Weight loss at menopause (without gaining it again)

Weight loss at menopause (without gaining it again)

What 99% of people don’t understand (I’ve seen it personally) is that intensive sport doesn’t guarantee a great figure.

If you do pushups, a marathon, or a stationary bike every day, you will of course lose fat.

But you're not necessarily going to become like Claudia Schiffer.

Your muscles and bones will grow. Your biceps and calves will swell. Depending on the sport you choose, you could:

• option 1: develop a muscular and stocky silhouette of a trucker
• option 2: become dry with protruding muscles like a tennis or running champion.

But it is not always the most effective or the most harmonious way to lose weight.

Advertising lie

In the television commercials, you see women who have a super flat and muscular belly, plump buttocks without a bit of fat, not even at the top of the thighs, magnificent breasts, both voluminous and firm… and you suggest that it is only sport (and Contrex or Volvic mineral water) that produced this result.

It’s making fun of the world.

Not only are 100% of the images you see today on TV, in the cinema or on advertising posters retouched by computer.

But it’s not the secret anyway.

It is true that, often, the “coaches” in the gym clubs have a very beautiful silhouette.

But don't be fooled: it was generally because they had a beautiful body and a lot of energy at the start that they turned to this profession and that they were recruited. To make customers want. To make them believe that, with the payment of their membership fee to the gym, they too can become like that easily.

But above all it’s commercial.

Sport, of course, helps to maintain them and to achieve an even better result.

But basically, these women have a secret, which I will reveal to you.

The secret in 11 letters

This secret is in 11 letters.

It’s a complicated word.

Most people who use it don't understand its meaning, even among those with medical training.

These 11 letters are M-E-T-A-B-O-L-I-S-M-E. "Metabolism".

"Metabolism" is the term used in medicine for all of the chemical reactions that keep an organism alive.

The metabolism is divided into two parts:

• Catabolism, or the production of body heat and energy by destroying the nutrients provided by your diet. It is catabolism that allows you to move, warm-up, and even think (the brain needs energy just like a muscle).
• Anabolism, or the making of all the compounds that cells need. It is anabolism that makes it possible to make and renew the tissues of your body: skin, organs, bones, muscles, etc. You have certainly heard of athletes who take "anabolic" products for doping. These are products that stimulate the production of muscle and bone tissue.

So, to stay alive, your body constantly needs to burn nutrients to produce heat and energy (catabolism) and to build new bricks to develop or renew itself (anabolism).

Together, catabolism and anabolism, therefore, form metabolism.

And here is where I was coming from:

Your metabolism accounts for around 70% of your total energy expenditure. A physical activity represents only 20% of your energy expenditure, and the remaining 10% corresponds to the energy consumed during digestion.

But you will see that the world is really unfair.

See how the world is unfair!

Some people, especially younger people, have a naturally high metabolism. They naturally have a lot of energy (good catabolism) and their tissues renew themselves quickly and well (good anabolism).

They are generally the most attractive people.

Not only are they more active and have a naturally firmer body.

But on top of that, no matter what they eat, they don't gain weight, even if they don't play sports.

You will also notice that these people, less chilly than the others, are perfectly comfortable in short clothes, even when everyone shivers.

You necessarily know some around you. People who, in the canteen or in the company restaurant, never miss a dessert.

Who are barefoot in their shoes, wear plunging necklines and mini skirts in winter.

Who do gymnastics only for "fun", from time to time, to have fun with friends, and who are not overweight?

Who are always alert and sparkling, as if they were vaccinated against low morale and low energy.

The explanation, you know it now: there is no miracle behind.

They are simply people who naturally have a high level of metabolism.

What they eat, they immediately transform into heat, energy, and to renew their cells (skin, hair, muscles ...) and stay young.

They have no particular merit. They were born like that. And they have no effort to do day by day.

But the birth inequality they enjoy goes even further.

Fewer diseases thanks to better metabolism

Better metabolism not only keeps you slim but also prevents many serious illnesses.

Indeed, a large belly increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension.

Being overweight also increases your risk of dyslipidemia (abnormal lipid levels in the blood), sleep disorders (apnea), or osteoarthritis because your joints are overloaded, especially in the hips and knees.

You are more likely to suffer from certain cancers, in particular cancers linked to the digestive system (cancer of the colon, gallbladder, pancreas, liver, kidney).

Finally, recent studies have linked overweight to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, that is, those that attack your brain cells and nerves.

Weak metabolism is not only suffering from a lack of energy, a tendency to overweight, and often chilliness. It’s also a higher risk of getting sick.

How to increase your metabolism naturally

Now, it is well known that your metabolic level can also be boosted by particular nutrients.

You know several: there is caffeine, which increases fat burning by up to 29% by its simple ability to boost metabolism.

Caffeine increases the body's production of heat (thermogenesis). You take off a layer of clothing because you burn more calories. A study published in 2012 has shown that a dose of 1 to 3 mg of caffeine per kg of body mass, the equivalent of 60 and 225 mg of caffeine for an adult of 60 to 75 kg, increases thermogenesis and therefore l of fat.

You will also realize this because caffeine makes you more alert, increases your speed of mind, which has been scientifically demonstrated once again in a large study I have already told you about. This effect is obtained by stimulating the functioning of the brain (the brain is our biggest consumer of glucose).

But caffeine also has a stimulating effect on muscles: if you drink a lot of coffee, your muscles will want to move so much that, if you don't ask them, they will start to tremble, in other words, move on their own!

This is why coffee is today recognized as effective against weight gain.

And that's not all: because it also accelerates anabolism (cell renewal), it helps prevent diseases as diverse as diabetes, certain cancers, and Alzheimer's disease.

Finally, note that caffeine, contrary to what has often been wrongly said, does not pose any health hazard. Today there is complete consensus among serious researchers. So much so that the health authorities themselves no longer hesitate to recommend drinking 5 or more cups a day!

Green tea for a flat stomach

Another well-known metabolic stimulant is green tea:

Several studies have shown that green tea helps you lose weight, especially in your stomach.

In a large 12-week study of 240 subjects of both sexes, it was found that green tea significantly reduced body fat, waist circumference, and overweight abdomen.

Green tea also contains a little caffeine, but the main effect is due to another compound, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

You know about ECGC because it is an important anti-cancer nutrient, which I talk about regularly. However, a meta-analysis carried out in 2010 showed that ECGCs of up to 250 mg per day have an interest in weight loss and maintenance.

Other studies have shown that green tea increases energy expenditure, which allows calories and more specifically fat to be burned more quickly. One study found that fat oxidation increased by 17% in people who had consumed green tea.

The majority of studies show that green tea extracts are also effective in controlling blood sugar and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease linked to overweight.

Put the odds on your side

Do not dream, however.

Drinking coffee and green tea, however beneficial, will not be enough to change your metabolism at all.

This is why I recommend a complex of targeted natural nutrients which, in addition to containing concentrated extracts of caffeine and ECGC of green tea, brings you a dose of two other stimulating natural products (and much less known), capsaicin and, above all, fucoxanthin.

Very few people know about fucoxanthin, which comes from the brown alga Undaria pinnatifida, or wakame, widely used in Japan.

However, a study published in December 2009 showed that fucoxanthin affects several enzymes involved in fat metabolism and causes an increase in the production of energy from lipids. You, therefore, consume your body fat faster.

Japanese researchers have also shown that fucoxanthin stimulates the production of a protein, UCP1, which can oxidize fats and promote their breakdown, which can lead to a weight loss of 5 to 10%. They have also been shown to stimulate the liver's production of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), a fatty acid from the omega-3 family, which is excellent for heart health.

Two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have tested the effect of fucoxanthin on 150 overweight women. The subjects were followed for 16 weeks. In the first trial, the fucoxanthin supplemented group lost an average of 7 kg, compared to only 1.5 kg in the placebo group. In the second study, the metabolic level of people taking fucoxanthin was significantly higher than that of subjects taking placebo.

Capsaicin is a little better known. Found in chili peppers, it has the unique ability to stimulate the production of a very special form of healthy fats, the "brown fats" that burn calories and to accelerate the elimination of white fats ("bad fats ”).

According to a study published in 2010, capsaicin activates the specific proteins that are responsible for burning fat and suppresses those that are responsible for their storage.

Several studies have also shown that capsaicin increases energy expenditure. The increased secretion of adrenaline and norepinephrine from capsaicin may be responsible for this stimulating effect.

Capsaicin also has an appetite suppressant effect. According to the researchers, the consumption of capsaicin could decrease by approximately 74 kcal the number of calories consumed from an unlimited meal. This property is given to it by its ability to reduce the production of ghrelin, a hormone that triggers the feeling of hunger.

4 concentrated nutrients to boost metabolism

To sum up, we have here 4 concentrated nutrients to stimulate metabolism: caffeine, ECGC, fucoxanthin, and capsaicin.

Their first effect is to improve the energy production of the body and to promote the proper functioning and renewal of cells.

It is therefore relatively to your energy level, your morale, and your health that you will first feel the consequences.

But as the scientific maxim says, in nature "nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed".

If you have more energy, it will not be by magic. The fact is that your body will consume more nutrients, both for its catabolism and its anabolism (which together make up the metabolism, you understand that by now).

You can, therefore, expect weight loss, regardless of your physical activity, whether or not you do "more sport".

It's up to you, of course, to decide whether or not you want to try the experience. The purpose of this letter is not to push anyone to use it. The goal is to re-establish an essential truth, which is so important that I allow myself to repeat it again:

Physical activity, essential for health, accounts for only 20% of your energy consumption. 70% is related to your metabolism. It is the energy your body needs to stay warm, to provide your brain and organs with the energy and nutrients to function, but also simply to exist (live, repair, renew).

It is, therefore, necessary to stop giving bad conscience to people who suffer from a naturally low metabolism (and to overly value those who have a naturally high metabolism).

To be constructive, solutions must be provided. This is what I tried to do in this letter. And I would be very grateful to all readers who try to follow these tips to keep me posted on the results they will get. This will benefit the whole community.

For those of you who wish to obtain a supplement to stimulate the metabolism, the Cell’innov laboratory offers a Slimming formula (clickable link) combining caffeine, green tea, fucoxanthin, and capsaicin.

Cheers!

What people don't understand about the sun

What people don't understand about the sun

A hat, sunglasses, long sleeves, full screen for excess skin, stay in the shade, and even indoors from noon to 4 p.m.

This is how we think we protect ourselves from SKIN CANCER.

But this program will not only spoil the fun of summer and vacation. It is also bad for health.

You should know the following.

