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What You Should Know About South Beach Diet?

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There are many ways to lose weight and the most popular one involves eating more of proteins and fats with a little carbohydrate in between.

A good example of this is the South Beach Diet, which has been proven to be good for the heart and body.

For those who have never done it, this is done in stages. The first part is done over a 2-week period and the person will refrain from eating food such as bread, potatoes, baked foods, fruit and the consumption of any kind of alcohol.

The individual may have an occasional serving of low fat yogurt or milk.

When the individual’s stomach has adjusted, it is time to bring in some of those that were taken out back into the diet. These include tomatoes, fruits and onions.

If the person is able to do this properly after another two weeks, the third part will basically be making sure that the current diet does not change.

Those who are able to stick to the program as written in books and other related literature will be able to lose weight in no time.

Does this require exercising to help in losing weight? People who have been interviewed have claimed that this is not needed to get rid of those extra pounds.

This is because the body will be forced to burn more calories because of the limited intake.

There was a time that the South Beach diet was not that popular among vegetarians since the individual will have to eat meat in small servings.

There have been changes and people may now take advantage of this regimen.

There are cookbooks and other related information on the Internet that the person can make at home to be able to lose 8 or more pounds just like regular people.

The number of pounds that an individual can lose will vary. This really depends on the individual’s genetics since there are people who are fat and thin.

It is best to consult a doctor first to make sure that this type of diet is safe for the person to try.

If this kind of diet doesn’t work, the person should not worry. This is because there are still others out there worth trying that can help the individual attain the desired weight. If at first the person succeeds, one should not give up and try again.

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What Is the South Beach Diet?

The South Beach Diet was designed by Doctor Agatston. He’s a multi-published author of a number of health and diet books.

Additionally, he is a cardiologist and an associate professor of medicine at the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine.

In short, he knows what he’s talking about!

The South Beach Diet is a three-phase diet plan. The first two phases help you change your eating habits and lifestyle habits to lose weight quickly.

The final, third phase is a lifestyle phase designed to help you continue losing or to maintain your weight loss year around.

Once you’re on the South Beach Diet, you don’t ever really go off of it. It becomes your lifestyle.

The good news is that it isn’t restrictive. If you love food and you love to eat, the South Beach Diet is for you.

Rather than elimination and deprivation, you’re able to enjoy food. The key is to modify your habits for lasting health and weightless.

The Three Phases in a Nutshell

# Phase One – The first phase is designed to help you kick cravings and get a rapid start on your weight loss. This phase lasts only for two weeks. This is great because when you’re able to see results in that short a time period, you’re more likely to stick with the diet.

# Phase Two – This phase is designed for steady and gradual weight loss. They also say that if you have less than ten pounds to lose, then this is the phase to start with. You can skip the first phase. In this phase you’ll be able to add some items to your food list that were previously eliminated or reduced.

# Phase Three – Here you’re continuing to make your lifestyle changes and create good eating habits. Because this is the maintenance phase of the diet, it never ends. However, as mentioned previously, you’re able to indulge in your favorite foods from time to time.

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But Wait, There’s More…

The South Beach Diet offers more than a simple book or diet plan. Membership, which is $5 a week billed quarterly, offers:

  • Pre-packaged food to purchase
  • Workout DVDs and programs
  • Tools to track your weight, phase, and diet goals
  • Meal planners and nutrition tools
  • Access to questions answered by Dr. Agatston
  • Community support
  • Recipe database with more than 1,000 recipes

There’s a reason the South Beach Diet has worked for so many. It takes a realistic approach to health and weight loss. While it’s designed to help you lose weight, it’s also designed to help you keep it off.

That’s not something most diets accomplish. If you’re looking to lose weight, check out the South Beach Diet. Take the quiz on the website and see if it’s the right diet for you.

Dangers of South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is considered to be a healthy diet, which is concerned on the right carbohydrates and the right fats for a healthy body.

As such, many people were drawn to it believing that the South Beach Diet is really the best diet for them.

However, out of this good reputation that the South Beach Diet maintained, still there are some attacks and bad comments about the diet.

Well, we don’t need to be surprised about this, for this is how the world is set.

What then is the importance of the principle of “yin and yang” if there is only one side for everything? There could be biases, prejudices, and imbalances, right?

So, even though there is really no noted “big” South Beach Diet danger, still there are certain resources which hold that the South Beach Diet danger surface when the improper application of the diet is made.

Lack of Information and Understanding

Numerous resources have noted that part of the South Beach Diet is the lack of information or understanding about the diet. From the word “lack” alone, a sort of South Beach Diet danger is then viewed.

According to many studies, the South Beach Diet danger surfaced for the reason that the South Beach Diet is very demanding for those that are accustomed to carbohydrate-rich diets.

Lapsing Into the Old Eating Habits

In line with such view for the South Beach Diet danger, it is also noted that one of the largest South Beach Diet dangers surface when there is a lapsing into the old eating habits.

This was considered to be a South Beach Diet danger for the reason that this lapsing will result in speedy weight gain. Along with that, this part of the South Beach Diet danger may then be a new way of life.

Lack of Willpower

In relation to such fact, another support states that a great South Beach Diet danger will also surface when there is a lack of willpower exerted for the diet, especially from the carbohydrates lovers.

In fact, it is a common view that there is always the South Beach Diet danger of lapsing back into old eating habits and increasing the carbohydrate consumption without even realizing it.

Steps To Overcome These South Beach Diet Dangers

To battle this one of the common South Beach Diet dangers, Dr. Arthur Agatston himself recommends that the dieters who do lapse and end up on placing some of the weight back on should then be immediately switch back to the first phase of the South Beach Diet for a short while.

This recommendation is given not only to battle such South Beach Diet danger but also to prevent from the occurrence of several South Beach Diet dangers.

It is also interesting to know that if this South Beach Diet danger is not prevented earlier, this will lead to an excess in weight gain.

With such mentioned possible South Beach Diet dangers, the South Beach Diet then received mixed reviews from most dieters.

Despite the South Beach Diet dangers, many people still consider the South Beach Diet as an updated version of the Atkins diet that is a far more balanced diet.

Only one thing that this diet plan does do is really to educate the dieters in eating the correct food to reduce heart disease, high cholesterol levels, and other South Beach Diet dangers.

 

TAKEAWAY QUESTIONS

– Have you heard about the South Beach diet?

– Do you believe this diet could help you lose weight?

– Do you think one could lose weight through eating more proteins and fats with little carbohydrates?

– Do you think you could sustain this type of diet for a long time?

– Are you aware of the possible dangers with South Beach diet?

 


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What You Should Know About The Zone Diet?

zone diet

The Zone Diet promises that dieters can expect to lose one to two pounds per week.

One to two pounds a week is pretty rapid and steady weight loss and it’s a sign of a quality program.

Additionally, many Zone dieters have found they’ve been able to lose much more than that, particularly in the beginning.

Whether you have a few pounds to lose or have a much larger weight loss goal, the Zone Diet may be a good solution.

What Is the Zone Diet?

The Zone Diet differs from other diets in that it places great emphasis on hormonal imbalances as the primary cause of weight gain.

The theory is that if you’re hungry all the time, it’s not because there’s something wrong with you – it’s because your hormones are out of balance. This diet strives to help you put them back in balance.

The Zone diet is similar to other diets in that it approaches weight loss as a three-step program. The first step or “Zone” is what’s called “Zone Fast.”

It’s a two-week fast weight loss plan that puts you on a structured meal plan.

The plan is designed to reduce inflammation in your body, provide you with foods that make you feel full longer and to rebalance your hormones.

Your hormones are largely responsible for regulating your metabolism. Resetting them or balancing them can help you even out your blood sugar and speed up your metabolism.

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The next phase is where you’ll begin to add variety to your structured meal plan.

You’re still restricted to Zone Food products. However, the assortment to choose from is larger.

You’ll stay in this zone until you reach your desired weight loss goal.

The final zone is the maintenance zone. Here you’ll again be using many Zone Food products. Nevertheless, you’ll have more freedom to control what and how you eat.

Is the Zone Diet Right for Me?

If you need a 100% controlled environment and a structured plan, then the Zone Diet may be right for you.

While you’re able to eat a tasty variety of foods, your meals and menus are planned and there’s a lot of structure to this diet.

Additionally, if you’re looking for a program to join, then the Zone Diet may be right for you. The Zone Diet offers three different weight loss programs.

They include the Zone Fast, Standard Package, and a Custom Package. You also receive online community support, recipes and a website full of fitness and health information.

The program may not be for you if you’re on a tight budget. One week on the Zone Diet Standard Program is $70.

Nonetheless, it comes with all the food you’ll likely need excluding fresh produce. We’re talking about breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for a week. That $70 is probably less than you spend on groceries.

While the Zone Diet is fairly structured compared to other diets, you are provided with more tools, resources, and advice than perhaps any other diet plan.

If you are looking for a one-stop weight loss solution, the Zone Diet may be the perfect diet for you.

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How to Lose Weight with Zone Diet

As one of the newer diets on the market, the Zone Diet is rapidly taking hold as one of the best and most popular.

Like many on the market, the Zone Diet is the result of many years of intense study into the way the human body uses the food sources it is given.

Through this research, the folks at Zone Diet have managed to find a way to make your body use the food to its fullest advantage and make you lose weight.

The Zone Diet is gaining wide spread acceptance as a true form of weight loss and anything but a fad diet.

Dr. Sears is the man responsible for the Zone Diet and all of its inner workings.

For years he has studied the effects that certain foods have on the body’s fat burning potential.

With this research, he has found the formula of foods and drinks that actually spur the body into over drive and help it to burn off the unnecessary fat and make you lose weight.

The Zone Diet is nothing like the other starvation diets that have come down the pike.

In most cases, you do not have to give up the foods that you love, but simply make adjustments in the daily regimen.  This all speaks to the unique way that the Zone Diet works.

Instead of cutting out the meals the Zone Diet adds two additional meals to the daily routine.

The Zone Diet works to stabilize and increase the insulin output of the body.

With this insulin, the body can more readily burn the fat to make certain that you are losing weight.  This diet does not work in miracles or days even.

There is a standard amount of time that you will need to work to make sure that you have maintained the proper procedures in the diet.  This will help to build the body’s natural defenses against weight gain.

Through this, you will be training your body to accept and decline certain foods in order to keep the weight that you lose off.

The Zone Diet is being actively referred to as the diet of the stars.  Many of those in Hollywood and surrounding areas have found that this diet is vastly superior to the other diets currently on the market and therefore increasing its popularity to new levels.

zone diet

 

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Zone Diet – A New Weight Loss System

The Zone Diet works on the principle that 100,000 years ago, we were meat eaters, and our metabolism is designed to handle the demands of a meat-based diet.

Madonna, Demi Moore, and Jennifer Aniston swear by the results of the Zone Diet, which was created by Barry Sears, Ph.D.

This diet contains 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat and is known as the 40-30-30 plan.

As the food industry evolved, more carbohydrates have been introduced into our daily diet, thus causing an imbalance in our metabolism to burn fat.

The reason for our extra weight can also be attributed to the many grains and starches in our diet (pasta, rice, bread, and potatoes).

The Zone Diet’s approach calls for a return to the diets of our ancestors where meat, fruits, and vegetables are the main dietary foods.

This diet suggests that you need the right ratio of carbohydrates to proteins and fats in order to control the insulin in the bloodstream.

Too much of the hormone (insulin) can increase fat storage and inflammation in the body (conditions that are associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease).

Sears asserts that by using the Zone Diet, you are actually optimizing the body’s metabolic function.  Through the regulation of blood sugar, you allow your body to burn excess body fat.

Although you are not prohibited from any particular food group, it is best to avoid food with high fat and carbohydrates such as grains, starches, and pasta.

The ideal sources of carbs are fruits and vegetables and for monounsaturated fats, olive oil, almonds, and avocados are recommended.

The Zone Diet claims to use food as a drug for overall good health, weight loss and prevention or management of heart disease and diabetes.

Sears says that you can test to see whether you are ‘hormonally’ correct by eating following the Zone diet and see how you feel four hours later.

To simplify the Zone Diet, fill one-third of a plate with low-fat protein, and then two-thirds with fruits and vegetables.

Celebrities and some health experts say that the Zone’s recommendations do not stray far from the USDA’s (United States Dietary Association) dietary guidelines and therefore are advocates of the Zone Diet.

Others argue that the Zone Diet has flawed ratios but Sears argues that the Zone diet is a low-glycemic-load diet that has adequate protein.

A critic of the Zone diet such as the AHA (American Heart Association) classifies the Zone Diet as high protein and does not recommend the Zone Diet for weight loss.

They contend that the Zone Diet has not been proven effective in the long term for weight loss.  The AHA issued an official recommendation warning against diets like the Zone Diet.

They believe that the Zone Diet is hazardous as it restricts the intake of essential vitamins and minerals present in certain foods.  The AHA also contends that the protein ratio in the Zone diet is too high even if the minimal fat ratio is good.

Robert H. Ecker M.D of the A.H.A. finds the Zone Diet’s theory on insulin flawed and argues that there is no scientific proof that the hormone insulin plays a big role in weight regulation.

The other component of the Zone diet worthy of note is the supplementation of diet with fish oil.

Fish oil, particularly pharmaceutical grade fish oil, provides omega 3 fatty acids which are an important component in healthy cells.

Study after study in the past five years has confirmed the importance of fish and omega 3 fatty acids in the diet.

A sample meal on The Zone’s eating plan might include:

1 3 oz. portion of broiled salmon

Spinach salad with apples and walnuts dressed with walnut oil and lemon juice

1/2 cup of brown rice

1 glass fruit or vegetable juice

The eating plan recommended by The Zone diet combines small portions of low-fat proteins, fats and fiber-rich vegetables and fruits.

It also suggests eating some protein with each meal or snack, and at least 3 meals and 2 snacks daily.

 

Who should use the Zone Diet?

As always, if you’re under the care of a physician for any chronic medical condition, you should consult them before embarking on any diet plan that substantially changes your eating habits.

There are significant differences between the Zone Diet and that recommended for diabetics and heart patients, for instance.

Overall, the recommended portions of foods and the balance between them should be consistent with a healthy diet. This is also maintainable for a lifetime.

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discover zone diet

 

 

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The Ornish Diet

Ornish Diet

 

Eat more and weigh less? Really? Sounds like a scam, right? Fortunately, it’s not.

Dr. Dean Ornish has based his diet plan on the sound evidence that what you eat is more important than how much you eat.

Eat More and Lose Weight with the Ornish Diet

In 1993, Dr. Dean Ornish came out with a book entitled Eat More, Weigh Less. 

The primary focus of the book was to urge people to boost their consumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables while decreasing their consumption of fat.

Ornish subsequently made headlines by becoming a dietary consultant to McDonald’s, helping the hamburger giant to develop the fruit and walnut salad which now appears on the restaurant’s revamped menu.

Ornish’s work began in 1977 when he was studying ways to combat heart attacks.  He hypothesized that heart disease could be successfully treated by cutting the fat in a patient’s diet, as well as reducing the amount of unrefined carbohydrates he or she consumes.

During his research, he noticed that his patients lost about 25 pounds each and managed to maintain the weight loss for five years.

