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Tanning & Natural Health News June 2007

Sun, Skin & Salon • Skin Cancer, Sun & UV: The Cover-Up • Shopping For A Tanning Salon • Shopping For Tanning Lotion • Take Vitamin D Lightly Tanning F.A.Q. • Can Tanning Damage Internal Organs?

Health & Environment • Effective Strategies For Weight Loss Success • Fat May Not Make You Fat • Sleep Drugs Raises Safety Concerns • Triple-Boost Your Energy Levels Product Profile • Power To Sleep PM

Every summer we're warned that the sun can kill. In fact, most sun-provoked lesions are benign, and not really cancers at all. Mankind and the sun have successfully maintained their unequal partnership for some considerable time. We owe our existence to it, and Darwinian genetic and social evolution long ago taught us how to cope with the quiddities of that existence and turn them to our advantage. For example, our bodies have developed the ability to use the sun for the production of vitamin D essential for our bones, and certain immune functions. That ability is passed on by the safe hand of genetic evolution, which is not subject to the vagaries of its social counterpart.

Unfortunately our attitude to sun and ultraviolet (UV) light is subject to much perverse and dubious technical 'advice', which society has passively accepted without questioning its provenance. Whatever the subject, there is always a guru: there must be experts on the best way to tie shoelaces. To test this assertion I asked Google, and found 16,500 sites purporting to give the best way to tie shoelaces! The problem is that there are now so many gurus on the dangers of sunshine that their shadow is obliterating the sun and our long-learnt understanding of how to live with it.

Scared Out Of The Sun
We are told that we must severely limit our exposure to the sun and suntan lamps. If we must take a holiday where there is an opportunity to savor the delights of sunshine we should avoid it as much as possible. The middle of the day should be considered dead time to be spent in the shade outdoors or indoors reading improving books. We should wear wide-brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts or blouses, and cover legs, and we must not forget to cover ourselves with expensive, properly ranked, sun-protective creams and lotions. As for the children: on the few precious occasions when the clouds of a British summer evaporate, we must not allow them out of doors before slapping on sticky sunscreens, bullying them into sweaty hats and clothes made with high sun-protective fabrics. The reasons given for this punitive catalogue of 'don'ts' is that sun exposure ages the skin, and causes cancer. Yet most things we do have risks: what matters is the consequence of that risk, which depends upon the frequency and duration of exposure. Both have been grossly exaggerated for UV and its effect on the skin.

The Aging Skin Scare
The rejuvenation of aging skin is a money-spinner. There is no doubt whatsoever that exposure to UV irradiation, particularly by UVB (the shorter wavelength that causes sunburn, but doesn't travel through window glass), gives skin a weather-beaten look, as does smoking. How long this takes and its severity depends on the dose of sun (or smoking) and your genetically determined response to it. The causal damage is to skin collagen, but this is only partly understood. We know that UV promotes molecular cross-links between collagen fibers, making them less elastic, but we do not really know the consequences of this process. While many believe that the weather-beaten 'Marlborough Man' look justifies giving up smoking, sun exposure is different because, as we shall see later, there are trade-off benefits with other bodily functions. However, this particular sun and smoking effect has nothing to do with the aging process.

The fundamental defect of skin aging is loss of collagen, the skin's main constituent, which is why aging skin thins. The loss is one per cent a year throughout adult life and is equal in men and women. The reason female skin appears to age faster than male is that women have less skin collagen. This unfair difference is equivalent to 15 years of aging! The loss of collagen with age is genetic; it has absolutely nothing to do with UV irradiation and occurs equally in skin that has spent its life covered or exposed. And, contrary to the advertising blurb for anti-aging creams - which simply irritate the skin producing inflammation that swells the skin and conceals the wrinkles - nothing is known that reverses this loss of collagen. Aging of the skin is not due to UV and it cannot be overcome by the products of the cosmetic industry.

The Truth About Skin Cancer...The Big Scare
Skin cancer is the main plank of the warnings that have come from government bodies. The case that is made is that skin cancer is the commonest of all cancers and its increasing incidence is casually associated with solar irradiation. These facts are correct but they have been mischievously interpreted to scare us into self-inspection, attendance at special skin clinics and a masochistic, oppressive and totally unnecessary, regimen of prophylaxis. Indeed, the very word 'cancer' is being deliberately used to create fear and coerce a public acceptance of these measures. Yet the key fact is that about 95 per cent of skin cancers are basal or squamous cell epitheliomas (in a ratio of about five to one) and although they are called 'cancers' they are functionally benign; they do not spread from the skin and kill. Most are just a centimeter in size; local excision is 95-99 per cent successful; residual microscopic pieces of tumor disappear by themselves and the few recurrences are easily removed. The exceptions are rare and often the consequence of some other diseases.

So while 'skin cancer' is certainly the commonest cancer, the more honest statistic is that skin cancer is the least dangerous cancer; it lies at the very bottom of the mortality table. So the problem of 'skin cancer' shrivels as soon as you start to examine it, because the vast majority of these lesions are benign. The problem is technical: these benign epitheliomas are classified as cancers from a particular appearance under the microscope, not from their behavior. The public, for whom the word cancer creates fear, does not understand this. While it may be technically correct to say that skin 'cancer' is related to sun exposure, this is meaningless, because these sun-provoked lesions are not really cancers: they are just small, local, slow-growing and above all benign. These trivial benign lesions cannot possibly justify the aggressive hue and cry about avoidance of UV exposure.

