How Do I Get A Flat Stomach?

■Featured Questions
by Gina Hodge - Dec 26, 2014

Curejoy Expert Gina Hodge Explains:

Following a certain diet to get rid of the spherical tummy you despise is surely one of the
best ways to get a flat stomach. However, on the other hand, even exercising, working out or
yoga for that matter can be pursued to attain the same goal.

For attaining a flat stomach in a healthier way, you will find different experts suggesting
different methods or prescribing different diet depending on the individual’s needs.

However, here are some tricks, and moves that will help you shed inches and pounds,
banish the bloat, and feel even more gorgeous.

When Shouldn’t You Eat

First of all, don’t eat anything for two to three hours before sleep. Your body slows down
when you sleep, which will prevent your body from digesting the food in your stomach
properly. Since, we are also much less active in the evenings and at night our body is more
likely to store the calories we consume late at night as fat, rather than burning them as
energy.

Eat Healthier
To attain flat tummy, you simply need to eat more healthy foods like fruit, veg, and whole
grains, and cut down on junk food. Eat lots of lean protein, and beans, nuts, and lean meat
are rather good for you as long as you do not eat the fat. Other foods that you can rely on
are whole grains, healthy fats found in avocados, nuts and fish oil.
Things to Avoid
Do not eat dairy products with larger fat content. Switch out your high-fat dairy for low-fat
options, which are rich in protein and vitamin B6. You might also want to lower your sodium
intake.

Reduce Portion Sizes

Most of us tend to eat too much of the right foods r the foods we like as well. The trick is to
eat just enough to fill you. Don’t get tempted to go that extra plate. You can use smaller
plates, try to chew more slowly, take small breaks in between every bite of food when eating
to reduce your portion size. These tricks do help.

Cut Down Sugar Consumption

Having less sugar in your system will help lower your insulin level that leads to a greater
production of a hormone called glucagon. This hormone allows glucose to be burned as
energy, thus contributing to a fabulously flat stomach!

Eat Protein
Eating a protein-rich snack around 3 or 4 in the afternoon will boost your metabolism and
balance your blood sugar. Here are some of the options that come handy; a protein bar or
shake, almonds, pumpkin seeds, low-fat cheese etc.

Eat Small, But Frequent Meals

Many people make the mistake of eating nothing at all between breakfast, lunch, and
dinner, especially when they are trying to lose weight. This is not the correct way to do it.
On the contrary, having a small, healthy snack every three to four hours and not letting you
go hungry is a much healthier and more effective system that can lead to a flat tummy.
Heart Breaking Truth About Statins and
Cholesterol.
■Videos
by Cristina Jurach - Apr 23, 2014

Heart Breaking Truth About Statins and Cholesterol

What are Statins?
“Statins” are a class of drugs that lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood by reducing the
production of cholesterol by the liver. The other source of cholesterol in the blood is dietary
cholesterol. Statins block the enzyme, hydroxy-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase
(HMG-CoA reductase), in the liver that is responsible for producing cholesterol.
Scientifically, statins are referred to as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.

Statins are used for preventing and treating atherosclerosis that causes chest pain, heart
attacks, strokes, and intermittent claudication in individuals who have or are at risk for
atherosclerosis.

Statins include well-known medications such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), simvastatin (Zocor),

lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and others. Lower cost
generic versions of many statin medications are available.

Statin Drugs-the Money Minter:

Statin, the cholesterol-lowering drugs are among the most widely prescribed drugs on the
market, bringing in $20 billion a year. They are a top profit-maker for the pharmaceutical
industry, in part due to relentless, misleading, fear-inducing, and highly successful direct-to-
consumer advertising campaigns.

One in four Americans over the age of 45 now takes statins, typically for the primary
prevention of heart attacks and strokes. Traditionally, primary prevention usually involves
healthy lifestyle choices that support heart health, things like eating right and exercising, yet
here we have millions of Americans popping these pills instead.

Time to Wake Up to the Truth about Statins and Cholesterol:

Scientific research into the naive and indiscriminate acceptance of novel mainstream
therapies has been challenged and prudence advised before taken this harmful route. It is
slowly beginning to dawn on the medical fraternity that contemporary treatments are not
only failing to impact on our most prevalent diseases, but they may be causing more
damage than good, a perfect example being the Statin saga.

Seen in this video, the late Andreas Moritz, Renowned Author and Healer, talks about how
we are falling prey to fear due to lack of knowledge about cholesterol:
Breast Cancer: Prevention Is The Cure We Are
Looking For.
■Cure
by Candice Marley - Oct 13, 2014

Breast Cancer: Prevention Is The Cure We Are Looking For.

Breast Cancer- Does Science have an answer?
October is the month to turn our attention to the number 2 killer among women, Breast Cancer.
While we have become increasingly technologically and scientifically advanced, Breast
Cancer still remains a puzzle. Cancer rates are expected to increase and a recent study shows
that Breast Cancer seems to be on the rise. (1) While we have spent billions of dollars on
cancer research, our approaches to this disease have remained relatively exactly the same.

Our current approach is to burn, cut or poison the disease once it begins in the body. Let’s
forget for a moment these approaches are archaic, invasive and aggressive, but studies
show they aren’t that effective. Tragically, the five year survival rate for cancer treated with
chemotherapy drugs has remained virtually unchanged for decades. Approximately 2% of all
cancers will be cured by chemotherapy, meaning the individual will survive and remain
cancer free beyond 5 years. (2)
Are the Current “Cures” really working?
Many opt for radiation. There is much debate about how effective radiation truly is and in
holistic circles there has been evidence of radiation actually causing more cancer. Dr. John
Richardson, who was arrested and tried by the FDA but later acquitted, in the 1970′s for
treating cancer naturally observed that radiation did reduce cancer tumor size, but what was
reduced was actually the non-cancer cells while the concentration of harmful cancer cells
actually increased. (3) He also observed that individuals overall health and vitality was
greatly diminished after radiation.

In fact even doctors today agree that radiation does not prolong one’s life. Dr. Richard
Evans, M.D of the Texas Cancer Center states, “All authorities agree that radiation therapy
does not improve the survival of patients with breast cancer.” Radiation also comes with a
list of other known health warnings such as heart problems, problems with memory and
concentration, infertility, hearing loss, osteoporosis and a whole host of other known health
problems. So if there is a question as to its safety and it is not all that effective, why do we
keep doing it?
The Holistic Approach:
Clearly we can see that neither chemotherapy or radiation is the cure we have spent billions
of dollars to find. Woman are still dying of breast cancer and hundreds of thousands of
woman are still getting breast cancer each year. The Holistic Approach to breast cancer is
much different. Instead of only looking at ends ways to irradiate the disease, The Holistic
Approach looks at the three most significant areas:

- What is causing cancer.

- How can cancer be prevented.
- How to heal naturally and completely once cancer begins.

By knowing what is causing cancer, we can prevent it from happening in the first place.
Prevention is key. It is something most other countries place a huge amount of emphasis
and focus on, because it is so effective. Unfortunately, in the U.S. we don’t place a lot of
focus on prevention.

The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), in collaboration with The European
Partnership for Action Against Cancer (EPAAC) indicates that at least 33% and as much as
50% of cancers can be prevented, according to a new study published in March 2012, just
by addressing the key risk factors including tobacco use, poor eating habits, physical
inactivity and excessive alcohol consumption. (4)

If we can identify even more known cancer causes, we can prevent even more then 50% of
breast cancer from ever beginning. That is where we can make the biggest impact.
Breast Cancer Today in the U.S.
First, let’s look at where we currently stand.
Breast cancer rates have been steadily increasing here in the U.S since the 1970′s. Over a
¼ million woman are effected by this disease each year and nearly 50,000 women will die
from breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women, that is
ahead of natural causes. What are your chances of getting breast cancer in your lifetime? 1
in 8, which is a staggering figure.

Think of how many women are in a crowded bar on a Saturday night. Now count out groups
of 8. One person in each group will get breast cancer, and it just may be you. Your chance
of dying from breast cancer 1 in 36. This is despite the fact that in 2010 the US budget for
breast cancer research was over over 600 million dollars or that breast Cancer research is
the most heavily funded type of cancer research, over twice that of colon, prostate or lung
cancer.

Breast cancer rates have increased by 90% in the last four decades. To give that some
perspective, in one generation this went from not too serious of a risk, to the second cause
of death. Recent studies show cancer rates are expected to rise 78% by the year 2030.
Researchers specifically found that the incidence of female breast cancer seems to be
INCREASING.
Breast Cancer around the world:
Now let’s compare the rates of breast cancer that we see here in the U.S to that of other
countries. In the U.S. the death rate per 100,000 women is 101.1. In the United Kingdwom
there rates are 87.2, as relatively high. Now let’s look at death cancer rates in non-
Westernized countries. In Rural China the death rate is only 18.7 and in rural Africa only
10.3. That means these countries see 10 times less breast cancer.

This World map shows the cancer rates across the planet. The dark red countries see the
highest rates of breast cancer, while the closer to white the color, there is an almost
complete absence of this disease.
Breast Cancer Rates Around The World.
This shows that breast cancer is a Westernized problem. All countries who eat a
Westernized diet, live a Westernized lifestyle and live a more Western life, have high rates
of breast cancer. It is a reasonable statement, then to say breast cancer must have specific
Western causes. We in fact DO know many of the known causes of breast cancer, we just
choose not to place any focus on them. So let’s change that.
Breast Cancer Causes
Despite all the hope and fanfare placed on breast cancer being caused by a gene, the
Breast Cancer Gene BRCA-1 only accounts for 5% of cases. The known causes of breast
cancer are:
- Smoking
- Mammography radiation (see Breast Cancer Causing or Preventing? Think Before Your Pink)
- Chemotherapy and radiation
- Perfumes and fragrance products
- Cosmetics and personal care products
- Drinking non-organic milk or eating non-organic dairy products
- Hydrogenated oils and trans fatty acids
- Home cleaning products, including laundry detergent, dryer sheets, etc.
- Plastic food containers – includes plastic lining inside food cans
- Sodium nitrite – found in most processed meats
- Pesticides, PCBs, chlorine and other chemicals
- Ways of Cooking Foods – processing, high heats, BBQing and frying form Acrylamides
- Lack of exercise
- Stress
- Refined sugars / refined grains
- Dry cleaning chemicals
- Hair color chemicals
- Nail polish remover
- High amount of animal products in the diet
- Being overweight

According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), household products, cosmetics,

pharmaceuticals and food all contain endocrine disrupting chemicals, which may be causing
significant increases in diabetes, obesity, cancers including breast and increasing infertility.
By knowing the causes, you can be aware and keep your body free from cancer causing
chemicals.

Personal Care products pose a significant risk. The vast majority of personal care products
on the market today haven’t been tested by any publicly accountable organization. This very
lack of regulation has led to companies using chemicals linked to and strongly suspected of
causing cancer, hormone imbalance, infertility, birth defects, learning disabilities, immune
system toxicity, organ damage, asthma, skin irritations and other harmful effects. To avoid
this, buy organic products. Organic products by nature are not allowed to contain any
chemicals or additives that are anything other then natural and safe.

Household products also pose a significant risk, in fact the inside of your home is more
toxic then the outside. This is because of all the toxic products we bring into our home and
use on a daily basis. Household Pesticides, including herbicides and pest-killing poisons
have been labeled as human carcinogens. A common chemical in pesticides, dichlorvos, is
associated with mammary tumors in rats and mice. Another, glyphosate, has been linked to
non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Find natural ways to get rid of pests and put your back into by
pulling your own weeds instead of depending on toxic chemicals to kill them for you.

A most common dry-cleaning chemical, Tetrachloroethylene (PERC), is a toxic chemical

that accumulates in body fat so remains in body for a long time. Studies have shown
women exposed to this chemical have an increased risk for breast cancer. Industrial
chemicals used in the production of detergents and other cleaning products contain a toxic
chemical called Alkylphenols. This harmful chemical is also found in personal care products,
especially hair products, and an active component in many spermicides. Alkylphenols are
endocrine disruptors that have been shown to alter mammary gland development in rats.
This is just a very short list of the cancer causing chemicals commonly found inside your
home, enough for you to get the picture! Buy natural, non toxic products and you can
significantly reduce your risk of breast cancer.
Now let’s look at the Prevention of Breast Cancer.
The best ways to prevent cancer are also holistic, meaning they focus on all areas of your
life and body simultaneously. The best ways to prevent breast cancer include:
- A good amount of Vitamin D and Sunshine
- Anti-cancer foods & diet
- Exercise
- Stress reduction
- Cleansing – Especially juice cleansing
- Infra-red saunas and sweat lodges – because sweating expels toxins, going along with
cleansing
- Therapeutic massage – helps move lymph and boosts circulation
- Omega-3 oils – healthy fats
- Acupuncture – helps move blood and chi (body’s energy)
- Deep breathing / oxygenation of the cells / stress reduction
- Yoga, Tai Chi or Pilates – These all boost lymph circulation
- Antioxidants
- A balanced pH

Diet is essential to the prevention of not only breast cancer, but all types of cancer.
Eliminating animal products, or at least substantially reducing them in amount and to
organic and lean, is right up at the top of the list for good reason! Women who eat a lot of
animal products have up to 8.5 times greater incidence of breast cancer. Animal products
with high amounts of unhealthy saturated fat, as well as other unhealthy fats coming from
processed and refined foods, increase your risk of breast cancer by 55-65%. While
inorganic foods can increase you risk by up to 27%. Combined this means that just by
making the switch to organic foods without unhealthy fats, your can decrease your risk by
up to 90%! Implementing an anti-cancer diet is the best approach to preventing all forms of
cancer, most especially breast.

The Anti-Cancer Diet:

- Organic Foods
- High Proportion of Raw Foods
- Organic Berries
- Organic cruciferous vegetables
- Low in saturated fat (animal products)
- High in good fats (chia, flax, hemp, virgin olive)
- High in fiber (the rough, outter layer of fruits and vegetables)
- Switching from red meat to fish, or better yet go vegetarian or vegan
- High in antioxidants
- Adding flax for fiber and healthy fats
- Low in alcohol
- Getting lots of sunshine
- Getting a good supply of probiotics
- Switching from coffee to green tea
- Low in processed and refined foods
- Low in sugar

Exercise:
Exercise is also important, not only does it keep your immune system strong to get rid of
rouge cells as soon as they appear, but it also reduces stress, oxygenates the body and
helps to balance pH. Woman who exercise 4 hours per week lower their risk of breast
cancer by 33%. Woman who exercise more then that, lower their risk even more until such
point exercise becomes overly strenuous in which case you can actually do more harm then
good.

Stress:
Stress is something fairly new to women in the last four decades, in the amount and
intensity of stress experienced. Now most women have the responsibilities of children,
relationships, career, making most of the purchasing decisions, doing more of the grocery
shopping and nutritional care of the family and so much more. There isn’t much women are
not responsible for these days!

Stress is a problem, though because it causes such unhealthy changes in your body and
mind. Stress increases your rate of breast cancer by up to 38%. The higher the stress, the
more aggressive the cancer one is likely to experiencing Balancing your life in better ways
and finding healthy ways of releasing the unchangeable stress is imperative to good health.
Overall Tips to Prevention of Breast Cancer
- Eat Organic Foods
- Use Organic Personal Care & Home Products
- Healthy Stress Reduction DAILY – Yoga, Meditation, Deep Breathing
- Daily Exercise
- Cleanse & Detox Your Body every 3-6 months
- Avoid plastics, containers and packaging lined with plastic. Use glass instead.
- Healthy amounts of Sunshine
- Don’t smoke or drink
- Reduce sugar, processed and refined foods

1. Myth: You need to drink 8 glasses of water everyday

A paper in a 2002 issue of the “American Journal of Physiology” found that, despite not
consuming 8 glasses of water, thousands of adults are healthy and not ill.

There are no federal guidelines that tell us how much water we should be drinking.
However, the latest guidelines from the Institute of Medicine recommends that most women
consume about 91 ounces (about 9 cups) of total water a day and Men about 125 ounces
(13 cups) a day. This total includes other beverages like coffee, tea, soda and milk as well
other foods (for example, one medium apple translates to about 6 ounces of fluid). A paper
in a 2002 issue of the “American Journal of Physiology” found that, despite not consuming 8
glasses of water, thousands of adults are healthy and not ill. In terms of how much water
you really need, it depends on your size, weight, age, activity level, and more.
A person weighing 70 kg requires at least ca. 1,750 ml (59 oz) water per day. Of this
amount ca. 650 ml is obtained by drinking, ca. 750 ml is the water contained in solid food,
and ca. 350 ml is oxidation water. If more than this amount is consumed by a healthy
person it is excreted by the kidneys, but in people with heart and kidney disease it may be
retained. Only 650 ml is obtained by drinking (2.5 glasses of water). The overall number
(1,750 ml – about 7.5 glasses of water) is where the misleading 8 glasses of water a day
originated.
2. Myth: If you’re thirsty, you’re dehydrated
Both children and adults over 50 have thirst mechanisms that are behind the normal healthy
population. Some people might be slower to recognize thirst and thus be at more risk of
becoming dehydrated (especially children, who lose water through increased activity and
sweat). But for normal healthy adults, thirst is an excellent indicator of hydration needs.
Although we’ve been told for years that by the time you’re thirsty you’re already dehydrated,
but if you are not thirsty it just means you have enough water in your system. But there are
some exceptions to this rule, people who exercise a lot need more water; so do people who
live or work in hot climates. Exercise blunts your thirst mechanism. You lose fluid so rapidly
that the brain can’t respond in time. In fact, a recent study from Maastricht University in the
Netherlands found that women lose more water during exercise than men. An hour before
you hit the gym, grab an extra 20 ounces to hydrate before you dehydrate. It takes 60
minutes for the liquid to travel from your gut to your muscles.
3. Myth: Drink water to cure constipation
In the book ‘Fiber Menace’, Konstantin talks on the false beliefs about constipation and the
role, water and fibre play in it. Eating fiber actually decreases bowel motility. Dietary fiber in
stools doesn’t retain water any better than other cellular components, except psyllium seeds
in laxatives (a mere 5% more). Also up to 75% of fiber, including insoluble fiber, gets
fermented by intestinal bacteria and doesn’t require any water. The remaining fiber gets all
the water it needs from up to seven litres of digestive juices, which are secreted daily inside
the alimentary canal. Water, actually, expands fiber four to five times its original volume and
weight, and makes obstruction even more likely.
The key to cure constipation is to eat an energy-rich meal with a high fat content that can
increase motility; carbohydrates and proteins have no effect. You’re better off eating a diet
with good fats like butter and ghee rather than drinking tons of water. Refer to this study.
4. Myth: Drinking water in-between meals is bad for digestion
There is no scientific evidence that indicates, drinking water between meals affect the
digestive process. At the most, it will probably fill you up and reduce your appetite for
dinner.
5. Myth: Everyone needs only a ‘certain’ amount of water
If you take multiple medications or rely on certain drugs like diuretics, antihistamines, and
some psychiatric prescriptions, your hydration needs might be greater than the average
person’s. Certain illnesses and health conditions also require you to drink more water;
among them fever, vomiting or diarrhea, bladder infections, and urinary tract stones. On the
other hand, conditions like heart failure or certain forms of kidney, liver, and adrenal
diseases that have an effect on water excretion may require you to limit your intake of fluids.
For instance, if you take over-the-counter or prescription painkillers containing ibuprofen
(Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol), it’s advisable to wash them
down with a large glass of water to help eliminate the drug from your kidneys.
6. Myth: Drink water for healthy skin
It is widely believed that since our body’s composition is 60% water, drinking a lot of water
will give you glowing skin. However, there is little evidence to support this idea. Healthy skin
is a result of many things, including diet, weather, pollution and genetics. Adding a few extra
glasses of water each day has limited effect. One study published in 2007 on the cosmetic
benefit of drinking water suggests that 500 ml of water increases capillary blood flow in the
skin. But it’s unclear whether these changes are clinically significant. The moisture level of
skin is not determined by internal factors. Instead, external factors such as skin cleansing,
the environment, the number of oil glands, and the functioning of these oil-producing glands
determine how dry the skin is or will become. The water that is consumed internally will not
reach the epidermis [the top layer of the skin]. Of course, if you are dehydrated, your skin
will suffer, but no research supports the assertion that over-hydrating will improve skin tone
or health.
7. Myth: Clear urine indicates hydration
If it’s completely clear, it just means you’re full to the brim; what’s going in is coming out. But
if it’s pale (like lemonade), you are in good shape. But if it’s dark (like apple cider), you need
to increase your intake of fluids.
8. Myth: You need sports drinks for physical activities.
Adequate fluid, especially water, is most important for athletes of all ages as it is the single
most important way the body has to transport nutrients and energy and remove heat during
exercise. A sports or vitamin beverage may taste better, but is not necessary for hydration.
That being said, people who run marathons or compete in highly strenuous activities may
need to supplement their water intake with sports drinks to offset the salt they lose due to
heavy sweating over long periods of time. But this doesn’t apply to most people who are
simply exercising to get fit at the gym or do moderate levels of physical activity.
Also if you’re a salty sweater (if you have white salt streaks on your face or clothes post-
run), you need to ingest some sodium. Salt helps you retain water and you’re less likely to
pee it out.
9. Myth: Drinking more water=Detox
Drinking water may increase your metabolic rate, but whether it’s enough to induce
significant weight loss is unclear.

You may urinate more when you drink lots of water, but this isn’t an indication that your
kidneys are working more effectively in clearing toxins from the body. Increased water
intake hasn’t been shown to improve the functioning of other organs, either, according to
the paper in the “Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.” There is no evidence that
suggests excess water makes your body cleaner. If anything, drinking too much water can
slightly impair the ability of the kidneys to filter blood. The only people who should drink
more water with a focus on their kidneys are those who have had kidney stones.
10. Myth: There’s nothing like drinking ‘too much’ water
You can drink too much water and it can be deadly. Too much water can cause
symptomatic hyponatremia, a condition where the sodium levels in the blood become
dangerously low. Although fewer than one percent of marathoners develop symptomatic
hyponatremia, certain groups are more prone to it, including smaller runners; those who
finish marathons in more than four hours; and those who do a significant amount of walking
and running in cooler weather (when your sweat rate isn’t as intense as it is on warm days).
For recreational runners, the best way to prevent hyponatremia is to listen to your thirst.
11. Myth: Water helps in losing weight
Many weight-loss gurus suggest drinking water before a meal to squelch your hunger.
Drinking water may increase your metabolic rate, but whether it’s enough to induce
significant weight loss is unclear. A study published in the “Journal of Clinical Endocrinology
and Metabolism” in 2007 found that just 16 ounces of water increased metabolism by 24
percent for one hour. Over the course of a day, this could add up to about 95 extra calories
burned, if you drink about 75 ounces, or two litres, every day. Although there is a boost in
calorie burn, it’s probably not enough to curb obesity.
12. Myth: Staying hydrated eliminates risk of heat stroke
Recent research shows that caffeine doses between 250 and 300 milligrams (about
two cups of coffee) will minimally increase urine output for about three hours after
consuming it.

Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition where your body temperature rises above 104°F.
Dehydration can make you more prone to it. People who are dehydrated are hotter. In fact,
in a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training, every one percent of body mass lost
through sweat, your body temperature increases by half a degree, which makes hydration
hugely important for preventing heat stroke. But there are still a number of other factors that
play a role. Body size, exercise intensity, fitness level, and age as well as humidity and air
temperature can affect who does or doesn’t develop heat stroke. Staying hydrated is good
and can reduce your risk, but paying attention to the whole picture is a better predictor.
13. Myth: Bottled water is best
Apart from being environmentally unsustainable, bottled waters carry many hazards. City
tap water much better because it is tested every few hours, while the sources for bottled
water are tested just once per week. Bottled water comes at a premium and is usually sold
in plastic bottles that leach toxins, especially when left out in the heat of the day. If you are
concerned about the quality of your tap water, install a filter or use a pitcher that filters water
for you. When you’re on the go, carry water in stainless steel bottles.
14. Myth: I can’t get dehydrated while swimming
You’re actually more likely to become dehydrated when you spend an extended period of
time in the pool or the ocean. Part of the reason is psychological; when you come out of the
pool, the last thing you want to look at is a glass of water. But physiologically, thirst is
controlled by the volume of blood at the center of the body. So when the brain senses a lack
of blood at your core, you reach for your glass. But water in the pool, not the bottle creates
a hydrostatic pressure that pushes blood from your skin to the center of your body, tripping
up the system.
15. Myth: Caffeine dehydrates
While the caffeine in some energy drinks, coffee, and tea might have a mild diuretic effect,
studies do not show they increase the risk of dehydration. Recent research shows that
caffeine doses between 250 and 300 milligrams (about two cups of coffee) will minimally
increase urine output for about three hours after consuming it. But the research also shows
that exercise seems to negate those effects. If you run within one to two hours of drinking
coffee, you don’t pee more. Most likely, during exercise, blood flow shifts toward your
muscles and away from your kidneys, so urine output isn’t affected. In addition, if you
always have a latte in the morning or a soda at lunch, your body is acclimated to the
caffeine, so its effect, on both your physiology and performance, is minimal.
How to start running to lose weight

feel confident about their bodies.

She firmly believes in the concept of “bioindividuality” which is the awareness of one’s
specific health and diet needs based on their body composition and lifestyle. After
graduating from Harvard University and doing her MBA from the prestigious Kellogg School
of Management at Northwestern University, she completed a full-year program to become a
Certified Health Coach/ Certified Holistic Nutritionist from the Institute for Integrative
Nutrition.

CureJoy had the privilege to interview the ever “effervescent” Megan to get some valuable
insights on what are the common pitfalls, precautions and expectations for anyone who
wishes to adopt Running as a means to achieve their Health goals. Here are some excerpts
from the discussion:

Q: Do you notice a trend to lose weight quickly, without working on the

“real” factors of diet and lifestyle?
Yes, I do often see potential clients who are looking for a “quick fix.” Our culture today is
built upon instant gratification, and if there is an easy way to do something, people are
excited to take advantage of it. While I’m all about automating things in our businesses or
day-to-day lives, when it comes to our bodies and our health, it is a completely different
story.

Any diet pill or magic weight loss solution on the market is simply too good to be true, and in
many cases, can be dangerous. True, healthy weight loss does not have to be difficult – in
fact, I work with my clients to make only one simple change every single week, so it never
feels overwhelming – but it does not happen overnight. For most people, a healthy range of
weight loss is around 1-2 pounds per week. For those with a higher total amount of weight
to lose, it’s often possible to lose faster than that, but most diets that offer immediate weight
loss will lead to re-gaining after the individual comes off of the diet.

I always tell people to be patient with themselves – it took your body a while to put on the
weight, so it’s OK if it takes several weeks, or even months, to lose it. If you are doing it in a
way that is healthy, sustainable, and doesn’t feel restrictive, it will definitely be worth it.

Q: Being an avid runner yourself, do you feel that overall fitness, and not
weight loss, should be the long term goal of any regimen?
If an individual is just looking to lose weight, there are far easier ways to do it than signing
up to run a marathon or other long-distance race. In fact, many people who run marathons
end up gaining weight during training! (I talk about the topic in this blog post).

If done carefully, though, people can sign up for and train for running races while losing
weight! In these cases, the motivation of completing the distance successfully is often very
helpful to continuing the weight loss journey. I think the overall answer depends on the
person’s starting place and goals – if you only want to lose weight, I would recommend a
different training regimen; if you want to lose weight and run, you can do it – carefully!; if
your main goal is the running, then I recommend focusing on overall fitness rather than
weight loss.

Q: What the common pitfalls of jumping on the “weight loss”

bandwagon with gusto and over enthusiasm?
Unfortunately, I see many beginning runners think that they need to run every single day, or
that their pace should improve on every single run, or that every run needs to be a further
distance than the previous run. In almost all of these cases, the runner will end up either
injured or burned out mentally, and will stop running before completing the program.

Injuries like runner’s knee, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and shin splints are all
common in runners who try to do too much too soon. The injuries extend to other forms of
exercise, too. When starting an exercise program, I always advise people to start slowly,
build gradually, and most importantly, listen to your body.

Q: Would you stress a bit on why you feel “bio individuality” has to be
the crux of our health finding mission?
This is one of my favorite questions to be asked, and also one of the reasons people wind
up so confused about nutrition in general. Many of my clients who come to me for health
coaching feel so overwhelmed by the conflicting nutritional research that gets published,
and can’t figure out which path to follow for themselves.

For example, on any given day, you might see a study that touts the benefits of a “Paleo”-
type diet, which is often heavy on meat, and a study that demonstrates increased health
and longevity of those who follow a vegan diet (with no animal products). How is this
possible? Simply put, it’s all about balance, and finding out what works for a person’s
unique body chemistry, preferences, and lifestyle. If there were one “perfect solution” to the
diet conundrum, we would not have so many best-selling books, flashy news articles, and
more – these often exist because the authors have found something that works for them
and they think can be applied to the rest of the world.

Some people might thrive on a diet that makes others feel terrible, and the only way to
determine this is through self experimentation. There are a few things that I think are
beneficial to everyone (namely, water, vegetables, and some form of movement), but aside
from that, each person is different.

Q: People today are adopting diets based on hearsay. What advice

would you like to give to them?
Like I said above, it is all about finding the unique balance that works for your body. It is a
great thing to pay attention to nutritional research and learn about health trends, but the
most important thing is to absorb all the information available and choose the pieces that
work for each individual.

I am a big proponent of self-experimentation – if you read a study that sounds intriguing,

why not try that on yourself for a few weeks and notice how you feel? Pay attention to
things like digestion, energy levels, cravings, satiation, exercise performance, and more. If
you need guidance, working with a health coach or other trained professional is often a
great place to start.

When I work with my clients, I can help them sort through the research and trends, guide
them to feel their best, and provide motivation and accountability along the way.