Top 10 Diets Tips

Weight Loss By Dancing

2008-04-16T03:04:00.000-07:00

Weight Loss By Dancing

Attend a single one-hour belly weight loss by dancing classes every week, and then sitting on a sofa watching television, the other six nights a week will not help you lose weight. Most weight loss experts recommend, and it did not receive at least 15 minutes of exercise every day and I have seen many people say that you would need at least 30 minutes.

So, if you participate in a belly dance class one night per week, what are you doing other excercise six days and nights?

If you are serious attitude increasingly emaciated, that the promises can be at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. While some experts have said that, in 15 minutes is not enough, why fool ourselves the benefits of only a little more? This could take the form of participation in belly dance classes, theater rehearsals, performances, classes, or practicing in the living room.

Of course, this does not have to belly dance. A few days, you can go to the romantic side of your partner, participate in the aerobics classes gym weight loss by dancing, walk your dog one hour, fishing or play catch in the backyard with one of your children. Just spent at least 30 minutes (What is more important is better) approach.

Types of belly dance classes and practice

In some belly dance classes, you have begun to move an instant, you get the door, and did not stop until the end of last year, one hour. In other circumstances, you spent a lot of time standing still, and you learn the rhythm of finger cymbals, waiting for the teacher to correct other students, or listen to their explanations.

If weight loss is a priority for you, choose a belly dance teacher, so you can keep moving constantly around the country school hours. The classes will be particularly valuable, and if it relates to tourism steps weight loss by dancing to move because the leg muscles burn more calories than any other sport, the smaller muscles. On the time spent in the classroom or at home exercises for weight loss does not count on, if you stand still a large part.

Practice, in the home, you will get the maximum weight loss benefit from the use of drum solo, medium or fast music, with a large number of moves you engage in the legs and buttocks. You will get less weight loss is beneficial to practice ribs isolation, and to slow, undulating music, but it is still more than is absolutely no movement at all. The Standing Committee is still practicing your finger cymbals, or sitting in your household sewing machines making costumes, will not give you any weight loss benefits.

Not removed slowly, music and finger cymbals practice, and from your practice time - they also very good skills, and they will enable you to become a better dancer. However, if you seriously attitude weight loss, it is necessary to ensure that the time you put in sufficient aerobic exercise weight loss by dancing the sooner the music, you practice. My advice: spend at least 30 minutes on vigorously dancing, drum solo and fast food to music, and then, but more often you want to slow music and finger cymbals practice.

1400 Calorie Diabetic Diets

2008-04-11T00:38:00.000-07:00

1400 Calorie Diabetic Diets

Calorie is found in meat~!! Diabetic dietary guidelines. We will go into detail elsewhere, but illustrates the problem, we look forward to our energy is consumed for a day, and look forward to calories, we should be spending a day - figures do not equal. People talk about 1200 calorie diabetic diet plan, 1400 calorie diabetic diets , 1500 calorie diabetic diet plan ... no one talks about 5000 calorie diabetic diet plan! Have diabetes dietary guidelines.

What does that mean for the fate of our meat? What does that mean, when we really sit down and look forward to in calories, we should eat every day, we look forward to the beneficial nutrients in all, we want to have every day, we do not have a lot of room for maneuver. Our observation is that there are so many good nutrition, high calorie foods should be diabetic diet is a good diabetic diet, we can not reject such food - nuts, seeds, healthy fats such as olive oil.

1400 calorie diabetic diets

Add to that heat from the necessary diabetic diet of fruit and vegetables food, which is a good part of the second type of diabetes eating plan, we have not found a whole lot of room left a lot of meat. We always had a small number of cooked meat per meal, meat (we will enter this line, in detail) health benefits, as a good diabetic diet plan, but there are also just is not a lot of room for survival, it even if we wanted more. We will be closed 1600 calorie diabetic diet plan, and plans to return to 5000 calories!

Therefore, although we had the idea that meat is a major component of the plan of diet control diabetes, the calorie restriction, our home - brewing 1400 calorie diabetic diets simply means that all the good things in vegetables and nuts, which so important, there is no problem, but the whole lot of room for the meat heat. Some room for manoeuvre - diabetes yield nearly vegetarian diet plan. ..

Longer Life Obesity Expect Live

2008-04-11T00:23:00.000-07:00

Longer Life Obesity Expect Live

Over the last 100 years American's average life expectancy as increased by an incredible amount of 33 years. A baby born today can expect to live to an average age of 78, compared to 45 in early 1900. However, these results do not have national unity. Columbia University economist Frank lichtenberg reported in a new study that, while the average life expectancy rose 2.33, in the country from 1991 to 2004, the increase in vary greatly between countries. New York residents rose 4.3 years, the majority of any country, in 13 years time, can expect to live 79.2 years. Oklahomans, however, rose only 0.3 years during the same period, to 75.4. (A table listing all countries, click here).

Lichtenberg some variant of measurement: This may explain this gap, including longer life obesity expect live, smoking, income, health insurance, and the incidence of AIDS. He found that a major reason for greater gains in life expectancy of the new drugs and other medical innovations. For each country, this year he was determined to common prescription drugs was the United States Food and Drug Administration approval, and found that those countries that tilt of the newer drugs, often has been higher than the world's average rate of increase, longevity, if other factors may be deducted .

