3 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight

If you've been eating right and exercising but not able to lose that extra weight, "you may have a sluggish metabolism," states Lyssie Lakatos, R.D., co-author of Fire Up Your Metabolism. But before you blame it on your genes, consider these 3 bad habits:

1. You aren't getting enough selenium and vitamin D - these affect your thryroid's ability to produce the necessary metabolism-regulating hormones.
2. You avoid carbs like bread, rice, and pasta - carbs provide energy to the body and if you are lacking energy, you are less likely to be active.
3. You've been exposed to pesticides - Canadian researchers found chemicals like organochlorides (found in pesticides) can cause people to burn fat at a slower rate because they hinder thyroid function.

Surprising Benefits of Vitamin D

New studies have found that vitamin D may protect against some types of cancer and help fight heart disease. Vitamin D can be found in certain foods & supplements and is created naturally with exposure to sunlight. Approximately fifteen minutes of sun exposure to the arms, hands, face, or back (without sunscreen) at least twice a week is recommended to attain your RDI (recommended daily intake) of vitamin D. Michael Holick, M.D., Ph.D., endocrinologist at Boston University and author of The UV Advantage states, "getting enough vitamin D may be one of the most important factors in decreasing your risk for a number of chronic diseases." Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, osteoporosis, depression, peripheral artery disease, type I diabetes, and death from kidney disease.