Are Low Carb Diets A Good Weight Loss Solution?

Posted on March 6, 2009
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Are Low Carb Diets Good or Bad for Weight Loss Success? These have been around for a while, but do they really work? …And if so, are they the solution to weight loss that everybody is looking for?

We don’t think so, because most low carb diets have several problems which make losing weight very difficult for the “average” dieter.

For example, if you follow the Atkins diet (a popular low carb program) then the restriction on carbs for the first couple weeks is very severe (by almost any standards).

The Atkins program allows just 20 grams of “net carbs” per day during the first phase of the diet (which usually lasts for 2 weeks).

Just to give you an idea of how few carbs that really is – even a large apple has more than 20 grams of “net carbs”.

This low level of carbs is often too severe for the “average” dieter to tolerate for 2 weeks straight, and in fact eating such a low level of carbs can make a person feel “weak” and “miserable” all day long (because your body needs more carbs than that for energy).

Other low carb diets (such as the South Beach Diet) are not quite as severe as the Atkins Plan, but in our opinion even the South Beach Diet is not as easy to follow as it could be.

We believe that a successful diet needs to be easy to follow – because that’s the only way that people will stick to the diet and lose weight.

We believe that diets should not make average people feel “miserable” and “weak” all day long, because if a diet makes people feel miserable and weak then it’s going to be very difficult for average dieters to adhere to such programs.

We’re not saying that all low carb diets are as restrictive as the Atkins Diet is, but we’re saying that most low carb diets are so hard to follow that “average dieters” will probably wind up feeling hungry and weak all day long (which is not a good thing for dieting success in our opinion).

We believe that “low carbs” is not the answer to losing weight, since your body needs a reasonable amount of all 3 types of calories to lose weight consistently (protein, carbs, and fat).

To lose weight quickly you must eat all 3 types of calories in the right proportions, and that’s why most dieters fail they just don’t pay proper attention to portion size.

Creating A Soluble Fiber Diet

Posted on January 26, 2009
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When you start to encounter digestive problems such as being constipated or feel other symptoms that affect your digestive tract, then it is likely you need to get more fiber into your diet. Having sufficient fiber in your diet is important because in order for your body to eliminate toxins and stay in good shape a properly working digestive tract is needed.

You will find that there are two different fiber types in food – insoluble and soluble fiber. The first type is insoluble fiber and this is fiber that leaves the body feeling full, the second type is insoluble fiber which assists the food to pass through the digestive tract. To remain healthy you will need both types of fiber, however in some instances you may need to increase the intake of one type or another.

But first you need to understand what food types contain high levels of soluble fiber. Even though you have allergies to certain foods or have personal preferences to the food you eat or other food issues, it will not prevent you from creating a suitable diet that you can stick with for a long time.

In your soluble fiber diet menu, you will want to include legumes and lentils such as dried beans, peas, and other legumes such as baked beans, kidney beans, split peas, dried lima beans, pinto beans, and black beans, as well as snap beans, pole beans, and broad beans. Also dried fruit such as figs, apricots and dates are full of fiber.

You should also add other vegetables to your soluble fiber diet such as Brussels sprouts, beet root, potatoes with skin, broccoli, sweet corn, green peas and carrots. You can go even further and add nuts which are great and are very flavorful, this means anything from peanuts to almonds and walnuts. You will just have to take care with adding too much nuts and not over do it, as they also contain a very high level of fat.

Mix up the food you put into your diet as there are many to choose from and this way you will avoid getting bored with your food.

As you can see, creating a soluble fiber diet menu certainly does not have to be difficult. You can also hire the professional services of a nutritionist if you need to. This is a professional who has been trained in this field and who will be able to offer you great information and advice.

Ensure a Healthier Heart by Taking Flax Seed Oil

Posted on January 3, 2009
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Flax seed derivatives, the oil specifically, are being put into everything from bread to cereal for added health benefits. Not only is flaxseed nutrient dense, but it contains compounds which may even promote healthy hearts. There are many ways to include flax oil in your food. Flaxseed comes as a ground meal you can add to recipes, as an ingredient in processed foods like cereal and bread, as flaxseed oil, or an oil capsule.

Flax

The edible flaxseed, also known as linseed, is roughly 40 percent fat, 20 percent protein and 30 percent fiber. Several vitamins and minerals are present at high levels in flaxseed including magnesium, manganese and thiamin. If you’re looking for worthwhile fatty acid supplements then this is one form to consider.

Scientists believe that flax makes for healthier hearts due to the high content of fatty acids in the oil. Flaxseed is an excellent supplement that’s full of omega-3 fatty acids. It’s believed that eating a proper ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids helps ward off heart disease. In the typical American diet, about ten grams of omega-6 fatty acids are consumed for every one of omega-3 fatty acids.

Experts believe the scale should be tipped more toward omega-3 fatty acids. But omega-6 fatty acids are more widespread in commonly consumed foods. One way to reach the proper ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 fats for a truly beneficial heart diet is to eat foods like flaxseed in addition to fish, another source of omega-3s.

Flax Oil for Healthy Hearts

Flax intake may not prevent cardiovascular disease but components of the oil are beneficial.

Flaxseed contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, two food components known to be heart healthy. What all can flax do for your heart: eating flax may reduce blood cholesterol levels, reduce blood glucose levels after eating a meal, and increase blood omega-3 fatty acid levels.

How to Add Flaxseed to Your Diet

You can buy flaxseed already ground as a flaxseed meal. This form of flaxseed is very convenient for adding to recipes or everyday foods. For a product that lasts longer (ground flaxseed turns rancid fairly quickly due to its fatty acid profile) look for whole flaxseeds and grind them as needed.

What is a good serving size of flaxseed? It depends on whether you are adding ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil. For ground flaxseed, start by adding about tablespoon per day to meals and recipes.

One tablespoon contains about 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of fat (about half of which is healthy omega-3 fatty acids) and many vitamins and minerals. Because of flax’s high fiber content, it’s best to gradually increase the amount of flax you eat each to avoid gastrointestinal problems like constipation.

For flaxseed oil, start with one half to one teaspoon of flaxseed oil. It doesn’t take much to provide the benefit.

One way to add flaxseed to your diet is to use flaxseed in recipes. Ground flaxseed can be added to most baked goods. Just substitute part of the flour with ground flaxseed. Start by using 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed for a full recipe of cookies, muffins, pancakes, waffles or bread. Also, search for tested recipes that already contain flax in larger amounts.

Another choice is to sprinkle ground flax in dishes you eat every day. Add flax products to all kinds of foods by mixing it in or sprinkling it on.

Flaxseed oil is available in bottled form or in gel capsules. You will not gain the benefit of extra fiber and other nutrients by eating the oil alone, but you will get all the omega-3 fatty acids found in flax.

Dieting Aimed At Reducing Blood Cholesterol Levels

Posted on December 31, 2008
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Actually no so called best diets for high cholesterol even exist. In truth, your own liver manufactures all of the cholesterol that anybody requires. Whether you eat a diet for high cholesterol or low cholesterol, cholesterol molecules are critical for proper bodily functions, and the liver makes the necessary cholesterol demanded by body processes.

Vitamin C

If you are a normally healthy person, you should have sufficient vitamin c and antioxidants in your regular diet for high cholesterol. The important issue is that bad cholesterol levels are dangerous, and high levels are caused by a dietary lack of vitamin C. With proper amounts of Vitamin C, your high cholesterol levels can be managed successfully.

Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes

The National Cholesterol Education Program of the US National Institutes of Health has created a diet to lower cholesterol which basically requires therapeutic lifestyle changes. Changing food choices is an important initial step in lowering cholesterol before any drugs are prescribed. Some patients with high cholesterol issues are usually eating excessively fatty foods. Once they start to make recommended food choices, cholesterol begin to drop.

The primary goal of these type diets is a lowering of saturated fat content that is a primary causative factor of high cholesterol. Lower consumption of milk products and red meat, increased amounts of soluble fiber, fresh fruits and vegetables, and replacing unhealthy animal fat with unsaturated fat sources like olive oil, canola oil or peanut oil are all helpful. It is important that your best diet for high cholesterol should not consist of more than 200 mg of dietary cholesterol per day. Care should be taken not to gain weight at all; in fact you should target and maintain a healthy weight.

There are several recommendations made by the TLC that cover all the primary food groups. A series of government guidelines have been developed showing the number and size of acceptable portions. The chart was adapted from the traditional healthy food pyramid to help plan a food menu that has safer levels of saturated fats and cholesterol. It is probably better, and definitely more realistic, to follow a low cholesterol diet, rather than trying to survive on a 100% cholesterol free diet.

High Cholesterol Foods

All animal products are considered high cholesterol foods, including but limited to eggs, poultry, red meat, fish and whole milk products. Of course sweets like cookies, pies, cakes, and muffins would be considered highly processed and unhealthy food choices. These have large amounts of fat including trans-fats. Finally, deep fried and fatty foods are very high cholesterol. It is crucial to consume known high cholesterol content foods in moderation. Do not overindulge a high cholesterol diet on a regular basis.

When changing your lifestyle to a healthy diet for high cholesterol, expect to lose weight or maintain your current weight while selecting the proper foods to achieve lower blood cholesterol levels. The basic dietary guidelines are simple to understand and should be easy to follow, but we suggest that you develop a customized menu based on your specific likes and dislikes in food selection and budget restrictions.

Do You Actually Need To Shed Those Pounds?

Posted on December 29, 2008
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Weight loss is a big issue today, when so many young girls (and boys) are suffering from anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders. Dieting can be a very good and necessary thing, but can also turn un-necessarily into something tragic that affects millions {family and friends included); and may even cause death. Knowing when you need to lose weight and when you do not is important in the finding the right balance between personal health, good self image and the dangers of over-dieting.

It’s useful to remember that losing weight is a very personal choice. However, if you are more than 20 pounds overweight, losing the pounds is important for your health. In making your choice about losing weight, taking a look at the recommended weight for someone of your height is where you should start. Everyone’s body is different. We all have a different fat to muscle ratio. It’s good advice to see your doctor if you feel like you need to lose weight. A doctor can confirm this or put your mind to rest by telling you that your weight is normal. This is the best way to make sure that you do or don’t need to diet to be healthy.

There are also times, however, when you definitely do not need to lose weight. Supposing you aren’t as thin as your favorite actor or model, that doesn’t mean you need to lose weight. Often, models and actresses are airbrushed in photos to look more toned. Often they have personal trainers that work with them for hours every day, to help them stay in shape. If your body weight is normal, you do not need to lose weight even if you are a pants size bigger than your ideal celebrity.

Your don’t need to lose weight just because you gain it! People gain weight for a number of reasons. It’s important for teens to realize that this is especially common during puberty, and for the few years after. If you gain weight check out the rest of your body—are you going through a growth spurt in height as well? Remembering that muscle to fat ratio is also a factor: don’t worry about gaining weight when you are lifting at the gym. As you tone your muscles, you will look better, but because muscles are heavier than fat, you may actually gain weight!

Lastly, you don’t need to lose weight simply because someone else makes a rude comment about your looks. People can be cruel, and everyone has a different body make up. You can’t be part of every social groups idea of body image. If you are happy with your weight and it is within the normal range for someone of your age and height, then chances are that the rude comment is just a fixed idea someone has, and not a sign you actually do need to lose weight.

At the end of the day, everyone wants to be happy: be happy with yourself and eat a healthy diet; and you shouldn’t need to worry about losing weight.

If You Are Alive, You Are On A Diet

Posted on December 23, 2008
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The dictionary definition of a diet is simply “the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism.”

No suffering stated or implied.

Every organism alive is on a DIET…has been since it’s life began…and will be till it’s life ends.

A human baby thrives on a diet of milk alone–natural or “formulated”. Soon enough that diet expands to include strained thises and thats; and before long the transition to solid food. Somehow these youngsters know when they reached a healthy limit and they turn instantly to some other diversion.

Never bored, and living in a relatively stress free world, they simply eat to live rather than “living to eat”.

Living to eat comes later, and is a learned rather than instinctual response to hunger.

Exposure to the all pervasive world of advertising comes along at just about the same time as the transition to solid food. Now instead of being satisfied by the healthful and nutritious offerings from a loving parent, they are tempted and re-tempted by a constant barrage of gooey treats.

Prove it to yourself. Watch an hour or so of what is currently being offered as and see for yourself. A few dozen empty calorie messages later, you will probably find yourself very “hungry”; and it will be a totally misguided hunger that has nothing to do with “eating to live”.

And thus begins the “eating in response to” experience. Some of us eat “in response” to boredom; for many it is stress; for some it comes with frustration. For a lot of us it is simply a response to suggestion–TV, and radio, magazine ads, billboard blasts,–you name it. It often seems that the world is conspiring to cause improper eating.

Just how effective that “conspiracy” can be is borne out by the fact that over half of the world’s population is overweight. Over HALF–and increasing (poor pun intended) every year. And that’s in the face of natural selection–nature’s way of “thinning the herd”. We who are overweight tend to have fewer and less healthy offspring–the ultimate “double whammy”. We pay a dear price for these extra pounds; and our kids are practically destined to the same fate.

Since you’ve read this far, it’s safe to assume that you’ve already been around the “dieter’s world/hell” long enough to be familiar with the buzz words: NEW MIRACLE DIET, LOSE WEIGHT FAST, THE LAST DIET YOU WILL EVER NEED, GREEN/BLACK/WHITE TEA DIET, etc.

Just when you think you’ve seen and heard it all, put things in a more frightening perspective. Google returned 29,500,000 results for the word “diets”. That’s TWENTY NINE AND A HALF MILLION.

Can they all be effective? Sure. Because the bottom line for all of them…at least the legal ones…is simple: EAT LESS…EXERCISE MORE. Twenty nine and a half million pages condensed into four words. And you thought this was gonna be tough?

Sure, lots of those millions of pages suggest that you: EAT LESS…EXERCISE MORE and “drink this magic tea” or “eat this magic supplement” or “drink gallons of cabbage soup” or some such.

The question that so many of us fail to ask is: “What happens if I just EAT LESS…EXERCISE MORE and also save a gazillion dollars by not buying any of your magic pills, potions and soup recipes?”

We all know the answer; yet we continue searching for the “magic” diet, routine, and/or supplement.

At the risk of short circuiting over twenty-nine million other suggestions, it’s time to accept the fact that the only “magic” is in us–programmed there since birth. We simply need to get back in touch.

Acai — Super Juice Or Super Food?

Posted on November 17, 2008
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Some claim it as “purple gold,” health food stores stock it on their shelves, and it started in the Brazilian Amazon. Oprah Winfrey featured it on her show and health specialists endorse it. The acai fruit finds its way into a number of juices, smoothies, and nutrition bars which means it is catching on in the U.S. The real question is, Is acai worth all the hype.

According to old Amazonian tribes, the acai berry cures a number of ailments, provides energy, and increases the libido Recent scientific studies agree, indicating that the acai berry is one of the most nutritional foods in the world Grown in the Amazon, the Açaí starts as the fruit of palm trees in Brazilian rainforests The berry, which features a subtle chocolate taste, is filled with antioxidants, amino and fatty acids, and is a natural energy source Researchers find that this combination creates a “superfood” that helps prevent high cholesterol, heart disease, and cancer Because the acai fruit destroys some cancer cells in the body, it is a leading ingredient in many alternative medicine diets.

The acai fruit is new to supermarket shelves in the U.S., although it’s a daily staple in the Amazonian diet. Sambazon, a company that began to feature acai in its products after its co-founders discovered the acai fruit on a surfing trip, is credited for bringing the phenomenon to the U.S.

The acai fruit is featured mostly as a main ingredient in other food products like protein bars and juice because it spoils too quicly to be distributed in its natural form. A higher concentration of antioxidants is found in pulp form rather than acai juice products and is now showing up in some health food stores as an unsweetened pulp form.

Acai offers is appealing to a society focusing more and more on sustainable development Thousands of harvesters can harvest the acai fruit without destroying the Amazon rainforests. New concerns arise, however, as the popularity of Acai juice products increases, requiring more of the acai fruit to be harvested.

As these products are distributed in food chains like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, the acai fruit’s popularity will only increase. Americans can now embrace the acai fruit now that researchers have provided evidence that it is worth the hype.

Good Foods To Eat To Make You Lose Weight

Posted on November 15, 2008
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When people want to lose weight, they always think about what foods they should avoid like high calorie, high fat, sugary foods that can quickly add inches to their growing waistlines. However, when people try to lose weight by avoiding their favorite foods, they always end up feeling deprived, hungry and unsatisfied. These emotions lead them to crave for food more and this results in food binges. That is why knowing the right foods to eat is just as important.

Eating a variety of foods from the different food groups will help you get the good nutrients that you will need to burn the fat and lose weight. Research shows that people get full depending on the amount of food they eat so to create a caloric deficit without eating less you will need to replace your “usual” food with lower calories.

Foods To Eat To Help In fat loss

1. Take in foods that have a lower fat content such as lean meat, fish , chicken or turkey breast without skin, grilled salmon, ground lean beef instead of hot dogs and luncheon meats. You need essential fat because this actually helps in the fat burning process of our body. Drink low fat products like skim or low-fat milk instead of whole milk.

2. Eat foods that are made of whole grains and high on fiber like whole wheat bread, brown rice, fruits and vegetables. Most fruits and vegetable are of low-calorie foods and they can surely fill you up just be careful on how you prepare them. Just keep it simple, steam your vegetables and spice them up a little. You need those low carbohydrate substitutes as a source of energy.

3. Eating high protein foods can do a lot of good for your muscle building and keeping your bones strong. Just be sure to take off the skin from chicken and turkey. Eat a lot of white kidney beans or peas.

4. When it comes to beverages be careful with energy drinks because they are the easiest way to get calories but they won’t fill you up like real food does. Don’t forget to drink at least twelve 8 oz glasses of water every day.

A modest weight loss of 5-10% will reduce your risk of developing diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. A balanced calorie intake while maintaining adequate nutrient is of prime importance to achieve good health.

Homemade Soymilk: Luxury Or Necessity

Posted on October 28, 2008
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I don’t begin to understand what the money controllers in this country have done to us and how they brought about this market crash. All I know is that it’s going to make everything around us cost more. That includes food.

It was mostly a novelty for me when I first started making my own soymilk. I had been buying my soymilk in the grocery and didn’t even know for along time that I could make it myself. I mean, who makes milk? I don’t live on a dairy farm, so my only access to cow’s milk was the grocery store. So when I made the switch to soy, it didn’t even occur to me that this could turn into a do-it-yourself project.

Luxury Becomes a Need?

This new soy adventure was complete luxury for me. I was a step up from folks that were still buying this drink in stores because I had the ability to control what I put in my soymilk and how I wanted it to taste. Then I learned how to make tofu and soy yogurt. My luxury continued.

How quickly my regards for this food source have changed. My Soymilk Maker has become my most valued piece of kitchen equipment. It’s now a necessity!

The finacial burden of meat-based diets could soon grow beyond belief. What is the cost of a pound of meat? What will it become? How many meals can a pound of meat make? What’s the cost of a pound of soybeans? Right now, it averages 2 dollars. What will it become? It’ll be much less than meat.

Soy For Survival?

You can do a lot of things with a pound of soybeans. You can make 5 pots of soymilk. You could use one of those pots to make a block of tofu. One pot of soymilk can make seven servings of yogurt. Also from those 5 pots, you’ll get almost 4 cups of okara, which can easily become 20 soy burgers.

The upside to all of this; soybeans make healthy foods. It’s a perfect protein food. It’s high in fiber and loaded with minerals. This may not be the best time to invest in the stock market, but it’s a great time to invest in health and food. An additional note: dry soybeans have a long shelf life when stored in tightly sealed containers.

A Review Of The Truth About Six Pack Abs

Posted on October 17, 2008
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Many have been dreaming of those well-chiseled, tight abdominals. It’s all too sexy and it remains to be a wish for a lot of people. But truth be told, there are so many things that we do not know about working on those abs. The Truth About Six Pack Abs manual provides us with the real deal, that would not only give us the abs, but total health as well.

The Truth About Abs is a comprehensive package that does not only focus on shedding stubborn belly fat. It concentrates on you gaining a total healthy lifestyle. Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Nutrition Specialist Michael Geary shares his expertise and years of fitness experience in this e-book, which steers you away from traditional weight loss pills, monotonous cardio routines, and ab-focused exercises.

The topics considered in this guide range from boosting natural metabolism and what Geary calls “secret weapon” exercises, as well nutritional information like avoiding foods that we all think are healthy. The e-book also includes a compendium of 84 “Lean-Body” meal plans developed for the program by a Certified Nutritionist. What is so good about the manual is the provision of an 8-week trial period within which you could request a refund when you are unsatisfied. But the program is definitely good you will get along with it in no time.

Some of the bonuses in this purchase include Turbulence Training, Stability Ball Killer Abs, Ultimate Stair Exercises, Smoothies for Athletes, Skyrocket your Fat Loss Success, Kevin Gianni’s 10-Minute Full Body Stretch Routine, and a 30-day free membership to Global Health & Fitness membership website.

An upgrade of the purchase allows you access to the much talked about The Diet Solution, a rich resource of infomation that corrects a lot of dieting myths to help you keep track of progress. A good number of free newsletters are also accessible through the The Truth about Six Pack Abs website.

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