The misunderstanding has been inappropriately talked up by the Australian experience. The high incidence of skin cancer in Australia is the product of a high UV exposure in a population whose ancestors included many with pale, freckled skin and red hair. It should not be extrapolated to different populations living in sun-deprived climates. But if 'skin cancer' is the bait, melanoma is the hook. Melanoma is the least common of the three skin cancers. There is an alleged increase in its incidence and this is blamed on UV. People have been terrified into inspecting their skin regularly, even though it is of doubtful value. Most of us have simple moles and even more have seborrheic warts, which enlarge, get darker, itch and bleed in the same way as melanomas. Dermatological clinics are overfilled with patients worried about these totally innocent spots. Malignant melanomas are not found often enough to justify the hoo-ha about early screening and there is no good evidence that screening saves lives.

Time To Re-Examine The Diagnosis
We need to have definite answers to two questions: is the increase in melanoma real, and what is its relationship to UV? Sadly, the answer to both questions is uncertain. Certainly, there has been a big increase in reports of melanoma; the problem is that what is now being called melanoma may be nothing of the sort: it seems to be due to a reclassification of what constitutes malignancy. The diagnosis of malignancy in a melanoma is subjective; it's in the eye of the histopathologist looking down a microscope. In the past it was commonplace for histologists to report borderline, minimal or dubiously suspicious histological appearances of moles. Experience of outcome of these cases taught us that it was not alarming; we did nothing and nothing untoward happened to the patients.

Later, as compensation claims began to dictate a more defensive practice, this led to the very same lesions being labeled suspicious, without the qualification of dubious. The process moved on, and it didn't take long before brown spots previously labeled benign acquired a new label indicating the possibility of early malignant change. In time this moved on again to probability and finally to certainty. The moles have not changed but the diagnosis has. Having seen the process evolve, I have no doubt that the re-labeling of benign lesions as malignant is a major, if not the main cause of the increased incidence of reported malignant melanoma. I had confirmation of this from well-known clinicians who had observed the same development in other countries. But an idea is nothing without testing, and to put it to the test I proposed to send copies of the histology slides of moles that were labeled benign years ago, from patients found by follow-up not to have had a malignant melanoma, to a panel of histopathologists for their diagnosis by today's criteria. No laboratory would agree to take part in the study; although they agreed with its design they appeared fearful of its outcome.

Support for this thesis comes from a variety of sources. The most important is that while the incidence of melanoma has increased it has not been accompanied by a corresponding change in mortality. In the UK the annual number of melanomas in women increased by 250 per cent between 1980 and 2002, but mortality increased by just under 30 per cent and is decreasing. The reason for the apparent improvement is not that we have more effective therapy, but that the number of cancers has been swollen by the new wave melanomas. These have a cure rate of 100 per cent because they were never malignant in the first place; they are paper malignancies, benign moles reclassified!

There are other explanations for the diagnostic confusion: for example, it is possible that UV, which is known to increase the number of moles, also induces changes that lead to them being classified as atypical, the jargon name for the features on which the histological diagnosis of malignancy may be based. It has been found that death from melanoma is lower in the higher social classes. Does this mean that the genetic defect that causes the cancer is class-related? This is obvious nonsense; the more likely reason is that the middle classes always turn up first and flock to the clinics with their benign moles which they have been frightened into having removed, and some of these are labeled malignant when in practice they are really benign. Until we have better diagnostic criteria it is impossible to determine if the reported increase of malignant melanoma is genuine. The case for an increase in the prevalence of truly malignant melanoma remains unproven.

The Truth About Melanoma
Even more doubtful is the role of UV as a causal agent. The evidence is fragile and certainly does not justify the present anti-solar terror campaign. What we might expect if UV really caused melanomas is illustrated by the skin epitheliomas. These cancers are caused by UV. They can be easily induced by UV in laboratory animals, and in the case of epitheliomas there is an excellent correlation between their prevalence in patients, the latitude at which they live and between the site at which they occur and areas of the body exposed to UV. None of this is true of melanomas. Melanomas are difficult to produce experimentally, the correlation with the latitude at which the patients live is marginal, and their site of occurrence does not correspond to the intensity of its UV exposure. They are commonest on the trunk of men, the legs of women, and the soles of the feet of Africans, a phenomenon not to be explained by exposure to the sun's rays. Their reported increase has been much less than the UV-related skin cancers and, unlike epitheliomas, there is no evidence that sun screens prevent them from occurring.

The problem with melanoma, as with many other branches of contemporary clinical research, is that it is based on circumstantial evidence obtained from epidemiological studies rather than an understanding of the pathology. Melanoma is an illustration of the muddle introduced by uncritical acceptance of epidemiology with its almost random generation of unhelpful numbers. A preoccupation with epidemiology has distracted us from the essential biology. For example, we still need to establish the melanoma's cell of origin. Many think it starts in the pigment cell, the melanocyte, but it may start in the 'naevus' cell of the ordinary 'mole'.

Establishing this is vital to our understanding because we know the distribution of moles but not naevus cells over the skin surface, let alone what makes them go malignant. It is well established that UV damage to DNA can produce cancer; but the only sensible conclusion from all the studies to date has to be that while this effect plays a major role in producing epitheliomas, at worst it can only be marginal for melanomas.

The evidence on the effect of UV on the skin is surprisingly clear: it has no effect on skin aging, which is due to thinning of the skin and loss of collagen, although UV does give the same weather-beaten appearance that is caused by smoking. While UV is the main cause of epitheliomatous skin cancers, which are functionally benign, there is no hard evidence that UV is the principal cause of malignant melanomas.

