsung phone than a standalone fitness tracker. What's unique is that the Gear Fit combines the features of a fitness tracker with the convenience of a smartwatch, letting you see incoming text messages, for example, on the vibrant touchscreen display. Truly active people will find the Gear Fit is difficult to use when they're out and about jogging, bicycling, and so forth because the touchscreen is so sensitive. It may be worth considering, however, if you're a Samsung devotee. Read the full review ››

#FITNESS FIRST!