Ornish offers two different diets, the Reversal Diet and the Prevention Diet.  Those who suffer from heart disease and who are trying to decrease their risk of another heart attack would conceivably benefit from the Reversal Diet.

While the Prevention Diet is designed for people who have high cholesterol levels, but who have not developed heart disease.  

Both versions are vegetarian, consisting of 10 percent fat, 20 percent protein, and 70 percent carbohydrates.

If you decide to follow the Ornish diet, you will be eating a great deal of fiber, little fat, and a great deal of vegetables.   Under the Ornish program, you can eat as many beans, fruits, grains, and vegetables as you want.

However, non-fat dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt should be eaten sparingly.  The same holds true for fat-free desserts and yogurt bars.

Still, under the Ornish plan, you will be giving up a great deal.  For instance, you will not be permitted to eat some meat of any kind, including fish and chicken.

Serving sizes are limited to maintain the low-fat goal of 10% in some foods like nuts, oils, avocados, sugars, and anything that consists of more than two grams of fat for each serving.   The diet also limits the consumption of alcohol.

The doctor recommends eating a number of small meals so that you will feel hungry less often.  Following this plan, less than ten percent of your calories should come from fat.

Ornish recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, or an hour of exercise three times each week.  He also encourages some type of stress management, such as meditation, massage, or yoga.

Why?  In his book, Ornish writes, “When your soul is fed, you have less need to overeat.  When you directly experience the fullness of life, then you have less need to fill the void with food.”

Supporters of the Ornish plan are enthusiastic about its effect on the body.  It can successfully combat heart disease, prevent cancer, alleviate the symptoms of diabetes, and help stabilize high blood pressure.

In fact, one doctor has said that the Ornish program succeeds because it has a clear scientific basis.  Also, the diet is convenient to follow because it does not involve counting calories.

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Dr. Ornish’s Plan

The Eat More, Weigh Less plan breaks foods down into three main categories.

These categories include foods that should be eaten often, foods that should be eaten occasionally and foods that should never be eaten.

Dr. Ornish is an expert in the field of health and heart disease. He’s a contributing expert at WebMD and is a practicing cardiologist.

Eat More, Weigh Less is more than a standard weight loss plan. It’s a plan designed to help you live a healthier life.

In addition to explaining why and how you can eat more and weigh less, the book also offers a wealth of recipes ranging from salads to pizza and desserts.

The menu plans and recipes are designed so you can eat as much as you want to and still lose weight.

The Eat More, Weigh Less plan is a simple, straightforward and realistic approach to losing weight.

The Food Breakdown

One of the most compelling aspects of this diet is the concept that there are foods you can eat all of the time.

These foods include:

– Beans

– Fruits

– Legumes

– Whole grains

– Vegetables

Of course, this list, while the foods will certainly leave you feeling satisfied, may leave you wanting more from time to time. That’s where the foods you can eat occasionally help.

These foods include:

Non-fat dairy products – this includes skim milk and non-fat cheeses.

Ice cream is not on this list due to the high sugar content and high-fat content. However, some brands of frozen yogurt may fit the requirements.

 

Non-fat, low-fat and low-sugar pre-packaged foods.

Sometimes you just want to eat something you don’t have to prepare yourself. You can eat boxed, pre-packaged, foods on the Ornish diet.

Just make sure to read the label. You want it to be both low fat and low sugar. If it has more than two grams of fat per serving, put it back on the shelf.

But what about those foods you cannot eat? On the Ornish Diet, the list is extensive and weeds many people out. They’re simply unwilling to eliminate these foods from their diet and their life.

The foods you must eliminate and limit on the Ornish Diet include:

Meat – this means no red meat, no white meat, and no fish. If you simply cannot give up meat then it is possible to stay on the Ornish Diet if you limit your intake to one meat serving a week or less.

  • You’re restricted to eat high-fat foods like nuts, avocados, olives, and seeds.
  • Dairy products are not allowed unless they’re non-fat.
  • Restricted Alcohol – *Alcohol is allowed in limited amounts, but not encouraged. If consumed, have one serving a day: 1.5 ounces liquor, 4 ounces wine or 12 ounces beer. 
  • *Sugar is permitted in moderation, but not encouraged. 

Added sugars such as maple syrup, agave, honey, white or brown sugar, along with non-fat sweets, and refined carbohydrates are recommended to limit to more than 2 servings/day. (See Ornish Living article, Understanding Sugar: Added Vs. Natural)

            *Source: https://www.ornish.com/proven-program/nutrition

If this diet sounds too restrictive to you then it may not be the right choice. However, generally speaking, the plan is fairly simple.

You don’t need to count calories and you don’t need to measure portions, points or track anything.

The only information you need to know is that the food doesn’t contain fat. The goal is to make sure 10% or fewer of your calories come from fat.

If you can read a food label and track your fat calories, and you can exercise for thirty minutes a day, you will find success on the Ornish Diet.

 

Tips For The Ornish Diet To Work:

(From Us Health News – https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/ornish-diet)

  • Trade refined carbohydrates like white bread and pasta for whole-grain options like whole-grain bread or quinoa spaghetti.
  • Avoid saturated fat by limiting many animal products and processed foods.
  • Stock up on fruits and vegetables.
  • Trade full-fat dairy for low-fat or nonfat versions.
  • Add meditation or another stress-management technique to your morning routine.
  • Plan to spend time with friends and family.

Some Considerations

The major disadvantage of the Ornish plan is that it is highly restrictive.  This can make it difficult to stay with over the long haul.

A number of dieters may be uncomfortable eating food that is so low-fat.   The diet also represents a radical change from the typical American meat-and-potatoes fare.

In addition, Ornish fails to recognize that some types of fats are actually good for one’s health.  For instance, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils can protect against heart disease.

Therefore, Ornish’s prohibitions against fish and nut consumption would seem to be counter-productive.

Is the Ornish diet worth the trouble?

If you must not only manage your weight but struggle with heart disease as well, it might be just the diet you need.

Also, if you have medical reasons for losing weight, the program is certainly one you should consider.

However, if you have difficulty sticking with specific menus—and you love meat—the Ornish diet may be too hard to deal with.  When you decide to undertake the Ornish diet, you are making a commitment to vegetarianism.

The diet provides you with less protein than the typical diet, which could sap your energy.  Thus, a good rule of thumb is to discuss the plan with your family physician to determine if it’s appropriate for your case.

To sum up, the Eat More, Weigh Less by Dr. Ornish is primarily a vegetarian fare and strictly low-fat diet.

It gives the go signal on the “glow” foods but warns to watch it on non-fat dairy and egg whites. This diet is poor in calcium and restricts consumption of healthy foods like seafood and lean poultry.

 

Here’s additional information for you:

http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/ornish-diet
http://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/ornish-diet-spectrum-what-it-is

https://www.ornish.com/proven-program/nutrition/

 

 

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The Fat Smash Diet

fat smash diet

 

The Fat Smash Diet by Ian K. Smith, M.D. is a New York Times Bestseller. It has received acclaim due to its realistic approach to weight loss.

 

Dr. Smith says it’s a program that will never fail if you: “open your mind to the great possibilities, believe in yourself, and give a full commitment.”

 

It’s a forgiving diet that makes room for mistakes and allows you to get back on the diet without ‘failing’.

Let’s take a look at the basics of the Fat Smash Diet and help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.

 

fat smash diet

 

What is the Fat Smash Diet Plan?

The Fat Smash Diet is unlike other diets in that it approaches diets in an extremely realistic manner.

It realizes and makes room for the fact that most dieters are going to have bad days.

 

They’re going to screw up and eat something that isn’t healthy or on the diet. They’re going to skip exercising and they’re going to overindulge.

 

This diet allows for that and it makes room for acceptance and for dieters to get back on the diet after a mistake.

 

It’s like other plans in that it approaches dieting as a process, a series of phases. In this case, the Fat Smash diet is a four-phase, ninety-day plan.

 

Each phase is designed to help you redesign your body, your health, your diet, your weight and your lifestyle.

It helps you ease into better habits rather than forcing them upon you and expecting spectacular results.

 

You’ll get results with the Fat Smash diet. You’ll also be able to keep the weight off because of your new lifestyle and eating habits.

 

Additionally, where some diets diverge from the Fat Smash diet is that Dr. Smith believes that you must exercise to lose weight and get healthy.

 

In the diet, through each phase, he provides exercise suggestions to help you lose weight faster.

Again, it’s a realistic diet and lifestyle approach. He doesn’t require you to run a marathon tomorrow.

 

How to Get Started?

Unlike many other weight loss plans, there’s nothing additional to buy.

There are no memberships or pre-packaged food you have to eat.

 

The only cost to you is the cost of the book and if you have a library nearby then the plan costs you nothing. That’s a huge benefit!

 

In addition to the book, you can take part in the Smasher’s Club and receive daily text messages from Dr. Smith himself. This is a fantastic motivation tool.

 

Is It Right for You?

 

If you’ve struggled with all or nothing weight loss programs before, then the Fat Smash Diet may be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

It helps you approach diet and weight loss realistically, compassionately, and effectively.

You’re allowed to make mistakes and you’re supported to get back on the program.

The Fat Smash diet offers tremendous support, guidance and lifelong good habits.

 

 

Does the Fat Smash Diet Plan Really Work?

 

“The Fat Smash Diet Plan” is a fairly popular diet book that was written by Ian Smith.

The book took off in popularity at the same time Celebrity Fit Club was soaring in the television ratings.

 

The Fat Smash Diet claims to be a 90-day program that doesn’t require you to count calories and further promises that you won’t feel hungry while on the plan.

Now, that’s the kind of plan that most dieters are looking for!

 

That all sounds great, but what is the diet all about, and does it really work?

Those are the questions that should be asked before you decide to start any diet program.

 

Fortunately, the Fat Smash Diet Plan has all of the elements of a sound program.

It doesn’t make a lot of outrageous claims that can’t be backed up.

It’s also missing some of the elements that are so prevalent in fad diets, such as forbidding whole groups of food.

 

The basis of Smith’s approach is sensible eating and moderate exercise. On top of that, he strongly suggests people on the Fat Smash Diet Plan to get as much support from their friends and family as they can.

 

This can help a lot if you normally struggle with weight loss.

Plus, if you can get the support of the people who are close to you, they can encourage you and help you stick to your plan.

This makes it that much easier to get rid of those extra pounds.

 

It’s all too common for a weight loss regimen to focus on just the food or just the exercise, but you need to work on both if you want to lose weight.

 

The first stage of the Fat Smash Diet Plan is to detoxify your system. There isn’t any solid medical proof that this works, but it may help in some cases.

 

If nothing else, it sends the signal to your subconscious that you are making a change for the better.

 

This stage of the plan takes nine days. Some people experience mild side effects, so you may want to do it at a time when you aren’t too busy.

 

The full Fat Smash Diet Plan is comprised of four different stages. Detox stage was mentioned, here are the others:

 

Stage 2 starts adding new foods that were introduced during the detoxification process. These include shellfish, eggs, lean meat, and other foods high in protein.

 

Stage 3 adds carbohydrates in the form of wheat, pasta, bread and even some desserts (thank goodness).

 

Stage 4, the final stage lets you eat pizza and some other comfort foods.

 

Regardless of the stage, Fat Smash Diet Plan recommends that you eat smaller meals, more often, as opposed to eating three large meals during the day.

 

This helps to keep your metabolism at a higher level, which leads to more calories burned, and that means more weight lost.

Stick to the Fat Smash diet and you can be sure that you will like the results.

 

 

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What You Should Know About The Sonoma Diet?

 

Have you heard of the Sonoma Diet? It’s one of the most popular diets in the world and there’s a very good reason why.

One of the most common complaints of people who are following low carb diets is the bland taste of approved foods.

The Sonoma diet approaches food as a celebration. It embraces some of the best foods and flavors in the world into its plan. Sounds intriguing, right?

The Sonoma Diet is a weight loss plan that promotes the healthy and flavorful eating style of the Mediterranean and Sonoma Valley.

Flavorful foods are an important part of the plan and they help you stick to the plan, lose weight and choose a healthier new lifestyle.

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To give people a safe and effective way to lose weight, eat healthy foods that taste great and are packed with flavor Dr. Connie Guttersen developed the Sonoma Diet.

The core of the Sonoma Diet is the power foods which are incorporated into many meals and recipes in the book. There’s an emphasis on 10 foods known as the power foods. These foods include a select group of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains.

They are almonds, bell peppers, blueberries, broccoli, grapes, olive oil, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes and whole grains.

They are all not only delicious but are in the right portions, essential to good health and weight loss.

Whole grains and bread are allowed on the diet from day one. But some foods with saturated fat, added sugar and refined white flour are not allowed on the program.

In addition to teaching about healthy food choices, the Sonoma Diet discusses portion management with a variety of techniques.

Connie Guttersen, Ph.D RD, is the author of The Sonoma Diet: Trimmer Waist, Better Health in Just 10 Days!

Guttersen offers a creative approach to encourage people to change their eating behaviors. Her emphasis is food enjoyment, portion control, food label reading and eliminating trans-fats.

She identifies the diet as neither low- fat nor low- carbohydrate. She indicates it has the right balance of nutrients to ensure the health, weight loss, and satisfaction.

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The Sonoma Diet Plan

The Sonoma Diet is different from any other dietary plan or approach. It embraces food as a celebration and incorporates some of the best foods and flavors from around the globe.

You’ve probably heard that a Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest diets on the planet, right?

People who live in the Mediterranean live longer, weigh less and have a high quality of life. They enjoy life.

The Sonoma Diet is based on a Mediterranean diet. You’re able to enjoy eating a lot of fantastic food to improve your health and lose weight.

This kind of diet is a combination of the real world lifestyle in Sonoma California and the old world celebration of food in the Mediterranean.

Similar to other modern diet plans the Sonoma Diet Plan has three phases which are known as waves.

The First Wave

Wave 1 is a 10-day period in which dieters can eat certain vegetables, lean meats, seafood, limited dairy, some grains, the daily servings of olive or canola oil, a small amount of nuts, black coffee, tea, and an unlimited amount of herbs and spices.

Wave one is the most nutritionally restrictive phase with the smallest amount of food groups allowed.

This wave is the most extreme and its purpose is to wean the body from sugar. This wave will produce rapid weight loss depending on the person and the amount of weight they need to lose.

The first wave is dedicated to helping you eliminate bad food habits. This is critical to success and a healthy lifestyle. It’s also the period of the fastest weight loss.

It’ll get you excited, motivated and really enjoying your new body and improved health and energy.

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The Second Wave

Wave 2 allows the same foods as Wave 1, but adds more fruits, more vegetables, fat-free yogurt, some sugar-free sweets, some dark chocolate, honey and some wine.

Wave two has more food options available including dairy and sugar-free sweets. People following wave two will have much less dramatic weight loss than during wave one. They will stay on this wave until they reach their target weight.

In this wave, weight loss is more gradual and approximately ½-1.5 pounds a week. Dieters stay in this wave until they reach their target weight.

The second wave is a longer phase. It’s where you’ll stay until you reach your weight loss goal.

Your personal goal and how well you’re able to adhere to the plan will determine how long you ride this wave. You’ll continue to embrace an attitude of celebrating and savoring your food.

This isn’t a phase to be concerned about. It may be one of the most enjoyable phases of your life.

You’re losing weight, getting control over your habits and enjoying your food.

The Third Wave

Once the target weight is reached you will start wave three or the maintenance wave. This wave has the largest group of allowable foods including the occasional sweet indulgent dessert.

The final stage-wave 3- promotes the same principles of healthy eating as the prior waves but recommends increasing servings of fruits and vegetables and indulging in occasional treats.

It also recommends more experimentation with different foods and different ways of enjoying meals.

The third wave is the maintenance phase of the plan and you’ll ride this wave hopefully for the rest of your life.

Once you’ve reached your weight loss goal, this wave will help you keep the weight off.

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What Does the Sonoma Plan Contain?

The Sonoma Diet plan offers a number of supporting resources. There is:

– The book – The Sonoma Diet

– A cookbook

– Wine (Yes really. They sell wine on this diet!)

– Meals and menus

– A recipe index

– Access to a nutritionist

– Community forum

– Online support groups

– Shopping lists

– Weight tracker

– Food diary

– Meal planner

– Membership plan of $4/week which includes a customized day-by-day plan

 

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Is the Sonoma Diet Right for You?

If you love food and view food as a celebration, or if you want to have this relationship with food, then the Sonoma Diet may be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Based on the Mediterranean diet, it’s an approach that has worked for thousands of people over centuries. It might just be the key to a new you.

For people who were turned off by the low carbohydrate approach of the Atkins Diet, the Sonoma Diet offers an attractive alternative.

During the most restrictive part of the diet, you are allowed to eat whole grains, cereals, and bread.

The plan does, however, recommend avoiding white or refined flour foods. For people who enjoy cooking the Sonoma Diet offers lots of choices with new recipes being continually added.

For people who enjoy eating out a special section was added to help them make healthy food choices.

 

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What Is Volumetrics Diet?

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If you’re tired of diets and dieting and just wish there was a way to eat, feel full and lose weight, then the Volumetrics Eating Plan could be right for you.

This book is written by Dr. Rolls, who is one of the leading researchers and physicians in the country. Her approach can take you where you want your weight loss to go.

Who Is Dr. Rolls?

It seems every diet and nutrition book is written by an “expert.” However, many of these experts have very little experience behind them.

Dr. Rolls has a wealth of experience and education, and it is all there for you to benefit from.

While it’ll take too much time to list all her credentials and resume here, Dr. Rolls has more than twenty years of experience studying hunger and obesity.

She holds several prestigious positions with research associations, universities, and organizations and her work is published around the world.

In short, she is the expert of experts when it comes to managing your weight.

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What Is Volumetrics?

Volumetrics is basically knowing how to choose foods that make you feel full while losing or maintaining your weight.

It doesn’t eliminate foods or restrict foods. Instead, it helps you create meals based on your goals.

In addition to the Volumetrics Eating Plan which is perfect if you want to maintain your weight, there is a Volumetrics Weight Loss Plan designed to help you lose weight.

Both plans help you choose the right foods for your goals.

The book includes:

  • Recipes with complete and easy to follow instructions
  • Menu planners
  • Charts
  • Sidebars on healthy food choices

The plan, both the weight loss and the maintenance plan, are designed to help you personalize your meals to match your goals and lifestyle.

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Is Volumetrics Right for Me?

If you don’t like the restrictive nature of most diet plans, then Volumetrics is well worth considering.

If you enjoy variety and like to eat lots of different foods and flavors, then Volumetrics is right for you.

If you like choice, variety and control over your own weight loss plan and destination then again, this is the book for you.

Where Can I Buy Volumetrics?

Volumetrics is found at any bookstore or library. You can buy it on any online or offline bookstore.

If you’re looking for a different approach to losing weight and keeping it off, check out both the Volumetrics Weight Loss Plan and the Volumetrics Eating Plan.

Benefit from the decades of experience Dr. Rolls has to offer and finally lose weight.

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Volumize Your Meal Portions

Maximize Satisfaction While Minimizing Calories

Eat more and weigh less?

For many, it’s a concept that flies in the face of conventional dieting wisdom. Yet that’s exactly what the scientifically sound Volumetrics approach to healthy eating advocates by encouraging people to abandon a “dieting” mindset and instead enjoy generous amounts of delicious, nutritious foods.

“Eat less’ is not always the best strategy,” says Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., professor and nutrition researcher at Pennsylvania State University and author of “The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan” and “The Volumetrics Eating Plan.”

“It’s learning how to eat satisfying portions while managing your weight and as a bonus, eating foods that are good for you.”

“The Volumetrics Cookbook for Jenny Craig,” a collaborative effort with Dr. Rolls.

It offers the following tips for incorporating low-calorie-density foods like fruits, vegetables, high-fiber foods and lean protein into your daily meals to fill you up without filling you out:

  • Start your meal with minestrone, tomato or rustic barley soup.
  • Grill omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish twice a week and pair it with lots of vegetables.
  • Choose whole grain or wheat-blended pasta to boost your fiber intake and increase satiety.
  • Add seasonal berries to yogurt for a fresh fruit parfait.
  • Keep the proportion of vegetables in your salad high, and reduce the amount of dressing, cheese, and croutons.

A survey of 1,258 visitors to www.jennycraig.com revealed that 27 percent currently eat a soup or salad at lunch or dinner five to seven times per week.

When told that eating such items before or instead of a meal might help them lose weight, nearly twice as many people-48 percent indicated that they’d consider consuming them at that frequency.

Here’s one of Dr. Rolls’ signature salad recipes from “The Volumetrics Cookbook for Jenny Craig”:

Volumetrics Salad

Combine 8 cups of mixed salad greens; 1 cup peeled, shredded carrots; 1 cup diced celery; 1 cup cored, diced tomatoes; and 1 cup scrubbed, unpeeled diced cucumber in a large bowl.

Add 6 Tbsp shredded, nonfat mozzarella cheese and 3/4 cup Italian Dressing* and toss well.

* Italian Dressing: Place 3 Tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, pinch freshly ground black pepper, and 2 Tbsp water in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously until blended.

Yield: Four servings. Per serving: 100 calories, 2g fat, 5g protein, 16g carbohydrate

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Volumetrics – For Low-Density Calorie Eating

It restricts fatty or dry foods like popcorn, pretzels, and crackers.

This plan is reasonably healthy given the high amounts of fruits and vegetables as well as being low in calorie density and saturated fats.

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What You Should Know About The UltraMetabolism Diet?

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The UltraMetabolism diet is a plan unlike any other plan on the market. It takes a whole new approach to losing weight and getting healthy.

If you’re tired of the weight loss roller coaster, feeling bad, and struggling with illness and low energy, the UltraMetabolism diet may be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

What Is the UltraMetabolism Diet?

The UltraMetabolism diet is based on the principle that you can change your metabolism to support:

  • Weight loss
  • More energy
  • Less illness and disease – a stronger immune system
  • Better skin
  • Healthier tendons, ligaments, and muscles
  • And overall better general health

The UltraMetabolism diet was created by Dr. Mark Hyman. He’s a leader in functional medicine.

Functional medicine is an approach to health and wellness that looks beyond the symptoms for the underlying cause for the disease.

He’s a contributor to the New York Times and lectures and practices around the world.

Here’s a piece from Dr. Hyman about UltraMetabolism:

Ultrametabolism – The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss

Up until modern times, man’s natural environment supplied the foods we were genetically programmed to eat.

But with the advent of industrialized agriculture and food production, we began eating mass-produced and processed foods that genetically program us to add pounds.

Here’s how:

Food is information — not just calories — and food information speaks to our genes, turning some genes ON and other genes OFF. That’s why it’s genes, not calories, that count.

Until recently, scientists believed that the critical mechanism for weight loss was caloric intake and expenditure — you eat little and exercise hard to lose each pound.

But that’s hard to do and harder to maintain, recent scientific studies reveal (and no doubt not surprising to anyone who has tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to lose weight).

Using the caloric mechanism for weight loss is a bit like manually cranking a lever to open your garage door inch-by-inch and then having to hold the door open. Wouldn’t you rather push the button that activates the circuitry to open your garage door automatically?

To do that for weight loss, you have to access the master biological mechanisms controlling weight loss and weight gain. Using those mechanisms opens the door to automatic weight loss.

The recent scientific discoveries I’ve assembled decode the instruction manual of our basic biology. At last, we can control the master mechanisms: our genes themselves.

The new genetic science (called Functional Medicine) teaches that our genes interact intimately with our environment.

Every bite of food we eat, every thought we think, every stress we experience, or toxin we inhale carries a specific message to our genes, turning them on (or off), and telling them how to behave.

As a result, our genes are programmed moment-by-moment to actively create either weight loss or weight gain.

Scientists have tracked exactly how all the different foods trigger the messages sent to your genes.

With that knowledge, you can give your body the foods that work in your favor – and avoid ones that don’t.

For instance, for decades, people were warned to avoid fats at all costs, but now we know that the type of fat you eat is more important than the amount of fat you eat.

The new science traces the biological impact of good fats, like the omega-3 fatty acids (contained in fish, fish oils, certain nuts and many other foods) and bad fats like the trans-fats contained in many processed foods.

What researchers found is that good fats turn on your body’s fat burning genes and bad fats turn off the fat burning genes.

When you consume EPA or DHA, both omega-3 fatty acids, they access a metabolic gateway called the PPAR receptor, to activate genes that increase your metabolism, help you burn fat, and assist you in processing bodily glucose more effectively so that foods won’t get stored as fat.

It’s as if the EPA and DHA open up an extra lane on your hormonal superhighway, making for a smooth and easy route towards slimness and health.

That’s why, for automatic weight loss, I recommend adding EPA and DHA (both found in fish oil) to your diet, beginning today.

On the other hand, unhealthy trans-fats (such as found in many processed and fast foods) act as a metabolic roadblock to weight loss, and if you eat them, you may find yourself crawling along at a snail’s pace, going nowhere.

These are just two of the hundreds of ways that you’ll learn to awaken the fat-burning code hidden in your DNA.

In my new book, UltraMetabolism…you’ll discover a wide range of foods that tell your genes to shed pounds while learning to avoid the many other foods that tell your genes to pack on the pounds.

Eating the foods right for your genes allows you to literally program your body to lose weight automatically, even as you sleep!

And that is the key: be simply learning to eat the foods that ignite your body’s fat-burning engines, and avoiding the foods that snuff out these engines, you finally begin the process of working WITH your body, instead of against it — something that all fad diets fail to do, which is why they all fail in the long-run.

But, because UltraMetabolism teaches a simple plan to harness your body’s own powerful fat burning forces — ones that have evolved over millions of years — you are actually programming your body to lose weight, automatically.

Why struggle and suffer with ineffective diets when you can actually teach your body to be slim and healthy?

With the simple two-step plan I’ve developed, you can program your body to lose weight automatically.

In the first step, you eliminate all of the bad foods that slow your metabolism, make you feel lethargic and lead to disease; in the second step, you add the good foods that crank up your metabolism, boost your energy and revitalize your health.

Twenty-first-century weight loss is easier than you’ve ever dreamed. And it’s something that I am confident about since I’ve treated over 2,000 patients, many of whom have experienced the very same automatic weight loss that I’ve described here.

My message to you is simple: If you want to fit into your jeans, you have to learn to fit into your genes!

Mark Hyman, M.D.

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How Does the UltraMetabolism Diet work?

The diet takes a systematic approach to improving overall health and weight loss. Dr. Hyman has identified seven keys to metabolism.

In his book, he explains all seven, two of which include your brain chemistry and boosting your thyroid.

He helps you identify triggers to your personal metabolism and reset your body’s metabolism to lose weight.

The UltraMetabolism Diet book offers a breakdown of common dieting myths and gives information on how to boost and optimize your metabolism for twenty-four-hour weight loss.

It also provides you all you need to know about how to create a kitchen and a lifestyle to support a rocking metabolism.

This includes tips on breaking bad habits, herbs and supplements, and tips on detoxifying for a clean slate.

On the UltraMetabolism website, you can find a variety of tools and resources to support your lifestyle change.

These tools and resources included:

  • Recipes that support an optimized metabolism
  • Exercises that support an optimized metabolism
  • Common questions
  • And Dr. Hyman’s blog which is full of regular insight, assistance, and support.

Additionally, you can buy the UltraMetabolism Cookbook which contains 200 recipes to turn on your fat-burning DNA.

Is the UltraMetabolism Diet Right for Me?

If you’re looking for an approach that teaches not only weight loss but also better all-around health, the UltraMetabolism Diet is right for you.

If you’re tired of feeling bad, lacking energy and fighting chronic allergies and illness, then the UltraMetabolism Diet is worth considering.

If you’ve struggled with weight loss in the past, then the UltraMetabolism Diet may be exactly what you’ve been seeking. It’s a whole body approach to weight loss and better health.

 

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Book Review – Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss

No wonder it’s so hard to lose weight- our bodies are designed to keep weight on at all costs; it’s a matter of survival.  It’s embedded in our DNA.

In essence, we are designed to gain weight, expounds Mark Hyman, M.D. in his new bestselling book Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss. 

The book follows on the heels of his previous bestseller, that he coauthored and proves to be every bit as informative.

Dr. Hyman, who has a passion for the cutting-edge science of Western medicine and alternative health for over 20 years, maintains that Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss is not just another of many weight loss books on the market.

Rather, the book is your body’s owner’s manual for overall health.   He distils his knowledge into a healthy lifestyle, which reduces the factors of a number of epidemic health problems and degenerative diseases currently plaguing many, while at the same time you will also gain the positive side-effect of weight loss.

The book dives in by turning much of what we believe as conventional wisdom concerning weight loss on its head.

Much of what we think we know about weight loss actually has been making us gain weight.

As evidence, the book points to the fact that despite the $50 billion we spend on weight loss every year in America, whether it’s diet pills, programs or exercise routines, they all have a dismal success record.

In fact, for every diet we go on, we end up gaining five pounds on average in the long run.

Obesity is now overtaking smoking as the number one cause of preventable deaths with almost 70 percent of the adult population and one-third of our children now overweight.

Compounding the problem are the profitable foods the food industry pushes, entrenched pharmaceutical companies and our own government’s recommendations, especially when it comes to the “food pyramid” or low fat in our diets.

In part I, the book exposes seven hoary myths that make us unhealthy, gain weight and keep it on.

First, there is the Starvation Myth: Eating less and exercising more does not equal weight loss.

Next is the Calorie Myth:  All calories are created equal.

Third is the Fat Myth: Eating fat makes you fat.

The fourth is the Carb Myth: Eating a low carb or no carb diet will make you thin.

Fifth is the Sumo Wrestler Myth: Skipping meals helps you lose weight.

Sixth is the French Paradox Myth:  The French are thin because they drink wine and eat butter.

And last but not least is the Protector Myth: Government food policies and food industry regulations protect our health.

 

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Moreover, the book points out that  the introduced man-made substances such as trans-fats, which are found in nearly every processed and packaged food because they never spoil, are adding to our overall exploding health and weight problems over the past 30 years.

This consumable plastic disrupts our metabolism by actually turning on a gene in your DNA, which slows metabolism causing you to gain weight.

The book also discusses another danger to our health: the man-made supersugars, such as high-fructose corn syrup, which is used to sweeten almost everything these days including soft drinks.

These supersugars quickly enter your bloodstream and trigger hormonal and chemical changes which induce insulin surges that tell your brain to eat more and your fat cells to store more fat.

If there are substances and foods that we eat that can trigger negative results, then surely there are ways to make us healthy and lose weight.

Part II of the book gives us the keys to turning on our metabolism and fat burning genes, turn off your weight gain genes, and program your body to lose weight automatically.

The book takes this even further in part III by providing menus and recipes, along with exercise and lifestyle treatments designed to create healthy metabolism and overall health.

This section of the book is designed so it can be customized to meet your unique genetic needs to optimally awaken your fat-burning DNA.

The Ultrametabolism book provides a vivid road map for navigating your way back to health and fitness.  And in so doing you will be successful in your quest for long-term weight loss without counting calories, fat grams or carbs.

You don’t have to starve yourselves. You simply need to eat in harmony with your genes.

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What You Should Know About The Green Tea Diet?

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Going on a green tea diet can be one of the best decisions for your body. Perhaps you’re the type of person who maintains quite an active lifestyle but don’t take the time to diet and exercise as you should.

In today’s hurry up age, it is possible to spend much of our days rushing to and fro, only taking the time to grab a bite to eat on the run.

We don’t blame you for being on the go, but at some point, you have to stop and take care of your health and body to make sure they both last you for the long run.

Such a lifestyle, while conducive to getting things done as quickly as they need to be, is harsh on your body and more specifically your metabolism.

Taking the time to replace nutrients that are lost from eating fast food and poor nutritional content in your diet is very important. Green tea is an excellent choice to do just that.

Deciding to go on green tea diet doesn’t have to be an ordeal but careful planning and consideration should be given to creating a diet plan that you can stick to and that will yield results you desire.

There are many different diets on the market that use the words green tea in them to get your attention. Don’t fall for impostors that claim to be green tea but actually only have a small percentage of green tea extract listed as a fourth or fifth ingredient on the list.

Because there are so many green tea diet gurus, websites, and merchandisers who have products on the market, you should expect to spend a little time researching which diet you feel is best for you.

Be cautious of diet plans that claim you will lose an outrageous amount of weight in practically no time because these claims are usually false and unfounded.

Also, watch for websites that offer you a free bottle of their product for only the cost of shipping and handling.

These are often auto ship programs that indicate in very small print that upon accepting their offer you are requesting to be put on an auto shipment program that will continue charging your credit card on a monthly basis.

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When you find a green tea diet that you would like to go on, it is a good practice to check with your physician, particularly if you are taking any other medications that may react to the addition of green tea to your diet.

Once you’re cleared by your doctor, set realistic goals and milestones. Be sure to reward yourself for each milestone you reach.

Remember, no diet will yield results without a commitment to sticking with the diet. Green tea is no exception and should be used regularly as planned.

That way, whether you are considering a green tea diet for cleansing or any other reason you will be giving your body the benefit of the many wonderful properties contained in the formula.

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Chinese Diet Green Tea

This delightful beverage has been around for thousands of years and has been part of the Chinese diet since the ancient times.

Today, it is highly appreciated for its advantages.  As numerous studies have found out, the Chinese diet green tea has a significant number of health benefits.

Origin and Background

As noted, Chinese green tea has been around for thousands of year, approximately 4,000 years.  Legend has it that this delightful brew was discovered accidentally by a Chinese emperor.

It comes from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis, as traditional black tea and oolong tea.   And, for centuries, Chinese medicine has used it to treat headaches, digestive problems, lack of energy, and immune enhancement.

The Chinese diet green tea is actually produced by steaming the fresh tea leaves at high temperatures, leaving a significant part of the nutritional enzyme content intact.  Unlike the black and oolong tea, the green tea is never fermented.

Instead, its leaves bypass the fermenting process and steamed, baked or pan heated.  The leaves are rolled and those tightly rolled leaves have long been considered as a sign of quality.

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Chinese Diet Green Tea for Weight Loss

One particular claim that linked the Chinese green tea to diet is its being a miracle tea for weight loss.

Well, there is no such thing as a “miracle” weight loss food or drug, though, but several indications were revealed that Chinese green tea brings a number of benefits to those trying to lose weight.

It was revealed that green tea extracts are capable of reducing fat digestion by inhibiting digestive enzymes.

Other studies have shown that green tea has thermogenic properties, which are probably brought on by the interaction between its caffeine content and catechin polyphenols.

As you may know, thermogenesis is the process of the body burning fuel without making chemical energy.

Experts have said that of combined with the other weight loss supplements or techniques, the Chinese green tea could be an excellent addition to your diet.

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Green Tea Diet Facts

More and more are exhibiting their likeness of green tea. Some are already incorporating it into their diet. How do people see green tea?

It’s a miracle drug that can enhance youthfulness, beauty, and a strong and healthy body.

It is also considered as the protector of the human body from numerous diseases. For the fitness world, it serves as an agent in losing weight. These are just some of the benefits of having green tea diet.

Working Out a Natural Diet

By incorporating at least 3 cups of green tea in your meal daily, you are enhancing a more balanced diet. Together with exercise, green tea has turned out to be more effective than ever.

There is no such thing as how many servings every meal can green tea be incorporated. No exact doses. Just one cup every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even during midnight snacks is sufficient enough to be part of your daily diet.

Green tea preserves all its important compounds like antioxidants because it is brewed and not fermented.

It is advisable to drink green tea while it’s still hot because live antioxidants are very prominent and its valuable nutritional effects are also preserved.

It’s better to purchase and brew loose green tea leaves than the bottled or powdered ones because they are not as effective as brewing.

Black Tea versus Green Tea

Black tea is not similar to green tea at all. While green tea is typically brewed, black tea is fermented.

The fermentation process of black tea tends to eliminate the important vitamins and nutrients that are beneficial to health.

Therefore, it is concluded that green tea is proven to be more effective than black tea.

Caffeine Content

Thoughts about the caffeine content in green tea have bothered and quite alarmed avid drinkers of the beverage.

There are ways to lessen the caffeine content in your green tea by adjusting yourself in the effects and observing the tolerance of your body.

 

Warning on Green Tea Caffeine

  • If you have a medical condition or you’re pregnant, be sure to consult your physician first before consuming the beverage.
  • Drink moderately. Caffeine is not the only thing that can do negative effects when increased. Higher concentration of polyphenols can damage the kidney and liver. Don’t drink 8-10 cups of green tea a day. That can be very harmful especially if you have a low tolerance level. The more acceptable intake is at least 3-4 cups a day.
  • Don’t be fooled by energy drinks made from green tea. Aside from diminished or very less antioxidants, energy drinks have high sugar content. Drinks like these have already undergone a lot of processes that may lose important nutrients upon reaching your body.

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The Green Tea Diet Can Provide Vital Health Benefits

If there is a risk of Alzheimer’s in your family, then a green tea diet may delay the onset of this disease.

This has been the conclusion of a recent study that was done in Britain.

It discovered that a green tea diet will inhibit the 3 chemical culprits that are associated with breaking down chemical messengers and forming plaques and protein deposits in your brain.

 Benefit From a Green Tea Diet

During the flu season, you should incorporate a green tea diet into your daily routine because it will help you to fight off the flu.

This is because the substance in green tea that is known as L-theanine is able to increase your virus-battling cells by 10 times. This will also work if you gargle with green tea.

Another great benefit of the green tea diet is that it will increase your metabolism and oxidize any fat that you may have, without raising your heart rate.

This has been proven in a recent scientific paper by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The reason why your heart rate is so important here is because an increased heart rate can lead to adverse cardiac effects.

However, there are only 2 ways in which you can actually get rid of fat: by dieting or by exercising.

If you are unable to diet, then the green tea diet may be just what you have been looking for as it will allow you to expend energy without a lot of exercises.

Combine that with the fact that it is all natural and you have got yourself a winner.

Other Benefits

One of the benefits of green tea is the claim that the polyphenols found in green tea have been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

The polyphenols appear to block the formation of cancer-causing compounds, and it is believed that the Chinese diet green tea has the greatest benefit on cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.

The Chinese diet green tea polyphenols are also powerful anti-oxidants.

They are even more powerful than vitamin C and vitamin E, and more powerful than that found in many fruits and vegetables.  The green tea itself contains vitamin C.

Further research even found out that the compounds in green tea stimulate immune system cells.

In recent years, research has shown that green tea may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.  It is even good for the teeth as it contains fluoride that helps fight tooth decay.

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Summary of Green Tea Diet Benefits

  • Reduce the risk for hypertension and high blood pressure
  • Destroy free radicals
  • Maintain healthy fluid and electrolyte balance that can help relieve fatigue and stress
  • Lower increased amount of cholesterol level
  • Toxin prevention in the liver
  • Antiviral and antibacterial properties
  • Reduce incidences of cancer in parts of the body like colon, pancreas, esophagus, rectum, bladder and stomach by up to sixty percent
  • Increased metabolism
  • Strengthen immune system
  • Stops thrombosis formation which is the cause for heart attacks

Wrapping Up

Having said all these, perhaps, now is the right time to brew up a bit of green teas for a beneficial break in your day.

If you love the idea of a green tea diet but simply cannot stand the taste of tea then you should know that there are green tea pills that you can take as a dietary supplement.

These usually come in 500 mg. capsules that you should take 2 or 3 times a day. There is no bitter aftertaste with these capsules either.

So, regardless of how you take green tea, the benefits of a green tea diet simply cannot be ignored.

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What You Should Know About The Mediterranean Diet?

Looking and feeling good is what everyone wants. Exercising and eating right are the only ways to achieve this. People need food in order to have the energy to do certain things.

One way to lose weight and still maintain a healthy lifestyle is by only eating foods that are low in saturated fats and high in monounsaturated ones that are being done by the Mediterranean diet.

This is called the Mediterranean diet because the eating plan comes from those who live along the Mediterranean Sea.

This was first discovered after the end of the Second World War by an American doctor but never became popular until the 1990’s.

The reason why many people in these countries are healthy and are able to live for more than a hundred years is because of the large amounts of olive oil consumed in each meal.

Another contributing factor is also in the red wine, which also has antioxidants properties.

The difference of the Mediterranean Diet compared to others out there is that the person does not have to give up anything but simply make some wise food choices.

This means avoiding eating processed foods or those from tinned cans and getting those that are fresh.

This diet involves eating food in large, moderate and small quantities. The person should eat a lot of food such as beans, bread, cereals, fruits, grains and nuts since these contain minerals, nutrients, and vitamins that are good for the body.

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On a moderate level, the individual can have cheese, milk, and yogurt since this will prevent the consumption of other things that are high in saturated fats.

The type of products that should be consumed lightly is animal meat such as fish, pork, chicken, and eggs, which can be done a few times in a month.

The Mediterranean diet teaches the individual to eat right. In order to live healthy like these people who live by the sea, it is best to engage in some form of physical activity to be able to burn those extra calories.

A few simple examples could be brisk walking, jogging and running. Those who want to exercise in a group could try a team sport such as basketball or by joining a class at the local gym.

Who wants to live forever? Perhaps that will be a question to ask those who have reached a hundred. This may not have been the plan but it has happened especially to those who are living along the Mediterranean Sea.

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What Is The Mediterranean Diet?

In 1993, the Harvard Medical School released the results of research that studied the diets of those countries bordering on the Mediterranean.

Their findings suggested that fat and carbohydrates were NOT the main culprits in obesity and heart disease, but rather that the RIGHT fats and carbohydrates should be the base for a healthy diet.

The study pointed to low rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease throughout the region as proof of their contention.

Exactly what is the Mediterranean diet and can it help you lose weight?

There actually is no ‘Mediterranean’ diet – it’s a compilation of the way that people in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea eat.

Despite the differences in actual specifics, all of those studied based their diets on the same proportions of food groups and calories, and all included olive oil as their main source of fat.

In fact, their diets contained far more than the recommendations made by the USDA – 40% rather than the 30% recommended for most healthy Americans.

Still, the evidence was irrefutable. Therefore, it must have been the KIND of carbohydrates and fats that make the difference.

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The Mediterranean diet consists of the following guidelines:

60% of Total Carbohydrates from Grains, Fruits, and Vegetables

Those include whole rice, fresh vegetables, and fruits, whole grain bread, and cereals, polenta, pasta, made with whole grain, not refined white flour.

 

Sparing Use of Red Meat, Fish, and Poultry

The typical adult Mediterranean consumes about 15 ounces of red meat and poultry per week.

The 5-15 ounces of fish per week account for the bulk of their meat protein intake.

Compare that to the typical American diet which might include a 1 pound steak for dinner one night, a 1/2 pound chicken breast the next, and on and on.

 

Olive Oil

Olive oil is not a miracle oil. It is, however, mono-unsaturated – a good fat.

Monounsaturated fats help lower cholesterol rather than raising it and are healthy ways to add fats to your diet.

The other important component of the Mediterranean lifestyle was activity.

The typical Mediterranean day includes walking rather than driving, physical activity in the fields or the home and recreation.

Physical activity is vital in helping the body to lose weight, and to maintain your new weight once you reach it.

The secret to losing weight with the Mediterranean diet is to base your meals on healthy carbohydrates – leafy green vegetables, brightly colored vegetables, whole grains, and meals. Use meat sparingly – no more than 3-6 ounces per day.

Derive dietary fat from vegetable sources – or from fish oil. In addition, exercise regularly to rev up your metabolism.

The Mediterranean diet isn’t a weight loss regimen. It’s a new way of eating that will help you reach your goal weight and stay there when you get there.

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Long live the Mediterranean Diet!

The ancient Mediterranean civilization is rich with stories of grandeur and historic events.

It is one of the most distinguished civilizations that have positively influenced other cultures around the world.

The geographical location of the Mediterranean allowed its people to influence the other continents.

The Mediterranean became a cauldron for cultures from Mesopotamia, India, and China.

The history of the Mediterranean region is the history of the interaction of the cultures and people of the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

It was the ancient central superhighway of transport, trade, and cultural exchange between diverse people.

Its history is important to understanding the origin and development of the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian, Phoenician, Jewish, Greek, Roman, Arab, and Turkish cultures.

In fact, the Mediterranean is crucial to understanding the development of the Western civilization.

However, the Mediterranean not only contributed to humanity in terms of history. The word “Mediterranean” is now closely associated with a popular and effective diet.

The Mediterranean diet is a nutritional concept which is founded on the principle that the consumption of olive oil and wine will lower the risk of heart disease and obesity.

There are many variations of Mediterranean diet due to social, political and economic differences between Mediterranean countries.

However, the Mediterranean diet does share one common characteristic. It is the large consumption of olive oil, which dominates all Mediterranean meals.

In contrast to the standard American diet, the diet of the Mediterranean people includes primarily fresh, seasonal vegetables rather than canned or imported produce.

The diet contains low to moderate amounts of dairy products, fish and poultry, very little red meat, eggs, wine, and beer.

The diet contains a fairly high amount of fat, yet the people have less heart disease because they eat healthy fats like olive oil.

The fish tend to be oily fish like sardines that are high in Omega-3 oils. The diet eliminates fried foods that have been cooked in rancid vegetable oils or trans fats.

People who tried the classic Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables, fruits, olive oil, cereals, and fish are said to live longer and are healthier.

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But a study in Greece has shown that it is the diet as a whole, rather than any specific individual component, that confers health benefits.

Researchers from the University of Athens and the Harvard School of Public Health recorded the eating habits of 22,000 Greek people and followed their subsequent health and mortality for an average of 3.7 years.

It shows that people, who ate a diet rich in typical Mediterranean ingredients were less likely to die, suffer coronary heart disease or cancer during the follow-up period.

Such result of low incidents of heart disease and death rates in the Mediterranean countries has resulted from other countries to look for help from their Mediterranean neighbors with their diet.

However, before anyone should try a Mediterranean diet, more studies are needed to find out whether the diet itself or other lifestyle factors account for the lower deaths and heart diseases.

If these studies prove that the Mediterranean diet is an effective way of reducing heart disease then it will have a significant effect on the health community.

It also goes to show that the Mediterranean never stopped giving us reasons to rejoice and be in this civilization.

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Mediterranean Diet Information

Mediterranean diet is basically the dietary traditions followed by the people of Greece, Spain, and southern Italy who live around the Mediterranean Sea.

It has been studied by an American Dr. Ancel Keys when he landed in Greece in 1945. He discovered that the people of Greece and Spain had longer life expectancy and didn’t have any major health problem.

Their diet mainly consists of lots of food from plant sources freshly eaten minimally processed, locally grown, and seasonal and very little food from animal sources

Foods mainly are fresh fruits, vegetables, sea fresh fish, herbs, bread, grains, nuts and seeds, non-refined oils like olive oil which is 25% to 35% of fat consumed and low consumption of saturated fats, moderate consumption of cheese and yoghurt, honey and fresh fruits for desserts, lots of fresh fish and non-refined cereals.

Vegetables consumed should be at least 1 pound and red meat consumed sparingly only.

Lots of physical activity and consumption of wine if taken should only be 1 glass for women and 2 glasses for men daily with meals.

Fruits are mainly grapes, raisins olives, avocado, strawberries, raspberries, currant, blueberries grapes, black olives, orange, apple, pear, figs, pomegranates, dates, passion fruits, cherry, apricot, grapefruit, peach, prunes, quince, bergamot, and plums.

Vegetables are spinach, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, white peach, bell pepper, carrot, beetroot, tomato, onion, shallots, scallions, green onion, celery, eggplant, capers, cucumber, lemon, Zucchini, white and red cabbage, mushroom, grapevine leaves, artichokes, potatoes, sweet corn and gherkin.

Grains are mainly pasta, couscous, rice, polenta, bulgur etc.

Legumes are carob, peas, beans, lima beans, chickpea, and lentils.

Herbs and spices used are anise, basil, bay leaves, borage, peppercorns, garlic, chilies, chamomile, chervil, chives, dill, fennel, lavender, marjoram, mint, nutmeg, oregano, parsley, sesame seeds, rosemary, sage, savory, sorrel, tarragon, and thyme, vanilla, mahaleb, red saffron, masticha, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin and caraway.

Cheese used are mainly from sheep and goats milk – bocconcini, edam, feta, halloumi, kasseri, kefalograviera, kefalotyri, roquefort cheese, mozzarella, mitzithra, manouri, manchego, peciino toscano , mascarpone, parmesan, and pecorino, anthotyro, xynotyri, ladotyri, anevato and batzos.

Nuts are almonds, fennel, poppy, sesame, pistachio nuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pine nuts, and chestnuts.

Fish and fillets are herring, salmon, trout, tuna, anchovies, sardines, mackerels, cod, and carp.

Seafood like octopus, clams, mussels and squids are also eaten.

A wide variety of these foods consumed daily has been found to be very good for the heart as well.

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How To Switch To Vegetarian Diet?

vegetarian diet

Have you decided to go on a vegetarian diet? But, how do you have a smooth and healthy transition from your usual way of eating habits to the vegetarian way? Then, keep on reading to know more. 

Transition Family

If you’re considering moving to a vegetarian diet as an adult, you probably want to pass on this good nutrition and improved way of eating to your family as well.

In fact, it’s your responsibility as a parent to nurture your children and help them develop physically, mentally and spiritually.

But that can be hard to do, especially in a culture where our children are bombarded with messages from fast food restaurants in the media.

How do you teach kids to resist the siren song of Ronald McDonald?

There isn’t a plate of vegetables on the planet that’s going to look as good to them as a Happy Meal!

You have to start slowly to change not only your own eating patterns but your family’s as well. Like any other dietary endeavor, it starts at the grocery store.

Begin stocking the refrigerator with healthy snacks like apples and carrots. Exchange good, chewy brown rice for white rice and processed side dishes, which are so high in fat and sodium.

Make meat portions smaller and smaller and start incorporating more vegetables and grains in your family dinners.

Don’t make changes all at once. If you do give in and stop at a fast food restaurant, get fruit or yogurt in addition to or part of that meal.

Make the changes so gradual that they’ll never notice their diets are changing. Kids are usually very sympathetic about animals, and it’s not too early to talk to them about eating in a way that isn’t cruel to animals.

You’ll be doing them a favor that will last them a lifetime. With childhood obesity at epidemic levels, you will be setting up your children for lifelong eating habits that will help ensure a long and healthy life.

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Detoxification

When people talk about detoxification and cleansing the body of harmful toxins, it’s often seen as a fringe element of vegetarians.

People really don’t like to think about harmful toxins building up in their colons or in their arteries, but it’s often a by-product of a carnivorous diet.

A diet that’s high in fat and processed foods tends to slow down your digestive systems, and your elimination processes are also interrupted.

This can allow harmful bacteria and toxins to accumulate and can create a general feeling of sluggishness, as well as a host of digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome or colitis.

When you begin eating a more healthy vegetarian diet, we start to get more dietary fiber into your systems, and all of a sudden, your digestive systems start to work better,

When you eliminate high-fat meat and processed foods from your diet, then much of your body’s energy is freed from the intense work of digesting these foods.

Everything becomes clearer – your blood, your organs, your mind. You start to become more aware of the toxic nature of the food you’d been eating before.

Toxicity is of much greater concern in the twentieth century than ever before. There are many new and stronger chemicals, air and water pollution, radiation and nuclear power.

You ingest new chemicals, use more drugs of all kinds, eat more sugar and refined foods, and daily abuse ourselves with various stimulants and sedatives.

The incidence of many toxicity diseases has increased as well. Cancer and cardiovascular disease are two of the main ones.

Arthritis, allergies, obesity, and many skin problems are others.

In addition, a wide range of symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, pains, coughs, gastrointestinal problems, and problems from immune weakness, can all be related to toxicity.

When you start a vegetarian eating plan, your body eventually cleanses itself of the harmful effects of these toxic foods.

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Eliminate Red Meat

If you’re thinking of changing to a vegetarian diet, how do you start? Do you just start shopping in the produce aisle of the grocery store?

You might have some anxiety attached to this change as well, and this is understandable.

Try to think of this as adding to your dietary habits, rather than a drastic change.

If your diet has consistently included red meat, perhaps you can start substituting other foods for the red meat.

Or eliminate the most processed and high-fat meats first, such as bacon and hamburgers.

Certainly, try to eliminate fast food burgers, which have such a high fat and sodium content.

If you think you’ll miss the taste of bacon in the morning, try substituting a turkey or vegetable-based bacon substitute.

It won’t be the same, but you won’t be giving up the foods you’re used to all at once.

If you’ve had a health scare and feel the need to change everything at once.

Make sure you include a lot of variety in the foods you buy as you begin to discover new flavors and textures that you’ll like to replace the ones you’re used to eating.

If you don’t need to make a dramatic change all at once, you’ll have a much greater chance of long-term success if you take it slow.

Reduce the amount of red meat that you eat on a weekly basis, even if it means substituting pasta with marinara sauce for meat just one night a week. Increase the amounts of fruits and vegetables you eat.

Start with raw vegetables at night before dinner so you’re not so hungry when you get to the main meal.

Start reversing the proportions of meat and vegetables and make meat a side dish, with vegetables and grains your main course.

People are creatures of habit and resistant to change.

This is why so many diets fail because we make drastic changes to facilitate dramatic results, quickly.

This is a decision and a change you want to make for a lifetime.

Make it a natural and gradual change and you can look forward to many more years of healthy living.

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Eliminate Poultry

If you haven’t been eating a vegetarian diet for years and want to make the shift, it’s best to do so gradually, in stages.

A good way to start is to eliminate red meat and substitute fish or poultry for the red meat you’ve been eating.

While it’s not eating more vegetarian, you’re at least eliminating the biggest offender in disease-enhancing foods, red meat.

After you’ve successfully eliminated red meat, then start reducing the amount of poultry you eat.

While it’s not as bad for you as red meat, because it’s not as high in fat, it’s still meat that’s been raised on a farm in terrible, cramped and inhumane conditions.

Poultry is so laden with growth hormones and antibiotics that it’s nothing like a chicken or turkey that we might have hunted for food centuries ago.

Chickens are raised in horrible conditions, overfed and then slaughtered. In the grand scheme of things, it’s just as detrimental to our physical and spiritual health as eating red meat.

It’s also fairly easy to eliminate poultry from our diets because let’s face it – it’s like eating the wood pulp, it’s so tasteless.

All the antibiotics and abnormal living conditions have processed any natural flavor that poultry ever had in the first place.

Add more fish and seafood, if you’re not quite ready to replace poultry with grains and vegetables and legumes yet.

While there is a risk in eating fish and seafood, because of the high levels of mercury they contain, it’s a better alternative to poultry and red meat.

This may be as far as you ever get in moving towards vegetarianism, or at least eliminating meat from your diet.

Give yourself time to get used to this. You won’t miss poultry for a minute. We usually eat chicken and chicken breasts because it’s lower in fat and calories, but it’s also lower in any kind of nutritional value.

When we’re not getting essential proteins and vitamins, we’re still starving our bodies, regardless of how healthy we think we’re being.

Eliminating poultry is one of the most positive steps you can take towards a healthy diet and a healthy planet.

Eliminate Seafood

It’s actually pretty easy to eliminate red meat and poultry from our diets. When you give any thought whatsoever, the reasons are so compelling to stop eating them.

Your reasons may be physical because you need to lower your cholesterol or blood pressure.

You may want to reduce your risk of cancers that may run in your family, and eliminating red meat from your diet is an important way to do this.

You may also find that the way we mass-produce meat and poultry for consumption in this country are repugnant to you.

If we really thought about the way meat and poultry are raised, we’d never eat the stuff again. We’re consuming flesh that’s been produced from enormous pain and suffering.

Even the smallest life has value on this earth; mass producing these animals to slaughter and eat them degrades their lives and degrades our own in the process of eating them.

It might feel like it’s carrying things too far to eliminate something as elemental as a shrimp or a scallop. But think about what we dump into the ocean where this food comes from.

All our waste and trash gets hauled into the ocean if it doesn’t go into a landfill. Think of the millions of gallons of oil that have been dumped from oil tanker accidents.

Think of the impact that the erosion of the ozone layer in the atmosphere has had on every living thing on the planet.

There are toxic levels of mercury in fish and seafood, so much so that if you’re a woman contemplating getting pregnant, you most definitely shouldn’t eat fish.

Your risk of producing a baby with birth defects is extremely high if you do.

It can be hard to let go of fish and seafood because this has a similar texture to red meat and poultry. It’s flesh after all, even though it’s marine flesh.

It might take longer to eliminate fish and seafood from your diet but keep the effort.

If you’ve been realizing the benefits of eating more vegetarian, then it’s really a small step to take to eliminate this last piece of animal flesh from your diet.

Imagine how good you’ll feel about yourself and what you’re doing for the planet when making that last step and eliminate all meat and animal products from your diet.

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Got milk? Reasons Not to Grab for the Glass

Many Americans, including some vegetarians, still consume large amounts of dairy products, but here are several strong reasons to eliminate dairy products from your diet.

Milk has long been praised as a ‘weapon’ in the war against osteoporosis.

But, recent clinical research shows that it actually is associated with a higher fracture risk, and there’s been no protective effect of dairy calcium on bone.

Increasing your intake of green leafy vegetables and beans, along with exercising have been shown to help strengthen bones and increase their density.

Dairy products are also a significant source of fat and cholesterol in the diet, which can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease.

A low-fat vegetarian diet that eliminates dairy products, as well as adequate amounts of exercise, proper stress management and quitting smoking not only will help prevent heart disease but could also reverse it.

Ovarian, breast, and prostate cancers have been linked to dairy product consumption.

According to a recent study by Daniel Cramer, a Harvard doctor, when excessive amounts of dairy products are consumed and the body’s enzymes are unable to keep pace with breaking down the lactose.

It can build up in the blood and affect a woman’s ovaries.

Another recent study showed that men who had the highest levels of IGF-I, (insulin-like growth factor) which is found in cow’s milk, they were at four times the risk of prostate cancer compared to those men who had the lowest levels of IGF-I.

In addition, milk may not provide a consistent and reliable source of Vitamin D in the diet.

Milk samplings have been found to have inconsistent levels of Vitamin D, and some have been found to have as much as 500 times the indicated safe level.

Excess Vitamin d in the blood can be toxic and can result in calcium deposits in the body’s soft tissues.

Milk proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products may pose health risks for children and lead to the development of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and formation of plaques in the circulatory system that can lead to heart disease.

By choosing to consume a nutrient dense, healthful diet of grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fortified foods including cereals and juices, you can help meet your body’s calcium, potassium, riboflavin, and vitamin D requirements easily and simply, without the added health risks from dairy product consumption.

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Flipping the Switch to Vegetarianism

If you’ve made the commitment to becoming vegetarian yet finding it difficult to make the transition to your diet and your lifestyle. Here’s some suggestions on how to make the switch a smoother ride.

Start out with committing to be a vegetarian for three days per week for the first couple of weeks.  Start substituting ingredients in your favorite dishes to make them truly meatless.

Throw in mushrooms to that marinara sauce to take the place of meatballs, or try some textured vegetable protein (TVP) in that lasagna recipe.

Making simple replacements in your tried and true recipes can inspire you to stay on the vegetarian track once you see how delicious they can be.

Next, commit to five days per week for the next two weeks.  Study the natural foods aisle at your local grocer, or make it a point to introduce yourself to the local health foods store.

Treat yourself to a few new vegetarian products and try them for your next meal. The internet can be a great source of vegetarian recipes.

And don’t limit yourself to being vegetarian only at home. Most all restaurants offer delicious vegetarian entrees, so be sure to try them.

You may even find inspiration for your home cooking by doing so.

Now all that’s left to do is add two more days to your week, and you’ll be a converted vegetarian all week long!

After all, you’ve been doing it for a month now; you’ve become a seasoned rookie in the game.

Take pride in your accomplishments, because not only have you made positive changes in your lifestyle and eating habits but for the environment and animals as well.