Sunblock's Questionable Role In Sun Protection
What then should we do about UV exposure and sunscreens? The short answer is that in moderate climates like the UK, apart from avoiding sunburn and staring at the sun, it doesn't matter what we do, because the risk of exposure is trivial. Of course, children have to learn how much sun they can take without burning, and their parents need to ensure they get a gradual UV exposure in order to achieve a protective tan (that is more important in children with ginger hair and freckles, most of whom will need to take care not to burn throughout adult life). Although sunscreens will reduce epithelioma formation they have not been shown to prevent melanomas. The use of a sun blockers could be harmful, by impairing Vitamin D synthesis in the skin, causing a risk of osteoporosis. We still have a lot to learn about what may be the silent benefits of sun exposure. We do not know the significance and purpose of the profound changes in immune mechanisms, the extraordinary improvement in mood and the alleged decreased risk in bowel and prostatic cancer experienced after sun exposure. We may do more harm avoiding these advantages than anything we might gain from the uncertain benefits of sun avoidance.

But not all of the sun's benefits are uncertain, particularly the protective effect of a suntan. Since there is some epidemiological evidence to suggest that sunburn in children may be more harmful later in life, parents have been told that sun exposure must be avoided in childhood. However, if you take a close look at people who were sun burnt as children, you will see areas of white skin that doesn't tan because the pigment cells have been lost by the sun burning. Such skin will always be oversensitive to sun. It is evident that the original sunburn, and subsequent damage, would have been less had there already been a protective tan.

Excessive avoidance and UV screening is a danger because it does not allow a tan, nature's own sun block, to develop and as a result exposure is likely to cause sunburn. The dogma, now fossilized in print, is that any tan is a sign of skin damage. Tell that to Darwin. Pigmented melanocytes in the skin are a system that protects it from excessive UV, which evolved long before the advent of sunscreens. Even if there was hard evidence that melanoma was UV-induced it would be all the more important to keep a protective tan. It must now be evident that the effect of the sun on the skin is in desperate need of illumination, and that the prophylactic message, particularly on melanoma, is unreliable. By presenting the fragility of the case against the dangers of UV I hope I will provoke consideration of real cause of melanoma.

Sam Shuster is Emeritus Professor of Dermatology at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, and Honorary Consultant to the Department of Dermatology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. This is an edited version of a chapter in "Panic Nation? Unpicking the myths we're told about food and health" edited by Stanley Feldman and Vincent Marks. This excerpt appears on www.spiked-online.com. Buy this book from www.amazon.com.

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Most of us would not consider buying a new pair of shoes without trying them on first for proper fit and comfort. But all-too-often indoor tanners get locked into a cheap, long term tanning program only to become disappointed with the results or the condition of the facility they will be using. Many have learned the hard way that..All tanning facilities are not created equal!

Tanning salons boasting "LOWEST PRICES" generally are unsupervised, which means you will have to clean your own equipment, settle for broken units and weak tanning lamps, wait in line for session time, and compromise your privacy and security. Here in New Hampshire, this type of facility would be operating illegally according to state regulations.

When trying a different tanning facility, ask to take a tour of the premises first. Once satisfied with the cleanliness and privacy of the facility, pay for one tanning session. If you feel that the lamps and unit are not going to be effective, you may choose not to waste your time and money, no matter how inexpensive the program may be.

In addition to price, here are some important questions to ask a salon professional to help determine if you will be getting the best value:

• What is the lamp wattage? 100 or 160 watts (the higher the power, the shorter the session)
• What is the lamp UVB to UVA ratio? The UVB range can be from 2.6 to 7.5 % or higher(you need some UVB to activate the skins' melanin but the higher the UVB, the greater your chance of burning)
• What is the expected life of the lamps and at what point are they being changed?
• Who will clean the tanning equipment before I use it? Tanning beds require being cleaned by specific disinfectants that are properly mixed. Tanning booths are generally more sanitary. NH state regulations require that the tanning bed is cleaned and disinfected by a certified attendant.
• How do you schedule appointments? If I walk in, what is the average waiting time?
• Who controls the equipment timers and determines my exposure schedule? NH state regulations require that tanning equipment timers are controlled by a certified attendant and not by the customer.
• What measures have been taken to assure my privacy and safety? Many gyms and hair salons have unsupervised tanning facilities which can, potentially, jeopardize your privacy and safety. NH state regulations require that tanning facilities are maintained and supervised by a certified technician at all times.

Reputable tanning salon operators take personal pride in providing and maintaining effective equipment and presenting a clean and secure facility for your health and safety. You work hard for your money. Shouldn't you get what you pay for? Besides, your time is too precious to waste. Trust your senses. If you don't have a good first impression of the facility, you will most likely end up disappointed and frustrated with your choice.

Learn More About The Tan Plus Difference

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There are literally hundreds of tanning products on the market today. The primary functions of an indoor tanning product is to moisten the skin. Moistened and nourished skin tans better. Tanning lotions help counteract the drying effects of tanning and ensure a longer lasting tan. Dry skin acts as a barrier and reflects tanning rays. The active ingredients in a salon tanning product also helps in the production of additional melanin in your skin.

Tanning Accelerators are products that boost the level of tanning cells in your skin. Applying an accelerator after you shower in the morning allows your skin to generate tanning cells prior to your tanning session. This way when you enter the tanning unit you immediately start to tan the cells rather than having to create them first.

Tanning Bronzers contain a dye that changes the color of your skin instantly. You have to be careful when applying tanning lotions that contain bronzers as some will streak if not applied evenly, also real dry areas of the skin will absorb more of the tanning bronzer and leave the skin a different color. Elbow, knees, between fingers, and palms of hands are the most common spots.

Tingle Lotions may be referred to as hot, fire, spicy, and tingle factor. The theory behind a tingle lotion is a stimulation of the epidermal layers of your skin by using a cheap ingredient like methyl nicotinate. Most people feel their skin heat up or tingle after applying these tanning lotions. The stimulation (irritation) brings blood closer to the surface of the skin. The blood brings melanin with it. The tingle factors range from 1 to 30+ with some tanning lotion manufacturers and others use words like hot, hotter, hottest, max reddening. The higher the number is, the more intense the tingling. We do not sell or support the use of tingle lotions.

Essential for a deep wholesome tan is moisturizer. The constant use of a moisturizer allows your skin to retain the tanned layers while subsequent layers are added. This combination of multiple layers is how your tan continues to darken with future tanning sessions.

Indoor tanning lotions are not recommended for outdoor tanning since they do not contain SPF. You will have no sun protection outdoors. Likewise, outdoor tanning lotions are not recommended for indoor use, as they will inhibit the tanning process and leave a film on tanning beds.

Getting The Best Value On Tanning Products

Many lotion distributors and salons have on-going sales or offer coupon discounts on their products. The way they do this is by marking up the original price of the product, or making their products with inferior ingredients, then discounting them or offering free shipping, buy one-get one, or some other incentives. For instance, the manufacturer or salon may set the retail price of a lotion at $80.00, then give you 50% off. At $40.00, this may seem like a really great deal. In reality, the lotion may not even be worth $10.00.

We decided to manufacture our own products, about 12 years ago, because of the lack of quality ingredients used in tanning products. The lotions' were not preparing the skin properly and some of our salon customers were getting breakouts or allergic reactions. The quality has improved somewhat, but we still find that our products produce better results for our salon and internet customers than that of other products on the market.

Thanks to our great chemist, we were able to make a product using expensive "top grade" ingredients and price them reasonably. By selling the products directly to our salon and internet customers, and not through a distribution network, we have been able to keep the pricing under control. Typically, a manufacturer sells to a distributor, who sells to a salon and then to a client. If this were the case with our TanStuff or CoolStuff, for instance, the retail price to you would be from $50.00 to $70.00 per bottle. By direct selling, we are able to maintain a price of $24.50 for TanStuff and $28.50 for CoolStuff. We are also able to give you about 9 ounces of product, as opposed to the 8 ounces you get from other tanning products. Learn More...

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Manufactured by the body through the sun's energy, vitamin D works with calcium to build strong, healthy bones (and possibly muscles), to protect against cancer and regulate a host of physiological functions.

A fat-soluble vitamin (meaning it can be stored for long periods in the body's fatty tissue and the liver). The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. But, vitamin D differs dramatically from its vitamin cohorts for two significant reasons: (1) Our bodies can manufacture it on exposure to sunlight and (2) In its active form it is considered to be a hormone with vital effects on mineral absorption, bone mineralization and some secretions.

A burst of recent research focuses on vitamin D's impressive potential to battle cancer; regulate blood pressure; biological rhythm, mood and behavior; treat certain immunological disorders such as multiple sclerosis and psoriasis; and enhance muscle strength.

Writing in The Doctors' Vitamin and Mineral Book, Sheldon Saul Hendler, M.D.,PhD, identifies several promising and impressive new roles for versatile vitamin D: "Proliferation and differentiation, which could have an enormous impact on the prevention and treatment of cancer; immunomodulation, which could be important in protection against and treatment of infectious diseases; and maintenance of cell membrane fluidity, which could have significance for all biological processes, including aging." Vitamin D accumulates by sun exposure and is believed to guard against cancer. The best source of vitamin D is from UV-B from sunlight. Dr. Hendler cites US population studies that link higher cancer rates to lower levels of natural sunlight.

(from Energy Times 12/99)

from The Vitamin D Council:

If you totally avoid the sun, recent research indicates you need about 4,000 units of vitamin D a day! So you can't get enough vitamin D from milk (unless you drink 40 glasses a day) or from a multivitamin (unless you take about 10 tablets a day), neither of which is recommended.

Most of us make about 20,000 units of vitamin D after about 20 minutes of summer sun. This is about 100 times more vitamin D than the government says you need every day.

If you don't get vitamin D the way Mother Nature intended, from sunshine, you need to take vitamin D supplements. As most of us get a lot more vitamin D from sunshine than we think, most of us need about 2,000 units a day extra.

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Almost every year since 1987, when we opened Tan Plus, someone asks us if you can fry your insides in a tanning unit. Their question is based on a story they had heard that goes something like this:

The day before her wedding a woman needs to achieve a quick suntan. She spends the day going from one tanning salon to another doing 30 minute sessions in each one. She was later admitted to a hospital and died as a result of her internal organs being cooked.

There may be variations of the story but, in every case, the person referring to the story doesn't seem to know the victims name (it is always a friend of a friend, etc.), the hospital where she was admitted, or even the town or city where the incident took place. The reason they don't know this is because "cooking your insides" from a tanning unit is a myth...it never happened. While excessive tanning exposure can result in long-term skin damage, it is not possible for UV exposures to "cook" ones insides, no matter how long or how much you tan.

Indoor tanning represents a controlled method of obtaining a cosmetic tan. The tanning process occurs primarily within the outer layer (epidermis) of the skin. Sun lamps use a combination of UVB and UVA rays. A minimal amount of UVB is used to stimulate the production of melanin, while the UVA portion oxidizes (darkens) the rising pigment. UVB, being the shorter wavelength of the two, only offers enough energy to penetrate the epidermis. The UVA wavelength is longer and can penetrate through the epidermis and into the dermis (second layer of skin), with some migration into the subcutaneous (third) layer of skin. There isn't enough energy produced by these wavelengths to penetrate any further.

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Effective Strategies For Weight Loss Success

An astonishing 55% of the population is considered overweight or obese (97 million American adults, according to the new NHLB guidelines). Only 14.4% of the adult population claims to engage in regular, vigorous exercise. More than a quarter of Americans, or 28.7%, admit they do not participate "in any physical activity." Only one-third of weight problems are related to genes. Although some rare genetic diseases are associated with obesity, you still maintain a majority of the control when it comes to your weight.

