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Amanda Martin, the first UK approved The Click That Teaches Instructor, trained by Alexandra Kurland, has been training horses since the early 2000s and has been teaching since the mid 2000s.

Shortly after buying her first stallion Amanda came across clicker training and immediately recognised that this would be a fantastic way to train her stallion. She headed out to the barn with The Click That Teaches book, a clicker in hand and a pocket full of treats and made some wonderful discoveries. She discovered that clicker training is incredibly powerful, that it is an effective communication tool for horses and handlers, and that the horses responded with great enthusiasm.

Now thanks to Amanda, and The Click That Teaches program, horse owners all over the UK and EU/Europe are able to build a solid relationship with their horse where the horse is a willing and enthusiastic partner in the training. Through clinics, lessons and online training courses she is helping horse owners everywhere discover that clicker training can help them create happy, eager horses who love to train. As a result she is also creating very happy horse owners who love spending time with their horses.

Amanda also teaches clicker training at universities and colleges throughout the UK and is also a faculty member for the Equine Clicker Conference in the UK.

Amanda answers some very important questions:

· What is Clicker Training, and who is Alexander Kurland?

· Does the clicker method work for all horses?

· Clicker training was still considered to be relatively new when you first began learning it. Have things changed in horse training since then?

· Is the clicker good for all aspects of a horses training?

· Is there a limit to what a horse can be taught through clicker training?

Everyone loves their horse, and that means we want to have a great relationship with our horse. At the S.M.A.A.R.T. Horse Company we aim to help you build that relationship. To help build that relationship it’s important to be training for emotional changes in our horses just as much as behavioural changes. We can change behaviour but that does not mean the horse has shifted how they feel emotionally about performing behaviour.

To learn more about Amanda and about the Clicker Training for Horses contact her via email at info@smaarthorses.co.uk or call her at 0777 196 5083.


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By Jan Rasmusen

 

Vaccination is an important medical decision to be made by you in consultation with your veterinarian. Educate yourself then ask the upcoming questions before you vaccinate. Click the links for more information. To learn why over-vaccination is a problem, read Vaccine Reactions: Underreported and Unrecognized, Not Unimportant.  Do not vaccinate pregnant animals.

Top veterinary organizations (AVMA, WSAVA, AAHA, AAFP and AHVMA) and many top veterinary schools divide vaccines into”core” (with which all pets should be vaccinated) and “noncore” (which should be given only when a specific risk exists, if then).

AAHA (p. 12) recommends puppies get 3 doses of the core vaccines (distemper, parvovirus and adenovirus) every 3-4 weeks starting at 8 weeks with the final dose at 14-16 weeks of age or later.  (Some U.S. experts forgo adenovirus -because canine hepatitis has not been a clinical entity in North America for more than a decade. Others recommend giving it once after 16 weeks of age.)

Core vaccines for cats include panleukopenia, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis, and rabies. Per WSAVA (p. 14): – All kittens should receive the core vaccines. [For panleukopenia] a minimum of three doses is recommended: one at 8-9 weeks of age, a second 3-4 weeks later and a final dose at 14-16 weeks of age or older should be administered. Cats that respond to MLV core vaccines maintain immunity for many years in the absence of any repeat vaccination. According to vaccine researcher Dr. Ron Schultz, if your cat is already 16 weeks of age or older at the time of its first vaccine, only a single dose is needed to provide solid, long-lasting immunity. No booster vaccines are needed for most adult cats, except rabies as required by law.

Questions to Ask BEFORE You Vaccinate Your Dog or Cat

1. Is my pet already immune from the disease in question?

After completing puppy or kitten core vaccination series, dogs and in some cases cats likely have long term or even lifetime immunity for the important diseases (canine distemper and parvovirus; feline panleukopenia). Vaccine labels recommending annual or three-year re vaccination intervals for canine core vaccines generally reflect the length of time the vaccine was tested before approval, and show minimal, not average or maximum, immunity given. Re Vaccinating an animal with pre-existing immunity (as a result of prior vaccinations) will not make the animal “more immune” and increases the chance of an adverse reaction. It is also an unnecessary expense.

A blood titer test can be performed to test immunity for most core diseases. Please read this before giving the distemper vaccine to an adult cat and this before vaccinating aging dogs or cats.

2. Do I know that only the rabies vaccine is required by law?

Groomers, day care providers and others may insist on certain vaccinations, but aside from rabies, what they require is their choice and may be based on inaccurate or outdated information. Veterinarians in the same community vary in their requirements and recommendations. It pays to shop around.

The 1-year rabies vaccine is usually required at 3 or 4 months of age per local law. Generally, a “3-year vaccine” (guaranteed by the drug maker to give 3 years of immunity) is given a year later, then every 3 years thereafter unless outdated local laws conflict with state law. (Note: change the law!) There is no benefit, but substantial risk, to vaccinating more often, or earlier, than required by law. Failure to vaccinate on time, however, can result in being required by your vet or the law to start the series from the beginning even though vaccines don’t automatically stop giving immunity at 1 or 3 years. A French study of dogs has shown the 3-year vaccine to last at least 5 years; blood tests show 7 or more years of immunity.

The USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics reports that the rabies vaccine is responsible for more adverse reactions than other vaccines. Do not give this vaccine during surgery or with other drugs.  Give 3 or more weeks apart from other vaccine boosters. Many veterinarians suggest the use of vaccines free of thimerosal (mercury) for dogs and Merial Purevax for cats.  Some locales allow exemptions for unhealthy animals.

3. If a “noncore” (optional) vaccine is recommended, do I know my pet’s individual risk of contracting the disease in question, the severity of the illness, the success rate of the vaccine and the risk of vaccinating?

Noncore vaccines can be given alone or mixed with core vaccines (not recommended). Bacterial vaccines like Leptospira, Bordetella, Borrelia and  Chlamydophila are more likely to cause reactions than the MLV core vaccines (per WSAVA Guidelines, p. 31) and should be given on different days from other drugs.

Leptospirosis, the “L” in a canine combo vaccine, is not a problem everywhere or for all pets; the vaccine does not protect against all strains of the disease, must be given frequently, is known to cause more adverse reactions than most other vaccines and is believed to be particularly problematic for toy breeds (although large breeds are also at risk).  (See more WSAVA Guidelines, p. 12.) Eminent vaccination scientist Dr. Ron Schultz, who lives in a Leptospirosis endemic area of the U.S., does not recommend the vaccine or does not give it to his own dogs.

Bordetella (kennel cough) is given as nose drops, is generally a mild, self-limiting illness (like the human cold) which is mostly spread in close quarters with poor ventilation. Hence, the name “kennel cough.”  The vaccine has limited effectiveness and is not recommended by Dr. Schultz and others.

Noncore bacterial cat vaccines, Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) and Bordetella, are of limited effectiveness. Read WSAVA, p.16.

4. Is my pet ill?

All vaccine manufacturers recommend vaccinating healthy animals only, but don’t define “healthy.”  Poor health could include (but is not limited to) allergies, ear infections, kennel cough, severe stress and malnutrition as well as serious chronic illnesses like liver, bladder or kidney disease, immune system dysfunction, neurological disorders and cancer. Barring a local life-threatening epidemic, vaccination can often be postponed until health improves.  A positive titer test for a core vaccine can offer peace of mind.

Caution: Vaccinating an unhealthy pet not only puts your pet at great risk but also risks vaccine failure, something especially dangerous for pets and for the public when vaccinating against rabies. Medical exemptions to rabies vaccination are available in some areas.

5. Does my pet have a personal, family, breed or species history of vaccine reactions?  

At risk pets should be vaccinated only if a particular immediate, potentially fatal risk exists and perhaps not even then. If the vaccine must be given, a different brand than the one that caused the reaction is often recommended, although this is no guarantee of safety. WSAVA (p. 31; #54) says that a positive titer test precludes the need for vaccination for core diseases; they discourage revaccination with noncore vaccines.

Cats are particularly at risk for injection-site sarcomas (as are some dogs) and have special vaccination needs. Click here for more details. Also read Vaccination Protocols for Dogs Predisposed to Vaccine Reactions.

6. Is my veterinarian recommending a combination vaccine?

A Purdue study of 1.2 million dogs shows that multiple vaccines given in one visit, especially when given to a small-to-medium size dog, may greatly increase the chance of a vaccine reaction. (A second study shows risks to cats.) Multiple vaccines also make it impossible to determine which vaccine caused any subsequent reaction.

Vaccines are available with only one or two or three antigens in one hypo (called monovalent or bivalent vaccines) although you may have to shop to find a veterinarian who carries them. Using monovalent or bivalent vaccines could lessen the chance of a reaction while increasing the chance that your pet is getting only necessary vaccines.  To further lessen the chance of a reaction, bacterial vaccines should not be given with viral vaccines. Note: many common products contain 4-7 vaccines, mixing bacterial with viral, and are given with additional vaccines like Bordetella and rabies. These practices unnecessarily increase the likelihood of reactions.

7. Have I been fully briefed about the vaccine’s possible side effects?

Often, clients are warned about common reactions like fever, lethargy and possible loss of appetite but are not warned about moderate and serious reactions. Though less common, these reactions can be life threatening and may require expensive long-term treatment. You have the right to evaluate risks versus the benefits before vaccinating. Ask to read the vaccine “package insert.” This will help you evaluate risks and also determine if your pet is having a reaction should he or she become ill or exhibit odd behavior or impaired function after vaccination.

8. Have I been told how to react to and report a vaccine reaction?

Some reactions require an emergency trip to the vet. Others can be treated at home.  Have your vet explain which reactions are emergencies. All possible reactions must be reported to the vaccinating vet (or emergency vet) and recorded in your pet’s file.  Click here to learn how to report adverse vaccine reactions. Do not presume your vet will report any reaction.

9.  Do I know to keep a written record of vaccination details?

It’s important to record injection sites (front, back, right or left leg, etc.) plus the vaccine manufacturer and brand name, the lot, serial number and expiration date for each vaccine given. Vets retire and move and records are lost or recorded inaccurately. It is imperative that you know which vaccines were given when and where, especially for cats (WSAVA, p. 14) but also for dogs.  It is important to give different vaccines in different spots; vaccination sites should be rotated yearly.

10. After having been briefed by my veterinarian about a vaccine’s benefits and risks, can I freely give my informed consent or comfortably withhold it?

You have the right to refuse vaccination, in part or in full, if you do not believe it is in the best interest of your animal (although with rabies there may be legal complications unless your vet will apply for a medical exemption).  You may also request to be more fully informed before proceeding and can ask to see the vaccine “package insert.” It’s not easy to reject or modify your veterinarian’s recommendations, but your animal’s well-being is your responsibility, both morally and financially.  An activist against over-vaccinating children suggests that refusing is easier if you just say: “Not today, thank you very much.”  Some people also like to take with them a copy of an article or study from an expert.

