Big Fat Lies! Part 3 " Dirty Secrets"

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Q. Glen, Is their any truth to the publications written in the Fitness Magazines?


A. In today's lesson, you will learn the "dirty secrets" of the fitness magazine publishing industry that they don't want you to know about...

Here is the part 3 of your mini-course, BIG FAT LIES.

In today's lesson, you will learn the "dirty secrets" of the fitness magazine publishing industry that they don't want you to know about...

Fat Loss Lie #3: "You can believe everything you read in the magazines"

In general, you tend to trust what you see printed in the magazines, just as you tend to trust the information you hear on the evening news and read in the daily newspapers.

Why? Because the news media and most magazines have mega-credibility. Most people automatically assume - consciously and unconsciously - that if it's in print or on the news, then it must be true.

However, the fitness and bodybuilding publishing industry have some dirty little secrets...

Just as much of the news we hear is "planted," much of the fitness and nutrition information we read in our favorite magazines is also planted and heavily biased.

Publishers realize that the vast majority of readers will believe almost anything if it's printed in a nationally-circulated magazine. As a result they created...

"The magazine / supplement company business model."

Today, most fitness magazine publishers not only depend on supplement company advertising revenue to stay in business, they actually OWN the supplement companies and use their magazines as the primary channel for promoting their products.

It didn't take long before the entire bodybuilding and fitness magazine industry realized that more money could be made selling supplements than selling advertising or subscriptions.

Here's another dirty little secret they don't want you to know about:

Most people cannot sort out where the editorial ends and the advertising begins.... and that is by design.

Editorials are more believable than advertising (that's why they try to make supplement ads look so much like articles these days).

Did you ever notice how many magazine articles are about the latest, greatest "breakthroughs" in supplements? These "articles" aren't really articles at all; they're nothing more than advertisements in disguise... with an 800 number for easy ordering at the end... (how convenient.)

Even if a magazine doesn't have a vested interest in a supplement line, you still can't count on them to reveal the whole truth to you. A full page ad in a high circulation national fitness magazine can cost tens of thousands of dollars, so the publishers don't want to write editorials that will upset, offend or contradict the advertisers.

This is the reason you often get better advice from the smaller, lesser-known newsletters than you do from the major magazines and newspapers.

It's clearly in the magazine's best interest to promote supplements like crazy, and stay in bed with the supplement companies, regardless of whether the products work or not, because the more supplements that are sold, the more the supplement companies will advertise. The more they advertise, the more the supplements sell, and on and on the cycle goes.

It may seem blatantly obvious to you that magazines are "pushing" supplements, or you may have simply suspected it.

However, you would be stunned at how many people - especially beginners - believe every word they read in the "muscle mags" and buy hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of useless "muscle-building" or "fat burning" pills, powders and drinks as a result.

Many people ask me why did I became an online Blog publisher rather than writing for a printed magazine. By publishing websites, newsletters and e-books online, I am not handcuffed by the censorship and agendas of the fitness magazine industry.

I do not sell supplements and I have never accepted money to endorse them, so I'm not at the mercy of the "magazine / supplement company" business model and I can call it like I see it and tell it the way it really is. In the upcoming lessons, that's exactly what I'll do.

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program.Please consult your physician !

Wishing You Great Health!

Glen Edward Mitchell

Any questions? Ask Glen

Big Fat Lies! Part 2 Fat Burners

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Q.Glen, Do Fat Burners help you get lean? and do you need them?

A.Here is part 2 of your 12-part mini-course, BIG FAT LIES.

In this lesson, you will discover the truth about “fat burner” supplements.

Most of our lessons are very short and quick reads. This is the Longest Lesson of the 12 part series but I urge you to find a quiet moment and read the entire thing…

The TRUTH about fat burner pills and the advertisements that sell them is going to shock you, to say the least. …

Fat Loss Lie #2: "You need supplements or fat burners to get lean"

EPHEDRA AND EPHEDRINE - THERMOGENIC "FAT BURNERS"

The most popular of the "fat burner" supplements ever on the market were no doubt ephedra or ephedrine-based products, which hit the shelves in 1993.

Ephedrine was immensely popular because there was actually some good scientific evidence showing that it had measurable fat burning effects.

You could also “feel” it… you got an “energy buzz.”

Ephedrine is a drug derived from a plant (a Chinese herb) called ephedra (also known as ma huang). It is similar in chemical structure to amphetamines and works as a "beta-adrenergic agonist" - which means, in plain English, that it's a thermogenic (metabolism- stimulating) agent that helps with the release of stored body fat.

So if it worked, why did it get banned by the FDA and taken off the market in April of 2004?

Well, there were clearly some political and financial agendas involved, But the reason given to the public was concern about adverse affects and safety.

To this day, the decision to remove ephedrine from the market is still controversial because the research was mixed on whether the risks were severe enough to warrant the ban.

PROBABLY SAFE WHEN TAKEN AS DIRECTED, BUT...

Although the FDA had 80 ephedrine related deaths and 1400 adverse effect complaints on file, including strokes, coronaries and seizures, the fact is, when compared to deaths caused by prescription drugs and other over the counter drugs like aspirin, ephedra actually appeared fairly safe when used as directed by healthy individuals and not abused.

However, one huge downside of ephedrine that was not often mentioned by the pro-ephedrine camp is that stimulant-based fat burners can be highly addictive. Addiction leads to improper use or abuse.

In the early and mid 1990's, I used ephedra products myself because they were legal, over the counter and at the time, they were not banned from the natural bodybuilding competitions I participated in.

Research be damned, I never believed that these pills helped me all that much with fat loss.

But what I did notice was the "rocket-engine" stimulant boost - the buzz, The pounding heart rate, the increased physical energy, and the amplified mental focus and workout "intensity."

At the height of the craze, 12 to 17 million people were using ephedra and no doubt, many of them were hooked on what was essentially a mild form of legal speed.

These products were being abused en masse as “pick me ups.” Students were popping these pills to stay awake and study all night. Partiers were doing the same. So were truck drivers.

Like any addictive habit, it's difficult to stop. When you first go cold turkey, you crash emotionally and physically and your workouts suffer as your crutch has been taken away. I suppose it's a lot like trying to kick the booze or cigarette habit. You go through withdrawal.

WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN

Your body is too smart for short term quick fixes to ever work because your body will always fight back to maintain a natural balance or “homeostasis.”

For every artificial peak or high you create, there will be an equal or greater valley or low point.

If you over-stimulate, your body can respond by slowing down your natural metabolic rate to compensate. As a result, when you stop using the stimulant, your metabolism is slower than ever and you gain back any weight you lost and more.

This often prompts you to go back on the stimulants and the vicious cycle of stimulant addiction continues. Some experts say that long term use can even lead to adrenal burnout.

So even if there aren’t any serious coronary or health risks from proper use, there is the risk of irresponsible use and the risk of addiction and dependency on "fake energy." just remember, what goes up, must come down. If you borrow energy you will eventually have to pay it back.

EPHEDRA FREE FAT BURNERS

When the FDA finally pulled the plug on ephedra, supplement companies scrambled like crazed maniacs to come out with "ephedra-free" formulas for their "fat burners" as they anticipated the imminent doom of their multi-million dollar cash cows.

The ads proclaimed,

"More powerful than ephedrine-based fat burners!"

"The next generation of thermogenic technology!"

The great irony is that most of the fat burners currently on the Market today are completely worthless. At best they provide a watered down, unproven substitute for ephedrine and a slight buzz (most are loaded with caffeine).

Or, they may provide some mild appetite suppression. But NONE of these so called “next generation fat burners" are the “miracles” that the advertisements say they are.

Bodybuilding industry columnist Will Brink put it this way,

"The explosion of ephedrine-free weight loss products was more a function of market pressure vs being based on any science. Claims by some companies that their new ephedrine-free "fat burners" were equivalent to or even superior to EC based products was wishful thinking and marketing-driven BS."

But it didn’t matter. Consumers had been hoodwinked with the classic bait and switch. The ephedrine was gone from the formulas, but the brand names remained the same.

STAGGERING FORTUNES IN FAT BURNERS AND DIET PILLS

In the last year before ephedra was banned, sales had skyrocketed to $1.25 BILLION DOLLARS, according to the Nutrition Business Journal.

The money still continues to pour in at a staggering rate today. To say that money is the main motivation behind the push for diet pills and a fat burners would be the understatement of the century.

Most people who aggressively recommend "fat burning" pills of any kind are profiting from their sale and it's hard to get unbiased information when so much money is at stake.

THE TRUTH: A LEAN BODY DOES NOT COME IN A PILL

It's a common misconception that you can't reach your fat loss goals unless you take some kind of "fat burner" supplement.

It's also a common misconception that you can pop a pill and get dramatic results like you see on TV and in the magazine ads.

The results you see in the ads for fat burners are persuasive, but before and after testimonials are NOT proof that diet pills were responsible for those results.

Not all before and afters are bogus, of course. But many of the legitimate photos are "not typical" and represent the best possible case scenarios, after extremely intense training and strict nutritional regimens.

As for many “miraculous transformations,” the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) And state attorney general’s offices have been exposing them for what they really are… set-ups and outright fakes!

In January of 2007, four diet pill companies you have definitely heard of were sued by the FTC and ordered to pay $25 million in fines.

The reasons: False advertising and no evidence to back up their claims.

San Diego Attorney Todd Macaluso took sworn depositions from several Diet pill before and after models. According to a story in the San Diego Tribune by Penni Crabtree, Los Angeles bodybuilder Mike Piacentino Swore under oath that he was paid to stop working out and to eat ice cream and donuts to fatten him up three weeks in advance of his “before” photo shoot. Then he used his bodybuilding expertise to get back in his usual top shape.

According to an ABC 20/20 expose’, fitness model Marla Duncan said In advertisements that she lost 35 lbs with the help of a popular fat burner pill. However, Jay Nixon, the Missouri Attorney General, found out that Duncan had recently been pregnant and given birth. The “before” photo was taken shortly afterwards. The fat burner pill company settled the case out of court for $100,000 while denying any wrongdoing.

Will you ever look at before and after photos the same again? Do you really want to keep forking over your money to these companies?

AN INTERESTING END TO THE FAT BURNER SAGA…

Diet pills and fat burners are nothing but quick fixes. Every one of them.

Even if they help in the short term, they don’t help in the long term because you are only treating symptoms. Body fat is a symptom of a complex problem with multiple causes including unhealthy lifestyle, poor nutrition, lack of activity and even mental factors like subconscious self-sabotage.

The true solution to any problem, including body fat, is to find the causes and treat them.

After using them for a few years in the 1990's, and after a lot of research, self-experimentation and personal reflection, I made the decision to dump "fat burning" and "pre workout stimulant" pills down the toilet forever. I then decided that I would no longer recommend these products to my readers and clients.

Since then, I've continued my training with no fat burners whatsoever. There has been NO difference in my results .

As a natural bodybuilder today, I routinely reach 9% body fat and maintain my body fat at around 14% all year, using my own system of natural nutrition and training - NO DRUGS, NO PILLS and NO FAT BURNERS!

I find the obsession so many people have with taking a pill to lose weight both perplexing and troubling at the same time, especially when you consider that fat loss can be achieved naturally, so simply and predictably with nutrition and exercise methods such as what I teach in my Burn the Fat Program.

Spending big money, sometimes $40 to $50 a bottle or even more on pills is even more baffling to me when you consider that even if you get some small fat burning effect from the supplements, it's nothing you couldn’t get from another week or two of dieting and exercising!

Think about it.

I recommend you take a pass on "fat burner" pills and supplements and learn how to burn fat the way mother nature intended – through proper nutrition, by building more muscle, and by increasing your activity level to burn more calories.

If you're not satisfied with your results, trust me, it's NOT because you have a "diet pill deficiency."

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program.Please consult your physician !

Wishing You Great Health!

Glen Edward Mitchell

Any questions? Ask Glen

Big Fat Lies! Part 1 Lean Body

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Q. Glen, Do you have to be on a very lo caloric diet to be lean?

A. Here is the first part of your 12-part mini-course, BIG FAT LIES.

In this lesson, you will learn the physiological truth about why very low calorie diets cannot work long term and why they are only quick fixes that lead to eventual weight re-gain

Fat Loss Lie #1: "You have to starve yourself to get a lean Body"

What if I told you that very low calorie diets will actually make you fatter in the long term, and that there's an almost embarrassingly simple way that you can eat more and still burn more fat?

I know it sounds too good to be true, but you're about to see the science behind it, and I've got the real-world results to prove it, so read on.

To get rid of fat, the laws of energy balance and thermodynamics declare that you have to consume fewer calories than you burn. Sorry, theres no way around it. There's no such thing as "calories don't count." Run for cover the next time you hear that claim because it's absolutely false and any scientist will tell you that.

You must have a "calorie deficit" to burn fat off your body. However, the fatal flaw in most popular diet programs is that the calorie deficit is too aggressive or too extreme.

Have you ever been told that to get a lean body you had to eat 1200 calories a day or 1000 calories a day or even less? Did you ever just get FED UP with no results and tell yourself, "That's it, I'm hardly going to eat ANYthing," because you were desperate to get the pounds off as fast as possible?

Yeah, sure, it works in the beginning, because there's a HUGE calorie deficit at first, but theres also a HUGE irony:

When you cut your calories too far, eventually YOUR BODY ADAPTS.

If you're a Star Trek fan, it's kind of like the BORG, where a phaser weapon works against the alien BORG creatures once, but then they adapt, and soon the same phaser blast no longer does anything.

Well, diets are kind of like that, aren't they?

You "fire" a low calorie diet at your body and it zaps off some weight in the begining. But then your body figures out what's going on. Your body doesn't care that you want to look good in a swimsuit; your body thinks you're under attack! Your body thinks you're about to starve to death!

When you fire something extreme at your body (like hardly eating), your metabolic rate slows down in order to protect you.

This "defense mechanism" is often called, "the starvation response."

When you go into starvation mode, here are some of the consequences:

1. Your body releases fewer fat-releasing and fat-burning enzymes such as hormone sensitive lipase and lipoprotein lipase.

2. Your fat cells release less of the hormone leptin, which is the signal that tells your brain you are well fed and not starving (it's the "anti-starvation" hormone)

3. Fat burning hormones crash, including your levels of T3 (no, not the latest Arnold terminator movie, T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone, the important "metabolism-regulating hormone" that you've probably heard about before).

4. You lose muscle. Muscle is metabolically-active tissue, which means it takes a lot of energy just to keep it. When you're "starving," you're in an "energy crisis", so excess muscle is the LAST thing you need. Muscle becomes expendable, and your body cannibalizes your own lean tissue.

5. Appetite hormones rage out of control. When you're starving, a part of your brain called the hypothalamus switches into high gear and flips the appetite switch, sometimes to the point where you become ravenous and cannot fight these physiological cravings with willpower.

Bottom line: It's hormonally, metabolically and physiologically impossible to achieve permanent fat loss by starving yourself.

And that's the first BIG LIE:

Any program that's extremely low in calories may work in the short term, but the "honeymoon" never lasts for long.

In the long run, very low calorie diets can actually make you fatter. Eventually, they lead to binge eating and weight re-gain and you end up with less muscle and a slower metabolism than when you started.

The TRUTH is, you DON'T have to starve yourself to get a lean body. In fact, you can eat more and burn more fat.

Here's how:

1. Avoid very low calorie diets.

Before going on any diet, look at the recommended calories. You'll probably discover that in most cases, you are required to slash your calories to "starvation" levels (1200 or less for women, 1800 or less for men, and active people need even more.

2. Make sure your calorie intake is customized.

Depending on your activity level, age and gender, your calorie needs may be much higher or much lower than the average person. If a diet program recommends the same amount of calories for everyone, that should be a red flag to stay away. It could be perfect for someone else, but starvation level for you.

3. Decrease your calories just a little below maintenance.

Decrease your calories conservatively - only about 20% below your daily maintenance level. A mild calorie cut doesn't trigger the starvation response as much.

For example: If you're female and you maintain your weight on 2150 calories per day,a 20% deficit is 1720 calories per day (correct). Conventional diets might have you slash to 1000 or 1200 calories per day or less without emphasis on exercise (incorrect)

4. Increase your calorie deficit more by increasing activity

If you only cut calories slightly below maintenance, then how do you reduce body fat without the process taking forever? Simple, you BURN more calories and increase your deficit by increasing your activity. (No brainer simple!)

First, if you're not doing so already, you should aim for three days per week of strength training with weights.

Second, you should do at least three days per week of moderate to vigorous cardiovascular exercise.

Third, if you wish to accelerate fat loss more, or if you need to break a progress plateau, you bump up your activity even further by adding additional cardio sessions or increasing the intensity or duration of your current workouts.

It also helps to get more physical activity in general, and to participate in physical hobbies, sports or recreational activities that you enjoy.

Bottom line:

The first secret to permanent fat loss is to BURN THE FAT, don't STARVE THE FAT

There are some exercise physiologists today, who call this concept "energy flux." That's a fancy way of saying, "Eat more, burn more," (instead of "eat less, exercise less"), and that's what the Burn The Fat philosophy is all about.

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program.Please consult your physician !

Wishing You Great Health!

Glen Edward Mitchell

Any questions? Ask Glen

Big Fat Lies! Introduction

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Q. Glen What are some of the Lies about Fat and Losing Weight?

A. Here is a series of related articles about the Big Fat Lie! Here is an Introduction!

If you've ever walked into a supplement store and asked for information about "fat-burning" or muscle-building supplements...

If you've ever read any one of the many popular bodybuilding or fitness magazines...

If you've ever bought the latest best-selling diet book...

If you've ever watched late night TV and listened to a diet or fitness guru preach about an amazing new diet, exercise machine or pill...

If you've ever surfed the web for information about diet, nutrition or training...

If you've ever done ANY of these things, then the odds are extremely high that you've been lied to!

Are you shocked? Surprised? Outraged? If so, then join the club - you're not alone.

Honest information about nutrition and fat loss is harder to come by than ever before, and nearly everyone has been misled at one time or another. I know I was... for years.

I wasted literally thousands of dollars on workout programs that didn't "work out" and "fat-burning" supplements that didn't burn anything but a hole in my wallet.

To successfully navigate through today's jungle of misleading and conflicting information, you have to become a very savvy and discriminating consumer. And when you finish reading these 12 lessons, that is exactly what you will be.

There are three reasons why it's so hard to find truthful information today:

1) BIG Business

According to the International Journal Of Obesity, weight loss is currently a $150 billion dollar industry in the United States and Europe combined. With so much at stake, unscrupulous marketers will tell you just about anything - even outright LIES - to get you to buy their products and to further their financial interests.

Before and after photos are staged or doctored...

Research results are misreported or exagerrated...

Unrealistic expectations and promises are made...

Results are promised without effort or hard work...

Pills are presented as magic bullets...

And that's just the very beginning.

2) Total Information Overload.

Since the electronic age has arrived, lack of information is not a problem anymore. The problem these days is too much information.

Fitness and diet "guru's" preach about their "latest breakthroughs" on TV infomercials 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Hundreds, even thousands of diet and exercise books fill bookstore shelves. Dozens of magazines clutter the newsstands every month.

To top it all off, the explosion of the Internet is adding to this "info-jungle" at an exponential rate. There are 270,000,000 web pages indexed on Google under "fitness" and 87,400,000 under "weight loss."

Where do you even begin? Unfortunately, more often than not, many people don't... because information overload leads to "paralysis by analysis."

3) Conflicting Advice.

Only one thing is worse than the QUANTITY of information available today on diet and fitness. That is, even industry professionals such as registered dieticians, research scientists, MD's, PhD's, and certified trainers give completely contradictory advice.

There are a lot of opinions out there and everyone seems to tell us something different.

For example: check out these book quotes and newspaper headlines:

"Pasta isn't fattening if you use your noodle." - USA Today
"So it may be true after all: Eating pasta makes you fat." - The New York Times

"Contrary to what most people think, carbs are not fattening." - Jane Brody's Nutrition Book
"Diets high in carbohydrates are precisely what most overweight people don't need and can't become slim on." - Dr. Robert Atkins New Diet Revolution

"High carbohydrate, low fat diets may be dangerous to your health." - Dr. Barry Sears, The Zone
"Carbohydrates, not protein, are the key to achieving peak performance and weight loss."
- Robert, Haas, Eat To Win

"Your body easily converts fat calories into body fat." - Dean Ornish "Eat More, Weigh Less
"Eating fat does not make you fat, you must eat fat to lose fat." - Dr. Barry Sears, The Zone

NO WONDER YOU'RE CONFUSED...
NOT EVEN THE EXPERTS CAN AGREE WITH ONE ANOTHER!

The Solution?

So how do you bypass the marketing lies of the big weight loss corporations... How do you cut through the information jungle... How do you sort through the conflicting opinions? You've already found the solution - and you're reading it!

This is the whole reason why I created this 12-part mini course - "BIG FAT LIES" - to educate you... To clear everything up... To expose the cover ups, dispel the myths, uncover the scams and reveal the truth in a marketplace full of lies.

Instead of teaching you about fat loss lies, myths and deceptions, I could have easily dived right into the how-to and mechanics of eating and training for fat loss (my regular weekly newsletters do just that).

However, because of the amount of misinformation in the health and fitness industry today, my job as a fitnes educator has become extremely difficult. Before I can effectively begin to teach you the truth about getting leaner and more muscular, I first have to UN-TEACH all the rumors, myths and lies...

Once you've been through this 12 part mini course, you'll be among the savviest and most educated consumers on the planet. You will instantly know how to spot a scam and you'll know without hesitation if a product or program has the potential to work or not.

Best of all, since the "junk information" will finally be OUT of your head, that puts you in the perfect position to absorb and apply good fat loss information when you receive it, and you'll be on your way to the best body of your life!

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program.Please consult your physician !

Wishing You Great Health!

Glen Edward Mitchell

Any questions? Ask Glen

For your own Good ! Lower your Cholesterol

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Q. Glen, How can I lower my Bad Cholesterol?


A. Cholesterol is near the top of the health risk-factor hit list. For all its notoriety, though, cholesterol is often misunderstood.

Misconceptions about cholesterol begin with its very nature.

• Most people think of cholesterol as a fat, but it's actually a sterol, a waxy, fat-like substance that has a chemical structure not found in true fats.
• Cholesterol has a reputation strictly as a health hazard when, in fact, it's essential for good health. It's the building block of cortisol and all other steroid hormones. Without cholesterol, men wouldn't have testosterone and women wouldn't have estrogens.
• People assume that the cholesterol in their blood only comes from the cholesterol in food they eat. In fact, about two-thirds of the cholesterol in your blood is made by your liver. Dietary cholesterol does contribute to the remaining third. But it's actually fats in food that prod the liver to make more cholesterol, which then pours into the blood.
• There's the idea that some cholesterol is good while some is bad. In fact, there is only one type of cholesterol. The cholesterol in an egg yolk is exactly the same as the cholesterol your body uses in your brain cells, turns into testosterone, or packs into an artery-blocking plaque. But like many misconceptions, this one begins with a very important truth: Instead of floating free in your blood, cholesterol latches onto blood proteins that carry it through your body. The ones that are familiar to most people are low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). They determine the fate of the cholesterol in your blood.

