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You're eating healthier and working out more. But why aren't you losing weight? Here are 5 possible reasons why this happens.


1. You're still eating too much

You have replaced your pizzas and nasi lemak with lots of fruits, yoghurt and nuts. But that doesn't mean you can eat as much as you want. Oranges and bananas are rich in vitamins, but they also tend to be high in sugar. Nuts are a great source of protein, but have a high fat and caloric content. In other words, the quantity of healthy food you consume is as important as the type of food you eat.


2. You don't vary your workout routine

If you keep doing the same exercise routine e.g. running for an hour every day, your body will hit a plateau over time and you stop making progress. To overcome this, challenge your body by changing your workouts routines.


3. You don't sleep enough

Lack of sleep has been linked to an increase in hunger and appetite, and possibly weight problems and obesity. Inadequate sleep also stimulates cravings for high-fat, high-carbohydrate and sugary foods. A 2004 study suggests that people who get less than 6 hours sleep a day were 30% more likely to become obese than those who slept for 7 to 9 hours.


4. You are perpetually stressed

Stress eating or emotional eating results in you eating high-calorie foods, even when you're not hungry, as a way to handle your daily stress. Find a healthier way to manage your stress e.g. dancing, gardening or going to the gym.

5.  You're gaining muscle

This is the best case scenario for weight gain. When you start exercising, your body composition will change to a higher muscle mass and lower body fat. Because muscle is denser than fat, it is therefore heavier, resulting in you gaining weight.

(Source: Not losing weight? by Fiona Ho, StarFit4Life, 9 February 2014)

So take a moment to reflect on what is the real reason stopping you from losing weight and address the problem. You will find that you are more successful in achieving your objective.

Your body's gastrointestinal system does far more than just digest your food. It also converts food into energy, absorbs essential nutrients and fights off bacteria to keep you healthy and strong.
Your digestive system is home to 70-80% of your body's immune system. So if you fill your guts with friendly bacteria, you can prevent all sorts of diseases, including cancer.

What can friendly/good bacteria do for you:

• Help digest food and absorb nutrients.
• Produce folic acid and vitamin B12 for healthy blood cells.
• Stimulate production of immune cells on the intestinal walls.
• Activate white blood cells that kill bad bacteria.

Have you ever experienced going on a strict diet for months and exercising consistently, and yet you still can't lose weight? It can be very demoralising and damaging to your self-esteem, right? There are many reasons weight loss strategies fail to be effective, and they are nothing to do eating too much or not exercising enough.

This article shares with you 8 reasons that stop you from getting rid of the kilos.

1. Feeling stress all the time
Why:
Stress causes your body to react by producing the hormone cortisol. This hormone increases your tendency of storing fat especially around your abdomen.

2. Cushing's syndrome
Why:
This is a condition where the adrenal glands (located on top of your kidneys) produce too much cortisol. Similar to when your body is under chronic stress, this syndrome will cause a buildup of fat in abdomen, face and upper back.

3. Hypothyroidism
Why:
If your sluggish thyroid gland cannot produce enough thyroid hormones to burn stored fat, it will lead to slower metabolism and hence weight gain.

4. Polycystic ovary syndrome
Why:
The cysts along the outer edge of women's ovaries can lead to unexplained weight gain, irregular menstrual bleeding, acne, excessive facial hair, thinning hair and difficulty conceiving.

5. Insulin resistance
Why:
When there is chronic inflammation in your body, the cytokines (inflammatory chemical messengers) will cause your body's cells to stop "listening" to insulin and leptin (which tells your brain that you are full and stop eating). When the insulin receptors of your cells become resistant to insulin, the glucose in your blood cannot be stored in cells to be used as energy. The glucose gets converted into fatty acids and stored as fat, instead of being used as energy. This inflammation/obesity relationship is a vicious cycle, as fat cells themselves generate cytokines, which further increase insulin resistance.

6. Medications may cause weight gain by causing your appetite to increase or lowering your metabolic rate. They include:

• Diabetes medications e.g. sulfonylureas
• Antidepressants e.g. amitriptyline or Elavil, imipramine or Norpramin, trazodone or Desyrel
• Birth control pills
• Corticosteroids taken for asthma and lupus
• Anti-epileptics taken to control seizures e.g. valproic acid (Depakene, Depakote) and carbamazepine (Tegretol)
• Antipsychotic or schizophrenia medication e.g. chlorpromazine (Thorazine), thioridazine (Mellaril) and olanzapine (Zyprexa)
• Beta-blockers for high blood pressure and heart disease

7. Lack of sleep
Why:
Your body's hormone levels will be out of balance, causing increased hunger and appetite, and not feeling full after eating.

8. Quitting smoking
Why:
It can cause you to put on weight initially. Without the intake of nicotine, you will tend to feel hungrier, find that food tastes better, and eat more, but this feeling will go away after several weeks.

(Source: Stubborn kilos by Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar, StarFit4Life, 9 December 2012)

A Workable Solution?


Lingzhi / Ganoderma is effective to regulate your body's hormone production, including your cortisol and thyroid hormones. As such, Lingzhi is in a position to help address Problems 2 to 5 above. Further, with consistent consumption of Lingzhi, you are able to reduce or even stop taking certain medications listed under Item 6 when you successfully return your body to a healthier state - thereby making it easier for you to lose weight.

Click here to discover How Does Lingzhi Work In Your Body - refer to Item 5.


Yung Kien Bee Pollen plays an important supporting role to ensure Lingzhi works more effectively.  Moreover, when your body is properly nourished with the right combination of nutrients,  your cravings for junk food will be reduced. This is another natural way to manage your weight.

Click here to discover what other "Beautiful" Benefits Yung Kien Pollen holds - refer to Item 3.

Please email me at laifuiping@gmail.com for how to manage your specific situation that is preventing you from losing weight - Lingzhi and Bee Pollen can be your saviour.

It is currently estimated that 1 in 4 Malaysians will develop cancer in their lifetime.
The Good News is, certain risks of cancer are preventable. These are the top 3 risks:

• Tobacco. Our exposure to primary and secondary cigarette smoke is still very high.
• Poor eating habits. The Health Ministry found that 90% of adult Malaysians do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, resulting in a rise in colorectal cancer. Click on this link to discover why is dietary fibre so important and how to choose a good dietary fibre: http://www.pingofhealth.com/2012/09/why-do-we-need-dietary-fibre.html

• Lack of exercise. About 20% of Malaysians are obese. 

Our bones are living tissues, comprising mainly calcium and protein. If more bone calcium is being absorbed into the body than is replaced, the density (bone mass) is gradually reduced, the bone becomes weaker, increasing the risk that it may break. Osteoporosis develops when bone is no longer replaced as quickly as it is removed.

50% of women and 25% of men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture. While gradual loss of bone mass is a fact of life for everyone, it's never too late to take steps that will protect our bones.

The amount of bone mass you obtain while you are young determines your skeletal health for the rest of your life. Meaning the more bone mass you have when you are young, the more protection you have against losing bone mass later.

Here are some tips to help children develop maximum bone mass, and help adults slowdown its loss.

1. Get adequate calcium and vitamin D

99% of the body's calcium is stored in the bones and teeth - a "bone bank". Calcium is "withdrawn" from the bone bank daily to support some vital body functions. If sufficient calcium is not "deposited" back via diet, the bones become deficient in calcium and eventually weaken.

The US Institute of Medicine recommends the following amounts of daily calcium from food and supplements:

• 1 to 3 years old - 500mg
• 4 to 8 years old - 800mg
• 9 to 18 years old - 1,300mg
• 19 to 50 years old 1,000mg
• more than 51 years old - 1,200mg

Colon, or colorectal, cancer is cancer that starts in the large intestine (colon) or the rectum (end of the colon). Most cases of colon cancer begin as small, noncancerous (benign) clumps of cells called adenomatous polyps. Over time some of these polyps become colon cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The good news is, early diagnosis often leads to a complete cure.


Risk Factors of Colon Cancer

• Family history, especially if immediate family (parents, siblings, children) or if the relative had the cancer at a young age.
• About 90 percent of people diagnosed with colon cancer are older than 50.
• People with diabetes and insulin resistance may have an increased risk of colon cancer.
• Personal medical history. Chronic inflammatory diseases of the colon, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, can increase your risk of colon cancer.
• Unhealthy diet. Colon cancer and rectal cancer may be associated with a diet low in fibre and high in fat and calories. 
• Sedentary lifestyle. If you're inactive, you're more likely to develop colon cancer. Getting regular physical activity may reduce your risk of colon cancer.

The absence of any risk factors does not mean a person will not develop colon cancer. However, the more risk factors one has, the higher the chances of getting it.

Warning Signs of Colon Cancer

• changes in bowel habit (constipation or diarrhea)
• blood in the stools
• severe abdominal pain
• unexplained weight loss

How to Reduce the Risk of Developing Colon Cancer

• Practice a healthier diet. Eat food high in antioxidants like citrus fruits and dark green and yellow vegetables. Consume foods low in fat and high in fibre. Get enough calcium.
• Practice a healthier lifestyle. Exercise at least 30 minutes for most days of the week.
• Quite smoking.
• Restrict alcohol consumption.

(Sources: 
StarFit4Life, Tummy troubles by Prof Madya Dr Sheikh Anwar Abdullah, 4 Deember 2011
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001308/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colon-cancer/DS00035)


To find out what can help prevent or treat cancer, please check out this article Positive Effects of Lingzhi/Ganoderma on Cancer Patients.
Or you may email me at laifuiping@gmail.com to buy Lingzhi.
Click here to refer to Shuang Hor company website for Product Description and Price.

A strong bone is flexible and able to expand and contract without breaking. High-impact, weight-bearing exercises are the most effective for building strong bones. However, you can only do that if you don't have low bone mass or osteoporosis, or you may end up hurting yourself.
What is collagen? Refer to this article "What is Collagen? Why is it Important for our Health and Beauty?" for your answer.