Remember, it’s not about being perfect. Every animal-positive change you make it your diet has a great effect.

By rewarding yourself for each vegetarian choice you make, and you’ll be motivated to continue in the right direction.

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What Is Paleo Diet?

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What is the origin of Paleo diet? Are there some benefits you can gain? Learn more including some tips and facts of Paleo diet.

Where the Paleo Diet Came From

For 2.5 million years, early man foraged and hunted for seafood, meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, roots, and seeds. This period of time before the development of agriculture is known as the Paleolithic era.

The Paleo Diet dates back to the principles and lifestyle some thousands of years ago. During the Paleolithic Age, cavemen were gifted with very few food options. As a result, they needed to find effective ways to survive.

Throughout the years, scientists and researchers have found that there is a huge correlation between the lifestyle of these cavemen and their resistance to various types of diseases.

Thus, it is said that living the kind of lifestyle that the cavemen of that time lived would also be beneficial to those who wish to lose weight and build muscle and be more healthy.

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Paleolithic Ancestors

The Paleo Diet, therefore, advocates the consumption of select food types that may be good for the health. Some food examples include eggs, nuts, vegetables and fish.

One may say that these food types are promoted by other types of diets out there and that may be correct.

But what makes the Paleo Diet different is the fact that these food types are categorized according to their actual importance.

For instance, the basic principle of the diet is to consume the right kind of fats as long as they are natural.

This means that a person advocating this diet can consume fats from animals, coconut, olives and more.

The same amount of consumption is required of meats as long as they are grass-fed ruminants, pastured poultry and the like.

The consumption of vegetables is also required however it is a must that this is done in smaller amounts as compared to fats and meats.

Some of the best vegetables to choose from are those that are considered to be non-starchy.

As for fruits, there is only one type of fruit that can be consumed and these are berries. Lastly, starchy veggies, nuts, and seeds can be consumed but only in moderation.

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The Past and The Present

As mentioned earlier, the Paleo Diet dates back to the lifestyle of cavemen that lived thousands of years ago.

It was during this time that various types of diseases were so uncommon and people in general, lived much longer lives.

Looking into our present time and taking into account people’s lifestyles today, it seems that achieving the same kind of health is quite difficult, if not absolutely impossible.

With all the fast food chains lurking right outside our doorsteps, with all of the restaurants tempting us to take a bite, it is really quite difficult to achieve and eventually maintain a much-improved lifestyle.

However, some people might argue by saying that this diet wouldn’t work because living the lives of cavemen in present times is just impossible.

If you look at the concept literally, you would surely find it difficult to adhere to.

This is why those who have an open mind and those who are not afraid to try out new things for their own benefit are those that will really benefit from this kind of diet.

The Paleo Diet has changed the lives of so many people around the world. Why not let it change yours?

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What is the Paleo Diet?

The Paleo diet is also known as the Stone Age diet, hunter-gathering diet, and the caveman diet. No matter what you call our ancestors, some things haven’t changed.

Man’s digestive systems have evolved only the slightest amount in the 10,000 years since farming changed our diets.

Shortened to Paleo, the modern diet is an approach to nutrition that mimics the early man’s diet for ultimate health.

Our minds are modern, but our bodies and brains still need the same food. Gastroenterologist Walter L. Voegtlin first popularized the Paleo diet in the 1970’s.

He argued in, “The Stone Age Diet,” humans as carnivores, chiefly needs fats, proteins and a few carbohydrates for optimum performance.

For the last 30 years, obesity has been increasing in the United States. Our modern diets are laden with preservatives, processed sugars, and fried foods.

Today’s health crisis has led to a renewed interest in Voegtlin’s tested approach to healthy living.

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Benefits of the Paleo Diet

The advantages of the Paleo Diet have been researched and proven in numerous academic journals. It is amazing how changing what we put in our mouths can cause dramatic changes in our quality of life.

Lose fat

Though the Paleo diet is designed as a weight loss plan people inherently lose weight. The foods that make up the Paleo diet are what we call fat burning foods.

In fact, the Paleo diet allows you to eat large quantities of delicious food while restricting calories. The result is a lean, fit body.

Fight Disease

The Paleo diet is proven to help prevent diabetes, Parkinson’s avoid Parkinson’s, cancer, heart disease and strokes.

Improve Digestion

Many digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and indigestion can be avoided.

Combats Acne

Eating the Paleo way means avoiding the foods that cause acne. When sebum is overproduced or obstructed the sebaceous glands enlarge and form pimples.

Foods in the Paleo diet do not cause the insulin spikes that cause a sebum boost. As a result, you can expect smoother, more attractive skin.

Feel Good

Not only does the Paleo diet help people healthier and look younger it also makes you feel better. Paleo supporters swear by the caveman lifestyle because it just “feels” right.

The only way to find out the energy and confidence they experience is to try it for yourself.

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Tips for the Paleo Lifestyle

Unfortunately, the cheapest and quickest foods available today are usually the least nutritious. Our busy lifestyles have our kids raised on a diet of processed and fast foods.

The popular culture even makes eating real foods an odd concept. Even knowing the proven benefits, some never try the Paleo diet because they believe it is too difficult.

Living a long, healthy fulfilling life is well worth a few small changes. While not as easy as stopping at a drive through, maintaining a Paleo lifestyle is realistic with a few tips.

Stay Organized

The number one tip is to be organized and prepared. The biggest challenge will be to have Paleo foods available at your home and plan your meals.

You are much more likely to eat healthy food choices if it is readily available at home.

Change How You Shop 

Find the best farmers markets, butchers, and grocery stores in your area. Before going to the grocery have a list of items you plan to pick up.

Also, shop the perimeter of grocery stores to avoid the aisles filled with processed foods. This may be difficult at first, but after a month or so you will know longer feel a need to peruse the sugar aisles.

Clean Your Pantry

Clear your cupboards of all the cereals, pasta, and processed foods in your cabinets. Don’t worry. You will replace these foods with much more satisfying fresh and healthy foods.

Learn to Work the Kitchen

Unlike a diet based on grains, there are many foods to eat on the Paleo Diet you should never become bored.

The best way to take advantage of everything nature has to offer is to learn how to cook. By combining the diverse flavors, there is an endless amount of tasty dishes to excite your taste buds.

Dress Your Food

Most of the condiments on the store shelves are filled with preservatives. However, you can enhance the flavor of your foods by making your own condiments at home.

Ketchup, mustard, salad dressings and sauces can be made at home naturally with delicious results.

Exercise

Just changing your eating habits will cause you to lose weight naturally on the Paleo Diet. Add exercise to the mix, and you will be amazed at how quickly you notice a difference.

Your true, toned physique will come out as pounds shed. You will also notice the amount of energy increased compared to when you ate a traditional diet.

Start feeling strong, energetic, mentally sharper and all around younger.

Join Support System

Find chat rooms and forums where like-minded people meet. Participate at a gym where the Paleo Diet is the main lifestyle choice.

It is nice to share ideas on the best Paleo books, and even give advice on keeping true to the diet plan.

Joining a community online or in person is extremely motivating when you learn about how the other member’s lives improved just from staying true to the Paleo way.

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Beyond the Paleo Diet

Of course, it is normal that at some point you will start to feel tired with having to adhere to a rather strict diet.

But since you know yourself better than anyone else, you will also have the ability to prevent this from happening.

A good technique when doing this diet is to change your meal plan at least twice a month so that you will never get tired of eating the same foods again and again.

Also, you can create your own meals by mixing and matching various ingredients to add a wonderful taste to it.

The best mindset is to always ask yourself: “if they can do it, why can’t I?” This can easily motivate you to push further and reach your goals without stopping.

Yes, a cheat day every now and then is most certainly welcomed but make sure to discipline yourself at all times.

Remember your goals and stick to it – this way you will really be a good example of how wonderful the Paleo Diet truly is.

Side Effects of the Paleo Diet

If there is one diet out there that promises to not give you any problems with regards to side effects, the Paleo Diet is the one indeed.

There are no side effects with this diet. In fact, you will be gaining strength while building muscle and you will also be able to improve your overall well-being.

As a result, you will feel happier, more fulfilled and more capable of doing things and reach your goals at work, in school or anywhere else you might be active in.

Cost of Paleo Diet

There are no actual figures to determine how much the Paleo Diet would cost. Since most of the allowed foods in this diet are already available in your home, there’s no need to purchase anything extra.

This diet can even help you save a huge amount of money because you wouldn’t have to eat at fast food chains or restaurants that are not only unhealthy but also quite expensive.

Bear in mind that the results of this diet may differ from one person to the other and it is up to you to make yours the best result yet.

Hopefully, this article has given you a head start on getting started with the Paleo Diet and to have great success with your health.

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What Are The Health Benefits Of Vegetarianism?

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You will be absolutely amazed at the difference you feel when you have eaten meat for a short period of time.

It’s as if your body instantly begins to relieve itself of all of the toxins that you have been consuming and you immediately begin to feel more energetic and have an overall better feeling of health.

No matter what you reasons are for eating a more vegetarian diet, the health benefits that are derived will become obvious in a very short amount of time.

Vegetarians tend to have lower blood fats, cholesterol, and triglycerides than meat eaters of a similar age and status.

Even those vegetarians who consume eggs and milk quickly see that their cholesterol is lower than those people who eat meat.

Heart Disease

High levels of blood fats are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.  Researchers have found that men who eat meat six or more times per week double their chances of developing heart disease.

Middle-aged men are more likely to suffer from fatal heart attacks.   Women are protected by their hormones for the majority of their life, but older women are prone to develop heart disease later in life.

Older women who are vegetarian have been shown to have a lower risk of heart disease.

In 1982, British researchers did a study on more than 10,000 vegetarians and meat eaters.  They found that the more meat that was consumed, the greater the risk of heart attack.

They also found that by eliminating meat from your diet, you are reducing your consumption of fats and cholesterol that are damaging to the heart.

At the same time, however, you must be careful not to compensate for not eating meat by consuming too much milk and eggs, as this can negate the benefits.

To gain all of the benefits of vegetarianism, your intake of cream cheese, ice cream, hard cheese and eggs should be moderate.

The introduction of more veggies, fruits, and raw foods will enhance your benefits.

Cancer

Vegetarianism has also been shown to reduce the incidence of certain types of cancer as well.

These diets are low in saturated fat, high in fiber and contain phytochemicals, which protect from cancer.

Several large studies in both England and Germany have shown that vegetarians, when compared to meat eaters, have about a 40% less chance of developing cancer as compared to meat-eaters.

Seventh-Day Adventists are largely lacto-ovo vegetarians, have been known to have a reduced cancer risk because they tend to avoid meat.

In China, it has been found that they have similarly reduced breast cancer rates due to the amount of vegetables that they eat.

In contrast, Japanese women tend to eat more meat and are eight times more likely to develop breast cancer.

Meat and dairy consumption has been linked to various other cancers including:

  • Colon cancer
  • Prostate cancer
  • Ovarian cancer

In studies done by Harvard on several thousand women, it has been found that those who regularly consume meat increase their chances of colon cancer by 300%.

These high fat diets that many people consume also cause the body to produce excess estrogen.  This increase has been linked to an increased chance of breast cancer.

They have also found that breast cancer rates are one-third higher in pre-menopausal women who eat mostly meat diets.

Cambridge University has also linked meat diets with high levels of saturated fat to breast cancer.

They have linked dairy products to an increased risk of ovarian cancers as the process of breaking down lactose may damage the ovaries.

In men, prostate enlargement has been linked to meat consumption and the risk triples.

Other studies have linked an increase in white blood cell production to vegetarianism as well.  These cells are required in fending off bacteria, infection, and disease.

Thus, the immune system is stronger when a vegetarian diet is consumed.

vegetables_vegetarianism

Improved Digestion

Vegetarians see a lot of improvement in their digestive systems because they are able to create a healthy and natural environment for these organs.

Our digestive system was originally designed to consume more vegetable matter rather than meat.

Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts were the staple of the prehistoric diet and your digestive system greatly benefits when you go back to this natural type of diet.

The Western diet has been drastically changed to include highly processed food and refined flour and sugar products.  This has led to a variety of health problems from heart disease to obesity.

When the body isn’t being fed properly and the digestive system isn’t functioning properly, the body begins to adapt.  It begins to make changes in the cells of the stomach and colon.

When we don’t consume enough fiber, we incur a variety of problems including constipation and hemorrhoids.  These problems are not normally seen in a vegetarian diet.

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Weight

Weight is a huge problem in this country and if you think about it, have you ever really seen a fat vegetarian?  Most likely you have not.

In fact, most vegetarians are lean and healthy.  Whenever you see a dietitian or nutritionist, they most likely tell you to increase your vegetable intake and decrease the amount of meat you consume, especially red meats and pork.

Many vegetarians who resume their old diets have found that the weight they lost tends to come back.  Your willpower is not enough to prevent the onset of weight from eating a high-fat meat based diet.

You are naturally healthier and feel better when you eat a diet that is high in dietary fiber, which is consumed from vegetables and fruits.

As a vegetarian, you are essentially feeding your body the nutrition that it needs to provide your body with useful energy, not energy that has to be stored.  You just feel better because of this.

Many diets fail because we are forcing ourselves to avoid food that we like.  This only leads to the temptation to eat those foods.

The trick to being a successful vegetarian is to realize that you don’t need to eat meat and that you can go without it.  You are focused on eating healthier and you forget that you are trying to lose weight.

You actually begin to lose weight without realizing it, simply because you have eliminated your main source of fat and overall unhealthiness.

At the same time, all of the bad health effects disappear because of your healthy and natural diet.

Kidneys

Diets that are high in animal proteins tend to cause the body to excrete more calcium, uric acid, and oxalates.  These are three substances that are the main components of kidney stones.

For those people who have a tendency for kidney stones, British researchers have advised that these people follow a vegetarian diet.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has also confirmed that high animal protein consumption is the cause of kidney stones in the US as well.

By eating a vegetarian diet your body does not secrete as much of these substances, therefore it does not form kidney stones.

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Osteoporosis

For many of the same reasons we are able to reduce the risk of kidney stones by following a vegetarian diet, we are also able to reduce our chances for osteoporosis.

Eating meat may actually promote bone loss because it forces calcium out of the body.

In many nations where veggies are the basis of their diet, osteoporosis is less common than in developed countries such as the US.  And, calcium is consumed less in the US.

So, with meat-eating diets, we are forced to also consume calcium supplements and prescription drugs to prevent the onset of osteoporosis.

These supplements can also have drastic side effects.  Many nutrition experts agree that the calcium supplements purchased at drug stores are inferior to the calcium that you receive from natural food sources.

This is usually the case because they are not absorbed well by the body.

There are several good sources of calcium including:
  • Orange juice
  • Dry beans
  • Dark leafy vegetables
  • Tofu

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Detoxification

Many people have gotten on a kick of doing weekend Detox diets and similar programs.  Did you know that you don’t have to do this if you are a vegetarian?

Cleansing the body of harmful toxins is easy if you eat a vegetarian diet.  You are not consuming all of the growth hormones and antibiotics that you get from the meat that you purchase at the grocery store.

People really don’t realize that they get these toxins from their carnivorous diet.  A diet that is high in fat and processed tends to slow down the digestion of your food and this allows your body to soak up and accumulate the toxins from this type of diet.

Bacteria and toxins that accumulate in your system can also create a feeling of sluggishness.

There are also a variety of digestive disorders, such as colitis and irritable bowel disorders that may develop as well.

When you eat a healthy vegetarian diet, you introduce dietary fiber to your diet and your digestive system begins to suddenly work better.

When you eliminate meat from your diet, your body is freed from the intense work it takes to digest those types of food.

Everything seems to become clearer and work better.  You also become more aware of the toxicity of the food you had been eating before.

Chemicals and toxins in our food have become a large concern in the US.  There are more and more chemicals and preservatives being added to our food.

We are ingesting these products every time we eat processed foods, refined foods, and various other hormones and antibiotics that we receive through our meat.

Because of this, a variety of other issues are developed in its wake including:

  • Cancer
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Arthritis
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • Skin problems
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Pains
  • Coughs
  • Gastrointestinal problems
  • Weak immune systems

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The Benefits Of A Vegetarian Diet To Diabetics

Diabetics must choose any food they eat very carefully, as each food choice they make has a profound impact on their overall health on a meal-to-meal basis.

Diabetes affects people of all ages, both genders, from all walks of life and backgrounds. Untreated, it can cause wounds to heal slowly, infections take longer to cure, blindness, and kidney failure.

Diet is one of the most important ways of controlling diabetes, and a vegetarian lifestyle with its emphasis on low-fat, high fiber, and nutrient-rich foods is very complementary.

Affecting more than 30 million people worldwide, this disease inhibits the body from properly processing foods.

Usually, most of the food we eat is digested and converted to glucose, a sugar which is carried by the blood to all cells in the body and used for energy.

The hormone insulin then helps glucose pass into cells. But diabetics are unable to control the amount of glucose in their blood because the mechanism which converts sugar to energy does not work correctly.

Insulin is either absent, present in insufficient quantities or ineffective. As a result, glucose builds up in the bloodstream and leads to problems such as weakness, inability to concentrate, loss of coordination and blurred vision.

If the correct balance of food intake and insulin isn’t maintained, a diabetic can also experience blood sugar levels that are too low.

If this state continues for a prolonged period of time, it can lead to coma and even death.

Though incurable, diabetes can be successfully controlled through diet and exercise, oral medications, injections of insulin, or a combination.

Instead of counting calories diabetics must calculate their total carbohydrate intake so that no less than half their food is made up of complex carbohydrates.

Many diabetic vegetarians have discovered that as a result of their meatless diet, they’ve had to use insulin injections less, which gives them a feeling of power and control over their disease.

 

POINTS TO REMEMBER

Health Benefits of Vegetarianism

  • Lower risk of heart disease
  • Reduce the incidence of certain types of cancer
  • Improve digestive system
  • Help you to be lean and healthy
  • Reduce risk of kidney problem. The body does secrete substances from animal proteins that form kidney stones.
  • Reduce the chances of osteoporosis
  • Easy cleansing of harmful toxins in the body
  • Benefit the diabetics

TAKEAWAY QUESTIONS

– Are you considering to try Vegetarianism?

– Are you aware of the health benefits of the Vegetarian diet?

– Are you consuming more vegetables than meat?

– Do you know anyone who are into the Vegetarian diet?

HERE ARE THE DOWNLOAD LINKS:

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What Are The Dangers Of Fad Diets To Your Health?

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Are you into fad diets? You think you just want to be fit. But, how can it be risky or dangerous to your health? Find out more below.

Fad diets can be best described as a quick means of weight loss that are often only popular for a brief period of time.

It needs to be understood that the weight loss claims made by advocates of these diets are not only fleeting but unhealthy as well.

And to start, let us check the different categories of these fad diets:

High-Fat, Low-Carbohydrate Diets 

Millions of Americans have joined the low-carb craze and started high-fat, low-carb diets such as the Atkins Diet, and the Zone Diet.

They are made up of about 60% fat, 10% carbohydrate, and 30% protein. These diets say you can eat high amounts of fat and protein while getting very low amounts of carbohydrates in the form of vegetables.

The main premise of the low-carb diet is that a diet low in carbohydrates leads to a reduction in body’s production of insulin. The end result is that fat and protein stores will be used for energy.

So you stuff yourself full of unlimited amounts of meat, cheese, and butter, and only eat a small portion of carbohydrates.

People who start the diet usually lose a great amount of weight, but it’s not permanent weight loss. Instead of burning fat, the lose water and precious muscle tissue.

Furthermore, these diets are low in several nutrients and contain excess amounts of cholesterol and saturated fats, substances that increase the risk of heart disease.

The high protein low-fat diets induce ketosis to accelerate weight loss. Ketosis is an abnormal body process that occurs during starvation.

It causes fatigue, constipation, nausea, and vomiting, none of which are part of a healthy lifestyle. The long-term side effects of ketosis are documented to include heart disease, bone loss, and kidney damage.

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Moderate Fat Diets

Next, there are the moderate fat diets. Moderate fat diets include diets like Weight Watchers, the USDA Food Guide Pyramid, and Jenny Craig.

These diets are made up of about 25% fat, 60% carbohydrate, and 15% protein. They encourage the intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and essential fatty acids found in foods like olive oil and salmon. These diets are usually nutritionally balanced if the dieter eats a variety of foods from all categories.

For example, Weight Watchers operates on a point system where foods get a number of points based on calorie, fiber, and fat content. Dieters get a specific amount of points they can use for the day.

While it’s not encouraged, they may choose to spend most of their points on carbohydrates instead of balancing it out. This could lead to deficiencies in nutrients such as calcium, iron, and zinc.

However, if followed properly, these diets are probably the most successful for losing weight and keeping it off.

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Low and Very Low-Fat Diets

Finally, you have your low-fat and very low-fat diets. Diets in this category include the Dr. Dean Ornish’s Diet and the Pritikin Plan, among others. They are made up of about 13% fat, 70% carbohydrates, and 16% protein.

These diets are mostly vegetarian diets and do not recommend eating a lot of meat. Like the low-carb diets, you can eat unlimited amounts of certain foods.

Because you cannot eat a lot of meat, these diets are deficient in zinc, vitamin B12, and essential fatty acids. Also, it is so restrictive that people find a hard time staying on it for life and end up gaining their weight back.

Another diet that falls into the superfood category is the cabbage soup diet. This one along with some other unadorned diets has originated supposedly from hospitals.

Diets such as the cabbage soup diet have been allegedly used by patients the week before undergoing heart surgery.

By the end of the week, after having only eaten cabbage soup and fruits and vegetables , one is supposed to lose anywhere between 10-17 pounds.

Unfortunately, one cannot maintain such a restricted diet for any prolonged period without feeling the ill effects of such a poor diet, such as vitamin deficiencies and the toxic repercussions of cannibalized muscle tissue.

Another dubious diet plan is known as food combining. Proponents of this type of dieting preach that you are overweight because you eat the wrong types of foods together. The requirements of this diet seem pretty random.

For example, the diet might state that you can eat a banana only at breakfast. This makes no sense, as your stomach can digest different foods at any time of day.

The goal of this plan is to consume fewer calories, but there are more efficient and healthy ways of doing this.

Crash diets dehydrate you, low-calorie diets put your body into starvation so you can’t lose one more pound and high protein diets stress your kidneys and clog your arteries.

You need both protein and fat in the diet as both serve important metabolic and physiological roles in the body. Fad and crash diets, such as the ones described above are not only unhealthy but they also cause rebound weight gain.

dangers of fad diets

The Bad of Fad Diets

1. Diets that promise quick and easy weight loss are usually based on eating more of one food type and none of another.

These do not give the benefits that you would get from a balanced diet. They may suggest you take supplements but many supplements are not absorbed by the body unless they are taken along with the foods that the diet has banned. After a few weeks, if you stick to it that long, you may begin to develop nutritional deficiencies.

2. Fad diets are often boring and over restrictive.

After the novelty of the first day or two, you will not enjoy your meals. You will then start to crave food constantly and will break the diet. You may even feel guilty, thinking it is your fault that you did not lose weight.

3. Most fad diets do not follow recommendations of the American Heart Association and similar bodies for fat levels in the diet.

Often the diet will recommend high fat foods and low carbs which if taken long term, could result in heart disease. The promoters may tell you that the diet is only intended to be followed for a short time. But you probably will not reach your goal weight in that time, and then what? You either continue with a plan that is not good for your health or stops and probably gains back what you lost.

4. Many fad diets do not help you to incorporate enough servings of fruits and vegetables in your weight loss program, or give you the variety of foods that your body needs.

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5. Quick weight loss diets are just a temporary solution and do not help you to make permanent changes to your eating habits.

Permanent changes are the only way to remain at your target weight once you reach it.

Fad diets encourage yo-yo diet-binge cycles of fast weight loss and equally fast weight gain. This is worse for your health and your self-esteem than if you had stayed overweight all the time.

Indeed, this tremendous weight loss cannot be maintained once normal eating patterns are resumed since water constitutes a large percentage of the weight being lost.

And, to make matters worse, these diets provide no plan on how to gradually and safely reduce calories without compromising your own health.

Whatever the publicity materials may say, these diets will not help you in the long term.  No matter how great the food is, none should be treated as a universal remedy. All diets need to be balanced as best as possible so that no ill effects arise.

diet-danger of fad diets

6 Ways Fad Diets Can Harm You

Fad diets are weight loss schemes that promise quick fixes, often involving very strict and extreme eating plans or very low caloric intake.

Unfortunately, these diets do not provide long-term benefits. If anything, they can cause serious health problems.

1. They Make You Gain Even More Weight

What usually makes fad diets very tempting are the promises of quick weight loss with little effort on the part of the participant.

Sure, everyone would love to lose weight in the soonest possible time, with minimal effort and that is always the hook.

Unfortunately, the truth is that yes you can lose weight with fad diets but often it is mostly water weight.

Also, fad diets are very hard to stick with, and so while you may lose an initial few pounds, once you resume your normal diet (and everyone always does), you will gain all the weight back.

And more often than not, you gain more! This is called rebound weight gain.

Fad diets never implement or address the permanent lifestyle changes required for lasting healthy weight management.

2. They Can Lead to Nutritional Deficits

Most fad diets restrict your options to specific types of food, thereby eliminating important nutrients the body needs. When you’re limited to a specific type of group, you sacrifice the nutrients that you would otherwise obtain if you were eating a healthy and well-balanced diet.

Carbohydrates are oftentimes considered a no-no in many of these diets, but in reality, restricting carbohydrates can significantly hurt your energy levels, making you feel fatigued. You will not have the necessary fuel to energize your workouts and function effectively on a day-to-day basis.

In reality, complex carbohydrates, like whole grains actually support healthy weight loss because they contain high amounts of fiber that keeps you full longer and prevents sugar spikes in the blood that keeps out of control cravings at bay.

The same misconception goes for fat. Many fad diets attempt to turn fat into a mortal enemy, when in reality, not all fats are bad. In fact, certain types of fats such as omega-3 are necessary for optimum health and monosaturated fats are required for brain and heart health.

3. Muscle Wasting and Hair Loss

Fad diets can lead to hair and muscle loss because they are nutrient deficient. For one, protein is a nutrient that you need if you want your hair to be and grow healthy. Not having enough may cause hair fall and brittleness.

Muscle loss is another common problem. Because of the caloric deficits associated with fad diets, the body naturally turns to other means to get that required energy, and as a result, muscle wasting occurs.

You do not want to lose your muscle if you are planning to lose weight because having more muscle mass can help you burn more calories by boosting metabolism even when the body is at rest.

4. They Ruin Your Body’s Natural Metabolism

Fad diets often dictate you how much to eat and when to eat, which goes against your body’s natural eating pattern.

Our bodies are aware when we need to eat and when we have had enough. While fad diets may give you temporary results, there are long-term implications that can affect your health permanently.

Mindfulness is a technique taught in meditation and yoga, and can help you to get in touch with your body and real hunger, and this is a much more effective and healthy way to lose weight.

5. They Often Lack The Element of Exercise

Most fad diets are too focused on the food intake itself, and neglect the importance of exercise. Since they often advise the intake of very low amounts of calories, exercise is often not recommended, if not restricted. This can be detrimental to your overall health.

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6. They Are Not Sustainable

Fad diets are just that – fads. They are not meant to last on a permanent basis. These types of diets promote rapid weight loss in an unreasonable amount of time, rather than a healthy lifestyle that is sustainable for the long term.

They never address lifestyle changes, such as choosing an apple for dessert over apple pie and changing your taste accordingly.

Many people can attest that they have lost over 100 pounds over a lifetime in 10-pound spurts. Lose it, and gain it back, lose it, and gain it back, repeatedly in a vicious yo-yo cycle. Usually at the center of this merry-go-round is a fad diet turning the wheel.

How to Spot a Fad Diet
  • Quick fix promises
  • Involvement of “magic foods” or special food combinations
  • Exclusion of a particular food group, for example, carbohydrates
  • Unproven claims that are based on limited scientific study
  • The suggestion that certain food combinations can alter one’s body chemistry

heart-healthy food

A Better Way

Instead of going for fad diets, the best way to lose weight is a gradual transition to a healthy lifestyle.

By combining regular exercise with a healthy balanced diet, you are sure to achieve your weight goals and be able to keep it off for the long term.

Losing weight starts with a plan. Figuring out what changes you need and want to make and sticking to it will help you stay on track. Determine what sort of foods you are going to eat and stock up.

Find out where you are going to work out and how often you can fit it in your schedule. Making these and other plans related to your weight loss will be an important key to your success.

If you find yourself hitting a plateau in your weight loss or fitness goals, try mixing up your exercise routine a bit once in a while. Work different muscles and areas of your body and you may be able to burn off more of the fat that your previous routine wasn’t targeting.

Whatever weight-loss regimen you assemble, make sure it is one you can stick with. Behind every goal to lose weight there is a second, implicit goal: Keeping the weight off.

To do this, you need a routine that can be converted into a life-long process. Avoid extreme programs that will be unsustainable in the long run.

Small Changes

Start by making small changes with the foods you choose. Replace three desserts a week with a piece of fresh fruit. Substitute French fries with a side salad or steamed vegetables at lunch two times per week. Then increase it to three times, and so on.

Assess your kitchen and begin to gradually remove all unhealthy snacks and foods from the fridge and cupboard. If you don’t know what is healthy and what isn’t, find out. Replace all that you have removed with better choices.

You may be tempted to cut fat out entirely. But it’s important to remember that fat has a high satiety value in foods, so a little will go a long way.

Case in point: baked potato chips may have no fat, but because of that, they don’t trigger your satiety level as quickly as regular or even the “fat-free” chips do. So, you’re tempted to eat the whole bag.

It is better to eat a small amount of high-quality, high-fat food – like a small high-end dark chocolate bar – than to gorge on large quantities of low- or non-fat foods. You’ll be more satisfied without having to say “No” to treats.

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Exercise

Begin an exercise regimen by taking a two block walk every day, then keep adding a block every two or three days, you cannot imagine how fast you become acclimated and fit and with gradual increases, you will be walking a mile before you know it, without even noticing how you got there!