Please take a moment and sign this petition: Veterinarians: Fully Inform Us Before Vaccinating Our Dogs or Cats  https://www.change.org/petitions/veterinarians-fully-inform-us-before-vaccinating-our-dogs-and-cats

 

By Dr. Paulette Sedlak

I am so excited to be able to share this special free report with you concerning The 5 Biggest Mistakes that Sabotage Fat Loss and how to avoid them. This is the first step for you to start changing your metabolism thereby turning you into a lean fat burning machine.

The five topics addressed in this report have nothing to do with what you eat. They do have everything to do with your metabolism. I’ll identify the issues and tell you how you can make quick and easy changes to avoid them. By following my recommendations on how to avoid these common mistakes you’ll start to see and feel a difference in your metabolism quickly.

There are many factors that can adjust a slowing metabolism which unfortunately occurs with ageing. You’ll be pleasantly amazed how effortlessly you’ll be able to change these 5 saboteurs of fat loss.

This is the first step for you to start unburdening your mind with dieting. This should make you feel like taking a deep breath and exhaling with a great sigh of relief.  I know how frustrating it can be to perpetually feel like you’re fighting the battle of the bulge. I learned at an early age that when metabolism is slow it seems next to impossible to lose weight.

When I went to Chiropractic College in the 80′s, I was slim, trim, had a lot of energy and was ready to take on the world. What no one told me was how hard life would become with all of its challenges. I was a full time student with a full time job. Being able to have enough time to sleep was not in the schedule. I didn’t have a lot of money, therefore, there wasn’t much money to spend on food. You may think that’s one way to keep yourself thin. The exact opposite occurred. I gained an excessive amount of weight. In the early 1980′s there was a great invention. It was called The Smorgasbord. Now it is commonly referred to as a buffet.

I and many of my classmates (who also didn’t have much money) would plan to eat once a day to try to save money. Well, the smorgasbord was the place to go. In retrospect, this was not the best idea. Can you imagine waking up at 6:00 a.m. every day and going to class all day without eating? By the time the day was over, I was famished. Did your mom tell you not to leave any food on your plate when you were young? If so you were raised much like I was. I remember the first time I went to the smorgasbord. I thought it was the most amazing thing that when I finished a plate of food they brought another plate, and another, and another. In 3 years I gained a lot of weight. I stopped weighing myself at 150 pounds because at that point you have to move the scale weight up. In order to cope with the weight gain, I just told myself I’m somewhere around 150 pounds. That way it didn’t seem so bad.

You may think I was inactive and not burning the calories. This is not so. I jogged 3 miles a day 6 days a week and went to a gym 3 days a week. The trouble was my metabolism went haywire.

This started me on my life long journey of studying health and metabolism (Quite loaded topics). After Chiropractic College I went to the University of Bridgeport to obtain a Master’s Degree in nutritional biochemistry. Last year I became a Board certified clinical nutritionist. Over the years I’ve designed many nutrition programs that are focused on maximizing health, metabolism, weight loss, and disease prevention. I’ve had the privilege to help thousands of patients in the last 35 years obtain their health and weight loss goals.

In my program “Extreme Metabolism Makeover” I share the blueprint that unlocks the secrets on how you can permanently reverse a slow metabolism. These are the best kept secrets that will change your weight, health, and energy for the rest of your life. At www.extrememmetabolismmakeover.com you can discover how you can participate in this exciting program. I can hardly wait to share the information about the program with you. I hope you enjoy this free report.

1. Eat Slowly.

Eating quickly can really pack on the pounds. It takes approximately 20 minutes for your brain to respond to your stomach being full. When this occurs you automatically begin to eat more slowly. If you are eating quickly, you can consume hundreds of extra calories by the time your brain tells your stomach it’s full.

Researchers measured hormonal reactions of 17 men who ate 675 calories of ice cream in five minutes and again when they ate the same amount of ice cream in 30 minutes. Eating the ice cream in 5 minutes curbed the activity of hormones that tell the brain the gut is full. Source: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, published online Oct. 29, 2009.

Eating slowly will help you eat less at each meal because you will automatically stop eating when you feel full. This will help you to consistently eat less overall. Also, food seems to always taste better if you slow down to enjoy it.

This technique of eating is a way of life for the French. Their culture eats slowly to savor the flavors of foods so they can really enjoy their meals. As a result, the French are rarely overweight.

This technique is very effective because:

  • It doesn’t focus on changing any foods, therefore, you won’t feel deprived
  • You will feel more satisfied after eating
  • You won’t feel overstuffed and miserable after eating
  • You will have less digestive disturbances, such as bloatedness and indigestion.
  • This is one of the easiest habits to change.

Here are 6 tips to help you slow down:

1.  Don’t be influenced by others who eat quickly.

2. Purpose not to have time constraints for meals.

3. Schedule a minimum of 25 minutes for each meal.

4. Watch the clock to make sure you’re pacing yourself until this becomes automatic for you.

5. Pay attention to how full you feel as the meal progresses.

6. Take a few deep breaths before you eat and focus on relaxing. Take the time to enjoy your meal. Your digestive system will thank you.