Know your number

LDLs deposit their load of cholesterol just where it will do the most harm — in the walls of your arteries. That makes LDL cholesterol the "bad" cholesterol. But where a villain lurks, a hero can be found. In this case it's the HDLs, which snatch cholesterol away from artery walls. HDL cholesterol is very good indeed.

Many years ago, scientists discovered that high LDL cholesterol increases a person's risk of heart disease. But it took major studies over the past 12 years to prove that lowering LDL cholesterol is truly beneficial. And recent research shows that very low levels are best for people who already have cardiovascular disease or other high-risk conditions. Here are the latest LDL numbers to aim for.

Heart Disease Risk Categories	Recommended LDL Goals	Optional LDL Goals*
Very High Risk: People with acute coronary artery syndrome (heart attack or ongoing angina episodes)	Below 70 mg/dL
High Risk: People with mild or stable angina, atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, or multiple cardiac risk factors**	Below 100 mg/dL	Below 70 mg/dL
Moderate Risk: People with 2 or more cardiac risk factors**	Below 130 mg/dL	Below 100 mg/dL
Low Risk: People with 0 to 1 cardiac risk factors**	Below 160 mg/dL	Below 130 mg/dL

*Some people may benefit from LDL goals that are lower than the recommended ones.

**Risk factors include cigarette smoking, high blood pressure (over 140/90 mmHg or on treatment), low HDL cholesterol (under 40 mg/dL), a family history of premature coronary artery disease in a parent or sibling (below age 55 in a male, 65 in a female), and age (over 45 in men, 65 in women).

Ways to lower LDL

Aiming low is one thing, but getting there is quite another. To get your LDL cholesterol into a safe range, you'll need to make some changes in these areas:

1. Diet

Eating less cholesterol may only have a modest effect on lowering your LDL, but every little bit helps. Limit your dietary cholesterol intake to about 200 mg a day — about the amount in a single egg yolk. Go easy on animal foods such as red meat, whole-milk dairy products, and the skin of poultry. Animal products are the main source of saturated fat, which stimulates cholesterol production by your liver. So limit your saturated fat intake to less than 7% of your total calories.

Even more important is to avoid the trans-fatty acids found in stick margarine, many commercially baked goods, fried foods, and snack ("junk") food. But don’t skimp on the mono- and poly-unsaturated fats found in olive oil, canola oil, nuts, and fish. In fact, the omega-3 polyunsaturates in fish protect against heart disease.

Some foods can actually help lower your LDL. Topping the list is the soluble fiber found in oats, barley, beans, oranges, apples, and psyllium (sold as a fiber supplement). The plant stanols and sterols in spreads such as Take Control and Benecol can also help.

2. Exercise

Exercise is essential for good health and may help lower LDL for some people. Set aside 30 minutes a day for moderate exercise such as brisk walk.

3. Weight control

Weight loss is a powerful way to lower your LDL cholesterol. The key to success is cutting down on the calories you eat and ramping up the calories you burn with exercise. There is no other way. Calories do count. Period.

4. Tobacco

Don't smoke or use tobacco. No two ways about this one, either. Enough said.

5. Medication

Lifestyle is important, but nearly everyone who needs to lower their LDL level to 100 mg/dL or less also needs medication.

The statin drugs have been the star weapon of the past decade. Nothing else comes close to doing the job of reducing LDL cholesterol levels. And new research shows the statins do even more to improve vascular health. They fight inflammation in the arteries, stabilize cholesterol-laden plaques, improve the function of the endothelium (the arteries’ inner lining), and help prevent the formation of artery-blocking clots. And with the notable exception of cerivastatin (Baycol), which was taken off the market in 2001, the statins have proved quite safe.

Like all medications, however, the statins must be used with care. And if patients can’t tolerate them because of side effects or if they need extra help — other types of drugs are available. The newest is ezetimibe (Zetia), which is particularly helpful when taken with a statin. There are six statins on the market, which can lower LDL cholesterol by 20% to 60%:

• Lovastatin (Mevacor)
• Pravastatin (Pravachol)
• Fluvastatin (Lescol)
• Simvastatin
• Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
• Rosuvastatin (Crestor

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !

Wishing You A Healthy Life Style!

Any questions?

Ask Glen!

10 Reasons Why You Should Eat Breakfast

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Q.Glen, Why Should I Eat Breakfast ?



A. Increased energy levels. Decreased disease risk. Bigger memory capability. Smaller waistline. When it comes to that first morning meal, the reasons to fuel your body are virtually endless. So, the next time you’re about to dash out the door on an empty stomach, remember these 10 reasons why breakfast really is the most important meal of the day:

• High Energy. A healthy breakfast provides you with enough nutrients to energize your body for hours.

• Smart Eating. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast consume more vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and less fat and cholesterol.

• Calorie Reduction. People who don’t eat breakfast are likely to eat more calories throughout the day than people who skip lunch, according to the Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health and Media.

• Decreased Diabetes Risk. People who eat breakfast are significantly less likely to be diabetic than those who usually don’t, according to the American Heart Association.

• Weight Control. A study by the National Weight Control Registry shows that eating breakfast actually helps keep people’s weight down.

• Full Focus. According to the American Dietetic Association, people who eat breakfast are better able to concentrate and be more productive throughout the morning.

• Making Memories. According to experts, eating breakfast improves memory and learning. In one study, college students who ate a morning meal scored 22 percent higher in a word-recall test than those who skipped breakfast.

• Urge to Exercise. Researchers believe that people who eat breakfast have higher energy levels and may engage in more physical activity than people who don’t.

• Happy Days. Skipping breakfast can make you feel tired, irritable, or sad. Even grabbing some fresh fruit or a bowl of cereal can help boost your mood.

• Stress Be Gone. The time you spend eating breakfast can be relaxing and help you to mentally prepare for the day. Eating breakfast also forces you to slow down, helping you to prioritize.

Glen's Bottom Line! Keep in mind, however, that all breakfasts are not created equal—a healthy morning meal should be balanced and not too heavy. So, skip the eggs, bacon, sausage, and biscuits, and go for whole-grain cereals with fruit or juice instead. Or opt for an egg-white omelet filled with vegetables.

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !



My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."


Yours in good health

Any questions?

Ask Glen!

What It Takes To Lose 10Lbs.

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Q.Glen, Can you please tell me , How I can lose 10 pounds?

A. Read about other people's successes. It's hard to get through the checkout line at the supermarket without seeing at least four magazine covers boasting headlines such 'How Allison Lost 100LBS!' These "attaboy" stories are everywhere you look and with good reason. Reading about other individuals weight loss successes reminds you that it can be done. They were once where you are now. Learn what helped them succeed and put these tips to good use. A few minutes of reading time may leave you feeling inspired and ready to take on the next 10 pounds

Glen's Bottom Line: Find strength in others success

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program.

Please consult your physician !!

My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."

Yours in good health

Any questions ?

Ask Glen !

Cancel Clean-Plate Club Membership

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Q. Glen, There are a lot of starving people in the world should I eat everything on my plate so I do not waste food?


A. Don't finish everything on your plate. There may be starving children in Africa, but that has nothing to do with what you're putting in your mouth. Cancel your membership to the clean plate club and welcome to the world of healthy living. It's okay to leave that extra bite of macaroni on the plate or forego that last piece of bread that seems to be calling your name. You may not be saving lives, but you are saving calories.

Glen's Bottom Line: leave a little for the people who are not there!

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program.

Please consult your physician !

My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."

Yours in good health

Any Questions?
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Learn To Just Say "No"

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Q.Glen, I love my friends but when we go out to dinner I can not resist their influence What should I do?


A. Many times the hardest part about eating healthy is other people's influence. There's no doubt that there will be times when people will encourage you to eat the foods you'd rather avoid. The best way to handle these pushers is to decline politely and feel good about it when you say it. Don't be critical, and try not to make it a big deal. A simple "No, thank you" is the best way to go. If they still persist, then explain to them that you've made a resolution to eat a healthier diet.

Glen's Bottom Line! Just say NO and Mean it!


Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !



My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."


Yours in good health

Any questions?

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Life After 50: A Harvard Study of Male Sexuality

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Q. Glen, Are there any studies of Sexuality for Men after 50?

A.Even the most optimistic men know that the clock ticks for all of us. With each passing year, our bodies change, as does our behavior.

It’s certainly no surprise that male sexuality changes over time. Some 400 years ago Shakespeare asked, “Is it not strange that desire should so many years outlive performance?” Still, a major Harvard study of male sexual function in maturity does contain some surprises. It reports that sexual dysfunction is common and increases rapidly as men age. But it also says that simple lifestyle choices can slow the tick of the clock for many of us.

The Harvard study

Until Viagra burst onto the scene in 1998, few men were willing to discuss sexual problems. But the little blue pill and Senator Bob Dole changed all that, and researchers took advantage of the new openness to conduct a study of age and male sexuality.

The subjects were 31,742 men between the ages of 53 and 90. As members of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, all were dentists, optometrists, osteopaths, podiatrists, pharmacists, or veterinarians. That makes them knowledgeable observers and reliable reporters of their health, but they do not reflect the broader U.S. population in terms of education, income, and race.

Since it began in 1986, the study has been gathering an enormous amount of information, and in 2000, it added sexuality to its semiannual surveys. Each man answered questions about his sexual desire, his ability to sustain an erection satisfactorily for intercourse, his ability to reach orgasm, and his overall sexual function. Because the database also contains details about each man’s general health, medications, and health habits, the scientists were able to evaluate sexuality in terms of health and lifestyle as well as age.

The toll of time

One of the striking results of the study was that men with prostate cancer are 10–15 times more likely to experience sexual dysfunction than men without the disease. In nearly all cases, the sexual difficulties stem from the treatment rather than the cancer itself. But since the incidence of prostate cancer increases steadily with age, it could skew the results of the analysis. To avoid confusion, the study excluded men with prostate cancer from the final tabulation, though it did include all other medical conditions.

Even in men without prostate cancer, the prevalence of sexual problems was very high: 29% reported moderate or severe difficulties. But not all age groups were equally affected; major problems rose from 10% in men younger than 59 years to 23% in 60- to 69-year-olds, 47% in 70- to 79-year-olds, and 64% in men 80 and over.

Each aspect of sexual function showed progressive problems with age. Fully a third of the men reported moderate to severe erectile dysfunction; but only 2% remembered that their difficulty began before the age of 40 and only 4% reported that it developed between 40 and 49. After 50, the number of men with the problem rose steeply from 26% between 50 and 59 all the way to 61% after 70. And as usual, Shakespeare got it right; although libido also decreased with age, sexual desire was preserved substantially better than erectile function.

Testosterone and male sexuality The male hormone testosterone is necessary for the development of male genital structures during fetal life. It triggers the dramatic events of puberty, and it is necessary for libido, sexual function, and fertility throughout maturity. Testosterone levels peak at about age 17, then remain high for the next few decades. But after the age of 40, testosterone levels fall by about 1% a year. That doesn’t sound like much, but by the age of 70 or so, it adds up to a 30% decline. Testosterone levels fall just as many men begin to experience sexual dysfunction. But that doesn’t make testosterone responsible for the problem. In fact, most men have plenty of testosterone to spare, so levels remain in the normal range in at least 75% of senior citizens. Testosterone patches and gels are increasingly popular among older men; doctors write more than a million such prescriptions a year, and the number is increasing rapidly. In addition, many men take weaker male hormones such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and androstenedione (Andro) that are sold with­out a prescription as “dietary supplements.” It’s not a good idea. There is no evidence that male hormones will improve sexual performance in healthy men, and by stimulating the prostate, they may do more harm than good. Men who are truly testosterone deficient (hypogonadism) have diminished sexual interest and desire as well as erectile dysfunction. They can benefit from testosterone replacement therapy, but only after careful medical tests establish a diagnosis of testicular insufficiency.

The toll of illness

Sexuality is not the only thing that changes with age. Chronic illnesses also become more common, and in each age group, sexual dysfunction was most prevalent in men with illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer (other than prostate cancer), and stroke.

All in all, men who remain well are less likely to develop sexual dysfunction with age than men who fall ill. And men who take good care of themselves enjoy substantial protection from both illness and sexual decline.

The benefits of healthful choices

No man chooses to get sick, but many choose behaviors that boost their odds of becoming ill. Although the health professionals who participated in the study should have known better, some didn’t — and they paid the price in terms of impaired sexual function as well as illness. The risk of sexual problems was linked to smoking, obesity, heavy drinking, and the time spent watching television. In contrast, regular physical exercise and moderate alcohol consumption help preserve good sexual function. In this respect, the study agrees with earlier research showing that erectile dysfunction can be prevented.

Age and sexuality

The Harvard study of male sexuality and age is the largest of its kind and provides important confirmation of earlier research as well as additional interesting information. Chronic illness and the medications used to treat them account for many of the sexual problems of older men; depression can also take a toll. But even in healthy men, a slow change in sexuality begins in middle age and continues throughout life. Whereas most older men retain an interest in sex, it is generally a far cry from the preoccupation with sex that is so common in youth.

Although interest is retained, desire tends to wane; many older men think about sex but do not have the drive to put theory into practice. And even when the spirit is willing, the flesh may be weak; male sexual performance typically declines more rapidly than either interest or desire. Most men experience decreased sexual responsiveness with increasing age. Erections occur more slowly, and they depend more on physical stimulation than erotic thoughts. Even when erections develop, most men in their sixties report that their penile rigidity is diminished and harder to sustain. The ejaculatory phase also changes with age. The muscular contractions of orgasm are less intense, ejaculation is slower and less urgent, and there is a longer refractory period following intercourse, when men cannot respond to sexual stimulation. Semen volume and sperm counts decline, as does fertility.

The study evaluated sexuality but not relationships. Sexual intercourse requires a partner, but male sexuality demonstrates age-related changes that do not depend on interpersonal factors. Nocturnal erections diminish with age; men between 45 and 54 average 3.3 erections per night; between 65 and 75, they average 2.3 erections. Nocturnal erections also tend to become briefer and less rigid with age.

Life may not begin at 80, but sex life doesn’t automatically end with advancing age. Many surveys report that the frequency of sexual activity declines, but they disagree about how often older couples have intercourse. In round numbers, 50%–80% of healthy couples over 70 report sexual activity on a regular basis, including weekly intercourse in about half of them.

The secret to preserving sexuality is to stay healthy and to build healthy relationships — and both require a series of wise choices throughout life.

Reference: Harvard Medical

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !

My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."

Yours in good health

Any questions?

Ask Glen!

Happy New Year!!!!!

Explore the Orient the Healthy Way

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Q. Glen, I love Chinese food! But all that frying...What do I do?

A. Hungry for Chinese food? Wok this way. When most people think of healthy cuisine, Chinese food isn't the first thing that comes to mind. Fantail shrimp, egg rolls, fried rice, honey garlic chicken and other staples are hardly diet-friendly foods. But that doesn't mean you have to miss out. Avoid fried favorites and meals that are cooked in rich sauces. Take the steamed route. Order steamed rice and opt for a vegetable-based dish. Steamed vegetable dumplings are also a healthy way to start off the meal.

Glen's Bottom Line: Chinese anyone?

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program.Please consult your physician!

My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."

Yours in good health.

Any questions?
Ask Glen!

Fitness Builders

Glen Edward Mitchell

AMA Certified Nutrition Specialist

NASM Certified Personal Trainer

ACSM Certified Personal Trainer

Founder - Ask Glen! Clean, Lean & Mean

678-294-5196

mailto:AskGlen@aim.com

A Smart Substitution for Juice

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Q. Glen, I drink a lot of juice! Should I be worrieed about sugar?


A.Yes, Choose whole fruit over juice. While some juices may be rich in minerals, vitamins, fiber and calcium, they're also loaded with calories. An 8-ounce glass of orange juice has 122 calories. Other juices contain excessive amounts of sugar. Get your fruit fix from fresh whole fruits instead of juice. Eat an apple. Enjoy an orange. Consume fruit in its natural form to avoid getting any unnecessary additives and preservatives.


Glen's Bottom Line: Eat an Apple!

Ask Glen!


An Informative Guide: To Mental, Physical, Health, Exercise, Proper Nutrition for Men & Women. And living a Long and Healthy Life Style


Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program.Please consult your physician!


My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."

Yours in good health.

Any questions?
Ask Glen!


The WorkOut GEM
Fitness Builders


Glen Edward Mitchell


AMA Certified Nutrition Specialist
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
ACSM Certified Personal Trainer

Founder - Ask Glen! Fitness Builders, Clean, Lean & Mean & G350, G180, G90


678-294-5196

mailto:AskGlen@aim.com

Do You Know Heart Attack Signs?

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Q. Glen, What are the signs that you are having a heart attack?

A. We've all seen the Hollywood movie where the character clutches his or her chest in agony and drops to the ground. While this is our vision of a heart attack, the reality may be very different.

While some heart attacks are sudden and intensely painful, most start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort that lasts just a few minutes. As a result, people often wait hours to seek help, a delay that can be lethal. Some new research shows that many heart-attack victims don't experience chest pain or anything like the classic "Hollywood" heart attack.

One study showed that for as many as a third of sufferers, sudden excessive sweating is the symptom most likely to send them to the doctor. One reason excessive sweating might send a person to the doctor is that it's not as easily explained away as shortness of breath, nausea, chest pain and fatigue, which can be attributed to overdoing things, a bad night's sleep, a flu bug or any number of things.

WHAT'S A HEART ATTACK?
What exactly is a heart attack? When one of the arteries that supplies blood to a portion of the heart is blocked, this can cause injury to that part of the heart muscle. Irreversible injury to the heart muscle usually occurs if medical help is not received promptly. Unfortunately, it is common for people to dismiss heart-attack symptoms. Aside from the excess sweating, some of the more common signs of a heart attack include:

Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms. The pain can be mild or intense. The pain may feel like a heavy weight, tightness or burning; it can be located in the chest, upper abdomen, neck or jaw.

Paleness.

Anxiety, nervousness or sweaty skin.

Increased or irregular heartbeat.

Feeling of impending doom.

Chest discomfort, with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea and shortness of breath.

As with men, women's most common heart-attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

Not all of these signs occur in every heart attack. Sometimes they may go away and come back. If some occur, it's important that you get help. Call 911. If you are near someone and they go into cardiopulmonary arrest (they aren't breathing and have no pulse), start CPR right away if you know how.

So heart attacks can show themselves in many ways besides chest pain. And you need to be ready to recognize the symptoms, which may include sweating or just sudden confusion. Any delay in treatment can make the consequences of a heart attack much, much worse.

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !

Wishing You A Healthy Life Style!

Any questions?

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5 Salad Bar Survival Tips

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Q. Glen, I don't Think I Eat Healthy ! Even at the Salad Bar ! Any Tips for Eating a Healthy Salad?



A.Salad bars present an interesting challenge. They provide a cornucopia of the most healthful foods, but they’re also chockful of dietary pitfalls. Load up on cheese, bacon bits, croutons, and creamy salad dressing, and your salad will become as calorie-drenched and fatty as a burger and fries. Also, studies from the University of Chicago suggest that we do eat with our eyes, and since many salad bars are set up buffet-style, the likelihood of overindulging is high. But if you adhere to the following tips, you can construct a salad that’s both nutritious and delicious:

Fill up on the filling stuff. Actually, many items available at a salad bar fit this bill. Fruits and vegetables contain a lower energy density than other foods, meaning that you can eat larger portions while consuming fewer calories. Beans are also a good pick since their high fiber content will leave you feeling satisfied. And don’t forget to add a hard-boiled egg: According to recent research published in the International Journal of Obesity, eggs can help people stick to a lower-calorie diet because they impart a feeling of increased satiety and energy.

Get colorful. By loading up your plate with a rainbow of vegetables, you’ll ensure that your salad gets a full dose of nutrients. Each plant pigment corresponds to particular health benefits. Red indicates lycopene, potentially beneficial to the heart; orange and yellow suggests carotenoids, which promote the health of the eyes and immune system; blue and purple represent anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants; white signals the presence of anthoxanthins, which contain the heart-healthy chemical allicin; and some members of the green group carry lutein, which are good for the eyes, skin, and cardiovascular system, while others are a good source of folate, which promotes and maintains cell growth.

Know your visual cues. If you’re aware of what constitutes a proper serving, then you’re less likely to get carried away with how much you pile on your plate. So remember that a cup is equivalent to the size of a tennis ball, an ounce of cheese is about as large as your thumb, three ounces of meat, fish, or poultry is no bigger than a deck of playing cards, two tablespoons of salad dressing fills up a Ping-Pong ball, and a handful of nuts is equal to an ounce.

Don’t drown your food. A two-tablespoon serving of salad dressing can contain as much as 180 calories and 19 grams of fat. But if you’re using a four-ounce ladle filled to the brim with a creamy dressing like blue cheese, ranch, or Caesar, you’re smothering your salad with eight tablespoons—which can equal 720 calories and 76 grams of fat. Especially with dressings, keep visual cues in mind, and stick to lower-calorie and lower-fat vinaigrettes.

Replace croutons with nuts. Do you like your salad to pack a bit of crunch? Well, for the same amount of calories, you can enjoy more health benefits if you ditch the croutons for nuts. Walnuts are full of omega-3s, and almonds provide a generous serving of vitamin E, which may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Sunflower seeds are also a good source of vitamin E, as well as magnesium and selenium, which promote heart health and prevent cancer, respectively.

Glen's Bottom Line! Eat Green ! & Light!


Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !



My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."


Yours in good health

Any questions?

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Scrumptious snacks under 100 calories

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Q. Glen, Any low calorie snacks that taste good?

A. Yes there are snacks under 100 calories. When you open up a box of crackers or cookies, it's hard to eat just one. By the time you become aware of how many you've wolfed down, half of the package is gone and you've consumed enough calories for a total meal. The good news is that Nabisco has created a sensible snacking 100 calorie packs to help you keep your portions in check. Varieties include Chips Ahoy, Oreos, Wheat Thins, Peanut Butter Cookie Crisps, Cheese Nips and more. These pre-packaged snacks come in individual sizes, making it easy to fight temptation.

Glen's Bottom Line: Count your calories stay on point!

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !

My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."

Yours in good health

Any questions ?

Ask Glen!

Sweat it Out!

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Q. Glen, I want to lose weight and detoxify, What should I do?

A.Do you really want to lose? Then Sweat it Out. Steam bathing, whether dry (sauna) or wet (steam), has been considered the simplest way of ridding the body of toxins. These "sweat rooms" help to unclog your pores and enable the healthy flow of sweat. They also help to alleviate and relax tired muscles and improve circulation. Make sure to stay hydrated after a session in the sauna. You can lose up to a quart of water during a 20-minute sauna. Without replacement, such a high water loss can lead to fatigue and nausea. Therefore, drink fresh juice or water before, during and after your sweat session

Glen's Bottom Line: Take in some steam or dry heat!

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !

My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."

Yours in good health

Any questions?

Ask Glen!