N the new New York, for example, the average drug approval this year for patients covered by medical subsidy system is in 1977 compared to 1976 for Oklahoma State. With longer life obesity expect live that lichtenberg, these countries have higher productivity, and increase output per employee by about 1%. He attributed to productivity, to reduce absenteeism from the disease.

State-owned enterprises by the state variation depends on the use of prescription drug prescription patterns, variation and disease prevalence, as well as drugs of a country medical insurance and medical assistance projects are willing to pay. Lichtenberg wrote: There are two ways to improve the quality of health care: to ensure that patients receive the "best practices" care and "transfer the cutting edge of technology," through the use of new drugs, equipment, policies and procedures. "Longer life obesity expect live certain trends become more and more longevity and others are reduced," he said. "I tried to think of how much the contribution of each of these trends."

During this period lichtenberg on a huge number of innovative drugs have been introduced, from Pfizer Inc. (PFE), Lipitor and Merck (MRK) Simvastatin high cholesterol, a company Genentech (DNA) He Ting and Novartis (NVS) on the Gleevec cancer treatment, all of which have infiltrated into the health-care system at different rates depending on the prescription habits of doctors, the state medical insurance and medical subsidy standards, and insurance coverage.

The alarming discovery, but the problem lies in the fact that obesity increased substantially reduced life expectancy, wiping out most of the gain, from the medical innovation. Lichtenberg estimated that if the longer life obesity expect live and income has not increased since 1991, the average life expectancy, will be launched nationwide, an increase of 3.88 instead of 2.33 years. However, the decline in smoking and the incidence of AIDS has increased slightly, obesity, he said. The full study can be found in the Manhattan Institute's Center for Medical Progress website.

McDonald's Quotes For Obesity

2008-04-10T00:10:00.000-07:00

McDonald's quotes for obesity

McDonald's is the world's largest fast food company launched an anti-obesity campaign Thursday, the company said it's important to promote sports and balanced food intake.

About two-thirds of Americans overweight, the Macs and super-size fries, has developed the criticism and litigation, to promote obesity.

In a statement, the company said it is committed to help solve America's obesity problem. McDonald's quotes for obesity "We want to help adults achieve the right balance between their daily calorie intake and physical activity, and to help children adopt active, balanced lifestyle habits early, said:" Michael Roberts, president of McDonald's USA.

As part of the plan, McDonald's will offer new menu options, including adult "Happy Meals", and the restructuring of children's "Happy Meals." Low carbohydrate meal, but also part of the rollout.

The company also said it would promote walking as a "can be achieved - effectively - the objective of the exercises", and to provide a measurement device steps they take each day.

Adult "Happy Meals", including the strengthening of measuring devices with salad and bottled water. The new children's "Happy Meals" including apple, peeled and restaurant with a low-fat caramel sauce and milk choice.

McDonald's quotes for obesity has seen a sales recovery in the United States on the strength of new products, such as its salads, some of which contain more fat than hamburgers, according to the company's nutritional website.

"They provide consumers with a choice, this is a positive, and said:" Leiqieerbulandeshi, the spokesman for the American Dietetic Association. "You have to think about their sales and customer know how to reduce their caloric intake."

Last year, a judge dismissed a federal lawsuit alleged that the company responsible for the health problems of children and obesity.

McDonald's quotes for obesity

Can I Lose Weight From Hula Hooping?

2008-04-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Can I lose weight from hula hooping?

There is something for everyone; this is especially true when it comes to exercising and sports. If you find a focus on physical activity, make your joy, it will not matter whether you are exercising. You will be more likely to continue to engage in specific activities, because you are have a wonderful time.

Do you still remember playing a Hula laps, you child? Just everyone's memory roller, a plastic hoop in his or her buttocks. Some of us are good, it too. If you tried to use a plastic hoop recent generations, you may not be able to keep it from falling to ground.t immediately. It is not your fault. As I have said before, those hoop design, not for the children of adults. Adults too high and too heavy, the use of traditional Hula circle. But today, the world also weighted Hula hoops to create the adults want to have a good temper and entertainment at the same time. They ask themselves: "Can I lose weight from hula hooping?"

Weighted hoop, in weights ranging from 3 to 5 pounds. The larger and heavier the hoop, it is very easy for them around your body. Weighted hoop also can be a wonderful way to lose weight. 10 minutes, with the daily weighted hoop hooping can help you burn 100 calories. According libertyfitness.com, you can cut two inches from your waist, within a month! Let us face it. Hula twirling a circle around your waist a heck out of the ground on the treadmill.

Even the most uncoordinated person can learn hoop. This is very interesting, it's liberation, it makes you feel like a child. If you think these hoops? Can I lose weight from hula hooping? Do a basic Google search, you can find cheaper hoop in a cool neon colors, through investment or your neighborhood online fitness stores. Online store offers a large number of weighted hoop teaching or fitness DVD is about the price of 499 US dollars.

Find time to exercise your weight behind it is very easy to complete the task. You can be in your living room, and you watch your favorite TV show or when you walk in your house. If you in a group environment, you can join one of many in the United States offer hooping classes around.

Can I lose weight from hula hooping? Yes, you certainly can.

Green Tea For Weight Loss

2008-04-04T01:23:00.001-07:00

Accordingly to a recent study reported from London, the daily consumption of green tea was helpful in weight reduction. This weight reduction property is accomplished by a process called thermogenesis. This process is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, which increase the basal metabolic energy rate, and thus causes fat oxidation. In other words, it causes the burning of fat in the body. There are plant compounds in tea, particularly caffeine and catechins, which work together to increase thermogenesis.