Do some type of strength training be it with weights or bodyweight exercises three times per week.

Building lean muscle mass will boost your metabolism and make you stronger and healthier, which will improve your overall quality of life.

Success!

In the long run, there are no true short cuts to weight loss. A successful weight loss program takes time and determination, along with exercise, healthful eating, and portion control.

It is not difficult to implement small changes that together make a big difference in your weight, health and how you feel. The best part is that you will NEVER have to go on another diet, fad or others again.

 

POINTS TO REMEMBER

Fad diets can be best described as a quick means of weight loss that are often only popular for a brief period of time.

High-Fat, Low-Carbohydrate Diets

  • Moderate Fat Diets
  • Low and Very- Low Fat Diets

The Bad of Fad Diets

  1. Diets that promise quick and easy weight loss are usually based on eating more of one food type and none of another.
  2. Fad diets are often boring and over restrictive.
  3. Most fad diets do not follow recommendations of the American Heart Association and similar bodies for fat levels in the diet.
  4. Many fad diets do not help you to incorporate enough servings of fruits and vegetables in your weight loss program, or give you the variety of foods that your body needs.
  5. Quick weight loss diets are just a temporary solution and do not help you to make permanent changes to your eating habits.

6 Ways Fad Diets Can Harm You

  1. They Make You Gain Even More Weight
  2. They Can Lead to Nutritional Deficits
  3. Muscle Wasting and Hair Loss
  4. They Ruin Your Body’s Natural Metabolism
  5. They Often Lack The Element of Exercise
  6. They Are Not Sustainable

How to Spot a Fad Diet

  • Quick fix promises
  • Involvement of “magic foods” or special food combinations
  • Exclusion of a particular food group, for example, carbohydrates
  • Unproven claims that are based on limited scientific study
  • The suggestion that certain food combinations can alter one’s body chemistry

A Better Way

  • By combining regular exercise with a healthy balanced diet, you are sure to achieve your weight goals and be able to keep it off for the long term.
  • Small Changes – Start by making small changes with the foods you choose.
  • Exercise – Begin an exercise regimen and do some type of strength training

TAKEAWAY QUESTIONS

– Are you into fad diets?

– What kind of fad diet have you tried before?

– Are you aware of the dangers of fad diets to your health?

– Do you know how to spot a fad diet?

– Are you committed to a long-term healthy lifestyle than the detrimental quick fix?

HERE’S THE DOWNLOAD LINK:

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Do You Want To Know Some Diet Tips And The Diet Secrets Of The Stars?

How much do you know about diets? Find out more about the pros and cons of diets, avoiding fad diets, common diet mistakes and diet secrets of the stars.

Various studies show that more than two-thirds of all American adults are either obese or morbidly obese.

With all the hype on weight loss and weight loss products, it’s no wonder that more and more people who suffer from being overweight become interested into various commercial diet plans and weight loss programs that are available in the market today.

Pros and Cons of Diet

Of all the means of losing weight offered by various companies, weight loss diets have become one of the most popular that overweight people use.

This is because these people believe that by taking in regulated amounts of food or veering away from eating foods from a specific food group, they can lose weight easily.

But, little do they know that improper diet and dieting may result to rapid weight loss and can even lead to more serious illnesses due to lack of nutrients absorbed by the body.

Food and nutrition experts say that most obese people who are into a strict diet and improper dieting have developed have a long history of dieting failure because they always go back to their usual eating and lifestyle habits.

Experts also agree that although improper diet can lead to severe health cases, it can be a powerful tool in losing weight if done properly and administered by authorized health care providers.

This is because weight loss diets that are monitored by authorities can evoke commitment, discipline, and dedication to those who are taking the specific diet plan.

And if these weight loss diets are administered properly, people who choose weight-loss program can conquer their fear of dieting failure and depression.

Indeed, it will take a huge amount of energy for an obese person to be able to stick to any weight-loss diet or program.

Aside from fighting the temptation to go back to their usual way of eating, people who are overweight have large tendencies of becoming violent and defensive in their preference of diet.

Although diet can be an effective means of losing weight, experts say that not all weight loss diets and programs can be successful.

And the reason for this, some diets target the dieter’s weakness and make them believe that they can eat a certain amount of foods when in fact, these can contribute much to their weight gain.

diet tips

Avoiding Fad Diets

To be able to lose weight safely and properly, make sure that you know when the weight loss diet is a fad.

Here are some ways to help you spot a fad diet:

  • The menu offers extremely limited food choices.
  • Cutting out an entire food group.
  • The diet asks the dieter to eliminate all fats.
  • Promises of ultra-fast weight loss or rapid weight loss.
  • It aims to sell a specific weight loss product such as herbal weight loss supplement or pills.
  • Weight loss diet claims they are based on unproven science.
  • It opposes medical opinions.

7 Common Diet Mistakes to Avoid

1. Careless assumption that the food choices you have are better than they actually are.

Experts say that people who are very particular about diet and nutrition have larger tendencies of thinking and believing that their food choices are healthier than they really are. Make sure that you eat whole, fresh, and unprocessed foods whenever possible.

2. Confusion over carbohydrates.

Although many people say that low carb diets are effective, experts say that there are excellent carbs that make people eat less. So before you cut down on carbs totally, make sure that you have consulted your dietitian if this diet will be good for you.

3. Thinking you’re eating too much when you’re not.

Experts say that one of the most common mistakes people make is that they overestimate and underestimate the amount of food their body needs. Make sure that you monitor the portion sizes of your food.

4. Not eating enough food or not eating often.

Overeating and under-eating may put the person at risk because it disrupts disrupting blood sugar and insulin levels. Make sure that you eat something every three hours and don’t starve before eating the next meal.

5. Neglecting the value of regular exercise.

Making exercise a regular part of your life can definitely contribute to great diet and nutrition.

6. Taking in a lot of dietary supplements.

A vitamin or dietary pill is a supplement that is meant to complement a person’s diet. Therefore, it should not be considered as substitutes for the foods you’re supposed to be eating.

Experts say that one all-purpose multivitamin a day is enough to complement the nutrients you don’t get from the foods you don’t eat.

7. Following nutrition and weight loss guidelines by the book.

Since people are different, it is only natural for them to have individual needs.

Although diet and nutrition plans work for the majority of people, not everything can help you improve you overall diet and nutrition.

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7 Diet Secrets of the Stars

Celebrities always look fabulous. Whether appearing in television or films or strutting down the red carpet during movie premiers and awards, they never cease to fascinate us with their larger than life presence.

The truth is, it takes a lot of effort to look the way they do, and being the public figures that they are, they cannot afford to slack off when it comes to taking care of their physical appearances.

Their livelihood largely depends on how they look. Aside from the clothes, the hair, and the makeup, celebrities have to take good care of their bodies.

It is no surprise that these stars have their own secrets when it comes to staying fit and gorgeous. Their health agenda can range from extreme workouts to well-planned meals.

Who doesn’t want to know their secrets in staying absolutely sexy? Here are some of the diet secrets of seven women celebrities.

1. Jennifer Aniston

The star of the phenomenal television show Friends not only mesmerized audiences with her adorable comic sense and her famous hairstyle, she was also known for having one of the sexiest bodies in Hollywood, as she appeared on countless magazine covers.

To stay trim, Jennifer follows the 40:30:30 diet method.

The diet consists of:

40% Low glycemic carbohydrates

-Foods such as beans, fruits, and vegetables, legumes

30% lean proteins

-Tofu, fish, chicken, turkey, beef, and low-fat dairy products

30% essential fats

-nuts and seeds, fish and olive oils

It is essential that every meal should contain macronutrients to attain the balance of hormones and maximum weight loss.

2. Kate Hudson

The gorgeous daughter of actress Goldie Hawn gained 60 pounds during her pregnancy, which she needed to shed quickly before commencing on her next film. From her previous eating plan, she switched to a higher protein diet.

She consumed high protein meals in smaller portions, and she combined this diet with an exercise program that includes weight training and cardiovascular workouts.

After getting a lot of flak because of her post-pregnancy figure, Kate removed all that baby weight in only four months and has gained abdominal muscles that gained the envy of many in Hollywood.

3. Oprah Winfrey

As one of the most successful talk-show hosts in the world, there is no question that Oprah needs to maintain her physical appearance for her millions of audiences.

Known as one of those celebrities who are constantly battling weight gain, she has recently toned up her figure and has never looked figure in age 50 by combining a regular exercise regime and diet plan.

Oprah works out five days a week, spending 30 minutes on the treadmill and doing free weights. Her eating plan consists of legumes, fish, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, chicken and dairy products that are low-fat.

She limits her consumption of white sugar and flour. Oprah also credits her trim figure to her habit of not eating anything after seven in the evening.

4. Gwyneth Paltrow

A lot of people may find it hard to believe that the perpetually slim Academy award-winning actress actually needs to diet. Gwyneth actually follows a healthy eating plan that resembles Oprah’s, avoiding sugar and white flour.

She usually follows a macrobiotic diet, eating foods like vegetables, brown rice, and lean meat. She also eliminated dairy from her diet and does yoga daily.

5. Madonna

The pop star known as the Material Girl has always flaunted a body that is to die for and has become a true fitness paragon over the years.

She keeps herself in tip-top shape by having Ashtanga Yoga and follows a strict diet that mostly shuns junk foods. She adopted a macrobiotic eating plan that includes organic foods rich in lean protein.

6. Claudia Schiffer

The bodacious German supermodel eats salad and steamed vegetables for dinner and eats only fruits before the afternoon.

While on locations, she prefers to eat black grapes and drinks tomato juice and herbal tea.

7. Christie Brinkley

Long-time supermodel maintains her all-American good looks by being a vegetarian. She does not keep junk foods of any kind inside her home to make sure that she does not eat them when cravings occur.

She snacks on sweet potatoes in place of candy bars, and she adopts a liquid juice diet when she needs to slim down fast.

Celebrities are just like ordinary people. They need to maintain their figures just like anyone else, and there is more pressure on their part since they are constantly in the public eye.

Ordinary folks can have celebrity-like bodies, too, and by following these diet and fitness plans, they can also look like red-carpet worthy.

 

 

 

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What You Should Know Before Going Into A Diet?

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Do you want to know more about diets? The whole world is going the diet way today. Either people are already on some or the other diet or are planning one.

There are many reasons for this popularity of diets.

First, there is a definite scarcity of nutritional content in the routine diet that we consume today.

This is caused due to our hectic lifestyles which cause us to falter on our mealtimes and makes us resort to junk foods.

Also, there is the fact that the food quality itself has degenerated due to the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals.

But, most importantly, there is a gross ignorance about nutrition. Most people just do not know what it means to eat well.

Thus, there are a lot of reasons why our food quality has gone terribly down. And, there is no respite in sight. We are not going to become regular with our mealtimes—our lifestyle has changed too drastically to go back now—and we are not going to see fruits and vegetables of impeccable qualities like they were obtained previously.

They may do this because they want to keep their weight in check, or they want to get adequate amounts of a particular nutrient or simply because they believe in the diet and know that it will benefit their bodies more than their routine meals.

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This post series is written with a specific purpose in mind. We are all for diets, but at the same time, we are aware that people need to be educated about them.

Not all diets are the same. They are all different in principle. One diet cannot do what the other can do.

Because of this, one person may find a particular diet more suitable to them than others. So, when you are choosing a diet for your own body, you have to be very careful.

Diets are not bad, at least they aren’t so usually.

They can be misused if the person consuming the diet is ignorant about how the diet can benefit them. If people do not know the concept behind a particular diet, it is not going to be of any avail to them.

This situation is much more poignant in the recent years. Today, there are so many diets floating around and a lot of people are considering them seriously.

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The diet industry has increased by leaps and bounds. The medical fraternity, the nutritionists, and the assorted fitness professionals have started recommending them. Diets are a mainstay of the guidance that is given out in gyms. People are looking to diets as an important part of their lifestyle.

As such, it becomes very important to know what these diets can do for our body.

Though there is a proliferation in the market for so many different kinds of diets, at the same time, it is leading to the confusion as well. Due to that, a lot of people are not able to unleash the best potential of these diets on themselves.

That is the reason why we will start of post series to educate you on the different kinds of diets that are popular today and how they can benefit you.

In the upcoming posts, we provide an overview of the different kinds of diets available in the market today.

We have taken these diets and given each of them a brief description, pertaining to what you need to know about them.

You will find out what principles these diets are based on, how the companies that have developed these diets support their customers and what benefits these diets can offer.

Most importantly, you are going to see a comparison between the different types of diets as these posts unfold and you will find out which of these could be the most appropriate for your needs.

This series of post is going to be your starting reference point as to which diet you should consider.

However, always remember to consult your doctor about what you intend to start.

The information in these pages is just that—information—but if you are planning a healthy eating pattern that suits your body specifically, then it will be your doctor who will be able to help you the best.

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So, read about the diets, and zero in on the one you like the most. Then visit your health counselor and ask them whether that diet is appropriate for your body.

Do not start any diet without first doing adequate research on it and finding out exactly what it is about. Read enough reviews and see what the general consensus is about the diet.

You are not going to find a single diet that is perfect in all respects that you can use for yourself without any further ado.

That is not going to happen. At the same time, you will see that there are hundreds of different diets out there. There are the very expensive ones and there are the very cheap ones.

There are some diets that will treat you to gourmet delicacies even when you are dieting and there are others that believe in the old system of making the body starve.

One diet will keep away one particular nutrient while another will keep away another nutrient while a third diet will not have any restrictions whatsoever.

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When you are looking for a diet, you need to check out the following things:

1.) When a particular diet excites you, the first thing you should see is the concept behind the diet. Why does the diet work? What principle is it based on? What nutrients will it provide, and what will it restrict, if at all?

These are the things that you have to look for. Your choice of diet should always depend on the theory behind its working.

 

2) Your next step will be to get as much information as you can about the diet. Visit the website first and see what they are telling. If you have any questions, you should contact them and find out more.

Most of the reputed diets out there also give out eBooks that describe the diet in detail. You could order these eBooks, and that because that gives you a perfect idea of what the diet is about.

 

3) Read the reviews on the diet. See how it has affected people who have used it already. Make sure to read a lot of reviews and read them on reputed websites so that you are certain you are not reading glowing reviews that have been planted by the company itself.

 

4) See if there are any drawbacks about the diet. Is there any reason why your body won’t adjust well to the diet? Are there any special things to keep in mind? If you are skeptical about anything, make it a point to ask someone reputable.

 

5) What kind of support does the company provide? You should not be left in the lurch once the diet has started. This is very important.

When dieting, you have to work closely with the people who have designed the diet, especially when it is something like Jenny Craig’s program which delivers healthy meals to your doorstep for a fixed number of days.

 

6) Even if you feel everything is perfect, do not start out the diet without first seeking counsel from your doctor. Tell them about the diet and ask them whether it is safe for you to go ahead with it.

 

In addition to your awareness, if you want to know what diet pills you should avoid, see the list of these weight loss pills or diet pills in the market that you should run away from for your health’s sake, check this article: Dangerous Diet Pills You Should Avoid

These are the basic points you should remember when planning a diet. Make sure you have covered all of them before going ahead.

 

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before going to diet

 

 

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