Benefits:

By slowing down you will be able to recognize fullness feelings faster. This will help you to determine proper portion sizes for your meals.

  • If you’re learning to cut back on unhealthy foods, you’ll be able to stretch a smaller portion of them.
  • Eating more slowly will help to regulate sugar levels in your blood. This will cause less insulin to be released into the blood. The faster you eat, the higher amount of insulin will be released. As a result, extra calories will convert into fat and be stored. This overtaxes the pancreas and causes a rise in blood sugar.  When you’re able to eat less at a meal as a result of slowing down, you will not over tax your pancreas and therefore have a more stable blood sugar.

2. Don’t take large bites

Many of the tips and strategies I’ll be giving you in this free report and in the Extreme Metabolism Makeover program work best when they are integrated. For example taking smaller bites and eating slowly has extra impact on aiding digestion. This is an essential part of enhancing metabolism.

How does taking smaller bites help with metabolism and weight loss efforts? It takes about the same amount of time to chew large bites of food as it does small bites. I discuss the importance of this in detail and how you can enhance carbohydrate digestion in the Boost Your Metabolism Program. There are 2 main factors that make this work.

 

  1. Time

It takes the brain 15-20 minutes for your body to switch on all the signals that tell you to stop eating because you feel full. If you’re taking large bites of food, or eat quickly you could potentially consume twice the amount of food or more before you’re brain gets the -I’m full signal from your stomach. Taking smaller bites will automatically cause you to slow down. Therefore, you will eat less.

  1. Digestion

The second factor that taking smaller bites influences is your digestion and consequently your metabolism.

Optimal digestion is paramount when you want to boost metabolism. You will be chewing your food more by taking smaller bites. This enables the food to better breakdown in your digestive system. I always tell my patients, “your stomach doesn’t have teeth.” If you’re eating large bites quickly, you aren’t breaking down the food enough for your body to absorb the nutrients. This is one of the reasons why people don’t feel satisfied after eating. Understanding how satiety is achieved is a major part of permanent weight loss. There are several strategies on creating satiety in the “Boost Your Metabolism Program.”

Taking smaller bites is an easy to integrate lifestyle change to make a difference in your metabolism. Don’t dismiss this tip because it sounds too easy. It can make a huge difference in your digestion and metabolism.

Imagine you feel full and you’re eating less. You don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything and you’re pleasantly surprised you’re starting to lose weight and have more energy. By starting to combine the 5 tips in this report you’re off to a great start.

3. Don’t Sabotage Growth Hormone.

Growth hormone (GH) is a hormone made by your pituitary gland. GH is released primarily during sleep and during exercise.

GH is anabolic, which means that it helps to increase muscle mass, decrease fat and fat deposition, leading to an overall decrease in body fat.

GH peak occurs about an hour after onset of sleep. Nearly fifty percent of GH secretion occurs during the third and fourth REM sleep stages. A number of factors can affect GH secretion, such as age, gender, diet, exercise, stress, and other hormones. GH levels begin to diminish in our twenties.

GH has many affects on the body:

Decreased GH levels are associated with lowered muscle mass and increases in fat tissue, especially around the middle. This is one of the reasons why bellies look so big when seen from the side.

GH has important effects on protein, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism.

  • Protein metabolism: In general, GH stimulates protein anabolism in many tissues. This promotes muscle growth. The more muscle you have, the more fat burning capacity you will have.
  • Fat metabolism: GH promotes the breakdown of fats.
  • Carbohydrate metabolism: GH is one of the hormones that help to maintain blood glucose within a normal range.

GH is modulated by many factors, including stress, exercise, nutrition, and sleep.

How do we sabotage Growth Hormone?

1. Eating right before we go to sleep inhibits GH.

Eating food causes your body to have a hormonal response. When you eat, the food is broken down to glucose. Glucose causes a rise in blood sugar. When your blood sugar levels are high, GH levels are low.

Elevated blood sugar levels keep lower GH levels when we sleep. This means less muscle is able to build and less fat is broken down and less recuperation occurs from the stress of the day.  Less muscle building means decreased calorie burning muscle, and more weight gain from fat. Not good!

2. Stress raises hormones that inhibit GH.

Stress produces many negative affects within the body. One of these is that it causes specific hormones to hold fat on the body and lowers GH levels.

3. Exercising within 2-3 hours after eating diminishes GH because of the effects of insulin.

After 2 to 3 hours, insulin levels return to normal. Therefore, to obtain optimal GH output, schedule exercise 2 to 3 hours after eating. After 20 to 30 minutes of exercise GH begins to elevate. Therefore, consuming calories at that time will not affect the levels.

4. Xenobiotics affect GH levels.

Examples of Xenobiotics are compounds that include drugs, food additives, and environmental pollutants. These chemicals are not part of normal nutrition. These substances can be very toxic hormonal disruptors. An example is BPA (Bisphenol A.) BPA is found in some food and drink packaging, e.g., water and infant bottles, compact discs, impact-resistant safety equipment, and medical devices. It is found in epoxy resins that are used as lacquers to coat metal products such as food cans, bottle tops, and water supply pipes. Some dental sealants and composites may also contribute to BPA exposure. BPA is a xenoestrogen, a powerful hormone disruptor. Synthetic xenoestrogens are linked to breast cancer and uterine cancer in women, and decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly toxic to babies and young children. BPA has even been linked to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes.

These substances are found in plastic containers. If you are purchasing water in plastic bottles, check the recycling symbol on your bottle. If it is a #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene), or a #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene), or a #5 PP (polypropylene), your bottle is fine. The type of plastic bottle in which water is sold is usually#1, and is only recommended for one time use. Do not refill it. Colorful hard plastic bottles with the #7 recycling symbol may leach BPA. You should never heat or cook any foods in plastic containers. The xenobiotics can easily be leached out of plastic into your food.

4 Ways to maximize GH:

1. Exercise and resistance training will help to maximize your GH.

This will keep your muscle mass levels up and your weight down. Also, exercise is a great stress reducer.

2. Adequate sleep must be a major priority.

Sacrificing sleep results in sacrificing release of GH. If you consistently are not getting adequate sleep, the long term effect of consistently lower GH will sabotage your fat burning efforts.

GH release is according to the body’s circadian rhythm. More GH is released during the earlier hours of the night then the later hours. Sleep from 10 pm to 6 am causes greater GH release than 8 hours of sleep from midnight to 8 am.

3. There are several ways to counteract the stress of the day.

 Daily exercise is one of the best ways to decrease the effects of stress. Before bedtime try relaxing in a tub of hot water with a cup of Epsom salts. This will relax your muscles which will help promote a better night’s sleep.

4. A high sugar diet inhibits fats to breakdown because of rising insulin.

Maintain stable blood sugar by avoiding high sugar foods. It is best to eat foods that have a low glycemic index (GI). Foods that are low in simple sugars will have a low GI.

 

Low-Glycemic Foods: Under 50

Intermediate-Glycemic Index

Foods: 50 to 70

High-Glycemic Index Foods:

More Than 70

* Chocolate bar, 1.5 oz 49*Ice cream, Low-fat 50All-Bran 42Apple 36Apple juice 41Apricots, dried 31

Artichoke <15

Asparagus <15

Avocado < 15

Baked beans, Canned 48

Banana bread 47

Bread, Oat bran 48

Broccoli <15

Bulgur 48

Carrots, cooked 39

Cauliflower <15

Celery <15

Cheese tortellini 50

Cherries 22

Chickpeas, canned 42

Cucumber <15

Custard 43

Eggplant <15

Fettuccine 32

Grapefruit 25

Grapefruit juice 48

Grapes 43

Green beans <15

Green peas 48

Lentil soup, canned 44

Lettuce, all varieties <15

Lima beans, frozen 32

Macaroni 45

Milk, Fat-free 32

Milk, Soy 30

Oatmeal, Old-fashioned 49

Orange 43

Peach 28

Peaches, canned, natural juice, 30

Peanut 32

Peanuts <15

Pear 36

Pearled barley 25

Peas, dried 22

Peppers, all varieties <15

Pineapple juice 46

Pinto beans, canned 45

Plum 24

Rice, Long-grain 47

Rice, Parboiled 47

Snow peas <15

Spaghetti 41

Spaghetti, Whole wheat 37

Spinach <15

Squash, Young summer <15

Tomato soup 38

Tomatoes 15

Yogurt, low fat <15

Zucchini <15

* Ice cream 61* Potato chips 54* Pound cake 54* Table sugar (sucrose) 65Angel food cake 67Apricots, canned, light syrup 64

Banana 53

Beets 64

Black bean soup, canned 64

Blueberry muffin 59

Bran Chex 58

Bran muffin 60

Bread, American rye 68

Bread, White, 70

Bread, Whole Wheat 69

Brown Rice 55

Cheese pizza 60

Corn, Sweet 55

Couscous 65

Fruit cocktail, canned 55

Grape-Nuts 67

Green pea soup, canned 66

Hamburger bun 61

Kidney beans, canned 52

Kiwifruit 52

Life Savers, 70

Linguine 55

Macaroni and cheese 64

Mini shredded wheat 58

Muesli 56

Oatmeal cookies 55

Oatmeal, Instant 66

Oatmeal, Quick-cooking 65

Orange juice from frozen concentrate 57

Orange juice, not from concentrate 52

Peaches, canned, heavy syrup 58

Pineapple 66

Pita bread 57

Popcorn 55

Raisins 64

Rice, White 56

Bagel 72Baked potato 85Bread stuffing mix 74Cheerios 74Corn Chex 83Corn chips 72

Cornflakes 84

Cream of Wheat, instant 74

Dates 103

Doughnuts 75

French bread 95

French fries 76

Grape-Nuts Flakes 80

Honey 73

Jelly beans 80

Kaiser roll 73

Mashed potatoes 73

Mashed potatoes, instant 83

Parsnips 97

Pretzels 81

Puffed wheat 74

Rice cakes 82

Rice Chex 89

Rice Krispies 82

Rice, instant 91

Total cereal 76

Vanilla wafers 77

Waffles, frozen 76

Watermelon 72

 

4. Sleep affects weight loss.

There have been drastic changes in lifestyle during the past decade. Due to technology, especially computers, and the hustle and bustle of society, overall people sleep less. Before all the advancements of technology, including electricity, people went to bed when the sun went down and awoke when it rose. Studies have found many people are getting less than eight hours a night. How much sleep do you typically get?