Weight loss of only 5&endash;10 percent of body weight may improve many of the problems associated with overweight, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Even a small weight loss can make a difference. Just as little bad habits over many years can lead to obesity, good habits can also accumulate. Simply cut soda and coffee out of your diet and in six months you could be twenty pounds lighter. Try adding other small changes like parking a little farther from the office and walking a little more each day. Take the stairs a couple of times a day.

Slow steady weight loss is the best way to take off weight. Slow weight loss helps the individuals learn how to keep their eating under control by learning how to deal with stresses in healthy ways instead of covering them up with food. These individuals learn to adapt their diet to help them stay trim the rest of their lives, not just for the short time they are on the diet. These individuals generally do not go back to the bad eating habits which led them to obesity and/or addiction.

Reduce your calories by 3,500 and you will lose 1 pound. That does not mean starve yourself. The goal is to maintain a healthy, balanced diet while reducing total caloric intake. If you are trying to lose weight, starving yourself is one of the worst things you can do. The key is, slow and steady weight loss. Losing weight too fast can be detrimental to your long term success. If you are trying to lose weight, do so slowly and steadily. A generally safe rate is l/2&endash;l pound a week until you reach your goal. Avoid crash weight-loss diets that severely restrict calories or the variety of foods. Extreme approaches to weight loss, such as self-induced vomiting or the use of laxatives, amphetamines, or diuretics, are not appropriate and can be dangerous to your health.

Water, first thing in the morning, is better than fruit juice. Fruit juice is high in sugar. Since most of us are dehydrated in the morning, water is the best thing to do the trick anyway. Generally, overweight people do not have enough liquids in their diet... The body needs at least eight cups of liquids each day to maintain basic functions Excess liquid is used to break down fats. Without the daily minimum of water, the body has difficulty breaking down the fats in the diet. Ten to twelve cups of water can quite literally flush fats from the body.

A few deep breaths before eating can help you lose weight. Not only will it help you to slow down but the oxygen will help to metabolize the food better. It's called deliberate eating. It means not just giving in to hunger but enjoying and savoring the food completely. By taking a few deep breaths before starting a meal you feel fuller faster and after eating feel more satisfied

When it comes to dieting, some exercises are better than others. The goal is to burn calories and different exercises do that at different rates. Here are some examples of the energy expended by a 150-pound person in 30 minutes of continuous exercise:

Aerobics 200-250 calories
Bicycling, Stationary 250-300 calories
Bicycling, Actual 300-400 calories
Running, 5-6 mph 300-350 calories
Stair climber 200-250 calories
Walking briskly 150-180 calories

A major US survey has found that dieters who give up alcohol lose no more weight than dieters who include moderate amounts of alcohol in their diet. Alcohol, though, contains 7 calories per gram, so it's nearly twice as fattening as carbohydrates or protein. In addition, alcohol can encourage the munchies. This leads to extra calorie intake which can cause weight gain.

Calories in Sample Drinks
4 Fluid oz Wine 95 calories
1 Brandy/Whiskey 125 calories
12 Fluid oz Beer 145 calories
Regular soft drink 80-100 calories

Weight loss depends on your overall calorie intake. Reduce your calories by 3500 and you will lose 1 pound. So since alcohol is fairly high in calories with little or no nutrition, you will certainly save calories by abstaining.

Cutting out coffee will help you lose weight. If you do nothing else but remove coffee from your diet you'll lose about ten pounds in two months. And that's not even considering the sugar and the half and half you add to it. If you replace coffee with Green Tea not only will you get all kinds of great antioxidant benefits but you'll also get a cupful of things called catechin polyphenols which, amongst other things seem to help the body burn calories

Diet soda can be deadly to your diet. Liquid calories don't trip our satiety mechanism. They don't make us feel full. So we keep on drinking them and don't see them in the same way we do food. We always think about overeating&endash; never overdrinking but liquid, especially soft drinks, can have a lot of calories. There are approximately nine packages of sugar and close to 150 calories in one 12-oz can of soda or juice. Smoothies and coffee drinks can have anywhere from 250 to 500 calories! And that's excluding the whipped cream. If a person who drinks 3 cans of soda per day stops drinking soda all together, that person will lose about 7 pounds in six months just from not drinking soda. We see the word diet and think it means that it contains no calories and we just keep drinking. Couple that with a standard starvation diet that usually accompanied diet soda (you are on a diet of course so that means starvation ) and before you know it you've downed a couple of hundred calories a day while your depriving yourself of real nourishment.

Stress can actually make you gain weight. We suspect that it has something to do with a hormone called Cortisol that the body releases when it's under stress. Cortisol is essential to health, without it we would probably pass out during stressful times but it has a few negative side effects such as weight gain. What's worse, cortisol tends to promote fat storage, specifically around the waist, which is a real problem area for many people.

Ten Helpful Hints For Dieting Success:

• Don't skip breakfast since it is the meal that will keep you going all day long.
• Drink eight or more glasses of water a day. Drink at least one glass before every meal. Water helps your body operate at its highest calorie-burning mode and also helps control the appetite.
• Avoid going to a party on an empty stomach. Eat a salad and drink a glass of water or club soda before you go.
• As soon as you are done eating, leave the table so you won't pick at your food and eat more.
• When you eat out, ask for all sauces and dressings on the side.
• Try on new clothes. This is one of the best self-motivating tools you can use to eat right.
• Take only half of what your appetite calls for. You'll be surprised that you may not want a second helping.
• Be aware that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to recognize that you're full. The key is to eat slowly. If you eat too fast, you'll simply out race your body's internal controls.
• Brush your teeth after eating so you won't eat anymore.
• Read ingredient labels when grocery shopping.