Unlike drugs such as ephedrine, green tea extracts do not increase the heart rate and are not associated with harmful cardiovascular effects. When this process of thermogensis is increased, the basal metabolic rate increases and fat oxidation occurs. This results in body fat storage being burned.

In a similar study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was shown that the daily consumption of the 2 cups of green tea increased the basal metabolic rate 4% over a 24 hour period.

It is too early to tell if these studies merit the use of green tea as a weight reduction aid. It is important to note that many people have sensitivities to caffeine and other plant compounds present in tea, particularly green tea. If you are already a tea drinker and have previously suffered no ill effects, then 1 to 2 cups of green tea a day may help with your weight loss program. Be careful to stay away from health food store extracts or pills that claim to be made from green tea or similar plant extracts. There is no way to find out what other harmful additives these products contain. You should always choose popular brand name teas for consumption. If you have high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes, first check with your physician before trying green tea as a weight reduction aid.

Recent studies indicate that the chemical compounds in green tea can help also to lower your cholesterol. Other studies have shown that green tea can also assist your immune system in fighting off various types of infections. Some researchers go so far to say that the chemically active substance present in green tea may protect against certain forms of cancer and may help to prevent diabetes. This starting to sound like the cure all for all ailments. Remember, most of these studies are preliminary and have yet to be proved. It appears that green tea is a tasty healthful drink that may help in weight reduction.

In a new study in the September 2004 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, it was reported that people who regularly drank green tea have a significant reduction in their blood pressures. The study showed that individuals who consumed 1-2 cups of green tea or oolong tea daily for at least one year reduced their risk of hypertension by at least 65%. Several previous studies reported by Taiwan’s National Science Council reported these same blood pressure lowering effects of drinking green tea.

100 Best Weight Loss Tip – Fred A. Stutman, M.D.

How About A Salad Sandwich?

2008-03-24T05:40:00.000-07:00

How would you like an egg, tuna or chicken salad sandwich for lunch with a twist? The twist is that there is absolutely no bread whatsoever in this sandwich. Salads are great diet lunches but you have to eat them with a fork. It is obviously more fun to bite into a great tasting chewy sandwich. Well, here is a salad sandwich for you. Take a large piece of ice-bug lettuce or Romaine and use it like a pita warp. Fill it up with your favorite salad ingredients, roll up the lettuce or Romaine and pin it with a tooth-pick until you are ready to eat it. You get the great crunch factor of eating a sandwich without the bread.

Egg salad is great for a lettuce warp. Use two or three fresh hardboiled egg and discard the yolk from one of them. This lowers of the cholesterol count without reducing the taste of the egg salad. Chop in some fresh dill and celery to boost the taste of the egg salad. Be sure to use non fat or very low fat mayo when preparing your egg salad. Add sliced tomato or cucumber to improve the texture, taste and crunch factor of your salad sandwich.

Tip: Salad sandwiches are low in calories and high in nutrition.

Tip: Egg yolk is not as bad as it was once thought to be. Egg yolk contains 2 chemicals called lutein and xanthine, which are important to shielding the retina of the eye from the harmful effects of ultraviolet lights from the sun.

Tuna, chicken or crab meat salads also make tasty, nutrients low calories, high protein lettuce wraps.

100 Best Weight Loss Tip – Fred A. Stutman, M.D

High Fiber Foods

2008-03-20T00:12:00.000-07:00

Fruit Group: Each serving of the below-named fruits has approximately 2 grams of fiber.

1 apple or pear

1 banana

1/2 cup of strawberries

1 small orange

1 1/2 oz. Box raisins

1 medium peach

2 small plums

10 large cherries

Bread Group: Each serving of the below-named fruits has approximately 2 grams of fiber.

Whole-wheat bread

Wheat bread (cracked)

Bran muffin (low fat)

Stone-ground bread

Cereal Group: Each serving of the below-named fruits has approximately 2 grams of fiber.

Shredded wheat 1/2 biscuit

Puffed wheat 1 1/3 cups

Corn flakes 2/3 cup

Oatmeal 1/2 cup

Wheat bran 1/2 cup

Grape Nuts 1/2 cup

Cereal highest in fiber are 40% Bran, All-Bran, Grape Nuts, Fiber One, Shredded Wheat, Whole Wheat Flakes, Raisin Bran, Multigrain, Cheerios and Multigrain Chex. Check with the ingredients label and look for 5 or more grams of dietary fiber on the label.

Vegetable Group: Each serving of the below-named fruits has approximately 2 grams of fiber.

1 cup celery

1 corn on the cob

1/2 cup baked beans

1 medium raw tomato

1 talk of broccoli

2 cups lettuce

1/2 cup greens

1 medium potato

4 Brussels sprouts

1/3 cup carrots

The following vegetable are highest in fiber: artichokes, green beans, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, dried beans, lime beans and peas.

Miscellaneous Group: Each serving of the below-named fruits has approximately 2 grams of fiber.

2 1/2 tsp. Peanut butter

3 tsp. Strawberry jam

1 cup popcorn

10 peanuts

1 large pickle

2 tsp. Relish

100 Best Weight Loss Tip – Fred A. Stutman, M.D.

Breakfast for Your Heart and Waist

2008-03-19T00:04:00.000-07:00

In a recent article in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2004 –164:370-376), it was reported that fruit and cereal fiber might decrease the risk of heart disease. It was thought that the fiber contained in fruit and cereals can lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure, and improve insulin sensitivity, and also make the blood less likely to clot.