Lack of sleep causes many negative health effects:

  • Decreased mental alertness
  • Lowered immune system
  • Increase in appetite which can lead to obesity

How does a lack of sleep cause overeating? It’s all about how hormones respond. The main hormones involved are:

  1. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite
  2. Leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full.
  3. Cortisol, most commonly known as a stress hormone, also regulates appetite.
  4. Insulin, produced in the pancreas, regulates blood sugar.
  5. Growth Hormone regulates the body’s proportions of fat and muscle during adulthood.

The quality of sleep, the right amount of “deep sleep” is just as important as the quantity of sleep.When you don’t get adequate sleep, leptin levels decrease; therefore, you don’t feel as satisfied after you eat. Also a lack of sleep causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want to eat more. The combination of these two hormones causes overeating because you feel hungry even if you are full.

In addition, when you are stressed, your body produces cortisol which increases appetite. Cortisol stimulates the growth and the manufacturing of new abdominal fat cells. This increase in fat storage increases belly fat. Belly fat is the unhealthiest fat on the body. When cortisol levels are high, serotonin levels are lowered. Serotonin is an important brain neurotransmitter that promotes a “feel good”  feeling. Low serotonin causes carbohydrate cravings and depression.

Sleep loss may interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates which leads to high levels of blood sugar. A rise in blood sugar promotes the overproduction of insulin. This also can lead to the storage of body fat and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance occurs in diabetes.

Articles published in The Journal of the American Medical Association and The Lancet suggest that sleep loss may increase hunger and negatively affect the body’s metabolism, which may make it more difficult to maintain or lose weight.

A study funded by the National  Institute of Health found that after 14 days of either 8.5 or 5.5 hours of nighttime sleep on a reduced calorie diet concluded: The group who had 8.5 hours of sleep had an increase in weight loss of 45% compared to those who slept 5.5 hours a night. The study concluded a lack of sufficient sleep may compromise the efficacy of typical dietary interventions for weight loss and related metabolic risk reduction.

Sleeping tips to shed the pounds

  1. Vow to adjust your sleeping habits. Don’t stay up late because you feel you may be missing out on something.
  2. Avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening.
  3. Take a warm bath with one cup of Epsom salts before going to bed.
  4. Make sure the room is dark.
  5. Don’t nap during the day if you have trouble sleeping a night.

Nutrition tips to create a good night’s sleep

Foods high in tryptophan create relaxation in the brain. The brain turns the tryptophan into serotonin which creates a calming effect.  By increasing the levels of Tryptophan in our bodies, serotonin will be produced and cravings will diminish.

  Foods high in   tryptophan:
  • Baked potatoes with their skin
  • Bananas
  • Beans
  • Cheddar
  • Cheese
  • Cottage Cheese
  • Eggs
  • Fish
  • Gruyere (a type of Swiss cheese)
  • Hazelnuts
  • Heated milk
  • Hummus
  • Lentils
  • Kelp
  • Meat (including red meats)
  • Milk
  • Nuts
  • Peanuts
  • Rice
  • Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Shellfish
  • Soy Milk
  • Soybean Nuts
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Swiss cheese
  • Tofu
  • Tuna
  • Turkey
  • Yogurt

Chamomile Tea has a mild sedative effect. Have a cup of tea before bedtime to calm and relax a restless mind and tired body. Add a little honey to the tea to turn off orexin. This is a recently discovered neurotransmitter that’s linked to alertness.  Recent studies have discovered that a little glucose, like what is found in honey can stimulate the brain to reduce the quantity of orexin. Also orexin increases craving for food and is an important link between metabolism and sleep regulation.

5. Exercise Sabotage

This section is part one of Exercise Sabotage. There are several things I have observed that can easily sabotage exercise efforts for health and weight loss. Usually people start out with an enthusiastic attitude about exercising. After a couple of weeks the enthusiasm can begin to dwindle. There are many reasons why this occurs.

The first reason is they haven’t made exercise part of their regular schedule. It’s automatic for most people to have a scheduled routine. For example: You wake up at a certain time, have breakfast, brush your teeth, get dressed and go to work. This doesn’t take much thought because it’s pre-planned. You know what time you’re going to awake, what you need to do, and how much time you will need to make it to work on time. It’s your personal routine. Exercising is not any different. It needs to be added into your planned schedule and become part of your routine.

I’ve created a formula for establishing new habits that is simple but life changing. It solves this particular dilemma in its entirety. I’ve helped thousands of patients overcome obstacles by creating new habits utilizing this formula. It can be used to establish any new habit. I call it the What-When Formula. This formula will help you to stop procrastinating from becoming a lean mean fat burning machine.

I’ve outlined a formula guide example below for you to use. Once you create your personal formula, post it on the refrigerator or somewhere that you will see it often. Be very specific with your answers. This is a key tip for your successful follow through.

What -When Formula Example

A. What type of exercise will I do consistently? Walking, Stretching, Resistance Training

B. What amount of time will I exercise? 1 hour

C. What do I need to do to make it happen?

1.  Buy tennis shoes

2. Ask a friend to exercise with me

3. Make sure dinner is started before I exercise

4. Ask the neighbor to watch the children

D. When will I exercise? Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday

E. When will the specific times be? 5pm-6pm

F. When will I begin? (This is your starting date. This is very important to fill this in). Tomorrow

You’re personal What -When Formula

A. What type of exercise will I do consistently? __________________________________________

B. What amount of time will I exercise? ________________________________________________

C. What do I need to do to make it happen? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

D. When will I exercise? _____________________________________________________________

E. When will the specific times be? ____________________________________________________

F.  When will I begin? (This is your starting date. This is very important to fill this in)._____________

There are several things that can sabotage your exercise formula. Don’t worry. I have the secrets to overcome them. First, you MUST find exercises you like to do. When you find exercises that you prefer, you are more likely to stick to a regular schedule. If you don’t do the preceding, you’ll continue to find excuses not to exercise. If you have a hectic schedule like me you may want to find an exercise that helps you feel like you’re not wasting time. I often lift weights or bounce on the mini trampoline while I watch the news. Since I’m going to watch the news, I figure I may as well get my exercise at the same time.

The next section on Exercise Sabotage is found in “Extreme Metabolism Makeover Program”. This section explains how to overcome some of the real underlying reasons that may be blocking you from maintaining your personal exercise formula. These common mistakes can be easily overcome. They are so obvious, yet they are consistently overlooked. This section is Part One of Exercise Sabotage.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the free report on “The Five Biggest Mistakes that Sabotage Fat Loss” I am now sending this information as an extra bonus.  This is unlike the other tips which have nothing to do with what you eat. This is about the most common food people eat when they are trying to lose weight.

6. Salad Sabotage

All salads are not healthy. You may think you are going to lose weight by eating a lot of salads, but wait! You could be sabotaging your diet efforts.

Webster’s dictionary states the definition of salad is:

1: any of various usually cold dishes: as a: raw greens (as lettuce) often combined with other vegetables and toppings and served especially with dressing b: small pieces of food (as pasta, meat, fruit, or vegetables) usually mixed with a dressing (as mayonnaise) or set in gelatin

2: a green vegetable or herb grown for salad; especially: lettuce

3: a usually incongruous mixture: hodgepodge

Basic lettuce salad

The leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, and romaine are only15 calories for 3ounces. The extra vegies that are added in a chef salad base such as carrots, cucumber, red cabbage, and tomato wedges add on approximately 45 calories.

The sabotage isn’t in the leafy greens or the raw vegetables that are added. The sabotage occurs in the:

  1. Dressings
  2. Mayonnaise
  3. Hodgepodge

Dressings

Vinegar and oil

The biggest mistake in added extra calories occurs by not being aware of how much oil you are using. One tablespoon of oil is 120 calories. A patient once told me she couldn’t understand why she was gaining so much weight from eating salads. I asked her to explain exactly what was in the salad.  She said she used oil and vinegar for the dressing. I ask her how much oil. She thought it was about ¼ of a cup in a big salad. There are 4 tablespoons in ¼ of a cup. That is 480 calories. That’s without any other hodgepodge.

The following is a list of dressings comparing regular to low fat or fat free per two tablespoons:

Regular Low fat or fat free

Italian15

Ranch  50-80

Raspberry Vinaigrette  50

Balsamic 25

Thousand Island 70

Caesar  90

As you can see there is a big difference in calories when the fat (oil) is decreased.  Also, there is a difference in calories of the same dressings from different brands.

In addition the calories in mayonnaise add up quickly. The following mayonnaise calories are based on one tablespoon.

Mayonnaise, regular 100

Light  50

Reduced fat  20

Fat free  11

The following calories are based on using regular mayonnaise in the recipe.

Egg salad ½ cup 270

Potato salad 1 cup  358

Using low fat or fat free mayonnaise can save you a lot of calories.

Hodgepodge

This is a catch all word for everything that goes into a salad that isn’t a raw vegetable. Adding large amounts of the following can really sabotage your diet efforts.

  • Cheese
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • French Fries
  • Chicken
  • Steak

The following calories in cheese are based on a two ounce serving which is equivalent to ¼ cup.

Mozzarella  80

Mild Cheddar 110

Sharp Cheddar  110

Swiss 220

Nuts and Seeds based on 1 ounce serving:

Almonds 161

Brazil nuts  183

Cashews 162

Macadamia 199

Peanuts shelled  90

Peanuts dry roasted  160

Pistachios  164

Walnuts   142

Chia  137

Sunflower seeds  164

Pumpkin seeds  151

French Fries:

Small  230-340

Medium 360-420

Large 570-600

Depending on the type of fries, ten fries range from 61 (shoestring) to 262 (waffle cut).

Chicken:

1 cup Roasted  241

1 cup Fried   351

1 Breast fried  423

1 Wing  102

Steak Calorie Count

These calorie amounts of steak are based on a 3.5 ounce serving or 100 grams. Calories are approximate and can alter with fat marbling of the meat.

  • Fillet Steak (grilled) 210 calories
  • T-Bone Steak 182 Calories
  • Sirloin Steak lean 166 Calories
  • Rump Steak with fat (grilled) 220 Calories
  • Rump Steak with fat (fried) 250  Calories
  • Rump Steak lean only (grilled) 170 Calories

Steak has great nutritional value. It is high in zinc, iron, and vitamins and is a high-quality protein. Eat a sensible size serving of steak and you won’t hurt your calorie count.

As you can see an innocent salad can turn into calorie sabotage if you use a lot of dressing and add large amounts of hodgepodge.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this special report on “The 5 Biggest Mistakes that Sabotage Fat Loss” and find them to be helpful. I have so many tips and secrets regarding how to overcome the fat and weight gain that accompanies a slowing metabolism as we age. I’d love to share this information with you. It will help you on your journey to maximizing your health potential as you come into your perfect weight zone.

