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Christian Living

Health

Fad Diets are Out, Healthy Weight Loss is In

CBN.com - It’s the New Year, and millions have resolved to lose weight and exercise. Most people, however, set unrealistic goals and are doomed for failure right from the start.

Rather than beginning with the resolution to start eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, people flock to the gym and start fad diets that they can’t possibly maintain—counting calories, avoiding carbs, popping diet pills, or living on iced tea and lettuce leaves. These fad dieting tactics have resulted in 90 percent of dieters gaining back the weight they had battled and seemingly conquered.

A new approach to weight loss, the Glycemic Index, involves more long-term and easily adaptable lifestyle changes. It is gaining momentum because of its sustainable benefits. This nutritional system ranks foods according to how they affect blood sugar levels—and, hence, weight and health.

High glycemic index (GI) foods—70 or higher on the index—trigger a dramatic, rapid rise in blood sugar. This forces the body to overproduce insulin, the hormone that clears away blood sugar and stimulates fat storage. This rapid rise in both blood sugar and insulin can cause increased hunger, sugar cravings, mood swings, fatigue, and fat production, while increasing the risk of heart disease, type II diabetes, and serious side effects in those who already have diabetes.

But low GI foods—scoring 55 or less on the index—do just the opposite: they produce a slow, gentle rise in blood sugar that the body can easily handle, keeping blood sugar stable and insulin levels under control. Low GI foods help curb the appetite and maintain energy levels, while warding off heart disease and diabetes. And medium GI foods (those ranked between 56 and 69) have effects on the blood sugar that fall somewhere in between the other two.

But the GI level of foods should not be the only evaluating factor. Some low GI foods, like certain candy bars or potato chips, are high in fat and empty calories, while some high GI foods, like baked potatoes, parsnips, and watermelon are very nutritious and low in calories.

The trick is to find foods that are low on the GI index, highly nutritious, and appealing to the taste buds. A study conducted at Australia’s University of Sydney found that the Revival® Soy shakes, bars, and pasta can help keep blood sugar and insulin in a healthy range. For this study, students and staff members ranging in age between 18 and 45 were given either sugar water or varying portions of Revival® Soy Thin Spaghetti, Revival® Chocolate Raspberry Zing Bar, Revival® Peanut Butter Chocolate Pal Bar, Revival® Chocolate Daydream Fructose Shake, and Revival® Chocolate Daydream and Splenda® Shake. Researchers monitored each volunteer’s blood before and after consumption of the sugar water or the Revival® Soy products.

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The results? Those who consumed the Revival® Soy products had substantially lower blood glucose responses than those who consumed the sugar water, confirming that Revival® Soy bars, shakes, and soy pasta have a low glycemic index.

Soy is a viable option for achieving weight loss or weight management goals. Recent studies suggest that overweight people lose weight faster when soy protein is a major dietary component, compared with animal protein.1/2 A 2004 study found that a high soy-protein, low-fat diet can improve the body composition in overweight and obese people, helping them lose fat but preserve muscle mass.3 Another study discovered that use of a soy-based meal replacement formula was effective in lowering body weight and fat mass, and reduced LDL cholesterol beyond what could be attributed solely to the weight loss.4

Soy protein is the only plant protein that is "complete" because it contains all 9 essential amino acids in the right balance for your body's needs. There are 20 total amino acids found in animal and plant-based proteins, but only 9 are essential, meaning they are necessary elements in a healthy diet because the body cannot produce them, they must be consumed. This makes soy a great substitute for meats high in saturated fat and cholesterol. The FDA recommends 25 grams of soy protein daily, along with a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, in order to help reduce the risk of heart disease. Also, medical studies have shown that soy protein helps reduce hunger by sending signals to the brain that the stomach is full.

Revival® Soy products are based on a proprietary soy formula, using a patented natural concentration process, developed by Aaron Tabor, M.D. Revival® Soy is recommended by more doctors than any other soy protein supplement because of its high isoflavone content, high-quality protein, clinically backed research, and superb taste. Just one Revival® Soy bar or shake provides the same amount of hunger-reducing, health-enhancing soy isoflavones found in 6 cups of soymilk, but with 90 percent less fat. The line includes soy bars, shakes, chips, pasta, nuts, and coffee.

Revival Soy participates in double-blinded, placebo-controlled human clinical studies at some of America's top medical schools and hospitals. The company currently has 30 Revival studies at various stages of design or completion.

For more information, log onto www.RevivalSoy.com.


References:

1Anderson JW, Hoie LH. Structured weight-loss programs: a meta-analysis of 24-week weight losses and assessment of effects of intensity of intervention. 12th Euorpean Congress of Obesity 2003; (abstr).

2Anderson JW, Hoie LH. Comparison of weight and lipid responses to soy and milk meal replacements. Fifth International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Preventing and Treating Chronic Disease 2003;77 (abstr).

3Deibert P, Konig D, Schmidt-Trucksaess A, et al. Weight loss without losing muscle mass in pre-obese and obese subjects induced by a high-soy-protein diet. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004 Oct;28(10):1349-52.

4Allison DB, Gadbury G, Schwaretz LG, et al. A novel soy-based meal replacement formula for weight loss among obese individuals: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Eru J Clin Nutr. 2003 Apr;57(4):514-22.

REVIVAL IS A DIETARY SUPPLEMENT: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Revival is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. We can not and do not give you medical advice.

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