Burns extra calories.

Improves appearance.

Improves mood.

Improves mental alertness and reaction time.

Improves posture, coordination and balance.

Improves quality of sleep.

Improves sexual function and sexual desire.

Increases lean muscle mass.

Decreases body fat.

Increases longevity.

Increases metabolism.

Preserves muscle mass and strength.

Strengthens bones.

Reduces blood pressure.

Increases strength of ligaments and tendons.

Decreases food cravings.

Improves immune system function.

Helps relieve constipation.

Improves memory.

Improves circulation throughout the body.

Improves brain circulation.

Decreases tobacco use.

Releases growth hormone- important in anti-aging.

Relieves anxiety, stress and depression.

Prevents chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

Lowers resting heart rate and makes heart more efficient.

Increases endurance.

Prevents cardiovascular disease.

Reduces risk of breast, colon, and prostate cancer.

Reduces risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus-high blood sugar.

Improves self confidence and self-esteem.

How we use and store food and how exercise can tap into fat reserves:

As we live our daily lives, the most easily accessible fuel is from the food we just ate.

After the food is broken down into small units, it is distributed around the body by the blood stream.

Every cell of the body takes what it needs.

Inside each cell are energy processors called Mitochondria.

In most cells, the mitochondria can burn either sugar or fat.

The brain and nervous system can only use Glucose (Sugar).

Inside the Liver and to a lesser extent the muscles, the body can store about a day's worth of Glucose in a special form called Glycogen.

Beyond that, all excess food is turned into Fat and stored around the body as fat.

If it jiggles, it is fat.

The body can turn any food into fat, but it can't turn Fat into Glucose (sugar).

If you fast and are running out of glycogen, your body will break down your own body proteins, mostly muscle, to make Glucose.

Cash Money v Bank Accounts:

Glucose is quick energy.

It is easy to use.

It is the only thing the brain lives on and a sugar high makes the brain happy, at least for a little while.

Muscle will burn sugar first if it has a choice.

Glucose is like cash money.

Fat is like money in the bank.

If, every day, you earned hundreds of dollars in cash, you would always have plenty of cash in your wallet.

You would never write a check or go to the ATM to take money out of your bank account.

If you keep eating enough "cash" carbohydrate to supply your needs each day, you will never burn any of the Fat in your storage "Bank".

Eating too much sugar or other carbohydrates raises blood glucose levels.

If blood Glucose rises too high, the pancreas makes Insulin to push the extra Glucose into Fat cells, lowering the blood sugar levels, and you will store the extra glucose as FAT.

Exercise and Weight Loss:

Muscles can burn either fat or sugar, but they would rather burn sugar.

If the carbohydrate supply is limited, muscles learn to burn fat and reserve the sugar for the Brain.

It takes about two weeks of restricting carbohydrate intake, regular exercise and going to sleep on an empty stomach to teach the muscles that they must burn Fat.

Glucose (sugar) is like cash and Fat is money in the bank. Unless you exercise and limit your calories, especially carbohydrates, your muscles will never learn to burn Fat. They will never take money out of your Fat bank account.

Aerobic, cardio exercises encourage muscle cells to make more mitochondria so food is burned more efficiently.

Weight training or using your body as resistance (like in Yoga or Pilates) builds more muscle, but not more mitochondria for endurance.

A pound of lean muscle burns about 50-75 calories per day.

A pound of body fat burns about 3 calories per day.

You need a combination of aerobic, cardio exercise and resistance or weight training to achieve optimal benefits.