If you would like more information on you can have your Extreme Metabolism Makeover be sure to visit www.extrememetabolismmakeover.com

 

By Jane Savoie

Have you ever been afraid while horseback riding (or doing anything else for that matter!)? Of course you have. But you don’t have to be paralyzed by your fears.

Remember, courage when horseback riding is not the absence of fear. It’s being afraid and doing what you want or need to do in spite of fear. (I think John Wayne said, Courage is being scared to death but saddling up, anyway.)

Let’s think outside the box for a moment and perhaps change your attitude toward fear a little.

Fear means you’re growing.  Every time you stretch yourself, aim a little higher, or take a risk, you’re going to experience some anxiety. So fear itself is not the issue. Fear doesn’t make you a coward. There’s nothing wrong with being afraid.

Fear only becomes an issue when it paralyzes you and prevents you from doing something you really want to do. Besides, if you’re not afraid at times, it just means that you’re not stepping out of your comfort zone and living big enough.

So, rather than interpreting fear as a signal to retreat, think of it as a cue to take action. If fear goes hand in hand with growth, why would you want to avoid it completely? Instead, think of fear as a sign of your development and look at it as a companion that accompanies you on all your exciting adventures.

Once you take action, you’ll find that action cures fear. You see, you might think you’re safe if you stay in your comfort zone.  But refusing to push through your fears actually leaves you with a greater sense of dread because your fear grows into an unmanageable monster.

So, take a small risk every day. That’s not to say that you should take foolish chances.  Always make sure you’re well prepared for the task at hand.  But taking a well-thought out risk will make you feel great.  And even if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ve made an effort. You’re not sitting back powerless and immobilized by your fears.

In the last section, I explained how your subconscious mind is just waiting for your instructions. One of the fascinating things about this process is that the subconscious is nonjudgmental.  It doesn’t care if the goal you give it is positive or negative.  It just moves you relentlessly toward what it thinks you want. Like the genie in the bottle, your subconscious mind says, Your wish is my command.

For example, if you repeatedly say, My horse isn’t ready to compete, and this show is probably going to be a disaster. Or I’m a basket case when I compete and can’t sleep the night before. or I’m afraid my horse will have a mental meltdown if I ask for more collection, the words disaster, basket case, and meltdown become the goals.

Or let’s say you keep your fears to yourself and don’t verbalize them.  BUT you’re gifted with an extremely vivid imagination.  You can picture potential disaster in great detail like the rider who told me she had a very distinct mental image of what would happen when she asked her young horse to canter.  She clearly saw him launching her into the air where she did a perfect full twisting somersault before landing unceremoniously flat on her back in the dirt!

What can you do to prevent an image like that from becoming your goal? First, when you find yourself picturing something horrible, do some thought stopping.  There are all kinds of ways to do this so choose a method that’s easiest for you. For instance, try saying the word, Clear or Quit! to quiet your mind and erase the negative pictures.  Or picture the thing you fear the most, and then draw a big, black X through it.

Or try this.  Go out and have a look at a stop sign.  I mean really study it.  Memorize the details “the size, shape, colors, and style of letters. Then when your mental demons plague you, superimpose that stop sign in your mind’s eye over the image of whatever it is that you dread.

After you’ve done some thought stopping, the next step is to reprogram your mental computer through self-talk and imaging.

Find buzzwords that empower you.  One of my students froze every time she thought her horse was going to wheel around and take off in the opposite direction.  Her catch phrase became, Take charge. and that mobilized her.  Another rider who tended to be too conservative in competition used the phrase,I’m a risk-taker.

Or consider the fact that if you truly believed that you could handle anything, you’d have nothing to fear.  So, your motto becomes, Feel the fear and do it anyway.  So what if my horse bolts. I can handle it!  (By the way, it’s not a runaway unless you try to stop!)

As far as imaging goes, I’m a great advocate of visualizing the ideal scenario because I believe that perfect practice makes perfect.  However, if you find it difficult to do perfect practice, do some coping rehearsal instead.

For instance, let’s say it’s early spring and you’re getting ready for the first competition of the season.  You’ve been preparing diligently all winter and you’re psyched. As you tend to all the last minute organizational details, you reflect about how much fun it will be to take your 4 year old, chestnut thoroughbred mare to her first competition.  Your sense of anticipation stays with you right up until the time that you go home, listen to the evening weather report, and hear that there’s an arctic cold front blasting in overnight.  The temperature is going to plummet some 30 degrees and the wind will be gusting to 45 MPH.  To top it all off, your ride is at 7:45 A.M  And you think, I’m gonna DIE!

Rather than visualizing being catapulted into outer space, do some coping rehearsal instead.  Watch the whole disaster unfolding. See  it in great detail.  And then continue your mental videotape until you see a successful resolution to the scenario.

For example, you take your horse off the trailer. She’s dancing around and screaming hysterically to the other horses. It takes two people to hold her steady enough so that you can tack her up.  As soon as you mount, you feel a hump in her back and her tail goes straight up like a flag. You piaffe out to the warm-up area (by the way, she doesn’t even know how to piaffe).

As you begin your warm-up, she begins to buck exuberantly.  BUT THEN You realize that during all of her antics, you’re never actually unseated. (See, You can handle it!)

Your breathing gets slower and deeper, and you begin to relax.  After those initial exciting moments, your horse settles down to business.  You proceed with your usual warm-up and then go into the ring to have the ride of your life!

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