Saffron Extract Benefits - More Than Just Weight Loss
If you're a regular viewer of the show of Dr. Oz, then you already know that he has a knack for safe and natural ways of improving people's health. But if there's a topic that sparks the interest of people, it is about losing weight. Dr. Oz has already been making a lot of recommendations when it comes to this topic, and on of them has to do with saffron extract. Besides weight loss, there are also other benefits of saffron supplement that can make your life better.
While saffron is well known in the culinary industry as a spice used for seasoning and coloring agent, it has another side that can be advantageous for your health. One is by helping to suppress your appetite, which has an effect on the weight loss process. People who take saffron supplement before meals are less likely to overeat while also providing them a feeling of fullness for a longer period of time.
A lot of people who engage in binge eating usually say that they do it as a response to emotional triggers such as boredom, anxiety, and depression. By taking saffron supplements, your serotonin levels in your brain will be enhanced and what this does is get you in control of your emotions and mood. This way, you won't be taken over by your emotions and you'll less likely to give in to your appetite and cravings.
Dr. Oz wanted to show people just how real the benefits of saffron supplement are and he accomplished this by making two women take the supplement over the course of one weekend. The women were given the freedom to eat anything. What happened was that they both experienced a decreased appetite and reduced cravings for food. They were also able to minimize their snacking habits and in the process they lost 5 and 3 pounds respectively.
One of the more interesting benefits of saffron supplement is a more stable emotional health and a higher self-esteem. In the process, you'll feel like a completely new person and even have a sense of fulfillment. This will also help you to become more adept at choosing healthier food that will not only jumpstart your healthy lifestyle but also help you to lose weight and keep it off permanently.
You can be sure that the benefits of saffron supplement are for real because it comes from Mother Nature. It comes from the plant known as Crocus sativus, with its stigmas dried and processed to come up with saffron extract. Research reveals that this extract has the capability to alleviate a wide range of health problems including asthma, heartburn, depression, intestinal gas, and insomnia. It is also a good thing that this supplement contains zero calories.
Dr. Oz did not endorse a particular brand of saffron supplement - what he did was recommended what you must look for before buying one. One of them was to look for a proprietary blend called Satiereal. This is because this was used in clinical studies and is featured in majority of well-known brands. And the best part in using this supplement is that you don't have to break the bank to get a month's supply. In fact, you may even find manufacturers offering free trials.
In order to enjoy the benefits of saffron supplement in the best way possible, it is recommended that you make some adjustments to your lifestyle. For example, if losing weight is your primary goal, then it would make sense to also start eating healthy and incorporate moderate physical activity in your regimen. Having a proportional weight is key to minimizing your risk for a wide variety of lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart attack.
12 Tips to Lose the Weight for Good
Want to lose weight, but feel as though you’ve already tried every trick in the book? It’s time to take a different approach to dieting. Here are 12 proven strategies to help you slim down for good.
“Call it whatever you want, but don't call what you’re doing a ‘diet,’ ” says David Grotto, RD, author of The Best Things You Can Eat.
“Diets have a beginning and an end -- and that’s the problem.” You will only be successful, Grotto says, when you make a lifelong commitment to a healthier lifestyle.
Shift your focus from “I want to fit into that swimsuit that I haven’t worn in 10 years” to “I want to feel good and have more energy.” The latter reason reflects what’s called intrinsic (or internal) goals, which tend to have greater staying power over time.
Concentrating on the feel-good, health-promoting benefits of your efforts will help keep you engaged.
Consider what you’ve done in the past to try to lose weight -- then ditch what didn’t work, and think about what you could do differently this time.
If your downfalls were snacking at the office and waiting until the end of the day to exercise, you might decide to pack a healthy snack to take with you each day and go for a run first thing in the morning before unpredictable demands can get in the way of your good intentions.
“Our environments have a major influence on our ability to change our habits,” says John C. Norcross, PhD, psychology professor and author of Changeology: 5 Steps to Realizing Your Goals and Resolutions.
That’s why it’s smart to do things that will help, not hinder, your weight loss. If you want to make that early-morning jog happen, lay out your running gear before going to bed. Want to get in the habit of snacking on fruit, not chips? Put a bowl of fresh apples or pears on your kitchen table or counter. In other words, make it easy and convenient to keep yourself on track.