More Weight-Loss Tips:

1. Be autonomously motivated
It's great to be inspired to lose weight for a special occasion, a reunion or a party but studies have shown that the people who are most likely to maintain their weight loss are the ones who aren't motivated by anything outside of themselves. These are people who have simply decided that it's time for them to lose weight and improve their health.

2. Set realistic goals
Even with the best behavior-modification programs people can typically reduce their weight by 10 to 15 percent . If you try to lose 20 or 30 percent, you're likely to either fail and be discouraged or simply regain the weight. By setting realistic targets you set yourself up for success, once the target has been reached it's easier to define a new one with the confidence that comes from success.

3. Replace bad habits with good ones
There's nothing wrong with having a snack in the afternoon, in fact it's a great idea, just make sure that the food you chose is a piece of fruit or a low fat yogurt and not a donut.

4. You will have bad days, they come with the territory
It's important to realize that. Factor disappointment into your overall plan. One day of weakness does not undo one month of hard work

5. Think less about losing weight and more about gaining health
You may start out trying to fit into that new dress and wind up saving your life. Obesity is only one symptom of an unhealthy lifestyle. Think healthy, not just skinny. Diet sodas, Wow chips, and artificially sweetened candy bars may help you cut calories, but healthy they're not. Each time you chew on a high- or low-calorie candy bar you miss a chance to swallow some phytochemicals neatly packaged in a wedge of watermelon or a handful of berries. Luckily, the same foods that cut your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke should help you trim that extra padding. Don't think of them as punishment.

6. Shrink your servings
People who frequent restaurants are more likely to be overweight. That's not only because of the type of food they eat but also the portion size. Restaurants find it extremely cost effective to serve large portions. The cost of food is a very small percentage of overhead, people get used to large portions and think that's the norm.

7. Curb liquid calories
Liquid calories don't trip our satiety mechanisms: you don't feel full after a soda or juice although you may have just downed as many calories as a small meal.

8. Make movement part of your life
This doesn't necessarily mean five sets of tennis or marathon running. Gardening, raking leaves, mowing the lawn, and washing windows also count. People who boost their lifestyle activity are just as successful at keeping the weight off as people who participate in formal exercise programs. In fact, overweight children lose more weight when told to limit sedentary activities than when told to exercise (or to do both). "Getting kids to turn off the TV or spend less time at the computer works better than urging them to increase their aerobic activity.

9. Exercise for weight maintenance
Surprisingly, exercise doesn't actually make much difference when you're trying to lose weight. Fairly strenuous exercise (30 to 40 minutes three or four times a week) produces only a two to six pound weight loss over six months, that's because exercise just doesn't burn that many calories. However it is a great way to keep weight off and make you healthier, and as we keep saying the secret is to think about gaining health not losing weight.

10. Be patient
It's not easy to make such a radical change in your lifestyle you're relearning habits that may have taken you a lifetime to learn, so have a little patience with yourself.

Info from Irwin Naturals

Learn More About "Natural" And Effective Diet Formulas From Irwin Naturals

Learn More About The Importance Of Water

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For years, popular diet books assured the chubby masses that a low-fat diet was the key to weight loss. It's calorie density&emdash;not fat&emdash;that determines how many calories people eat ," says Susan Roberts of Tufts University in Boston .

For 18 days, Roberts offered 14 people meals that were either low-fat (20 percent of calories from fat) or high-fat (40 percent fat). But, unlike other studies comparing high-fat and low-fat diets, these two regimens had the same amount of fiber, palatability, and calorie density (a food's calories divided by its weight). "When we kept calorie density constant, people on the high-fat diet ate no more calories than people on the low-fat diet ," says Roberts. But her research doesn't let fat off the hook, because it's so calorie-dense. "Fat is important to watch out for, but low-fat foods that are high in sugar like Snack Well's cookies and Entenmann's cakes are also high in calorie density ," says Roberts's colleague Megan McCrory .

The bottom line is that low-fat diets that are loaded with vegetables and fruits and other high-fiber, low-calorie foods may indeed help keep the pounds off. Diets filled with calorie-dense low-fat cakes, cookies, ice cream and even bread, pasta, and crackers, may not.  

No Such Thing As Fattening Food ( Nutrition Made Simple Robert Crayon, M.S.,C.N. )

When most people look at a food label the first two things they ask are: (1) How many calories does it have, and (2) How much fat does it have? These factors are not as important as the hormonal effects of food. More calories and more fat may cause weight gain, but they do not always. Choosing food because of their fat and calorie content is like making friends on the basis of IQ or income levels. You choose your friends because of their overall effect on your life, not because of their salary. Select foods for their overall effects as well, and look beyond numbers like calorie or fat content.

When considering eating any food, you should ask only one question: What effect will this food have on my metabolism? There are no fattening foods...only fattening metabolisms. Your body's hormones and enzymes will decide whether the food you eat will turn to fat. The following factors influence how well we burn off the food we eat:
• Thyroid hormone levels
• Insulin levels
• Growth hormone levels
• Amount of muscle tissue
• Tissue responsive to hormones like insulin and thyroid hormone
• Number of fat-burning mitochondria in you muscle cells
• Levels of nutrients needed for fat burning

Often, what keeps us from understanding nutrition is not that we lack the right answers but that we ask the wrong questions. By merely looking at the calorie and fat content of food, we miss the much larger issue of food's metabolic and hormonal effect on the body. Too many calories and too much fat is undesirable. Yet calorie and fat content are less significant than the hormonal reaction that all foods cause. It is the lack of understanding of this hormonal effect of food that keeps many people from losing weight.

In 1982 the Nobel Prize was given to scientists who made groundbreaking discoveries about prostaglandins, a powerful class of hormones that control the body. The most powerful effect foods have on your body is their effect on these hormones and hormones like insulin. If insulin levels are high or prostaglandins are imbalanced, weight loss can be difficult if not impossible. What upsets prostaglandins and insulin the most are missing nutrients, a lack of essential fatty acids, and consumption of refined carbohydrates, especially sugar, which triggers insulin to store fat. When 26,473 Americans were studied, it was found that those who ate the most nuts were the least obese. Nuts are high in fat...a high quality, beneficial fat. Nuts stabilize blood sugar, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and provide satiety. They also provide the nutrients and essential fatty acids needed to create the right prostaglandins that stimulate weight loss. Fat-free cookies may have little fat and fewer calories than nuts, but the sugar in them will raise insulin, imbalance blood sugar, stimulate your appetite, upset prostaglandins, and raise cholesterol. Think of food in three-dimensional terms, not just according to the statistics on the label.

If you could control the actions of the hormones in your body, you could eat all the food you want and still lose weight. When you put together a nutrition program for weight loss, therefore, you want to select the foods that will help create the right hormonal balance.

Robert Crayon, M.S., C.N. is a clinician, researcher, and educator who was called "one of the top ten nutritionists in the country" by "Self" magazine (1993). He is the associate editor of "Total Health" magazine and president of "Designs For Health", an educational institution that since 1989 has trained countless health care practitioners in the latest findings in clinical nutrition. His book, "Nutrition Made Simple" is available at Tan Plus ($14.95, on sale $10.00), or call 1-800-800-6193 to order (add $6.00 S&H). 

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Everyone has an occasional sleepless night, and this is not a problem for most people. However, as many as 25% of Americans report occasional sleeping problems. Insomnia is a chronic problem for about 10% of the population. In these cases, the lack of restful sleep impairs the person's ability to carry out daily responsibilities because they are too tired or they have trouble concentrating. The best measure of the amount of sleep needed is how you feel. If you awaken feeling refreshed, you are getting enough sleep. For some, this could take up to 10 hours of sleep.

Strong, prescription sedatives do not produce a natural, restful sleep. In addition, you can develop tolerance or dependence on these drugs. In this case, the same dose of the drug no longer produces sleep, which may lead you to try a higher dose. The circular situation becomes worse. Higher doses worsen the chance of dependence, tolerance, and side effects. Stopping these medications can cause a rebound insomnia and withdrawal.

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered companies to place strong new warnings on thirteen drugs that treat sleep disorders. It also ordered the makers of the sleeping pills to provide information for patients explaining how to safely use the drugs. The FDA announced that some of these drugs can have unexpected and dangerous effects. These include the risk of life-threatening allergic reactions. They also include rare incidents of strange behavior. These include people cooking food, eating and even driving while asleep. The patients later had no memory of doing these activities while asleep.

The FDA did not say in its announcement how many cases of sleep-driving it has documented. However, the New York Times reported last year about people who said they had strange sleep events after taking the drug Ambien. Some reported sleep-driving and sleep-walking. Others said they found evidence after waking in the morning that they had cooked food or eaten in their sleep. But they had no memory of carrying out the activities.

According to an unnamed FDA official, these serious side effects of sleep disorder drugs appear to be rare. But, he also said there are probably more cases than are reported. He said the agency believes the risk of such behaviors could be reduced if people take the drugs as directed and do not drink alcohol while taking the drugs. The FDA has further advised drug companies to carry out studies to investigate the problem.

The National Institute Of Health website, MedLine Plus, lists possible side effects from taking these drugs. The following is just 3 of the popular sleep drugs currently available.

Ambien (Zolpidem)
Possible Side Effects: drowsiness, headache, dizziness, 'drugged feeling', loss of coordination, upset stomach, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, gas, heartburn, stomach pain or tenderness, changes in appetite, shaking of a part of the body that you cannot control, burning or tingling in the hands, arms, feet, or legs, unusual dreams, dry mouth or throat, cold symptoms, pain or pressure in the face, ringing, pain, or itching in the ears, eye redness, blurred vision or other vision problems, muscle aches or cramps, joint, back, or neck pain
Ambien Serious Side Effects (considered rare): rash, hives, itching, pounding heartbeat, chest pain, fever

Lunesta (Eszopiclone)
Possible Side Effects: unpleasant taste, headache, cold-like symptoms, pain, daytime drowsiness, lightheadedness, dizziness, loss of coordination, upset stomach, vomiting, heartburn, unusual dreams, decreased sexual desire, painful menstruation (periods), breast enlargement in males.
Lunesta Serious Side Effects (considered rare): rash, itching, chest pain, swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs, painful or frequent urination, bloody or cloudy urine, back pain.

Rozerum (Ramelteon)
Possible Side Effects: drowsiness or tiredness, dizziness, upset stomach, changes in the way food tastes, muscle or joint pain, stuffy or runny nose, cough, or other cold symptoms, flu-like symptoms.
Rozerum Serious Side Effects (considered rare): stopping of menstrual periods, milky discharge from the nipples, decreased sexual desire, fertility problems, depression.

Comment: It continues to baffle me that millions of these sleep drugs are sold and taken, regardless of the risks to health and safety, while a number of "natural formulas like Power To Sleep PM" are available, inexpensive, effective and rarely result in any side effects.

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Tired of feeling tired? Almost everyone has experienced that tired and fatigued feeling that just won't go away. There are many causes of decreased energy production including excess stress, lack of adequate rest, not always eating the proper nutrient-rich foods, medical conditions, and more.

