Less Exercise Can Equal More Weight Loss

Less exercise can give you better weight loss results, according to a new report from the University of Copenhagen. In fact, doing just 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day can help you lose a significant amount of weight, as long as you also eat a healthy diet.

Researchers studied a group of overweight men in their 20's and 30's. They found that, over the course of 13 weeks, those who followed a consistent "moderate-intensity" exercise routine lost a lot more weight than the ones who performed "high-intensity" workouts on a daily basis.

Experts aren't exactly sure what's going on here but a leading theory is that high-volume, high-intensity exercise leads to a big increase in hunger and calorie consumption. And it may actually cause you to underestimate how much food you're really eating overall. Also, study participants who did the high-intensity exercise tended to move a lot less at other times of the day, most likely due to exhaustion -- so they actually ended up burning fewer calories overall than the moderate exercisers.

The bottom line is that, in many cases, less exercise appears to lead to more weight loss. Moderate-intensity exercise doesn't cause the big hunger/appetite spikes, so you don't overeat. Also, it leaves you with enough energy to do things like take the stairs instead of the elevator. Of course, either way you need to do it on a consistent daily (or almost daily) basis in order to lose the weight efficiently.

We say: This is good news for us "moderate" fitness fans, but we know for a fact that there's a ton of health and fat loss benefits from doing a few high-intensity exercise routines every week -- especially if your goal is fast fat loss and muscle building/toning!

Learn some mo': For more weight loss, exercise less?

Turns Out Belly Fat Really IS Bad For Your Health

First they said belly fat is extremely dangerous. Then, more recently, they said it isn't so bad after all. Now they say it's actually just about the worst type of body fat we can carry around! Results of a new study showed that people with high levels of "central obesity" (aka big bellies) are almost 3 times more likely to diet from heart disease and twice as likely to die from any cause.

According to the researcher from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, having lots of abdominal fat is even worse than being fully obese. This is important because it's very possible to be at what's considered a "normal weight" for your height yet still have significant amounts of fat hanging off your stomach-area.

According to lead researcher and cardiologist  Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez:

"People with normal weight may be less likely to feel the need for lifestyle changes... But, central obesity isn't healthy even in those with normal weight."

Belly fat appears to have multiple negative affects on health. It increases insulin resistance and greatly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Also, people with high levels of abdominal fat tend to have less "protective" fat in other areas of the body.

Experts say that if you're in the normal weight range for your height, sex, age etc. and have a lot of belly fat the best way to reduce the risks is to lose weight and increase lean muscle mass. Apparently, more evenly distributed body fat can greatly boost your long-term health.

We say: Getting rid of belly fat isn't that easy to do but this is definitely another reason to get back on the diet/regular exercise program!

Learn some mo': Belly Fat May Hurt Your Heart the Hardest

Study: Acupuncture Does Reduce Pain -- Really and "Mentally" Too

It turns out the popular alternative medicine treatment called acupuncture really does work for reducing perceived pain in the body... probably in more than one way. A new study shows the pain-relief experienced by many acupuncture patients is real and probably not just due to a placebo affect, although much of the benefit is probably due to the human brain.

This is fairly surprising because skeptics have for years stated that the procedure involving placing thin needles into the skin is a pure scam that provides no real benefits. Still, acupuncture has been used in Asia for thousands of years so many alternative and natural health practitioners recommend it for dealing with pain and other health conditions without drugs.

Researchers from the Archives of Internal Medicine looked at 29 high-quality clinical trials involving about 18,000 people who underwent acupuncture treatments for chronic pain related to back/neck problems, arthritis, headaches, etc. They found evidence that real genuine acupuncture done by an expert in the proper systematic way does appear to significantly reduce pain.

Still, many experts -- including some involved in this new study -- say that at least part of acupuncture's beneficial effects are most likely due to patients believing and wanting the treatment to work.

We say: Even if there is a strong placebo effect involved in reducing pain with acupuncture (or any other alternative drug-free treatment for that matter) who cares?? If someone feels less pain overall that certainly isn't a bad thing, no matter what the mechanism is.

Learn some mo': Acupuncture works, one way or another

Candy Corn Oreos: The Next Hot Junkfood

Every year special holiday versions of popular foods are released. But this year a special "Halloween" version of the ultra-popular Oreo cookie has literally exploded onto the social media scene. Not a single official ad has yet been run for the new "Candy Corn Oreos" yet millions of people in North America are already clamoring to buy them!

It seems the photos of the very unique-looking hybrid cookies have made the Candy Corn Oreos a viral sensation on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and the other big social networks.

We say: Like the guy in the video below, we hate candy corn... but we love Oreos. So we might have to take a trip to the grocery store in the near future...



Learn some mo': Candy Corn Oreo a Viral Phenomenon

Amazon Releases New Updated Kindle Fire Tablets

Amazon.com has released the updated "2.0" version of its extremely popular Kindle Fire tablet computer... several of them actually. The new Kindles feature high-definition screens, larger sizes, longer battery life, and greatly improved computing power, according to gadget industry experts.

During the launch this past week Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had this to say:

"We love to invent. We love to pioneer. We even like going down alleys that turn out to be blind alleys... Every once in a while those blind alleys turn into broad avenues. And that turns out to be lots of fun."

2 of the new Kindle Fires feature larger 8.9 inch screens, putting them in-between the original 7-inch model and the industry-leading Apple iPad (9.7 inch screen). The "Fire HD" tablets will feature high-end Dolby Digital Plus speakers, HDMI TV/monitor ports, and 2 special antennas for improved WiFi and 4G connectability.

The low-cost tablets are priced at $199 for the 7-inch model and $299 for the 8.9 inch version. Industry experts expect them to compete strongly with Google's new Nexus 7 tablet, especially because of Amazon's huge content library.

We say: We all have the original Kindle Fire and it kind of sucks. Very buggy and no HDMI port. Instead of gambling on Amazon again we plan to get the new Google Nexus tablet!

Learn some mo': Amazon announces new wave of Kindles

Michael Clarke Duncan Passes

Michael Clarke Duncan, a great American actor, has passed away. RIP

Here's a video of the actor, very famous for his extremely muscular physique, talking about weight loss and health in a recent interview: