Natural Rapid Weight Loss:
Diet and Exercise
By Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN
updated on 11/19/2007 at 03:05PM
Roughly 97% of diets end with heavier dieters and lots of frustration. Perhaps, if these diets made it more clear that fried catfish and baby back ribs are not responsible dietary choices for someone who's lugging an extra forty-two pounds around their tummy, then natural rapid weight loss (or as rapid as weight loss can be) would occur more often. Tips on what constitutes exercise may help dieters as well, and a well chosen natural supplement couldn't hurt either.
Vitamin C
It was Nobel Laureate, Linus Pauling who pioneered vitamin C back in the 1920's.Ever heard of collagen? If you're a plastic surgery buff it's likely that you have. Vitamin C provides all of this natural protein that you'll need. Collagen is used by the body to make skin, scar tissue and blood vessels. Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid and it's essential to proper growth and development.
Well, vitamin C performs a few functions. For starters, it can be very helpful in healing certain kinds of wounds. And if you want to develop or maintain strong, healthy bones, vitamin C is your best bet.
Like Vitamin E and beta-carotene, vitamin C is an antioxidant. Antioxidants are that nutrients that create a barrier against some of the damage caused by free radicals, those are the by-products that result when our bodies transform food into energy. Too many free radicals floating around in the body speeds up the effects of aging and can even create medical problems, such as cancer and heart disease.
And if Vitamin C can work wonders for your frown lines and Crow's Feet, just imagine how it works on the inside. Vitamin C might even re-introduce you to a couple of old friend's you haven’t seen for sometime …your feet.
Recommended Amounts of Vitamin C
The Food and Drug Administration recommends that adults and children get the following amounts of vitamin C per day, as determined by age:
Pediatric
- 1 to 6 months: 30 mg
- 6 to 12 months: 35 mg
- 1 to 3 years: 40 mg
- 4 to 6 years: 45 mg
- 7 to 10 years: 45 mg
- 11 to 14 years: 50 mg
- Teen Girls: 15 to18 years: 65 mg
- Teen Boys: 15 to18 years: 75 mg
Adult
- Men 18 +: 90 mg
- Women 18+: 75 mg
- Breastfeeding women: first 6 months: 95 mg
- Breastfeeding women: second 6 months: 90 mg
- Smokers will need an additional 35 mg per day.
Where to Get Vitamin C
Despite its role in essential functions and its impact on growth and development, your body doesn't produce or store vitamin C. It's up to you to make sure you get all of the vitamin C you need, and most times that can be achieved through just a strong diet. Some foods that contain lots of vitamin C are:
- Green peppers
- Citrus fruits and juices
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Broccoli
- Turnip greens
- Leafy greens
- Sweet and White potatoes
- Cantaloupe
- Papaya
- Mango
- Watermelon
- Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
Make Exercise Easy
The Right Size for Your Stride: Treadmills are sold up to fifty inches long. Now, if you intend to use your treadmill for a bit of walking between commercials breaks, something less than fifty inches long is fine. Running on the treadmill, on the other hand, requires longer strides.
Keep Your Joints Smiling: There's nothing worse than muscle aches, especially overweight muscle aches. Choosing a padded belt for your treadmill can mean the difference between achy knee joints, a bottle of Advil and a relaxing workout.
Electronic Motivation: Haven't been hiking in a while, you say? Now that you're in the market for a treadmill for sale, why not check out a treadmill with a preprogrammed jogging regime? You can go trekking over a hill, sprint up a mountain or jog down an open road, right on your treadmill.
Pulsating: Advanced treadmills offer a heart rate control monitor, if you need to be in a specific heart rate training zone, look it to one of these treadmills.
Manual or Motor: It all comes down to what you'll be doing more of, treadmills are a pricey investment, the last thing you want to do is chose a lemon. As far as treadmills go, a lemon would be one that doesn't fit your needs. If you're a brisk walker who just enjoys the occassional brisk jog, go manual. But if you really want to get the cardiovascular muscles moving, become a motormouth.
Manual treadmills range in price from $120-$190. Of course, motorized treadmills cost a bit more. Treadmills have been cited by repair agencies as the most difficult piece of fitness equipment to repair. Don't be so quick to answer the first advertisement that reads, Treadmill for Sale. Shop around.