Tell supportive friends, family members, and colleagues about the changes you’re trying to make, Norcross says. Maybe you don’t want them to remind you of what you are or aren’t supposed to eat, but you would like them to give you ongoing encouragement or pep talks when you need them. Don’t leave this up to them to figure out. Tell them what you need and how they can help.
Burn Stubborn Stomach and Back Fat with Renegade Row
If you're having trouble burning stubborn stomach and back fat, try the renegade row.
You will start by doing a plank for 5-10 seconds. You need to do isometric core exercises to stabilize deep core muscles. Isometric core exercises build up the deep stabilizing muscles and give tone to your entire core area. Isometric exercises help you build strength and burn fat without moving much. Isometric exercises are very underrated. They are great for building muscles, stabilizing muscles, building strength, improving power and burning fat. Isometric contractions can be described as a type of muscle contraction where your muscles develop tension without changing length. Isometric exercises cause most if not all of your muscles to work during an exercise.
Brace your torso while doing the exercise (like taking a punch to the gut).
Next, lean on one dumbbell while rowing the other dumbbell to your rib cage area. Do 8-10 repetitions on one side. Do the same on the other side.
Keep your back straight (don't bow or arch back) and keep your head in line with your torso. Look straight down during the exercise.
Pull the dumbbell up to your side until it makes contact with your ribs. Keep your elbows close to your side during the exercise. As you pull the dumbbell up, squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Don't curl the dumbbells as you lift. Curling will allow too much use of your biceps. This is primarily a core and back exercise.
This is one tough exercise! If you can only do a few repetitions, that's okay.
Give it a try!
Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts. Start shaping your body faster! There are 3 levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Start at your level.
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
My Fitness Hut
You will start by doing a plank for 5-10 seconds. You need to do isometric core exercises to stabilize deep core muscles. Isometric core exercises build up the deep stabilizing muscles and give tone to your entire core area. Isometric exercises help you build strength and burn fat without moving much. Isometric exercises are very underrated. They are great for building muscles, stabilizing muscles, building strength, improving power and burning fat. Isometric contractions can be described as a type of muscle contraction where your muscles develop tension without changing length. Isometric exercises cause most if not all of your muscles to work during an exercise.Brace your torso while doing the exercise (like taking a punch to the gut).
Next, lean on one dumbbell while rowing the other dumbbell to your rib cage area. Do 8-10 repetitions on one side. Do the same on the other side.
Keep your back straight (don't bow or arch back) and keep your head in line with your torso. Look straight down during the exercise.
Pull the dumbbell up to your side until it makes contact with your ribs. Keep your elbows close to your side during the exercise. As you pull the dumbbell up, squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Don't curl the dumbbells as you lift. Curling will allow too much use of your biceps. This is primarily a core and back exercise.
This is one tough exercise! If you can only do a few repetitions, that's okay.
Give it a try!
Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts. Start shaping your body faster! There are 3 levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Start at your level.
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
My Fitness Hut
It’s easy to get stuck in a rut when i
1. Change one behavior at a time. “Your unhealthy behavior didn’t happen overnight, and a new behavior will take time,” Naternicola stresses. She advises that trying to accomplish too much too fast may set you up for failure and cause you to lapse, which can lead to relapse, so it’s essential to focus on one thing at a time—replacing one unhealthy behavior with a healthy behavior.
2. Get support. Tell a friend or family member about your desire to change a behavior, or seek the services of a personal trainer, support group, or registered dietitian. You may need to meet periodically throughout your journey to keep on track and make progress.
3. Make a realistic and specific plan. Be realistic and write down the days and times that work best for you to exercise. Be practical rather than say you are going to exercise seven days a week for an hour each day. You can always increase the time or add another day as your schedule allows. “This will allow you to pat yourself on the back for accomplishing more than planned instead of beating yourself up because you missed an exercise session,” Naternicola explains.
4. Start with small short-term goals. While your long-term goal may be to lose 25 pounds, breaking it down into a shorter goal will help you feel successful and motivated to continue. For example, losing one pound a week is a small, achievable step that will help you reach your goal in 25 weeks.
5. Use the buddy system. Having someone to hold you accountable when you want to skip going to the gym—such as someone with similar fitness goals—will help keep you on track, and vice versa. Naternicola explains, “Your buddy will be someone you can share similar experiences with, which can help you stay motivated and focused on changing your behavior.”
6. Set up prompts. Setting up daily reminders, or prompts, will help you stay focused on changing your behavior. Examples include packing your gym bag the night before or keeping your running shoes in the car. Naternicola recommends putting your exercise schedule on the refrigerator and scheduling exercise time in your planner as you would a doctor’s appointment.
7. Use rewards. It’s important to recognize your accomplishments. Upon reaching a goal, reward yourself with a movie or spa treatment instead of an unhealthy food item. You can also use your social network to post, tweet, or blog about what you have done.
8. Don’t get bored. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to exercise, so think about changing your regular walking route, or vary your activity with walking, biking, and swimming. Naternicola points out that this is the time to try something new—like a yoga class or martial arts lessons. Or if you have been doing the same strength routine, switch it up with one or two weeks of body-weight-only exercises.
9. Use stimulus control. If you are aware of certain triggers, or stimuli, that set off an unhealthy behavior, make a note of the time, place, and your feelings when it happens and choose an alternative. For example, if you drive by a fast-food restaurant on the way home and can’t resist some fries or a milkshake, take a different route.
10. Monitor your behavior. Keep a record of your workouts—that is, what type of exercise you performed. Studies have shown that those who monitor their exercise lose more weight and make better improvements in fitness levels than those who don’t. Naternicola observes that today’s technology with smartphone apps and interactive websites makes monitoring this information easier than it ever has been.
11. Learn how to be positive. It may sound simple, but research has shown that being positive makes your brain more productive while also reducing stress. “Many times unhealthy behavior is a mechanism we turn to when we are tired, hungry, or emotionally used up,” Naternicola warns. “We use it to manage stress and anxiety, which results in creating additional negativity and guilt.”
Change your mind, behaviors and your body. Get your copy of Fitness: Steps to Success now!
2. Get support. Tell a friend or family member about your desire to change a behavior, or seek the services of a personal trainer, support group, or registered dietitian. You may need to meet periodically throughout your journey to keep on track and make progress.
3. Make a realistic and specific plan. Be realistic and write down the days and times that work best for you to exercise. Be practical rather than say you are going to exercise seven days a week for an hour each day. You can always increase the time or add another day as your schedule allows. “This will allow you to pat yourself on the back for accomplishing more than planned instead of beating yourself up because you missed an exercise session,” Naternicola explains.
4. Start with small short-term goals. While your long-term goal may be to lose 25 pounds, breaking it down into a shorter goal will help you feel successful and motivated to continue. For example, losing one pound a week is a small, achievable step that will help you reach your goal in 25 weeks.
5. Use the buddy system. Having someone to hold you accountable when you want to skip going to the gym—such as someone with similar fitness goals—will help keep you on track, and vice versa. Naternicola explains, “Your buddy will be someone you can share similar experiences with, which can help you stay motivated and focused on changing your behavior.”
6. Set up prompts. Setting up daily reminders, or prompts, will help you stay focused on changing your behavior. Examples include packing your gym bag the night before or keeping your running shoes in the car. Naternicola recommends putting your exercise schedule on the refrigerator and scheduling exercise time in your planner as you would a doctor’s appointment.
7. Use rewards. It’s important to recognize your accomplishments. Upon reaching a goal, reward yourself with a movie or spa treatment instead of an unhealthy food item. You can also use your social network to post, tweet, or blog about what you have done.
8. Don’t get bored. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to exercise, so think about changing your regular walking route, or vary your activity with walking, biking, and swimming. Naternicola points out that this is the time to try something new—like a yoga class or martial arts lessons. Or if you have been doing the same strength routine, switch it up with one or two weeks of body-weight-only exercises.
9. Use stimulus control. If you are aware of certain triggers, or stimuli, that set off an unhealthy behavior, make a note of the time, place, and your feelings when it happens and choose an alternative. For example, if you drive by a fast-food restaurant on the way home and can’t resist some fries or a milkshake, take a different route.
10. Monitor your behavior. Keep a record of your workouts—that is, what type of exercise you performed. Studies have shown that those who monitor their exercise lose more weight and make better improvements in fitness levels than those who don’t. Naternicola observes that today’s technology with smartphone apps and interactive websites makes monitoring this information easier than it ever has been.
11. Learn how to be positive. It may sound simple, but research has shown that being positive makes your brain more productive while also reducing stress. “Many times unhealthy behavior is a mechanism we turn to when we are tired, hungry, or emotionally used up,” Naternicola warns. “We use it to manage stress and anxiety, which results in creating additional negativity and guilt.”
Change your mind, behaviors and your body. Get your copy of Fitness: Steps to Success now!