Know the real risk of dying from skin cancer

There is a lot of talk about skin cancer because its frequency has doubled every 10 years since 1945.

It sounds huge, but, at the same time:

• out of 60 million French people, 1,672 people died in 2012 from skin cancer.

That is 1,612 people too many. But that's compared to the 150,000 who die from other types of cancer; and also the 130,000 who die from heart disease.

Why is it important to make a comparison?

One does not prevent the other you say. But, precisely, if: because going out into the fresh air and sunbathing is an essential means of reducing your heart risk and preventing other types of cancer.

I will tell you more about it later, but here is a quick example. We know that stress, physical inactivity, overweight, alcohol, and tobacco are major causes of heart disease and cancer. So :

• if you are stressed due to skin cancer;
• if you give up outdoor activity to avoid it, or,
• even worse, if you stay at home and it makes you want to eat junk food to pass the time, have a drink or smoke a cigarette while waiting for the time arrives when you can again go out in the sun in complete security…

You are making a VERY VERY BAD CHOICE !!!!

It is much more important for you to REDUCE YOUR CARDIAC RISK and your cancer risk FOR ALL CATEGORIES than to focus on preventing skin cancer.

Most skin "cancers" are not dangerous

Skin cancer, like all cancers, must be taken very seriously. This means that it is important to consult a doctor when you observe a strange spot or lump on your skin and in particular a non-healing wound, a persistent or changing appearance of a pimple or crust.

However, out of the 80,000 to 90,000 new cases of skin cancer diagnosed each year in France, 85% concern carcinomas, not melanomas.

This distinction is crucial. Because carcinomas ARE CURE. Most are not even dangerous at all. They are called "basal cell carcinomas".

Basal cell carcinomas

80% of carcinomas, called basal cell carcinomas, cannot kill.

This type of carcinoma usually develops on a surface of the skin exposed to the sun such as the wings of the nose, the eyelids, or the neck, generally in the elderly (over 75 years).

The first sign is often a small red, pink or pearly, dome-shaped dot that appears on previously normal skin. It evolves very slowly and NEVER produces metastases. It doesn't kill, it's that simple. On the other hand, if left untreated, it will continue to develop locally and can cause damage to neighboring structures. For example, basal cell carcinoma on the face can erode and damage the nose or ear.

Any suspicious skin lesion or lump must, therefore, be SEEN BY A PHYSICIAN.

But you can read in full on the website of the National Cancer Institute (INCa), about basal cell carcinomas, so the vast majority of skin cancers, that it:

"Just remove them surgically to ensure healing" because "they evolve slowly and do not cause distant lesions (metastases).”

This statement is exaggerated, and perhaps even intended to please cosmetic surgeons. Because of the cancer is misplaced, the surgeon may leave an ugly scar. According to a cancer specialist whom I questioned especially on this question, “the ideal to cure is contact radiotherapy, with one to three sessions of electrotherapy; healing is obtained without a scar. "

Surgical treatment can almost always be performed in an outpatient setting in the doctor's office or in a clinic. Local anesthesia will be used for most procedures. The pain and discomfort are usually minimal and the patient rarely suffers afterward.

I told you that these carcinomas represent 80% of the cases. The remaining 20% ​​are more aggressive, and called “squamous cell carcinomas”:

Squamous cell carcinomas (or squamous cell carcinomas)

20% of carcinomas are squamous cell carcinomas (also called squamous cell carcinomas): this type of carcinoma usually develops on the face - most often on or around the ears or lips. However, any area of ​​the skin can be affected.

It usually starts out as a small crust or scaly area with a red or pink base. It can develop into a tumor that can look like a wart. Squamous cell carcinoma can form a suppurative sore (ulcer) or bleed periodically. It must then be treated, otherwise it can spread to the underlying tissues and disfigure the patient.

But don't panic. Also according to the National Cancer Institute:

“Squamous cell carcinomas are rarer and can metastasize. They are however easily curable in most cases thanks to early detection allowing surgical treatment.”

But then again, according to a famous oncologist, "non-aggressive, well-targeted radiotherapy can heal without leaving a scar, no more than a slightly depigmented area of ​​skin. "

That's why it's worth going to the doctor if you see something weird on your skin.

The treatment, as for basal cell carcinoma, will be done with simple local anesthesia, without long-term pain.

So if you exercise a little caution and common sense, you won't die from carcinoma.

The third category of skin cancer is the rarest, and it is it that is formidable: it is melanoma.

Melanoma

The most feared skin cancer is melanoma. He's the real dirty kid in the skin cancer family.

Melanomas are cancers of the cells that make the pigments that make people tan and are called "melanocytes". Melanocyte means "cell producing black". (from "means", black, and "cyte", cell in Greek).

It generally appears on a perfectly healthy skin surface and develops gradually in the form of a small pigmented spot, around 15 to 20% of cases from a simple mole.

There are 11,000 cases of melanoma in France each year. Most, detected early, heal thanks to a surgical operation that allows the lesion to be removed under anesthesia.

However, a minority of melanomas (around 15%) are detected too late, when they have already metastasized that even chemotherapy can no longer treat. The consequence is then the death of the patient.

The real role of the sun in melanoma

As with all serious illnesses, there are multiple factors that interact to disturb the immune system and cause cancer: diet, toxins, stress, poor sleep, etc.

There are also environmental factors and, among these, there is no doubt that sunburn is a recognized cause of melanoma, especially in children who are repeatedly exposed and have no skin had time to prepare.