As described by Dr. Ray Sahelian (www.raysahelian.com), lack of energy is a common complaint. Often, the lack of energy is transient or can be attributed to a definable medical illness. Other times some patients present with persistent and disabling energy deficiency, but show no abnormalities on physical examination or screening laboratory tests. In these cases, the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) should be considered. CFS is characterized by debilitating fatigue with associated muscle aches, tender lymph nodes, joint pain, chills, feverish feelings, and postexertional malaise. Diagnosis of CFS is primarily by exclusion with no definitive laboratory test or physical findings. Medical research continues to examine the many possible etiologic agents for CFS (infectious, immunologic, neurologic, and psychiatric), but the answer remains elusive. Similarities with fibromyalgia exist and concomitant illnesses include irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and headaches. Therefore, treatment of CFS may be variable and should be tailored to each patient.

Lack of energy may be due to depression, lack of exercise, poor diet with lack of adequate protein, anemia, diabetes, hepatitis, thyroid disorders, malignancy, occult infections, autoimmune disorders, sleep apnea, or adrenal insufficiency. While no product can replace treating these causes directly, you can help boost your energy levels without stimulants like caffeine, sugar, and over-the-counter drugs that only worsen the problem.

Formulated by Dr. Ray Sahelian, M.D., and based on many years of clinical experience, Bioperine enhanced Triple-Boost provides a smooth all-day stream of energy without central nervous system stimulants. It can be used daily without the risk of burnout that occurs with other energy products.

Ingredients:
TMG (trimethylglycine) 400 mg and L-Tyrosine 300 mg- These ingredients help produce the brain chemicals that control mood, energy and provide a sense of well being.
L-Carnitine (from L-carnitine tartrate) 400 mg- Helps metabolize fatty acids into energy.
Chromium (from chromium picolinate) 80 mcg- Aids in converting sugar into energy.
Vitamin B1 (as thiamine) 40 mg, Vitamin B2 (as riboflavin) 40 mg, Vitamin B3 (as niacinamide) 160 mg, Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine hydrochloride) 40 mg, Vitamin B12 (as cyanocobalamin) 200 mcg, Pantothenic Acid (as d-calcium pantothenate) 200 mg, Biotin 400 mcg- These supplements support the adrenal glands and play a crucial role in countless metabolic steps to convert fats, protein and carbohydrates into energy.
Maca Root 300 mg and Panax Ginseng Extract 15 to 1 ratio (30% ginsenosides) 100 mg- These potent "adaptogens" enhance vitality, endurance and stamina.
Creatine (micronized creatine monohydrate) 600 mg- Improves energy production within muscle tissue. Increases muscle strength and endurance.
Spirulina 200 mg, Royal Jelly 50 mg, Bee Pollen 50 mg- These energizing "super foods" are some of the most nutrient-rich substances produced by nature.
Bioperine Complex (bioperine piperine extract, piper longum extract, ginger root extract)- enhances the absorption and bioavailability of the entire Triple-Boost Formula.

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Power to Sleep PM™ & Wake Up Refreshed

Promotes Restful Sleep And A Healthy Sleep Cycle Without Groggy Side Effects

Attaining restful and sustained sleep is fundamental to health and well-being. Power to Sleep PM™ utilizes natural ingredients formulated to gently encourage a state of relaxation, replenish nutrients that help the body cope with stress and improve essential mineral stores. These ingredients work together to help you relax before bed, sleep soundly during the night and wake-up feeling refreshed in the morning.

This product focuses on these three targeted areas to promote a healthy sleep cycle and provide the rest necessary for the body to function: 

• Promotes Relaxation: Valerian, an herb traditionally used by warring tribes during negotiation to ensure peaceful communication, combines with other beneficial botanicals to promote a sense of relaxation and calm. • Stimulates Sleep: Melatonin and GABA are keys to maintaining a normal sleep cycle. • Restores Nutrients: Ashwagandha, a botanical traditionally used to help your body cope with stress, along with the minerals calcium and magnesium which help promote a healthy nervous system, work together to help you wake up feeling refreshed. Directions: (Adult) Take 2 liquid soft-gels 30 minutes before bedtime to promote a restful sleep. Consult your physician before using this product if you are using medication or have any medical conditions. Do not use if you are pregnant or lactating. Do not exceed recommended daily intake. Not intended for use by persons under 18. Keep out of reach of children. What You Should Know About Liquid Soft-Gels, Bioavailability And Irwin Naturals 60 ct. item #426 $ 19.50

Buy

Power To Sleep PM Ingredients:

Magnesium Citrate (80 mg) - Key nutrient to support muscle relaxation.
Calcium Citrate (50 mg)- Helps maintain and build healthy body tissue during sleep.
Valerian Extract (200 mg)- Standardized extract that increases calmness and helps reduce stress.
Ashwagandha Extract (150 mg)- Adaptogenic herb used for centuries to enhance relaxation.
Hops Extract (150 mg)- Helps promote healthy sleep patterns.
Passionflower Extract (150 mg)- Acts as a sleep aid for restful slumber.
Lemon Balm Extract (150 mg)- Promotes calm and restful qualities.
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) 100 mg - Natural relaxant to support sleep.
L-Theanine (50 mg)- Powerful amino acid for relaxation.
Melatonin (2 mg)- Stimulates the onset of sleep while maintaining sleep duration.
Bioperine Complex (bioperine piperine extract, ginger root extract) 6 mg- enhances the absorption and bioavailability of the entire formula.
No Preservatives
Contains Soy

 

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Disclaimer

Tanning & Natural Health News is a publication of Tan Plus /Essentials Of Life, Barclay Square, 350 Route 108, Somersworth, NH. This publication is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be presented as medical advice. Product statements made have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration.