Health Happy Life Blog

Fruits and Veggies

2008-07-31T02:07:00.000-07:00

We have heard it once we have heard it a thousand time. 'Eat your veggies'. Most of us heard this more than anything during our childhood. All you could think of as a child was when you get older you will never eat another one again. Who needs those things anyway? I hate to break the news to you, but fruits and veggies are a very important part of our diets. You can't live without them. Oh you can, but you will either gain weight or feel like shit in the long run. Go a week without eating any, you will see what I mean. I guess the problem is, we tend to over cook veggies. We cook them to the point that they are either mush or they don't have the taste they once had. This is the worst thing that you can do to them. When you over cook a veggie, you rob of it of everything that makes it good for you. This is very foolish and a waste of money. A person should eat 5-10 servings of veggies per day. I know you have had that pounded into your head while you were at school. It sucks to learn they were actually telling the truth doesn't it?

Before you get all bent out of shape, lets talk about how big a serving really is. A medium sized fruit or veggie is one serving. A medium sized apple, carrot or banana is one serving. 5-10 of those doesn't sound too hard does it?

There are easy ways of getting the amount of veggies that you need. One is by preparing them the night before. Before you go to bed, peel and slice anything that you would want to eat the next day. This won't take much time. You might want to invest in a peeler. They don't cost very much. You can buy them at any shop that sells cookware. Also your grocery store might have one. If you can't find it, ask one of the stock boys. They will know if they carry them. One easy way to consume more fruits and veggies is to cut them up and put them in small sandwich baggies. Cut up a variety of things and store them in the small bags. You might cut up an apple, some carrots and some celery.

Keep these on hand at work. When you have a coffee break, eat these instead of rushing over to the vending machine to get a bag of snack chips. Keep a salt shaker in your desk or in your locker at work. A little salt will bring out the natural flavor of the veggie and make them more appealing. Think of these as snacks to go. You can keep them on hand if you are going to take a long trip. You can keep them at work, in the ice box for when you get the munchies, or if you want a late night snack. Soups are a great way to get a serving of veggies. You need to watch though, some of the canned soups will have a lot of salt in them. That is the downfall of buying soups that are already prepared. If you can make your own soup, that is great. Also you will cut out any unneeded fat.

A small salad is also one serving of veggies. When you go out to eat, order a salad. Make sure that you don't load it up with bad salad dressing. Go for a oil and vinegar. If you are at a place that you can put on how much oil and vinegar you want, that is even better. Just put enough oil on your salad to counter act the acidity of the vinegar.

You need to make sure that you are getting as many fresh fruits and veggies as possible. When they are raw, they are the best for your body. Some times during the canning or freezing process, they might cook them slightly. Eat a can of raw green beans straight from the can. Compare that to a raw green bean, you will see what I mean.

I would suggest to you that you eat as many raw veggies as possible. If you must cook them, blanch them slightly. Just cook them long enough so that they starchy feeling of a raw veggie is gone. Certainly don't cook them until they are limp and colorless. That robs them from anything that is worth eating. You are eating these to be healthy, that is a choice you make. Cooking them to the point that they are worthless might be an easier way to force yourself to eat them, but your efforts are being wasted.

Here are some ways to increase your fruit and veggie consumption. For breakfast put some fruit in with your cereal. This is great, I love doing this. This gives your cereal a sweet zing without adding a bunch of sugar. Also you can drink a glass of juice along with your breakfast. Juice is a great way of 'eating' your fruit. Make sure to get juice with the pulp in it, it is also good fiber.
Lunch. Eat salads. Make sure not to load them with bad dressing. Have veggie sticks along with your meal, this will also fill you up. For desert you can have a piece of fruit. This is a better desert than having a ice cream or something you will regret.

For dinner I would suggest that you try vegetarian pizza or meals based around veggies. Why not eat some fish and a plate full of greens and corn? You can mix and match things how ever you like it.

The key thing to understand is, you need to make fruits and veggies fun. If you keep it bland, you won't want to eat them. So, get a cook book or a favorite cooking site and learn how to eat your fruits and veggies. You will notice a big difference in how you feel.

How to avoid becoming a fitness failure

2008-07-30T02:03:00.000-07:00

Few things are worse than trying to get your body into shape and failing. It takes quite some courage to start on a fitness program and it takes willpower to stick to it and avoid ditching it a couple of days later. Unfortunately, more than half of the people who decide to take up a fitness program do so on a whim and drop out within the first six months. Boredom, busy schedules and a feeling of being fit enough to no longer need the exercising combine to convince people that exercises are not worth the effort and striving.

The first thing you want to do in order to avoid being a complete failure is to set a goal for yourself. If you want to be thinner, then decide on a number of pounds you want to shed. If you want to be able to run around the park without spitting your lungs on the sidewalk, then train accordingly. But whatever you do, set a clear goal so you don’t have to guess whether you’re making progress or not. Also, make sure your goal is realistic. Dropping 1 pound per week through a combination of reduced intake of calories and increased physical effort is a realistic goal. Shedding 50 pounds in two months is not just a dream, but the attempt may also prove dangerous for your health.

After deciding upon a goal, always make sure you’re keeping track of your progress. This will help keep you motivated because you will always have the visible proof of your success at whatever it is you’re doing. But bear in mind that tracking should also be done carefully. If you’re going for weight loss, don’t give in to the temptation to weigh yourself every day. Body weight fluctuates naturally from one day to the other and depends on many factors. It’s much too easy to be discouraged and abandon the program just because two extra glasses of water have messed up your weight.

Keep your fitness schedule as varied as possible. Exercises are great for your health, but only hardcore bodybuilders are never bored by them. Doing the same thing over and over becomes tedious sooner or later so make sure you mix your exercises and change the order every week or whenever you feel boredom starting to move in. Don’t let yourself get to the point where you say “Damn that exercise! I’m not going to do it again as long as I live!”. If you can’t come up with a good plan, ask a gym trainer or a veteran to help you out.

The final advice is to share the joys and problems of fitness with somebody. Find a friend who also goes to the gym and start going together. You can help each other achieve your goals and swap stories about successes and failures in between reps. A workout partner will make things look easier with a positive attitude and you can do the same thing for him or her. Oh, and don’t allow yourself to come up with excuses for avoiding the gym. Cheap tricks like that are never any good.

Low Fat Dessert

2008-07-29T02:00:00.000-07:00

No meal is over unless there is a dessert involved. If you are here in America, you know that most of the desserts out there are bad for you. They are loaded with salt, sugar and or fat. We have become a nation of junk food addicts. I do have a theory on this. I think that when a group of people experience wealth, their diets change. I know that this is simple and even a moron can come up with something like this, but hear me out. When a group of people have enough money that they have a choice of what they will eat, they will choose to go along with the more fatty foods. I think this is because we tend to store fat to keep us warm for the winter. In our minds if there is a bunch of food to choose from, then we will go towards the fatty foods. Like most animals, we prepare for the winter time. We know that it will be cold so we want a layer of fat to keep us warm. Another aspect of it is, we are greedy. All people are greedy. We want the best of everything. We want a nice new car, new house and all the rich food that we can eat. In the past, a wealthy person ate different foods than someone who is poor.

What to do? You want that little bit of joy at the end of the meal, but you don't want to become a lard ass. Well, you can have your cake and eat it too. We will discuss some of the more healthy desserts that you can eat. First I want to say, don't get fooled by this low fat stuff. It isn't worth the time. You will eat twice as much of it to fill your cravings. It is because it is missing something, the fat. The one thing that you are craving the most. In the end you aren't really doing yourself any favors. You are falling in the trap that all fat people fall into. They think since it is low fat, they can eat twice as much of it. That maybe true, but only if you don't want to loose weight.

Fresh fruit is always a good dessert. You can prepare it easily and it tastes great. Nothing tastes better than fresh fruit that is in season. Make sure that it is perfectly ripe and ready to eat. If it is ripe, it will be sweet and juicy. If you eat fruit that isn't ripe it will be hard and not have all the flavor that it can yield. You don't have to stick with the ho hum fruit salad. You can choose a ton of different ways to eat fresh fruit. You can bake apples for example wrapped in tin foil with a little bit of brown sugar. This is wonderful.

One of my favorite things is bananas sliced in orange juice. The sweet tangy flavor of the orange juice is really different compared to the banana. I could eat a truck load of this stuff. It is also a great pick me up if you are feeling sluggish. We have all seen those wand mixers advertised on television. Some people call these boat motors. It is a hand held mixer/blender that you can use for a lot of things. I love these things. If you have one of these, it is easy to make a great low fat dessert.

Here is a simple dessert using your boat motor. Take skim milk. You need to make sure that it is ice cold for this. Take your milk and put it in a drinking glass. Use your boat motor to whip air into it. You will notice after awhile it kind of looks like whipped cream. Add some bananas and strawberries and a little pinch of sugar to make it sweet. This is very low fat and it tastes great. You get that desire for fat taken care of that you have been craving so much. The whipped milk really almost feels like whipped cream. You won't believe how much it feels like the real thing.
You can also use this to add some zing to all kinds of things. You can use it to make your low fat milkshakes. You can add your protein mix to this for a great meal with very little fat. You will be surprised at how many things you can do with this whipped topping. People will think that you have fallen off of your rocker when they think you are eating a big serving of whipped cream. Before you know it, all your buddies at the gym will want you to make them something to eat with your boat motor. That is when you will have to tell them to get their own.

You can also eat gelatin. Make sure that you get the unflavored kind. It will come in either envelopes or in sheets. There will be directions on the package to tell you how to make it. You can add fruit juice or you can add fresh fruit to your gelatin. If you have a boat motor, you can use it and add some of that whipped topping you make from the skim milk. You will love this. You can also eat some low fat cakes. Just because it is cake, doesn't mean that it is bad for you. Just make sure that there isn't a whole lot of eggs or dairy involved. Also sometimes people sneak in mayo in their cake batters. Make sure you know what is on the cake. Also jam or jelly is great instead of frosting.

I'm sure that you can come up with your own ideas as well. Just think of what you already like to eat and put a spin on it. Please, stay away from the low fat stuff. All that will do is make you crave more of that than you should be eating. In the long run, you aren't saving any calories.

The Many Advantages of Herbal Medicine

2008-07-28T02:00:00.000-07:00

Nowadays is the era of everything that is herbal and natural. Millions of “all natural,” “all herbal” health and dietary supplements are swamping the markets today. Some of us are puzzled as to where and how the sudden exaggeration for those things started. Maybe it was because we became suddenly concerned and watchful of our health and well-being. On the other hand, maybe the media has so much influence over us that we often fail to see beyond the glamorous models and endorsers. In any way, do not fail to recognize that usage of herbal medicines and natural remedies dates back millions of years ago. Archaeological remains from early civilizations have revealed that plants were used in burials and other rituals. The earliest written account of herbal remedies comes from China and dates back to 2800BC.

Herbal medicines have had a chequered history ever since, in and out of favor with the great and the common man. But throughout the last 5000 or so years, it has continued to develop until today, when in the light of growing concern about the efficacy and side effects of many synthetic drugs, herbal medicines are once again providing a safe and natural alternative treatment for many everyday complaints.

Among the listed advantages of herbal medicines and natural alternatives are as follows:

1. Cost- Herbs cost less than prescription drugs. They are certainly much more convenient. Without a prescription, you can go to the health food store and buy whatever you want. However, it is always wise to consult with your doctor first before taking ANY medications. Natural does not necessarily mean safe for you. Many natural substances can be harmful. However, it is also important to note that medicines are not categorized as drugs. Alternative medications are treated as food, not medicines, because they are considered "natural". They can be sold as dietary supplements without a prescription. Supplement claims are not subject to the same scientific scrutiny as prescription medications. Unlike prescription medicines, herbal products do not have to be tested to prove that they work well and are safe before they are sold. In addition, herbal products may not be pure--they might have other things in them, like plant pollen or contaminants that could make you sick. At the present time, testing and standardized manufacturing of herbal and other supplements is needed.

2. Effectiveness and Potency - Reasons for seeking alternative treatments include dissatisfaction with traditional healthcare, although the efficacy of herbal medicines is mostly subjective to the patient. Potency may vary, depending on genetic variation of different strains of herbs, growing conditions, timing and method of harvesting, exposure to air, light and moisture over time and type of preservation.

Fighting fat

2008-07-27T02:06:00.000-07:00

Dealing with being overweight or obese and the consequences of these conditions is a daily nightmare for some people. Many people are overweight because of their own lifestyle choices. Others have ended up with a lot of extra weight through no fault of their own. These people have to face everyday the prejudices of others and to live in a world that doesn’t always take kindly to them. An overweight man is funny on a good day. An overweight woman is not even that. This is the sad reality some of us have to face at great personal cost.

Self-image and self-esteem depends largely on how other people see us and it takes a lot of egotism or willpower not to care about the opinions of others. And the bigger you are the harder it gets. People staring wherever you go and having to listen to all sorts of bad jokes and insults is a surefire way of lowering your self-esteem and triggering a self-destructing circle. Obese people prefer to stay in-doors and avoid moving about much, which leads to even more weight gained from lack of exercise, which leads to less exercise and so on. People whose self-esteem is low find it very hard to motivate themselves to improve their lives.

Relationships are hard to handle for overweight people. Sex becomes awkward, especially for a self-conscious person who doesn’t enjoy being naked. The extra weight makes sustained effort quite hard to perform and heavy sweating is not sexy. Unfortunately, the shape of an overweight person is not sexy either and most overweight people are hard pressed to find sex partners who don’t mind their shortcomings. The fact that overweight people don’t go out much makes finding partners even harder, which is why many simply give up and reach out for more sweets to stave off depression.

One of the best ways to deal with obesity is to help motivate yourself. Outside support is crucial because obese people are especially prone to taking the easy way and eating more than they should. A little flexibility also counts. Food addiction is next door to drug addiction and less food means less glucose triggering endorphins in the brain. This, in turn, means that a person who used to feel quite content is suddenly faced not only with depression, but also with the perspective of a lifelong depression. And that is bound to be harsh on anybody.

Getting fat is easy, shedding all that extra weight is not. Fighting fat is a struggle every step of the way and one needs to be strong and also to have the emotional support of a loving circle of relatives and friends. Being able to rely on others to help you through the worst parts of a diet is almost half the battle. Especially since after the diet comes a lifetime of less food and more exercise. This may sound a bit scary to the average overweight person, but you must remember that looking into the mirror or walking down the street won’t be a nightmare anymore.

Where diets go wrong

2008-07-26T01:57:00.000-07:00

The first reaction of most people who discover that they’ve put some weight on is to eat less food. It sounds simple enough and reasonable. Since food is what got us into trouble it follows that eating less of it will make everything right again. Nearly every diet or eating plan in the magazines or on the Internet says pretty much the same thing: eat less food. Therefore the answer to this problem is very simple and handy. Sure, going with less food than usual is a challenge, but it also carries with it a sort of expiation feeling.

Unfortunately for those who hope that lowering the food intake would help them lose weight, this doesn’t work. Over the thousands of years of evolution the human body had to face starvation many times and had to find ways of surviving. We are the offsprings of those who managed to survive periods of starvation by coping with the lack of food. Therefore, a simple decrease in the volume of food is not going to make a big difference because the body will simply compensate for it by lowering the amount of energy produced and limiting the capacity for effort.

The best way to reach your weight loss goal is to work around this defense system by eating smart instead of eating less. Overweight people and thin people eat roughly the same number of calories per day because they share the same required amount of food. However, overweight people eat far more fat than thin people, who seem to prefer complex carbohydrates that are easily broken down and metabolized by the body. This is the biggest difference between the two groups and the best point to start when considering what and how to change in your eating patterns.

Good dieting always takes time. The excess weight was not accumulated over night and will never go away in a single day. Every year hundreds of thousands of people are searching the Internet and reading magazines in order to get dieting tips and to find the modern Holy Grail: a pill that can make fat disappear in an instant. Well, maybe this is an exaggeration, but you get the idea. You have probably encountered by now a lot of advertisements promising such amazing results with the help of some quasi magic ingredient or other. And you probably know that losing weight doesn’t work like that.

The only way to lose weight for good is to avoid eating foods that are rich in fat and to exercises on a regular basis. Dieting without exercising is pointless because all the weight lost by eating less food will come right back in the following months. The sedentary lifestyle most of us lead is one of the causes behind the recent increase in the number of overweight people around the world. Cars, office jobs and foods rich in fat have brought us an unforeseen problem because the easy modern life has a price tag, just like everything else.

Five Ways to Start Losing Weight

2008-07-25T01:56:00.000-07:00

Some people find it hard to stick to diets and consistently fail to lose weight. They try nearly every kind of new dieting idea that comes along hoping that one of them would finally work, but the miracle never happens. Naturally, these people tend to overlook their own mistakes and fail to understand what prevents them from losing weight. The human brain displays a remarkable ability of ignoring the things it does not want to face, so it’s not hard to understand why some people eat all manner of things and still claim they haven’t touched anything but salad for a whole week.

But there are ways of working around these problems and if you don’t want to become one of these people, then you should stick to these pointers. Their purpose is to make eating a conscious act in order to avoid giving in to compulsions and temptations. The easiest thing to do is to carry around a notebook and a pen and to write down everything you eat. And I mean every little thing. Have you finished that half a slice of pizza that your partner couldn’t eat anymore? Write it down. At the end of the day look over the list and you’ll be surprised at how many things you actually eat on a regular basis.

Since eating and drinking are, for the most part, acts that bypass rational thinking you should try to bring them out of the twilight zone. So every time you reach out for a drink or some food, stop and ask yourself “Why am I doing this?”. You may be thirsty, hungry, bored, lonely, depressed, tired or stressed, but out of this list of reasons only thirst and hunger are legitimate. Put the bottle down if you’re not thirsty. Put the food back on the shelf or on the table if you’re not hungry. Do you crave sweets because you’re tired? Get some sleep instead. Do you feel the need to eat because you’re lonely and depressed? Go to the cinema or visit a friend. Read a book, watch a movie or listen to some music. There are options.

Never starve yourself. This is one of the big mistakes in dieting. Unless you have enough willpower to qualify for Nietzsche’s Overman status you will break down sooner or later and eat the first thing that you can get your hands on. Such as snacks or fast food. Starvation also makes the body go into power save mode by limiting your energy levels and hanging on to the existing fat. The body makes no difference between dieting and actual starvation and will behave as if in danger. Therefore you must eat three meals a day, plus snacks consisting of fruit and vegetables. This is the best way to lose weight.

Don’t try to banish your favorite foods completely because you will only sap your own willingness to stick to a diet. The key to dieting is moderation, not denial. Do you like ice cream? Well, have a couple of spoonfuls of ice cream every Sunday. Take a break from whatever it is you’re doing and enjoy this special treat. Don’t feel like you’re cheating on the diet and keep any guilt pangs away. You’re just dieting, not preparing for admission to a convent or monastery. So have a bit of forbidden food every five days or so and enjoy the moment.

And, of course, you must exercise. If you’re not used to exercising and are a bit scared of all the effort and sweating, then start small. There’s no need to rush into hour-long training sessions. Five minutes per day will do for starters. Get a treadmill and a pair of dumbbells and make your own schedule. Two minutes and a half of running and two minutes and half of curls. Every week increase the time spent exercising by another five minutes and add new exercises. Your goal should be to spend at least 30 minutes every day working out your body. Sixty minutes is even better, but it will come in time. It’s OK to start small.

Diet secrets of Hollywood stars

2008-07-24T01:55:00.000-07:00

Diets come a dime a dozen in Hollywood. They practically fall out of the sky. Any doctor or layman who manages to have an original idea or, at least, a new twist on an old idea, and is marginally successful in selling it to the public is thinking of setting up a shop in Hollywood. There’s probably no other place on Earth where diets and any other idea that could keep a body slim are so venerated as in Hollywood. Hundreds of young women and men (and some of them not so young) employ personal trainers and are up to date on the latest dieting trends because it’s good for their jobs to do so.

The general public is also interested in finding out the dieting secrets of movie stars and singers. They think that actors might have some tricks up their sleeves if they manage to stay so slim and good-looking through the years. Actually it’s not quite like that. Actors and singers are normal human beings. They have their unique genetic make-ups which means that no single diet works for everybody. So each one of them tries a couple of diets in order to find out which one suits him or her. Moreover, not all Hollywood stars stick to their diets. The crave for a treat does not discriminate.

Celebrities don’t have some sort of secret knowledge that opens the path to a beautiful body. Most of them get their tips just as the rest of the people do. They hear them from hairdressers and make-up girls. They get them from agents and publicists. Or they follow the latest fashionable trainer or dietician, just as they pick up on the latest philosophies or mystical experiences. Moving from Atkins to cabbage soup is not more complicated than dropping Buddhism in favor of Kabbalah. Some stars hire people who know a lot about diets to make these decisions for them.

All these famous people have to deal with the same kind of issues we all do. Sticking to a diet is hard on them, too, so they eat things they shouldn’t and resent the fact that they can’t do it all the time. They worry about the effects of such and such diets on their skin and they don’t look all that great all the time. But for every star there’s a small army of lighting experts, make-up artists, beauticians, image editing and visual effects people who work hard to make sure that the faces we see on screens and in magazines look perfect. No blemishes, no unsightly skin, no sagging anywhere. Just perfection.

One thing that could be said for Hollywood stars is that they work harder at their diets than most people. It’s very important for their jobs and popularity and so they try really hard to stay in shape and look good everyday. They’re not dieting experts and it’s unrealistic to expect them to be so. They’re good at other things and we’re content with them being that way. So, the bottom line is that there really is not secret to Hollywood dieting. Just the will to carry on and the struggle to stay fit.

Help Your Heart

2008-07-23T01:52:00.000-07:00

1. TAKE THE TEST!. That’s the highly sensitive C-reactive protein test, or HSCRP. It has been found that this blood test is as effective as a standard cholesterol test in predicting heart attacks and strokes. It measures the levels of a specific blood protein that indicates that you have inflamed heart arteries--the kind that rupture and cause heart failure. Seeing as how 50% of all heart attack victims have normal cholesterol levels, the hsccrp test is much more accurate and important see your doctor and have one done .

2. Who Cares what you could lift.... for the last forty years various studies have told us that exercise is good for your heart but none have told you that you are only as healthy as your last work out, the affects of exercise develop and deteriorate quickly so constant exercise is key to good health and a healthy heart. Doctors have compared those that still exercise to those that used to but stopped and the health rate was much higher in those that still, maintained there exercise schedule. While the effects of exercise diminish quickly doctors note that it is never too late to start and maintain an active healthier lifestyle to promote longevity.

3. Hang out in the weight room. As well as making your muscles bigger, working out and lifting weights will make you stronger , therefore making everything you do less taxing, thus putting less overall stress on your heart. if you develope a good strong set of muscles your heart will be less fatigued and you will live longer.

4. Get off the weed. Smoking weed is known to increase the chance of heart attack of heart failure dramatically for a few hours after you smoke a joint. If you are still smoking weed get of it, you live to be glad you stopped

5. Buy extra-virgin olive oil. So its more expensive, so what it'll keep you around longer, extra virgin olive oil is lower in fat and "bad cholesterol. so the extra dollar is worth it .

6. See a genetic counselor. Usually your doctor knows nothing about your genetic history, change that. it is the most valid peice of medical information available about you, find out what is common in your genetic make-up and take the steps to prevent those problems, genetic information is a good place to look for possible problems

7. Get an ultra sound . the thing with heart disease is that most people don't know they have it till the hit the floor. A new procedure called an electron-beam cat scan (EBCT) could be a solution. Best for men over 40, the EBCT gives your doctor a 3-D ultrasound of your heart and blood vessels and can show blockage in its early stages, while it is new enough to correct it..

8. Pop a pill, taking high doses of cholesterol-reducing statin drugs. In a study last year of patients with coronary-artery disease, half underwent angioplasty and half were treated with the statin drug atorvastatin. The atorvastatin group had fewer heart attacks within the next 18 months. Statins are proving that blood vessels Aren't just in need of cleaning . statins do more than clear blood vessels--they actually help the vessels become larger to accommodate greater blood flow.

9. Ask your doctor about Ramipril. For 30 years, Ramipril has been used as a hypertension drug. But a study from McMaster University in Ontario shows that it actually helps prevent heart attacks and strokesand even rudeces the need for bypass surgery!.

In the study, which included nearly 10,000 patients (80 percent of whom had coronary artery disease), vitamin E and Ramipril were tested against placebos. The subjects taking vitamin E showed no benefit, but those taking Ramipril had a 25 percent reduction in death rate.

Cholesterol: Good or bad?

2008-07-22T01:52:00.000-07:00

In today’s world, almost everything is free… not that everything has no price. It just seems that we have reached the era where we become more aware of our health conditions. Thus, it seems to be the era of everything that is -free. Try scanning every available product in your local grocery and you will see what I mean.

Your bread is bromate-free; your yoghurt is fat-free; your cooking oil is cholesterol-free; your canned soup is preservative-free; and the list goes on and on. Now you are beginning to wonder about the next -free commodity that you would encounter.

This is not exactly bad. In fact, health experts encourage us to be more sensitive about the foods we eat and the nutrients that we get from them. However, not everything that is –free is healthy. Our bodies need certain substances to be able to function well.
Let us take a look at cholesterol for instance. Very simply defined, cholesterol is a fatty substance that occurs naturally in the blood, cell walls, and most body tissues. Cholesterol is made by the liver, and it enters the body via foods rich in saturated fat.

There are two types of cholesterol; these are what they termed as the good and bad cholesterol. Like the literary split personality of Jekyll and Hyde, it has a good side because it is needed for certain important body functions. But for many people, cholesterol also has an evil side. When present in excessive amounts, it can injure blood vessels, cause heart attacks, and stroke.

Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) is the "bad" cholesterol. This is the form in which cholesterol is carried into the blood and is the main cause of harmful fatty buildup in arteries. The higher the LDL cholesterol levels in the blood, the greater the heart disease risk.
On the other hand, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is the “good” cholesterol. This "good" cholesterol carries blood cholesterol back to the liver, where it can be eliminated. HDL helps prevent a cholesterol buildup in blood vessels. Low HDL levels increase heart disease risk.

So before you go into your cholesterol deprivation program, remember that cholesterol is essential for human life. It builds and repairs cells, it is used to produce sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone, it is converted to bile acids to help you digest food and it is found in large amounts in brain and nerve tissue.

Healthy Snacks

2008-07-21T01:49:00.000-07:00

No matter if it is while we are watching television or a quick bite to and from picking the kids up at school, we all love snacks. We can't get away from that fact. So why fight it? Our whole life we have been told that snacking is bad for us. It will ruin our apatite, it will make us fat, it will break us out in pimples. Some of it is true, while on the other hand, it is nothing more than fiction. Snacking performs a very important role in our lives. Some times we snack because we are bored. We eat because we are bored. That 600 pound man didn't get that way because he was eating three square meals a day. He got that way because he was eating too much food. Our bodies tell us when we are hungry. That doesn't mean that it that all the time we are hungry we need food. But, if you have a good diet it does. There is no reason to cut out snacking all together. Snacking is also a great way to avoid things that we do as a pick me up some days. For example, we can eat a piece of fruit instead of going for that cola to get a jolt of energy.

The key thing to do is, to know what to eat and what not to eat. Here we will give you some snacking ideas that will help you choose what is right. It doesn't require a genius to figure it out, but you might be surprised at some of the suggestions. This might sound a bit strange, but I would suggest to you that you get a food dehydrator. You can get one for next to nothing and they are easy to use. I know that learning how to use something new isn't always as easy as it sounds, but believe me, these things are a snap to use.

You can dry all kinds of things in your dehydrator. The key thing to remember is to cut things thin. The thinner the item is cut, the faster they will dry. Fruits are a great thing to dry. You can dry what ever is one sale at the super market that you can find. You can also dry canned items. I would suggest that you start out with a few easy things. Start out with strawberries. They are about as easy as you can get.

Not only are strawberries easy, but when they are dried, they carry a punch of sweetness that only sugar can match. The great thing is, these are sweet, but they don't have the calories of candy. You can also dry veggies as well. Are you like me, do you love the instant soup mixes they sell at the store? Well, I love them but hate all the added salt. If you dry your own veggies, you can make your own soup. What I love is, I can control how much salt I add.

Here is something that I love to do as a snack. I take a handful of banana chips, strawberry chips, and about two apple chips. I take them and put them in some low fat yogurt. That makes for a snack that is good for you and something that I love eating. It doesn't get any better than that. You can snack on the dried food just plain. Grab some fruit chips instead of potato chips or candy. You really can't go wrong with dried fruits. They will last a very long time if you keep them in a baggie as well.

You can also make fish jerky, turkey jerky and beef jerky. I love making jerky because it saves me so much money. I don't have to pay over ten dollars a pound for jerky. I can use what ever cut of meat that is on sale at the store. You can always go with the same boring veggie platter for a snack. I do love my veggies, but this can get a bit boring at times. That is why I love the dried fruits and veggies.

A great veggie plate can be made up of any type of veggies. I would suggest that you make yours out of what ever is in season. That will produce the best veggie plate that you can. Also try putting a little oil and vinegar dressing on them. Don't use too much, but just enough to taste. Sprinkle salt to taste and also put some pepper or some pepper flakes on them. I love using pepper flakes because it gives the veggies a zing. You can also squeeze half a lemon over them for zing if you like.

You need to make sure that you aren't eating a healthy diet and snacking on foods that aren't good for you. I know tons of people who have a very good diet, but their problem is that they eat all kinds of junk when they snack. This doesn't serve any purpose at all. I'm sure you know people like this as well. Actually, I feel like yelling at them and calling them a moron.

If you must have some carbs, don't do anything stupid. Don't go running for the potato chips. Instead, eat some sliced potatoes and add some seasoning to them. I like to use Cajun seasoning myself. I think that adds the kick that they are lacking since there isn't any fat.

Another great snack idea is the small fruit cups that they sell in the stores. Don't get the ones that are in heavy syrup. Heavy syrup is a nice way of saying loaded with sugar. Also some of the pudding cups aren't too bad either. They also have yogurt cups these days too. They are good, especially if you get the ones with the fruit on the bottom. There you have it. The next time you feel guilty because you ate the wrong snack food, come back and read this article again. This will help you curve those hunger cravings and allow you to snack without the guilt.

Dieting Myths Revealed

2008-07-20T01:48:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of spending tremendous amounts of time and energy on something that doesn’t even work? The truth is no miracle pill or gadget will suddenly cut your body fat by huge amounts. Instead, concentrate on adapting a healthy lifestyle and avoiding old wives’ tales when trying to stay lean. FALSE. It’s true that eating nutritious foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and skim milk may provide more fill with less calories, but low in fat does not necessarily mean low in calories. Many desserts such as non-fat ice cream and other low in fat desserts contain great quantities of calories. Also, foods that are high in carbohydrates such as bread and pasta can also attribute to weight-gain when eaten in large amounts.

1. Cutting fat from your diet will ensure weight-loss.
FALSE. It’s true that eating nutritious foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and skim milk may provide more fill with less calories, but low in fat does not necessarily mean low in calories. Many desserts such as non-fat ice cream and other low in fat desserts contain great quantities of calories. Also, foods that are high in carbohydrates such as bread and pasta can also attribute to weight-gain when eaten in large amounts. It is important to consider portion size as well as calorie content when attempting to lose weight.

2. Extra protein will promote muscle growth.
FALSE. Although proteins are important in the building and maintaining of muscles, excess amounts of proteins are stored as fat, just as excess carbohydrates or fats are. Basically, any calorie-containing nutrient will be stored as fatty deposits if too much is eaten. In order to build muscles, strength training and sufficient amounts of calories and proteins are the best method.

3. Walking is a great way to lose weight.
TRUE. Like any other physical activity, walking burns calories and can help weight loss. The best way is to take a brisk walk (rather than a stroll), and the longer the walk, the more calories you lose. Every mile of walking burns approximately 100 calories. About 5 miles of walking every day will amount to the loss of one pound in a week.

4. Diet drugs are effective for weight-loss.
FALSE. Certain diet drugs that have been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for those who are medically significantly obese, which is defined as those who are over 30% over a healthy weight or those who have obesity-related diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes. These drugs often work by affecting the brain chemicals which control appetite, or block fat from being absorbed by the body. Diet drugs should only be used in conjunction with an attempt to change eating and lifestyle behaviors.

5. You can eat eggs without getting fat.
TRUE. Research proves that the major dietary culprit is high saturated-fat intake. Since eggs are low in saturated fat as well as in calories (approximately 75 calories if hard-boiled) they are not as unhealthy as some may think. They also contain many various essential nutrients. The American Heart Association recommend one egg per day. However, the key to a good diet is to eat a variety of healthy foods and to use light oil rather than butter or margarine when cooking eggs.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is an important first step in dieting. Keep in mind the following tips, and you’ll be on the right track to healthy and effective weight loss. Start first by getting rid of all the junk food in your place, and replace them with more nutritious snacks such as fruits, vegetables and nuts. Then make sure to increase your level of activity each day. For example, you can park your car at the end of the lot and walk an extra hundred meters to the entrance of the mall. Or take the stairs instead of the escalator. Small steps such as these will add up to pounds shed.

Quit smoking, gambling, binge drinking, and any other addictive behavior. Then start following a meal plan for the whole week and stick to it. Include some of your favorites in your meals such as pasta and steak, but keep a watchful eye on the portions. And most importantly, drink plenty of water each day. This helps to regulate your metabolism and strengthens your immune system, in addition to satisfying your appetite. When you drink more water, you will feel less hungry. These steps may seem tedious at first, but maintaining routines such as the ones above will be integrated into your daily life in no time.

Are All Natural weight Loss Plans Beneficial to Your Health?

2008-07-19T01:47:00.000-07:00

All natural weight loss plans sound almost too good to be true. Is it even possible to lose weight, look and feel great without being forced into an unnatural diet or without taking dangerous drugs?

Well, if you want to lose weight, you have to have a plan. You have to set some goals and pursue them. And you have to be patient. There is no such a thing as fast weight loss. You cannot take a pill and get rid of all the fat deposits in a matter of weeks or months. Your body just doesn't work this way.

Here is a good plan with all the things you will have to do to lose weight safely and effective:

1. Exercise.
This is nothing new really, but exercise is probably the most important predictor of whether you will succeed at long term weight loss and weight loss maintenance. In order for exercise to be helpful in weight loss, you should strive for a minimum of five 30-minute sessions per week. The good news is that recent research has shown that three 10-minute sessions in a day are as good as one 30-minute session.

The goal of exercise for weight loss is to burn more calories, although exercise offers many other benefits as well. How many calories you burn depends on the frequency, duration and intensity of your activities.

Even though regularly scheduled aerobic exercises are best for losing fat, any extra physical activity helps burn calories. And since lifestyle-related activities may be easier to fit into your day, you should think about ways you can increase your physical effort. For example, make several trips up and down stairs instead of using the elevator, park at the far end of the lot and walk instead of taking the bus.

2. Stay focused on being healthy, not on becoming thin.
Many people become more successful at long-term weight loss when their motivation changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your mindset to think about selecting foods that will help your body's health rather than worrying about foods that will affect your body's weight. The Food Pyramid offers a basic outline of the types and amounts of food you should eat each day to give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health.

Adopting a new eating style that promotes weight loss must include lowering your total calorie intake. But decreasing calories doesn't mean giving up taste, satisfaction or even ease of meal preparation. One way you can lower your calorie intake is by eating more plant-based foods - fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Strive for variety to help you achieve your goals without giving up taste or nutrition.

3. If you have to use any weight loss pills, don't try those advertised as "fat burners" or other nonsense of this kind. There are plant extracts out there that can help you reduce the sensation of hunger and bind some of the fat in your meals so you get the benefit of a relaxed approach and positive attitude.

A good attitude is essential for your success. A good attitude can help you have patience and not try to see fast results. Fast weight loss will only result in gaining back all the fat and then some.

All natural weight loss plans and baby steps do work wonders!

Weight Loss Remedy - Overcoming Weight Loss Excuses

2008-07-18T01:42:00.000-07:00

We often make excuses when it comes to losing weight. Because of this, we stop ourselves from doing our diet routine, gain more weight and get disappointed in the end. How do you stop making those weight loss excuses?

You make many weight loss excuses and it automatically comes in without realizing it. Losing weight is not that easy but you have to discipline yourself. Next time, ask yourself why you make excuses every time you commit it.

Some of the most common excuses include:

• No time to do any exercise.
• No time to prepare healthy meals.
• Too old to exercise.
• No enough support
• Not feeling well.
• Bored with exercising.

The excuses mentioned above are just a few. You might have noticed that some are just lame excuses. So how do you stop making those weight loss excuses?

Find out why you are making excuses. Are they acceptable? Or you are just thinking of another better way? If not, then why are you not taking some action? There are some who didn’t like being overweight yet they’re doing nothing about it because they are afraid that they might fail and end up still overweight. Don’t be afraid of change…

The way you think will affect how you succeed with your weight loss routine. The more negative you think, the more excuses you’ll commit and fail. Don’t let your low self-esteem win over you. Strive harder for something that is important to you.

Lack of time with exercises is the one of the most common used excuses because we are too occupied with other things. Lack of time is not a valid excuse because if we think that losing weight is really important for us, we need to find time to for it no matter how busy we are. Do as much as you can each day and you’ll feel more energetic.

In order overcome weight loss excuses, know you need to understand the reason why you’re making an excuse and think its importance to you. Discipline yourself; strive for a happy and healthy you.

Yo-Yo diets

2008-07-17T01:44:00.000-07:00

Most people who have ever tried dieting have at one time or another gone through yo-yo diets. These are the classic ideal of all those who don’t like what the measuring tape is telling them about their waists and thighs. Everybody wants a diet and some pills that can help them shed a significant number of pounds fast. In a week or two, if possible. However, all those pounds that you have been fast to discard are coming right back in the next month or so. Probably with some liver or stomach problems from the pills used to speed up the process.

Yo-Yo diets always sound like a good idea because people don’t like to think that weight problems are long-term problems which should be managed as such. They are looking for the miracle cure, the three-day wonder that would fix everything in a couple of days. Unfortunately, long-term problems solved in three days have a way of refusing to stay solved. It’s a sort of nudge from Mother Nature reminding us that we should not try and hurry things, especially when it’s impossible to do so. It doesn’t matter what the labels of dozens of pills say because weight loss is not a short term problem.

The best weight loss advice one could get comes from dietitians and physicians, but people tend to stay away from these professionals. Their answers offer no hope for a simple solution and their eating plans and diets seem to take forever. Nevertheless, these neglected experts know that the body has gained weight in time and will shed it in the same manner. Trying to force a new weight gain/loss rhythm is not healthy for the body and fast diets always end up causing damage to the internal organs and decreasing the muscle mass.

What a Yo-Yo diet can never give you is the guarantee that all the weight lost in one week won’t return after a couple of glasses of soda and two or three burgers. A proper diet that takes at least four weeks to complete allows the body to get rid of the accumulated fat and not of water or muscle mass. Crash diets that cut off your intake of calories may seem to work for the moment, but your body is going to pay a heavy price as the internal organs are left without the required daily nourishment.

Short term solutions always lead to long-term disasters and what looked like a sound proposition yesterday might prove to be a health hazard tomorrow. While your weight problem is nothing to be proud of, there is no magic solution that is going to make everything right just like that. You are going to have to put together a sound eating plan, exercise on a regular basis and make sure you’re not putting anything back on. There are many recipes fit for dieting that you can choose from and even cook yourself. Dieting is always simpler than it sounds. It starts with you reaching out for a bag of snacks and remembering that an apple would be better for both your waistline and self-esteem.

Young adult fitness protects heart health in middle age

2008-07-16T01:41:00.000-07:00

The early bird catches the worm and the early jogger doesn’t have to worry as much later on in life. I know that this may sound like some half-baked self-help slogan, but it’s the truth. The sooner you start to take care of your body, the better your health will be.

A study conducted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute revealed that cardiorespiratory exercises performed in the early adulthood have a huge impact on the risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes in the middle age. Both of these conditions are likely to lead to strokes or heart attacks in the old age. Regular fitness sessions also lower the risk of developing the classic spare tire that nobody likes, high blood pressure and high levels of triglycerides (the bad version of cholesterol).

Just because you’re young and healthy it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be exercising at all. Preventive measures are always a good idea because it’s easier to put a little effort into improving your health than having to deal with the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle in your middle age. Eating all sorts of good things is great, but after a certain age all those burgers and snacks will come back to you as high blood pressure.

Once you’re past your thirtieth birthday you no longer snap back the same way and excess eating coupled with excess TV watching equal fat, diabetes, hypertension and other unpleasant things that require frequent trips to the doctor and many pills. While the 30s and the 40s seem far away to a young man, time flies faster than we think and suddenly you’re no longer young. But you can still be healthy with a little exercising every day.

The Curves Diet Plan

2008-07-15T01:39:00.000-07:00

Try as we might, we cannot be creative all the time. Not all ideas are original enough and the harder you try, the more difficult it seems to get something decent out of your own head. This is one of the reasons why some people simply use something that has already been proved to work, add a little twist and try to pass it off as a new idea. The Internet, for instance, is choke full of websites, topics, design concepts and blogs are are nothing more than a poor rehash of a good idea. Diets are like that, too.

This one is not particularly original, despite sustained attempts to come across like a whole new and different idea. The theory behind the diet is that a high-protein, low-carb diet coupled with a lot of exercising will help you build muscle in order to keep metabolism high and burn a lot of calories. A high metabolism allows you to lose weight faster and to make sure you stay in shape for years, because it will be harder to put on weight in the future. Nothing new here; it looks like a variation of the Atkins diet (or any other low-carb diet for that matter).

Users can choose between two eating plans, depending on which suits them better. The Carbohydrate-Sensitive Plan reduces the intake of carbs to 20 grams per day for the first two weeks, increasing to 40-60 grams per day after this period. The second plan is called the Calorie-Sensitive Plan and it focuses on limiting carbs to 60 grams per day and calories to 1,200 for the same two weeks, moving up to 1,600 later on. The second phase of the plan is supposed to last for five weeks or until you’ve reached the desired weight and are preparing to return to normal food.

The eating plan is supplemented by exercises and some recommended vitamins and minerals. However, just like in the case of the Atkins diet, most carbs are off limits for both eating plans, which leaves the user eating a lot of low-fat, high-protein foods in order to keep hunger contained. This means no bread, no pasta or wholegrains, no fruit and only a few vegetables. By sticking to this diet you can expect to drop between 6 and 10 pounds during the first two weeks and between 1 and 2 pounds per week in the second phase.

The Cabbage Soup Diet

2008-07-14T01:36:00.000-07:00

Ahh, the famous Cabbage Soup diet. Most people interested in dieting have certainly heard of this one. many of them have actually tried some version of it. Since nobody has ever claimed to be the inventor of this diet, there is no definitive cabbage soup diet, but rather a string of versions floating around magazines and the Internet. Every expert who tried to promote this diet has either added or replaced an existing feature, which means that aside from that cabbage soup you can expect to see a wide range of other foods, although nothing spectacular.

The biggest problem with the cabbage soup diet is all the hype that surrounds it. Some people claim that cabbage has fat burning properties, which is nonsense. Others say that one could shed a whooping 10 pounds in a single week on this diet, which is not true. There’s no magical ingredient in cabbage that helps weight loss. The basic idea behind the diet is to starve yourself by drinking a lot of cabbage soup and some water on the side. The trick is to keep your stomach filled with cabbage soup in order to keep hunger away while the body burns fat to maintain itself.

The early version cabbage soup diet featured nothing else than the basic soup. Recent versions have added fruit, vegetables, skimmed milk, lean meat or brown rice to the eating plan in order to help people stick to it for a longer time. Dieters are not allowed any alcohol. The only drinks allowed beside the cabbage soup are water and unsweetened fruit juices. The soup itself is based on cabbage, onions (or onion soup mix), tomatoes, green peppers, celery, carrots and mushrooms. There are some variations even here, but nothing important.

Unfortunately, the cabbage soup diet is not a good idea. Many people cannot stick to a diet that forces them to starve every day, especially people who have to go work. Another issue is the fact that most of the weight lost through this diet comes from water and muscle mass, instead of fat. This means that seven days later the dieter still has all the initial fat on and a good chance of replacing all the lost muscle mass with even more fat. Moreover, the low calorie intake at the core of the diet will force the body to enter starvation mode and hang on to the existing fat for its survival. This is not a good way to lose weight.

The Body Clock Diet

2008-07-13T01:35:00.000-07:00

All diets are based on an idea that’s supposed to make them different. Aside from the basic “eat this and don’t eat that”, diets have to have an original twist in order to be noticed by the general public. Standing out in the crowded field of the modern dieting industry can sometimes make the difference between success and failure and even a good idea needs to be promoted. The same can be said about the Body Clock Diet, which is one of the diets that try to look beyond food in order to link the eating process with the greater picture of body processes.

The basic idea is that aside from being careful about what you eat, you should also be careful about the timing of meals in order to fit in with the natural rhythm of your body. The body has its own internal clock that regulates the metabolism, appetite, sleep and energy levels. This diet focuses on eating the right kind of food while observing the internal clock. It is important to eat regularly and getting the right balance of nutrients with each meal since this lets the body turn the feeling of hunger on and off naturally.

There is, of course, a two-week eating plan that you must follow in order to lose weight. Staying true to the body rhythms, each day features three meals and two snacks that are rich in vegetables and fruits. The eating plan follows a general protein-rich, low-fat pattern, which is nothing new. The best part of the diet, however, is tying everything in with the rest of the body. For instance, the author argues that eating grains and cereals should be done in the morning in order to match the effect of insulin on the brain, while dinner should consist of a light blend low glycemic cabs and lean protein.

According to estimates, this diet should allow you to lose up to two pounds per week, which is the average weight loss rate. The book explaining this diet comes with recipes and general eating advice and a comprehensive and no-nonsense explanation of how the body works, what impact the daily rhythm has on weight and how to work with the body instead of against it. This is a good eating plan that doesn’t come with any strange ideas about magic ingredients that can make anybody lose weight in a flash.

The Beverly Hills Diet

2008-07-12T01:34:00.000-07:00

From the star-studded hills located near Hollywood comes a diet rich in fruit and lacking sound ideas about weight loss. Really, if weight loss was so simple, there would be no problem for anybody to drop as many pounds as desired just by eating fruit. Nevertheless, a fruit-based diet sounds good to some people and so one may run into the happy statements of those who managed to lose weight by sticking to this eating plan.

The diet itself is very simple. It claims that papaya softens the fat, pineapple burns it off and watermelon washes it out of the body. Unfortunately, this concept hasn’t been proved yet in a scientifically sound manner. While grapefruit has a positive effect on the sugar absorption system, it doesn’t burn fat outright. The only thing that burns fat is effort.

According to actress Judy Mazel, the founder of the Beverly Hills Diet, people can lose 10 to 15 pounds in 35 days. Since the founder claims that eating different types of food together is one of the causes behind weight loss, the diet focuses on eating a single type of food for a whole day. One day you eat nothing but grapes, while the next day it’s just melons for you.

The problem with this diet is that the eating plan is really boring. The average dieter has every chance to get bored and start dreading the coming of the next day. This is more of a quick fix type of diet instead of a long-term eating plan and should not be pursued by more than one month. Fruits alone cannot provide your body with all the minerals and vitamins it needs every day.

By restricting your food to fruit will leave you exposed to malnutrition and diseases. The fast loss of weight usually means that some of that weight will be muscle mass and water, which means that some of the fat will stay in place. It also means that if you start gaining back weight, you will simply be replacing muscle mass with fat. In the long run this will do you a lot of harm.

And, for the final words, I hope you can get used to diarrhea, because eating nothing but fruit will keep you in a near constant state of diarrhea. All in all, this is not a good diet. Poor access to crucial vitamins and minerals and a lot of water and muscle mass loss is definitely not a good way to lose weight.

The Coconut Diet

2008-07-11T01:37:00.000-07:00

Some people are willing to sell anything and this is why some bad ideas are actually launched on the market, much to the dismay of unsuspecting customers who are duped by the hype and advertising. One such bad idea is the Coconut Diet, which is yet another of those diets that add some kind of miracle ingredient to a strict eating program and hope that everything turns out great. The magic ingredient in this case is the coconut oil and its metabolism boosting capacity. It seems that coconut oil can be rapidly burnt by the body, despite the fact that it is rich in saturated fats.

This diet is in fact a regular low-carb diet, very similar to Atkins. During the first stage of the diet, users are not allowed to eat any kind of carbohydrates and must do with lean foods, such as eggs, nuts, cheese, fish, chicken, turkey and up to 10 glasses of water per day. They also have to swallow 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil per day. The first stage lasts for three weeks, only to be followed by an optional detox stage. This stage lasts for 4 weeks and focuses on cleansing the liver, kidneys, gallbladder and colon through certain interesting means (such as drinking water mixed with lemon juice and olive oil).

The third stage of the diet is the reintroduction of carbohydrates in the daily eating plan. Starting with fruit, wholegrains and potatoes, the dieter is once more allowed to eat carbs. It is assumed that the dieter has lost more than 10 pounds by this point and still maintaining a weight loss pace of 1-2 pounds per week. The fourth stage of the diet means that even more carbohydrates are added to the eating plan, while still drinking coconut oil.

Unfortunately, the person behind this diet provides no sound explanation for the alleged positive influence of coconut oil on weight loss. While it’s true that coconut oil helps regulate the thyroid gland, it has far too much saturated fat to be healthy. Furthermore, it’s not very clear whether the coconut oil plays any kind of role in this diet, since the weight loss can easily be ascribed to the strict “no carbohydrates” eating plan. Most dieting experts and dietitians agree that access to saturated fats should be limited during diets, so it’s pretty strange to see one that claims the opposite.

The Atkins Diet

2008-07-11T01:33:00.000-07:00

Can you say hype? If you’re living in any Western world country then you’ve probably heard of the famous Atkins diet. Whether this is the most successful diet ever or not it’s still up for debate, but it certainly is the more advertised one. The Atkins diet has been for a while the most hyped eating plan around and millions of people have tried it at some point or another. This is no exaggeration. It was estimated that more than 3 million people in the United Kingdom alone have tried the Atkins diet at the peak of the hype in 2003.

The basic idea behind this diet is that cutting down on the carbohydrates, while allowing people to eat high-fat food is going to work. One of the best things in favor of the Atkins diet was the fact that it allowed people to eat eggs and cheese and steaks. It sounds like a dream diet actually. Who’d pass up the chance of losing weight while still enjoying a good eggs and ham breakfast? Well, the downside is that you get no bread or salad with that steak. None whatsoever. Which becomes a real problem after a week or so. How much meat can you eat without touching any vegetables at all?

Anyway, the theory is that cutting out the carbohydrates will force your body to use the stored fat in order to obtain the energy needed through the day. This means that you get to eat no bread and pastries, potatoes, pasta, milk, rice, fruit, vegetables (well, there are a couple you can still eat) and, obviously, no junk food or soft drinks. On the other hand, you are allowed to eat red meat, fish, chicken, cheese, mayonnaise, cream, butter and eggs. This is going to be your only food for the first two weeks, which are called the Induction Phase.

The second phase of the diet is called Ongoing Weight Loss and it lets you increase the intake of carbohydrates by 5 grams per day, starting from the basic 20 grams per day stipulated by the Induction Phase. The user must find how far the amount of carbohydrates can be increased before the body is unable to lose between 1 and 3 pounds per week. This is called the Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing Weight and this is where the amount of carbs stops growing. This phase is supposed to last until you almost reach the desired weight.

With 5 to 10 pounds left to shed it’s time to enter the third stage of the diet. This one is called Pre-Maintenance and it’s supposed to increase the carbs intake by 10 grams a day in order to slow down the weight loss process. Welcome to the world of 30 grams of pasta per day. The final phase is called Lifetime Maintenance and a lifetime of eating around 90 grams of carbs per day for the rest of your life. Moving from 250 grams or more to less than 100 grams and for the rest of your life could be quite a challenge for many people.

The side effects of the Atkins diet depend on the user. Some people did fine on this diet, some got infections of the kidneys from the high-protein content or heart problems from all the fat food they ate. Dizziness and general weakness are also to be expected as the body goes into starvation mode when denied carbohydrates. With high-fiber fruit and vegetables out of the way you can also expect constipation to become a problem. Also, the lack of many dairy products leads to a significant drop in the amount of calcium absorbed by the body and may cause osteoporosis or other bone conditions later on.

Free Diet Plans Can Work for You

2008-07-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

Dieting web sites and dieting plans are so successful that it's almost a given that anybody can find the perfect free dieting scheme on the internet. Free diet plans are, well, free - you don't pay anything upfront. But many people don’t trust them having a good reason. The famed "cabbage soup diet" or the "3 days diet" are just two random examples of diet plans that will never work and can even be downright dangerous.

So how can you find a sound free diet plan? Is there any such a thing?

The keyword when you're looking for a diet plan is common sense. Use your knowledge and your intuition to pick between the various diets, it's not that hard. For example it would be a good thing to find out right from the start what the right amount of calories you need based on your current weight and daily activity. It's worth noting that even if you are 100 lbs and a complete couch potato, you still need about 1300 calories per day just to stay alive and well.

For most of us, a good dieting plan would do nothing more than give some guidelines on what to eat to stay within the daily limits for calories. And any plan that attempts to tell you that 500 calories per day is good for you won't help you at all.

After decades of dieting, many people have become more knowledgeable and it's easier to say when we are eating something we shouldn't. Any scheme, be it a free diet plan or one especially made for you by a dietician, will take into account that you will be faced with having to eat some no-so-healthy food sooner or later. You never know what will be on the menu at your cousin's wedding party or at that very important dinner meeting with out of town customers.

The next very important thing is to find a diet that can accommodate your favorite foods, even if they are pork chops and fries. You won't be able to diet and feel happy about it if you have to give up everything you like. Incorporating foods you like is beneficial in the long run and it will drastically decrease the danger of binge eating.

And another tricky part you have to take into account when you try a free diet plan is during the day you are most likely to eat. I am yet to find a person who likes to eat very early in the morning and needs to diet. Hey, maybe I'm on to something here!

A good diet plan will make the transition from a dedicated evening eater to a healthy morning eater seem easy and enjoyable. And the whole purpose of a diet plan is to make life and food enjoyable even when it's served in small, healthy bites. Dieting is supposed to be fun, to make you feel happier, healthier and ready to try even more nice new things in your life!

Lose Weight with Water

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The human body is mostly water trapped inside the fragile walls of cells. We drink water to maintain the optimum level of hydration in our bodies, to flush the toxins out and cleanse the body, to cool off, to keep the joints working and to help the food digestion process. The minimum daily recommended water intake is 2 liters, because this is how much water the body uses throughout the day through sweating, urination and other bodily functions. Without replenishing lost water, the body goes into dehydration and all functions start to suffer, which is why dieting professionals recommend abstaining from food, but never from water.

Like many other bodily functions, the metabolism is dependent on water to work properly. Without enough water, the process of breaking food down and converting it to energy slows down dramatically, which means that too few calories are burnt and that too little weight is lost. Not drinking enough water can be compared to “running of fumes” and if you’re dieting and you seem to have hit the plateau, then you are probably not drinking enough water. When the metabolism slows down, weight loss slows down even more dramatically, especially since exercising becomes less effective as the body’s energy levels diminish.

Water also plays an important part in the process of digestion and elimination of residues. Not drinking enough water is a one-way ticket to constipation and a host of other problems of the intestines. Poor digestion means that you will not get enough energy from the food you’re eating. This will prompt the body to ask for more food and this is how the weight loss process stops and the weight gain process begins. A dehydrated body sends out fake hunger pangs, thus tempting you to forget about the diet and eat more food than you should.

Not to mention that water is also a good filler. If you want to eat less food, drink a tall glass of water half an hour before every meal. The water will fill a large part of your stomach and the body will be content to feel that the stomach is not empty. This is not idle speculation, but a sound advice whose effectiveness can be confirmed by many dietitians and weight loss experts. Nobody can overeat with half of the stomach filled with water and with the body telling him/her: “Seems like we’re almost full. We don’t need that much food, so cut it short this evening”.

Keep in mind that in order to reap the benefits of drinking enough water, you will want to spread the intake throughout the day. Don’t drink 2 liters of water all at once because the body will simply flush the excess and a lot of it will simply be wasted. Also, you don’t need to restrict yourself to water. Fruit juices, weak tea and coffee count as liquids that can be used by the body for hydration. Alcohol is out of the question, because alcohol has the opposite effect on the body. And, ladies, don’t be afraid that drinking a lot of water will make you retain it. It’s dehydration, not abundance, which forces the body to hang on to what it has.

Easy Ways to Successfully Lose Weight

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Some people try all sorts of unnatural programs to lose weight. They drink shakes instead of meals or pop pills to curb hunger. It really doesn't have to be all that hard. There are many ways you can gently encourage your body to release unwanted weight. Weight loss doesn't have to be as hard as some people make it.

Look at Self-Sabotage. While many people say they want to lose weight, their actions do not meet their words halfway. Are you saying, "Oh, I want to lose forty pounds" while you are eating a double cheeseburger with onion rings for lunch? Or are you saying that you want to wear a smaller dress to that summer wedding though if you are not exercising every day like you promised yourself you would?

Both of these are examples of how you self-sabotage yourself when it comes to your weight loss results. A lot of the time, you need to get out of your own way. If you want to lose weight and you need to eat lunch out, go to a restaurant you know you can easily order a healthy lunch. Or at least one where you won't be tempted by something fattening. Put your sneakers by the door so you'll be ready to change into them the minute you come home. Make things easy for yourself.

Give up a Little. Some people gain weight without realizing the "why" of how they did so. However, if you look at their habits, they added an extra snack or there were some other "sneaky" calories that got added into their daily lives. Without them realizing it, they were slowly packing on the pounds. Fortunately, you can use this same little trick in the reverse!

Instead of going on some sort of extreme diet, look for ways to easily cut calories. Take the cheese out of your sandwich at lunch to easily cut 100 plus calories a day. That is at least seven hundred calories a week with one choice. Switch to diet soda from regular to lose two to three hundred calories a can of pop. Calories can sneak into your diet and you can also make them sneak right back out.

Add Some Daily Sweat. The people that succeed at weight loss are the ones that become regular exercisers. Period. If you want to see the pounds go, get ready to sweat a little. Or maybe even a lot sometimes. So find an exercise that you like that is fun and something you'll look forward to doing and do it five times a week for at least half an hour at a time. Do even more of it if at all possible. Are you new to exercise? Try to start with just fifteen minutes of exercise a day and ramp it up as you go. Remember to get your doctor's permission before starting any physical fitness program.

Connect With Other Losers. One of the best ways to encourage weight loss is to connect with those who are also working on losing weight. You can cheer each other on and you can commiserate when the pounds just don't seem to be leaving as quickly as you'd like them to. People in groups just seem to help each other succeed at all types of things that includes weight loss. Getting support to reach your goal will help you feel more motivated. It also may encourage you to stick with your diet when you don't feel like it, because you don't want to let down the group.