However, the medical journal The Lancet also published vital information in 2004 but was never taken up in the mainstream media or by the health authorities, perhaps for fear of blurring the message for the public, which is still considered a bit simplistic.

And this crucial information is that melanoma, unlike carcinomas, is RARE in people regularly exposed to the sun!

Let me repeat this because it is very important and it should be clear: yes, the sun causes melanoma when you take too much at once and you are not used to it. However, regular exposure to the sun, without excess, REDUCES THE RISK OF MELANOMA.

People who work in offices have more melanomas than people who work outside.

It should also be noted that melanoma does not necessarily appear on the areas of the skin exposed to the sun.

The British Medical Journal confirmed this information, explaining that the sun factor, indisputable for carcinomas, HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A MAJOR CAUSE OF MELANOMA.

Sun can cut your risk of dying in half

More than 200 epidemiological studies have confirmed the link between the lack of vitamin D and the risk of cancer.

According to a study by international vitamin D expert Dr. William Grant, 30% of cancer deaths could be prevented by better vitamin D intakes, which would represent 2 million lives saved each year worldwide.

According to Dr. Cédric Garland, of the School of Medicine at the University of California in San Diego (United States), a specialist in vitamin D that he has studied for 30 years, 600,000 cases of breast cancer and cancer colorectal could be avoided worldwide each year by better vitamin D intakes

Optimizing your vitamin D level could help prevent 16 types of cancer, the most dangerous of which, pancreatic cancer and lung cancer.

A large randomized, placebo-controlled study has found that vitamin D, combined with calcium, can decrease the overall risk of cancer by up to 60% in women after menopause.

Women with fair skin who get a lot of sun over the long term have less risk of developing invasive breast cancer, which extends beyond the breast, according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

As you know, the sun is your best source of vitamin D. You can safely manufacture 20,000 IU of vitamin D per day, by exposing yourself widely (two-thirds of the surface of your skin), for example, 3 sessions 20 minutes.

20,000 IU is huge. This is a hundred times more than the 200 IU set as the daily dose recommended by the authorities in Europe. And in no case do you risk overdosing because your body naturally regulates your production of vitamin D under the effect of the sun so that it never reaches a dangerous level.

But the good news about the sun does not stop there.

Researchers recently discovered another benefit of the sun: when you are in the sun, your blood nitric oxide levels go up. This results in a decrease in your blood pressure.

According to Richard Weller, a dermatology researcher who has studied the health effects of the sun, the sun could, therefore, be an effective way to fight hypertension.

Of course, all these beneficial effects of the sun will not take place if you spread your sunscreen.

What you need is to expose yourself for up to 20 minutes when the sun is high in the sky.

To prepare your skin, you can take a dietary supplement of astaxanthin, a protective red antioxidant, algae extract.

In case of sunburn, apply an aloe vera cream on your skin.

Above all, take advantage of the warm weather to fill up on vitamin D and nitric oxide. Note that, without anyone really knowing why, the sun has a pain-relieving effect and greatly improves morale.

So rejoice when the sun is shining and a big blue sky stretches over your head. If you see a sore or progressively sore or lump on your skin, of course, go to the doctor. But above all, no paranoia: by taking advantage of the sunny weather, you will reduce your risk of all diseases combined (especially cancer and heart disease, but also osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, and depression), much more than you will increase your risk of dying from skin cancer.

This remains true as long as you avoid sunburn and burns.

Cheers!

Coronavirus: Do the Chinese Remember Chinese Medicine?

Coronavirus: Do the Chinese Remember Chinese Medicine?

Thoughts on the coronavirus, which you will not read anywhere else

On Tuesday, February 11, the number of new cases of coronavirus infection fell for the second consecutive time. 

This is the lowest number of new infections in the past two weeks.

According to information from the Chinese National Health Commission, there were 2015 new infections, against 3900 per day last week.

This is a decrease of almost 50% in the number of daily injections.

The World Health Organization estimates that it is far too early to deduce that the peak of the epidemic has been crossed.

This morning, Thursday, February 13, we are told that the number of dead and those affected have “jumped”! Over 14,000 patients! But it is actually because the calculation system has changed! One counts from now on as patients of the coronavirus all the people who present symptoms of infection during an X-ray of the lungs, without even the virus being detected !!

We no longer know who to believe.

However, I still think that the fear of a coronavirus-related apocalypse was not justified. For the record, this virus has killed 1,200 in a month and a half, knowing that there are 3,000 deaths every day in China due to respiratory infections (caused by other viruses and by intense air pollution ).

Brutal police repression

Namely, moreover, that a large part of these new infections with coronavirus does not occur because of the epidemic itself, but because of the aberrant measures taken by the Authorities to confine thousands of people in hospitals built-in emergency - and praised in the Western press as the very example of the “Chinese miracle”.

The Chinese police, in fact, look for people with symptoms of fever or respiratory infection, who very often have nothing to do with the coronavirus, and force them into these “wonderful hospitals” which would in fact be internment camps. 

This is how the virus spreads among many people who would have been spared if they had stayed at home.

The truth about the hospital built in ten days

"- Realize, my little lady! In China, they build a hospital with a thousand beds in ten days! Wherewith us, it would take 20 years! All the same, the dictatorship sometimes has good! ”’

Newspapers around the world tout the performance. A "Chinese miracle," they exclaim.

In reality, these hospitals may well be a disaster, helping to spread the disease.

According to a study that has just appeared in JAMA, one of the high-level reference medical journals: 

"From an epidemiological point of view, it seems that the disease is of nosocomial origin for 41% of patients ..."

"Nosocomial origin" is an opaque expression to say that 41% of new cases catch the disease in hospitals which are real breeding grounds.

According to a commentary on this study published in the International Journal of Medicine on February 11, 2020:

“This importance of nosocomial infections could also reflect the specificities of the Chinese health system, in this case, the almost systematic recourse to the hospital as soon as the slightest suspicion of infection (due to insufficient city medicine), hence a multiplication of nosocomial infections, even at the current stage of the epidemic. ” 

Treatment, or confinement?

One concern that we may have, in any case, is that these "hospitals" (because there is going to be a second one) are not so much intended to care for the sick as to lock them up.

The images published are not necessarily reassuring for the people who will be interned in these rooms:

Because the Chinese authorities rarely back down from physical violence.

Journalist Fang Bing has disappeared, arrested by the police, after having disseminated frightful images of panic prevailing in these hospitals presented as “models” by the Chinese regime and the Western media. Another journalist, Chen Qiushi, also disappeared after criticizing the measures taken by the Chinese authorities.

No technical prowess behind these “hospitals” built in a hurry

For non-connoisseurs (like me), building such a hospital in a few days is nevertheless a feat.

However, information is taken from an expert, the architect Juan Herreros, from the Polytechnic School of Madrid, a specialist in these prefabricated constructions:

"There is no technical feat."

“They are prefabricated nested one inside the other. The armies of many countries have had these resources since the end of the Second World War ”. 

These are military infrastructures, used in conflict zones for "various" uses.

Come back, Lao-Tzu, they have gone crazy !!

Still, if the battle against the coronavirus is not over yet, it will have had the merit of revealing that the sound principles of Chinese medicine are as trampled on as human rights in China.

“Fainted, traditional Chinese medicine and its millennial wisdom. Evacuated, the ancient Taoist philosopher and his extraordinary methods of global health ”, choked my colleague Yves Rasir in his last letter on this subject, which I recommend you read. 

Clearly, Chinese leaders no longer believe in needles, energies, Yin and Yang, medicinal herbs.

However, their alignment with the vision (and interests) of the large pharmaceutical industry is now perfect.

This will undoubtedly be a great lesson that can be drawn from this sad event.

Cheers!

How the media shapes female beauty

How the media shapes female beauty

Help! This world is going crazy

Dear reader,

At my age (I won't tell you which one…), we have seen the decades go by, the fashions succeed one another.

Female beauty, in particular, has changed standards in my life like never before in human history - at least, it seems to me.

Watch Kim Kardashian, the star of the moment:

Isn't it extraordinary, for "old people" like us who knew the glory of Claudia Schiffer !!!

Remember ...

For us, Claudia Schiffer was the embodiment of absolute female beauty. His legs, his eyes, his hair, his hands ... We thought it was normal for the whole world to admire him. What do you want? She had "everything" !!!

Claudia Schiffer crushed by Kim Kardashian

Well, imagine that Claudia Schiffer, in all of her glory and fame, never came close to Kim Kardashian’s current popularity.

In terms of admirers, "followers" on Facebook or Twitter, he is a dwarf compared to Kim Kardashian.

In financial terms, almost a tramp! In her entire career, she earned 43 million, while Kim Kardashian's only mobile video game earned her $ 72 million in 2016 alone.

We live in a crazy world.

But remember again ...

The Kate Moss phenomenon and the Britney Spears shock

Between these two “icons” with opposite styles, we had the phenomenon of Kate Moss, which already surprised us: instead of a “beautiful plant” with harmonious shapes like those of Claudia Schiffer or Cyndy Crawford, which was flourishing at the same time, we were told that the last chic was, in fact, extreme thinness, borderline (or downright) anorexic:

Which is not to say that she didn't have a crazy charm or at least a fascinating beauty.

But the real surprise, for us elders, was when we discovered in the 90s who was the new idol of young people.

The famous Britney Spears:

Undeniably, a certain "limit" had been crossed.

I'm not saying that she doesn't have beautiful thighs (you only see that!) Or that she is not, in a way, exciting for some.

But all the same, it was around this time that I started to feel like an endangered dinosaur, in a world that had evolved faster than me, and that I couldn't follow completely.

Maybe I was the only one, I don't know ...

But OK…

After Britney Spears, then Lady Gaga, we entered a new era where the notion of "female beauty" no longer had the same meaning.

For "normal" women - if I still have the right to use this term - it had become impossible to compete with people supported by armies of technicians to assure them their ever more extreme look.

But the unfair competition worsened, since soon, no more photos, then no more films, came out without each image being methodically retouched by computer, to accentuate such a curve here, erase such imperfection there, modify slightly, but significantly, eye color, hair volume or lip shape…

We got to the case of Angelina Jolie, who happened to be both a star (and a mom) in real life… and, at the same time, a video game creature (Lara Croft) !!

Then there was the race for cosmetic surgery, so much so that we now read in the headlines that a woman may have died during an operation to enlarge her behind, or men would die in operations even more improbable, the lengthening of a part of their body that I let you guess.

But we were not at the end of our surprises ...

Today, articles are flourishing, especially on websites, according to which the new fashion, the greatest chic, is now to choose an entirely artificial companion or companion, made of a metal skeleton and silicone flesh.

You can "order" your favorite star, your ideal partner, who meets all your criteria from the catalog, and even offer it as a Christmas present. We are told that it is fantastic, more true than life, we are promised that they will soon be able to speak, to react, to animate!

We can now buy the star Justin Bieber as a silicone doll to have it at home.

I stop there, we are too far from natural health, and it is starting to taste bad.

But where it ties in with our concerns is that humanity seems to no longer know where to turn.

Health, a state of general equilibrium, including on an emotional level

Health, as defined by the WHO (World Health Organization), is a state of fullness, of satisfaction, especially on the emotional level.

We are not in perfect mental and emotional health when we are far from the ideal of balance, health, and therefore beauty, of our time.

So I prefer to be completely transparent.

When I talk, in Santé Nature Innovation, about being good, feeling good, having beautiful skin, a beautiful body, beautiful hair in full health, I am referring to the models… of my youth.

It may be completely out of place today.

But I have to be honest with you. My style is rather Claudia Schiffer, or even ... even older.

Who remembers, for example, the delicious Colleen Corby, who made all the covers of fashion magazines in the 70s?

I can't tell you why ... but for me, that's more, natural life, the art of healthy living.

Of course, not everyone has that body, and there are as many ways to be beautiful ... as there are women.

But when I talk to my children to take care of their bodies, to respect their natural needs to be happy and healthy, to exercise to stay in shape, it is rather this model that I have on your mind.

Afterward, no one has to follow me. You have to live with the times, too! And who knows what will come after Kim Kardashian?

Very often, history repeats itself, turns in circles, and after a few excesses, returns to the starting point!

Cheers!

The enemies of natural health

The enemies of natural health

Why they want us so much

Our time is champion, as we know, in the fight against discrimination, hatred, and oppression.

But there is a category of people who can be caricatured, disparaged without any risk.

People who never benefit from the slightest movement of political or media solidarity.

These people are us, the proponents of natural health and alternative medicine.

Haro on the amber necklace

I am finishing an article from Figaro Santé on amber necklaces, an innocent tradition if any.

The journalist talks about it as if it were a scourge that could destroy the populations. Parents who put amber necklaces on their children are not only, she explains, stupid people, enemies of Science, religious, obscurantists. No, that is not enough: it must be suggested that they are also potential assassins.

Yes, murderers.

Under what pretext?

On the pretext that children risk dying of strangulation because of the necklaces.

It does not matter that the figure she quotes (30 deaths per year) does not specifically relate to amber necklaces worn for health reasons. This is the indicative number of deaths by all types of necklaces, including adults. It does not put forward any evidence that, for the past forty years, only one child has died from strangulation by an amber necklace. But that doesn’t prevent sarcasm, acrimony, contempt, in every way.

No more copper bracelets, buds, and homeopathy

And that is nothing compared to the articles that demolish people wearing copper bracelets, overwhelm those who treat themselves with stones or buds, and ridicule homeopathy.

As for the articles on vaccines, you know the music (military): we are no longer in journalism, but in vociferation, calls for imprisonment, persecution and, no doubt, soon to elimination (which has already started on the Internet and on social networks which obscure the articles to only reveal those which correspond to what the Authorities want).

In short, when it comes to natural health, the right to free expression, respect, the right to exist, the right to come and go freely as long as one does not harm others, does no longer exist. Human rights no longer apply. All this of course in the name of Good, Science, Technical Progress which, obviously, makes us so happy and so healthy.

Lots of scientific incompetence

Journalists who sign these articles are, with rare exceptions, neither scientists, doctors, nor experts in any way on the health topics they cover.

And that’s probably what explains their tone of certainty, their quickness to condemn. They don't know what they are talking about.

They have not spent their lives caring for people. They did not observe all of the bizarre healing phenomena that mark the lives of doctors.

They have blind faith in scientific studies because they have not read Professor Ioannidis' study which showed that the majority of research results published in scientific journals are biased. 

They have no idea of ​​the difficulties, the hacks, the complex problems faced by researchers, who constantly come up against the infinite diversity and instability of human beings, which makes clinical studies so difficult, and therefore the results still provisional.

Nothing to replace the treatments they forbid?

Nothing is easier and more exhilarating than passing all medical traditions to the purifying fire of Science.

- "No study for this treatment, this plant? - Hop, forbidden ”

It is their method to discredit many practices, such as osteopathy, lithotherapy, gemmotherapy; to ban professions like herbalists or homeopaths; to suppress nutritional supplements; to close laboratories, convict deviant doctors.

In good conscience, persuaded to act for Progress, they take away from the populations their necklaces, their bracelets, their granules, their creams, their ointments ...

They forbid them the remedies of their ancestors. They fight the vials of essential oils. Soon, they will ban acupuncture for the Chinese (lack of evidence!) And Ayurveda for the Indians.

And what do they replace them with?

By nothing.

“- Be satisfied with the drugs sold in pharmacies. If nothing works for you, never mind. You will be alone with your suffering. ”

Who is responsible for bringing hope to patients? To reassure them? To support them to get back on the road? Who is dedicated to trying an alternative therapeutic approach?

No one, or at least not them.

By force of sanctions and smear campaigns, we will soon no longer have any doctor brave enough or crazy enough to seek treatment outside the box, outside the protocols defined by the High Authority for Health.

And if none of these protocols work for you, that's not their problem.

They are fighting for science, you understand? Not for common people of blood and flesh who suffer from complicated diseases like Lyme, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, Alzheimer's, depression, prostate, digestive problems, insomnia, overweight, eczema, acne, tendonitis, cramps, circulatory problems, chronic fatigue, migraines, autism, hyperactivity and other health problems so poorly treated by scientific medicine.

- "Since we have no treatment for you, it is that nobody has treatment for you !! Do you hear ?! "

But what is behind this resentment, this sovereign contempt, this anger against the "naive" who are not convinced to go home and fold their arms?

What will for power? Domination? Why?

One of my doctor friends recently told me that he recommended spirulina to his patients. "Yes, Jean-Marc, I know, scientific studies are considered insufficient. But it works! What do you want me to do ?? "

Well, above all, do not change anything! Continue like this!

Cheers!

20 causes that block weight loss

20 causes that block weight loss

When you lose weight, your body defends itself.

It is common to manage to lose a lot of weight at first, without much effort. However, weight loss can slow down or stop altogether fairly quickly.

Icelandic nutritionist Krist Gunnars reports 20 frequent reasons for this phenomenon on his website. 

You will also find below her valuable advice for breaking through the glass ceiling and continuing to make progress.

1) Maybe you are losing weight without noticing

If you feel like you've hit a glass ceiling and can't lose more weight, maybe you just need to relax.

It is extremely common for the balance to stabilize for a few days (or weeks). This does NOT mean that you have stopped losing fat.

Bodyweight tends to fluctuate a few pounds at a time. It depends on your diet and your hormones, which have a powerful effect on the amount of water in your body (especially in women).

If you exercise to lose weight, you may also be gaining muscle mass. The phenomenon is particularly strong after the first sessions when you resume regular exercise. Bones also get stronger. They become denser, and therefore also heavier.

These are good things because the goal is to lose fat, not just weight.

It is therefore advisable not only to use the scale to measure your progress. Remember to also measure your waist and thigh, and weigh yourself once a month with a scale that calculates your muscle, fat, and bone content.

Another thing: the way your clothes fit and your impression when looking at yourself in the mirror are very good indications. This can evolve favorably even when your weight is stable. It is then your body that improves.

Morality, unless you've been stuck on the same weight for at least 2 weeks, you probably don't have to worry about anything.

2) You do not record what you ate

Being aware of what you eat is extremely important when trying to lose weight. Many people have no idea what they are really eating.

Studies show that recording what you eat helps you lose weight. It's not about counting calories or even weighing your food. Before you start your plate, put everything you plan to eat on your table, and take a photo with your smartphone. If you can't help but snack on meals (or if healthy snacks like carrots or a handful of almonds are part of your healthy lifestyle to lose weight), also take a picture.

Keep this habit before putting anything in your mouth, including drinks (except water) because they are caloric, sometimes very caloric (fruit juice, alcohol). They act on appetite even when they are at zero percent.

You can of course also write down what you eat in a notebook.

Studies show that just recording or photographing what you eat makes you lose weight faster because you track what you eat much better.

And if your scale does not want to go down anymore, go back to the film of everything you have eaten in the past two weeks. Maybe you won’t be surprised if you don’t lose more pounds.

3) you are not eating enough protein

Protein is the most important nutrient for losing weight.

Eating 20 to 30% protein can increase energy consumption by 80 to 100 calories per day; moreover, automatically, you will eat several hundred calories less per day.

It also greatly reduces cravings and the desire for junk food. 

This is explained by the effect of proteins on hormones that regulate appetite, such as ghrelin. 

If you are used to breakfast, take the opportunity to eat a lot of protein on this occasion. The traditional English breakfast of eggs, bacon and white beans (rich in vegetable protein) is ideal from this point of view.

You are also guaranteed to have no hollows during the morning, and it is even likely that you will hardly want to eat at noon (traditionally, the English did not have lunch at noon, hence the habit tea at half-past four: "Tea time!").

Eating a lot of protein helps prevent slowing metabolism, a common side effect of weight loss. It also helps to avoid gaining weight. 

4) You eat too many calories

Stagnation can have a simple cause: you just eat too many calories.

I do not recommend counting your calories for weight loss. On the other hand, it is important to have a general idea of ​​the subject, in other words, to be able to estimate roughly how much one eats calories per day.

Once a month, therefore, you can calculate for 3 days the number of calories you have eaten. This will give you insight into what you need to stick to the rest of the time. There are many free calorie calculators online on the Internet.

5) You don't eat healthily

The quality of the food is as important as the quantity.

Eating healthy improves health and regulates appetite. Healthy foods tend to fill up faster than junk food, with the same calories.

Remember that many industrial products labeled "organic" are not healthy.

Try to put on your plate only simple foods and as close as possible to their original form.

6) You are not using your muscles

It is important to work your muscles in one way or another, otherwise, your diet will cause you to lose your precious muscle mass while losing excess fat. 

Strength training in particular helps prevent slowing metabolism and ensures that your body is truly healthy.

7) You crack too often (even on healthy foods)

During a diet, it is common to want to "crack", which consists of eating large quantities of food very quickly, far in excess of the body's needs.

This is a big problem. The worst is to "crack" on unhealthy foods (chips, Nutella) but cracking on nuts, almonds, cheese or dark chocolate is also terrible.

A single bulimia session can ruin an entire week of well-balanced effort.

8) You don't do endurance

Endurance sports have gained a bad reputation in recent years, but walking, swimming, and running are still the most effective ways to lose visceral fat.

Visceral fat is that which accumulates in the belly, around the organs of the abdomen. It is the most dangerous, the most unhealthy. Getting rid of it is one of the most effective ways to improve your health.

9) You still drink sugar

Sugary drinks are the worst food to get fat in our stores. Our brains don't respond to the calories in sugary drinks to make us eat less of other foods. 

This is not only true of sugary drinks like Coca or Orangina. This also applies to energy and vitamin drinks like Vitaminwater which are packed with sugar.

Even fruit juices are a problem. They should never be consumed in large quantities. A single glass contains as much sugar like many fruits (unless you squeeze only one orange, or one apple, which doesn't do much to drink).

10) You don't sleep well

Sleeping poorly deprives you of energy. The body and the brain then seek to compensate for this by providing additional calories, especially in the form of sugar.

Good sleep is one of the most important things to look for for your physical and mental health, as well as for your figure.

Studies show that poor sleep is one of the main risk factors for obesity. Adults and children who sleep poorly have 55% and 89% additional risk of becoming obese, respectively. 

11) You have not reduced carbohydrates enough

If you have a lot of weight to lose, or if you have metabolic problems like diabetes or pre-diabetes, then you should consider a low-carb diet.

In short-term studies, this type of diet has shown to lose two to three times more weight than the conventional low-fat diet that is generally recommended.

12) you eat too often

It is a myth that many, but light, meals should be eaten during the day to speed up the metabolism and lose weight.

Studies actually show that the frequency of meals has little or no effect on burning fat or losing weight.

It is also complicated and time consuming to prepare and eat food constantly. It makes the art of healthy eating much more complicated.

On the contrary, intermittent fasting is an extremely effective method of losing weight. The time saved is astonishing, having neither to prepare, nor to eat, nor to clean one's meal. This is to avoid eating for specific periods ranging from 15 to 24 hours or more. You can find information about this in this letter on fasting.

13) You are not drinking enough water

Drinking water can help you lose weight.

In a 12-week study, people who drank half a liter of water half an hour before each meal lost 44% more weight than others. 

Drinking water has also been shown to increase calories by 24-30% over an hour and a half. 

14) You drink too much alcohol

If you like alcohol and want to lose weight, it's best to drink brandy mixed with a non-caloric drink. Beer, wine, and sugary alcoholic beverages are very high in calories.

The cocktails are the worst of all.

Also remember that the alcohol itself contains 7 calories per gram, which is huge.

That said, studies on alcohol and weight are contradictory. Moderate drinking seems not to be a problem, while alcoholism and heavy alcohol consumption are correlated with weight gain. 

15) You don't eat mindfully

A technique called "mindful eating" could be one of the most powerful tools in the world for losing weight.

This involves stopping, sitting at the table, meditating for at least 30 seconds before you start eating, savoring each bite while listening to the natural signs that tell your brain that you have enough eaten.

Many studies have shown that eating mindfully can lead to significant weight loss and reduce binge eating.

Here are some tips for mindful eating:

Eat zero distractions, just you and your food, sitting at a table;

Eat gently and chew carefully. Try to become aware of colors, smells, and textures;

When you feel the signals of satiety, drink a full glass of water, and stop eating.

16) You have a medical problem that makes it difficult

Certain medical conditions can influence weight gain and make it much more difficult to lose weight.

This includes hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome, and sleep apnea.

Certain medications also make it harder to lose weight, or can even make you fat.

If you think this is your case, discuss the matter with your doctor.

17) you're addicted to junk food

According to a 2014 study, about 19.9% ​​of people meet the criteria for junk food addiction. 

People with this junk food problem are in a situation similar to drug addicts. 

If you are addicted to junk food, eating less, or changing your diet may seem absolutely impossible. In this case, get help (Naturally Slimming program).

18) You have been too private for too long

It is not necessarily a good idea to go on a diet for too long.

If you've lost weight for several months in a row and you've hit a glass ceiling, then maybe you just need a break.

Increase your calorie intake by a few hundred a day, get more sleep, and do some strength training to gain strength and gain more muscle.

Aim to maintain your body fat for one to two months before you start trying to lose weight again.

19) Your expectations are unrealistic

Losing weight is usually a much slower process than most people think.

Although it is often possible to lose a lot of weight at first, very few people continue to lose weight at the rate of 0.5 to 1 kg per week.

Another major problem is that many people have unrealistic expectations of what it is possible to achieve with a healthy diet and exercise.

The point is, not everyone can look like a model or a bodybuilder.

The photos you see in magazines and on posters are almost always enhanced with Photoshop - nobody literally looks like that.

If you've already lost weight and feel good about yourself, but the scales don't seem to be moving any further, maybe you should start working on accepting your body as it is.

There is a point where your weight will reach a level that corresponds to the comfort zone of your body. Trying to go further is not worth it, and may even be impossible for you.

20) you are too obsessed with the diet

Diets almost never work in the long run. Either way, studies actually show that people who are dieting gain more weight in the long run. 

Rather than approaching the problem from a diet perspective, your first goal might be to become a happier, healthier, and fitter person.

Work to nourish your body rather than inflict deprivation on it, and make weight loss a natural (and welcome) side effect!