Vegetable fiber, however, did not show the same reduced risk of coronary heart disease, which may have been attributed to the failure to distinguish between starchy vegetables (corn and potatoes) and not starchy vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower). However, due to its high plant nutrient content, vegetable fiber is still extremely important in the reduction of a whole host of degenerative diseases.

This particular study pooled data from ten other studies in the United States and Europe, which included almost 100,000 men and 250,000 women. This study was to determine if dietary fiber actually caused a significant decrease in heart disease. The National Health, Lung and Blood Institute and the Danish Medical Council helped support this study. Over an 8 year follow up, the risk of coronary heart disease was 10-30% lower for each 10 grams of total fruit cereal fiber consumed daily. Cereal and fruit for breakfast is truly a heart-healthy meal.

Fiber rich oatmeal or a cold whole wheat bran cereal with skin or 1% milk is a great way to start your morning diet. These cereals are nutritious, taste great, and are slow to digest. The high insoluble fiber content of whole grain cereals causes your appetite mechanism to shut down early because of its slow rate of absorption from the intestinal tract. These good tasting whole grain cereal products have also been shown to reduce your craving for high refined sugar products and fatty foods, such as mid morning donut or coffee cake snacks.

People who eat oatmeal, as well as other whole grain bran type cereals daily, have less that one half the risk of developing obesity and diabetes as non cereal eaters. High fiber bran cereals help to regulate insulin production in the morning. This helps to control your appetite and reduce the risk of gaining unwanted pounds. The additional of fruit to your morning cereal, compliments the great taste of the cereal while it boosts your energy level all morning long. Cereal and fruit for breakfast is a really great weight loss tip!

If you are tired of cereal, then try a non or low fat yoghurt with fresh fruit and low fat granola or wheat germ. Yoghurt with it s high calcium and protein content can energize your morning and keeps your hunger at bay until lunch time. The granola or wheat germ will add the necessary fiber to slow your digestion and absorption of your breakfast meal, which in turn helps to keep your appetite satisfied for the entire morning. Yoghurt with fruit is a great on the go breakfast meal that saves time when you are on your way to work or play.

Another great high protein on the go breakfast that satisfies your appetite is a hard boiled egg and an orange, which are both nutritious and a great tasting, appetite satisfying breakfast. The high protein and fiber content of an egg and an orange is a healthful breakfast that will help to satisfy your appetite while providing essential nutrients in your diet. Whatever your choice, remember that the combination of lean protein and fiber is another way to keep your appetite satisfied until lunchtime, without the urge for high-calorie, high-fat, mid-morning snacking. You’ll pass on the donuts and coffee cake without the least bit of craving.

100 Best Weight Loss Tip – Fred A. Stutman, M.D.

20 Grams of Total Fat

2008-03-18T00:11:00.000-07:00

Fat contains 9 calories per gram where as both carbohydrates and protein contain only 4 calories

Less fat in the diet results in more storage fat being burned as fuel so both you and your fat cells become nice and thin.

Fat is the number one killer of both your heart and your figure.

Excess fat in the diet causes heart disease, diabetes and breast cancer.

Consult a chart for the total gram of fat in various food and keep a record of what you eat.

To maintain your ideal weight, eat no more than 25 grams of daily.

One pound of body fat contains 3,500 calories, which makes it very easy to gain weight when you eat fat, since fat contains more than twice the number of calories than as in carbohydrates and protein.

Eat no more than 20 grams of total fat calories daily to lose weight.

100 Best Weight Loss Tip – Fred A. Stutman, M.D.

20 Minutes walking Daily

2008-03-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

Walking is the ideal aerobic exercise for good health, fitness and weight loss without the dangers of strenuous exercise

Walking burns approximately 350 calories per hour, so you can lose one pound of body fat for every 10 hours you walk.

Walking increases the body’s metabolic rate, which helps to burn calories at a faster rate.

Walking as an aerobic exercise re directs blood away from the stomach to the exercising muscles and decrease appetite.

A 20 minutes brisk walk daily will burn enough calories to help you lose weight quickly, 10 minutes twice a day is just as good.

Strenuous exercise burns primarily carbohydrates to produce energy and does very little help you to lose weight.

A strenuous exercise burns carbohydrates its produces a drop in blood sugar, which actually increase your appetite.

Walking regulates the brain’s appetite center. Walking before a meal decrease the appetite

100 Best Weight Loss Tip – Fred A. Stutman, M.D

Healthy Protein

2008-03-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

It is important to add lean, healthy protein to your diet in the form of:

Very lean meat, fish, and poultry with skin
Nonfat milk and low-fat cheese, including yogurt
Vegetable protein, including tofu, beans, nuts and legumes.

The addition of low-fat protein to your diet makes you feel less hungry, since it short-circuits the appetite control mechanism (appestat) in the brain. It takes your body longer to digest protein than it does to digest fat or refined carbohydrates. Protein causes a very gradual rise in the blood sugar, which, in turn, causes a very moderate rise in insulin levels and a satisfaction of hunger.

Adding healthy protein to your diet is easy. The following types of protein are considered healthy:

Low-fat protein foods, including fish, lean white meat of chicken or turkey, without the skin, and very lean meats, particularly lamb and pork as opposed to beef, which has an extremely high fat content.

Dairy products. Nonfat milk and low or nonfat cheeses, yogurt, egg whites, and tofu are excellent healthy protein.

3. Vegetable proteins. Nuts, beans, legumes and tofu.

When you are on a low-calorie diet, your body needs more protein for the production of energy and your body’s cell maintenance. We are not talking about protein in the form of cheeseburgers, hot dogs, bacon, butter and fat and more fat, as proposed in many of the popular low-carbohydrate diets. These are considered unhealthy, high-fat proteins.

What we are suggesting is the addition small amounts of lean protein with each meal to give the body the building blocks for your body’s metabolism. Protein can help significantly to modify your hunger longer than high-fat or high refined-carbohydrate meals.

High-protein diets, which concentrate on limiting your carbs cause weight-loss initially; however you are losing weight because you are eating fewer calories, not because you are consuming fewer carbs. So it is very important to cut back on refined sugars and starches, and substitutes low-fat protein (chicken, turkey, fish, egg whites, nonfat milk and cheese, and yogurt) in their place. Also add lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to increase the good carbs (complex carbohydrates) to provide energy for all of your daily activities.

100 Best Weight Loss Tip – Fred A. Stutman, M.D.

The Ultimate diet Food

2008-03-14T00:27:00.000-07:00

Two-Thirds of our body is made up of water. Water is essential for our very existence, since it transports nutrients and oxygen though the blood stream to all of your body’s cells and removes toxins and waster products from our body’s tissues. Water regulates our body’s temperature and metabolism, and aids in the digestion of all of the food we ingest. Water also provides the lubrication that makes our muscles and joints move efficiently and effortlessly.

Drinking water fuels the body’s energy level, since the body’s metabolic process requires a constant supply of water to function properly and efficiently. Your body actually loses water all of the time, just by the daily activity of living, whether you’re active or sedentary. So you need to replenish your body with water constantly in order to replenish those loses.

Water is the ultimate diet food since it contains no calories and satisfies your hunger quickly. Many people who think they’re hungry and in fact actually dehydrated. When your stomach is empty it is often the result of a lack of both food and water. Starting every meal with a glass of water is the best way to satisfy your appetite before you eat and it will keep you from eating excess calories at each meal. Water is also the way to keep your appetite in check between meal.

Most studies show that for good health you should drink between 60-75 ounces of water daily. A good rule of thumb is to drink 1/2 your weight in ounces daily. For example, if you weight 140 pounds, you should drink 70 ounces of water daily. This daily amount of water is the amount that is needed just for normal daily hydration. For exercise on the other hand, the amount of additional water needed for proper hydration increases with the level of intensity of the activity. To prevent dehydration, you should drink 1 1/2 cups of water 30 minutes before your exercise. Drink an additional 1 cup of water for each 15 minutes that you exercise moderately and 2 cups of water for each 15 minutes of severe exercise where you perspire excessively.

The best sources of water are of course portable bottled water. Sodas, juices, coffee and other beverages are also good sources of water. Stay away from caffeine whenever possible since it can speed you your metabolism and burn more water in your body. Alcohol is definitely not the liquid of choice for hydration since it can actually cause dehydration. Fruits, vegetables, soups, jello, yogurt and other liquid foods all count towards your daily water requirements. For example, several serving of fruits and vegetable can provide as much as 2-3 cups of water daily.

100 Best Weight Loss Tip – Fred A. Stutman, M.D.

Watch out for yo-yo dieting

2008-03-13T00:34:00.001-07:00

Many women tend to yo-yo diet – they go on a diet for a couple of weeks, lost some weight, then go back to eating normally. The weight goes back on and they find that they are heavier than they were before starting the diet. So they embark on an even stricter diet, then stop and even more weight piles on.

Yo-yo dieting is very common but there are problems associated with this pattern. Firstly, it disrupts your metabolism. Each time you restrict your food intake your metabolism drops, then when you return to your normal diet, you will be eating it on a slower metabolism as your body takes time to readjust. As a result, when you come off a diet, you’ll gain more weight than before. This simple change in the body’s biochemistry can happen on a daily basis. I see women in the clinic who don’t eat lunch and just have a cup of coffee. They assume that if they are missing out the calories at lunch they must lose weight. But they don’t. And they would have to be superhuman to be able to resist overeating in the evening when their body is crying out for food.

Over the course of a day, the body registers that food is in short supply so slows down the metabolism. Your body does not know whether you are going to eat in six hours or six days, so it errs on the side of caution. When you sit down to eat your long-awaited evening meal the stress response caused by the perceived starvation means the body does it utmost to store as much of that meal as fat as it possibly can. Peppering your day with appetite-suppressing cups of coffee or cans of cola only make matters worse because the caffeine releases adrenaline and cortisol, so encouraging your body too store even more fat.

When your return to eating normally again after a diet the weight lost (a combination of water, muscle and, if you’re lucky, a bit of fat) will go back on as fat only. They body has been starved and is programmed to try to store up fat quickly in case another ‘famine’ is just around the corner. That explains why it is so common to gain even more weight (fat) after a diet. And so the cycle goes on.

FAT AROUND THE MIDDLE, MARILYN GLENVILLE

Herbs to avoid

2008-03-13T00:12:00.000-07:00

There are some herbs that should be avoided when you are aiming to lose weight around the middle:

Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Although this herb is known as an anti-stress herb and would, in most circumstances, be recommended, one of the compounds in liquorice (glycyrrhizin) is metabolized in the body to molecules whose structure is similar to that of the adrenal hormones. It has the ability to prevent the breakdown of cortisol so keeping the levels high. People with adrenal exhaustion and low cortisol may find that liquorice increases energy, but when you are trying to trim an apple shape, you need to lower cortisol levels, so it’s better to avoid liquorice.

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) has had the glycyrrhizin removed. It is used mainly to help with digestive problems as it soothes the oesophagus (food pipe) and stomach.

Stimulant herbs

A number of herbs found in ‘weight loss’ products have a stimulant effect on the body, in effect speeding it up and also stimulating the central nervous system which can increase heart rate, blood pressure and nervousness. These amphetamine-like stimulants include:

ma haung (Ephedra sinensis)
guarana (Paullinia cupana)
yohimbine (Pausinystalia yohimbe)

They work in exactly the same way as caffeine, by giving you a boost so that you feel you have more energy. They also increase adrenaline and cortisol which is why you should avoid them.

There is no quick fix to losing weight, especially the weight around your middle, because your body has been told that it needs to keep hold of it to protect your life from danger. Weight-loss products – herbal or otherwise – will never work in the long term.

The list of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients you need may seem long but you can get many of them in one good multivitamin and mineral, and just take the others as extras.

FAT AROUND THE MIDDLE, MARILYN GLENVILLE

Don't skip breakfast

2008-03-12T23:38:00.001-07:00

Many experts believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Many people are so stressed in the morning, rush to get kids off to school and themselves ready for work, that they will just grab a cup of coffee (often with sugar) and go on their way. However, in doing so they are setting themselves up for failure. Remember the rollercoaster: up goes the blood sugar, out pumps the excess insulin, giving the message, loud and clear, to store that fat around the middle.

If you miss breakfast completely your body starts to attack the muscles, breaking them down for fuel. Muscles are metabolically active and help to burn fat so you really don’t want this to happen. With no breakfast inside you, blood sugar will drop within a couple of hours, adrenaline and cortisol will kick in to try to correct the balance and you’ll be looking for a quick fix.

I can’t stress enough the importance of making time for breakfast. Try to allow yourself just ten to fifteen minutes to sit down and eat a bowl of porridge or cereal (sugar free), or a piece of rye toast with pure fruit jam. Train yourself to do this – it is so essential.

You may not be a big fan of porridge but it can give you a steady rise in blood sugar (not the instant varieties) and to pep it up you could add some spices. Cinnamon is especially helpful as it improves the transport of glucose into the cells and has been known to lower glucose levels in Type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon is an interesting spice too in that it helps to burn off fat. Turmeric is an interesting spice too in that it helps to control inflammation and we know that inflammation is connected to fat around the middle, so adding this spice to other meals could be beneficial.

FAT AROUND THE MIDDLE, MARILYN GLENVILLE

What to eat at the buffet and on the airplane

2008-03-10T05:29:00.001-07:00

At the buffet

You are a guest at a hotel or resort or a holiday brunch. Not a problem. Fill up on the fruit tray, which is always available, vegetables and a salad without the dressing, then include a few of your favorites in portion-controlled sizes. Most buffets have sliced white meat turkey or chicken, which we know keeps you right on plan, or vegetable omelettes made to order, which can be done with egg whites or any other egg substitutes and prepared in nonstick spray. You have just taken a potentially horrible situation and turned it into a winner. What to avoid? Definitely all high-calorie carbohydrates such as muffins, pastries, and croissants, the greasy breakfast meats such as sausage, ham, bacon, and Canadian bacon. You should also avoid the high-mayonnaise items such as egg, tuna, or chicken salad.

If available, look for a smaller, salad-size plate to begin the buffet. If you start with an entrée-size plate, odds are you will fill it up. So start smaller, eat slowly, don’t let others at the table tempt you with all their high-fat choices, and enjoy.

Airline food

The standard airline food is a fat, sodium and caloric nightmare. What you can do is order a special meal in advance. When booking your flight, request a fruit plate or low-calorie meal. Don’t order the low-sodium, low-cholesterol, or vegetarian meal and expect it to be low-calorie. It isn’t. A fruit plate may be your best bet. Just plan in advance, or get on the plane after a meal and simply decline what is served. Or buy a healthy meal at the airport or en route and skip the plane food. The choice is yours.

THE BUSINESS PLAN FOR THE BODY, JIM KARAS

Include food chemicals and sleep in your diet

2008-03-10T04:21:00.000-07:00

Work foods in your favor

Foods all have different effects on your stomach, your blood, and your brain. These are some of the nutrients that may influence your hunger and the brain chemicals that affect it:

Turkey contains typtophan, which increases serotonin to improve your mood and combat depression, and help you resist cravings for simple carbs.
Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish, have long been known as brain boosters and cholesterol clearers, but they’ve also been shown convincingly to help with depression in pregnant women. Depression contributes to hedonistic and emotional eating. Since many of us have low omega-3 intake, it might explain some other instances of depression as well.

Go to sleep

Getting enough sleep keeps you thin. That’s because when your body doesn’t get the seven to eight hours of sleep it needs every night to get rejuvenated, it needs to find ways to compensate for neurons not secreting the normal amounts of serotonin or dopamine. The way it typically does that is by craving sugary foods that will give you an immediate release of serotonin and dopamine. The lack of sleep throws off your entire system – even increasing your levels of NPY, which increase your appetite. Lack of sleep can become an even bigger factor as you age. When you get older, the pineal gland in your brain produces less of the sleep hormone melatonin, resulting in a craving for carbohydrates.

YOU ON A DIET, THE OWNER’S MANUAL FOR WAIST MANAGEMENT, MICHAEL ROIZEN, M.D. AND MEHMET OZ, M.D.

The Whole Wheat truth

2008-03-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

It used to be that the only thing with a hole in it was a doughnut. Now, it seems, everything is touted as “whole” this or that. Whole grains, whole wheat, a whole lot of health: it’s the latest in food marketing. Why? Because food manufacturers know that whole grains are, in fact, one of the healthiest ingredients you can eat. Surely, more and more foods are made with them, but that doesn’t mean all are created equal. Why? Because those marketing words don’t always present an accurate picture of what’s inside the food.

To decipher the whole mess, you first need to understand what exactly whole grains are and how they work. “Whole grain” means the grain still has all three of its original elements: the outer shell or bran, which contains fiber and B vitamins; the germ, which contains phytochemicals and B vitamins; and the endosperm which contains carbonhydrates and protein. They key is that they’re “whole” and not “refined”, by stripping away the bran and germ, which leaves you eating only the aptly named endosperm. Instead, the whole grain should be left intact – meaning you get more fiber and more micronutrients that help protect against disease. These whole grains are also healthy for you because they’re absorbed more slowly than enriched or bleached flour and thus raise glucose and insulin levels less – keeping you fuller longer and slowing your digestion.

To make sure you receive the health and dietary benefits of whole grains and wheat, the labels should read “100 percent whole grain” or “100 percent whole wheat”. Anything else means that the food is also made with the less-beneficial enriched or refined flour. Remember to avoid those with added sugars like high-fructose corn syrup or honey.

To ensure that a whole grain food has a slower absorption in your digestive system and thus lowers your sugar and insulin levels, eat a little fat with it – in the form of ½ tablespoon of olive oil with your bread. Alternatively, eat six walnuts, twelve almonds, or twenty peanuts about twenty minutes before you eat the whole grain.

YOU ON A DIET, THE OWNER’S MANUAL FOR WAIST MANAGEMENT, MICHAEL ROIZEN, M.D. AND MEHMET OZ, M.D.

Real Fruits VS Juice Fasts

2008-03-05T22:07:00.000-08:00

Numerous diet programs involve fasting on juices made from a variety of vegetables and fruits as a way to lose weight and provide enzymes. Proponents claim that when we chew, we are turning our food into juice, so juicing is therefore natural and healthy.

But the fact that foods made into juices are not chewed is actually one of the problems with juice fasts. Chewing actually begins the digestive process by mixing food with saliva. The process of chewing and thoroughly tasting our food also send signals to the digestive tract about what to expect in terms of nutrients and which enzymes will be needed to assimilate them. Juicing bypasses these mechanisms and can actually result in poor digestion.

Also, many foods that are juiced, such as green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables, contain substances that block mineral absorption and depress thyroid function. When these vegetables are cooked, those substances are neutralized. In fact, cooking actually makes the minerals in vegetables much more available.

Those who claim that fasting on juices can cleanse the body lack a basic understanding of biochemistry. The removal of toxins from the body is an ongoing process involving numerous enzyme systems that are supported mostly by nutrients from animal products. In fact, one of the best ways to help the body cleanse is to consume a lot of bone broth, which provides the liver with certain amino acids involved in the process of clearing the residues of metabolism.

Finally, juice fasts can create the same problems as low-fat diets. They lead to low blood sugar and serious deficiencies in nutrients normally provided by animal protein and fat. Even with added coconut oil, the body is likely to interpret a juice fast as starvation, slow down the metabolism, and put the pounds back on very quickly as soon as the fast is over.

Vital Nutrients to Jump-start Weight Loss

2008-03-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

Ensure you would receive ample amounts of all vital nutrients in your meal plan, with special emphasis on specific ones that jump-start weight loss. These include the followings:

Calcium: Many studies have shown that calcium is a key factor in stimulating weight loss. Researchers have found that dietary calcium plays a key role in reducing the number and size of fat cells, and dieters who included plenty of dairy foods were more successful at weight loss than those who did not. Interestingly, calcium from food (eg. milk, cheese, and bone broth) worked better than most calcium supplement. Plentiful calcium also helps protect against bone loss, which is a real problem among dieters.
Vitamin A: It nourishes your thyroid gland and is vital for the production of adrenal hormones. It also guarantees calcium and mineral absorption, makes protein assimilation possible, and supports the endocrine system. In other words, this fat-soluble vitamin supports vision, bone growth, cell division and differentiation, and hormone production, as well as the integrity of the mucous membranes in the respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts. It is vital to the immune system’s production of white blood cells and is a major player in bodily health.
Vitamin D: It builds your bones, maintains proper calcium levels, helps your body deal with stress, and is needed to produce insulin and a variety of hormones.

Some diets only offer little quantity of vital nutrients. As a result, you can only stay on those diets for a short while before your body’s demands for nourishment overcome your willpower. So, your food plan should include nutrient-dense foods, which would increase your intake of real, readily absorbed nutrients, and help you break out of that vicious cycle.

Include Green Tea and Spicy Food

2008-03-05T01:37:00.001-08:00

Green Tea

A recent study compared the effects of green tea, caffeine, and a placebo on the subject’s basal metabolic rate. Each subject drank either green tea containing 375mg catechins and 150mg of caffeine, another beverage with 150mg of caffeine, or a placebo. The results demonstrated that healthy individuals who drank green tea with every meal burned an additional 50 calories a day more than the caffeine drinkers, and 70 calories a day more than the placebo group. What caused the increase? The researchers believed the differences were caused by substances called catechins, which are antioxidants, or some other flavonoids found in green tea. However, the researchers really don’t know. Bottom line, drinking two cups of green tea could help you to burn a few additional calories each day. Seventy calories a day for 365 days a year is the equivalent to 7.3 pounds of weight loss. As an added plus, drinking green tea has other potential benefits, such as reducing your risk of cancer and heart disease.

Spicy Food

A new study by Janet Walberg Rankin, an expert on metabolism and a professor of nutrition at Virginia Tech University, showed that eating chili peppers can elevate basal metabolism. Rankin believes that capsaicin, a compound found in jalapeno and cayenne peppers, can increase the body’s release of stress hormones, like adrenaline, which increase metabolism. I’m sure we will hear more about this in the future. If you like spicy food, why not add a little of these peppers to each meal?

Fidget your way to weight loss

2008-03-04T23:18:00.001-08:00

Can you fidget your way to weight loss? Yes. Picture all the people you know who fidget. They jiggle their legs, they tap their toes, they drum their fingers and even chew gum. These activities burn calories, and in some individuals may be the reason why they can eat more yet keep their weight down. Basically, all this fidgeting boosts their basal metabolic rate. I believe there is merit to this “fidget” factor, and a recent case study supports this belief. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that small scraps of movement – fidgeting, changing posture, tapping a pencil, all helped to keep weight in check. The study consisted of a group of volunteers who were fed an additional 1000 calories per day for eight weeks. These participants were not allowed to exercise. The researchers discovered that even with the additional 1000 calories a day, those individuals who fidgeted the most did not experience appreciable weight gain.

Here’s a further illustration of the fidget factor. The many people who trade on the floor on Merrill Lynch stand for six to seven hours a day waving their hands, screaming and fidgeting. Once they permanently go off the floor and begin trading from their computers, they gain weight. They gain a lot of weight. Previously, on the trading floor, they burned hundreds of calories each day. Once you eliminate that activity, if you keep eating the same number of calories, you will gain weight. No way around it.

How about chewing gum? Yes, recent studies have shown that gum chewing can contribute to the burning of calories, sometimes as much as 11 calories an hour. So, if you chew for, say, eight hours a day, you could burn 88 additional calories. Or you could just skip one 88-calorie cookie. Once again, the choice is yours.

Bottom line, a little fidgeting in private may be okay, but excessive fidgeting may appear to others as if you are having some sort of spasm. So be careful.

Original versus Light and Fat-Free version

2008-03-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

Is the fat-free or low-fat version of a product lower in calories than the real thing? Good question. The answer, sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on the product, and keep in mind most manufacturers took the fat out and replaced it with added sugar and, in most cases, sodium. Cookies, salad dressing, and ice cream are just a few of the many items that have experienced this trend. Observe the following:

Real thing:

Pepperidge Farm Double Chocolate Milano Cookie

140 calories for 2 cookies

8 grams of fat

Light version:

SnackWell’s Crème Sandwich Cookie

110 calories for 2 cookies

3 grams of fat

Fat-Free version:

Archway Fat-Free Devil’s Food Cookie

140 calories for 2 cookies

0 grams of fat

Salad Dressing

Real thing:

Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing

140 calories for 2 tablespoons

15 grams of fat

Light version

Hidden Valley Light Ranch Dressing

80 calories for 2 tablespoons

7 grams of fat

Fat-Free version

Kraft Fat-Free Ranch Dressing

50 calories for 2 tablespoons

0 grams of fat

Ice Cream

Real thing:

Häagen Dazs Pistachio Ice Cream

290 calories for half cup

20 grams of fat

Light version

Ben & Jerry’s Low-Fat Cherry Garcia

170 calories for half cup

3 grams of fat

Fat-Free version

Edy’s Fat-Free Cookie Yogurt

110 calories for half cup

0 grams of fat

As you can see, Milano cookies are only 30 calories more per serving than SnackWell’s, but the same amount of calories per serving as the Archway fat-free. You probably thought there would be a greater disparity. If you were only going to eat two cookies, then in my opinion it doesn’t make an appreciable difference. But do not, I repeat, do not think that light or fat-free cookies are much fewer in calories than the real thing. They aren’t.

With regards to salad dressing, Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing has almost three times as many calories as the fat-free variety. The Hidden Valley Light Ranch is 80 calories for two tablespoons, but dressings such as Ranch, Thousand Island, and French tend to be dense, which means they do not spread throughout the salad. This promotes you to use more. In general, Americans put far too much dressing on salads, especially when it is fat-free. Once again they equate fat-free to calorie-free. Use salad dressing sparingly, put it on the side or be smart and try balsamic vinegar or lemon, both of which are tasty and very low in calories.

As is obvious from the ice cream/frozen yogurt illustration on our chart, the heavy-creamed Häagen Dazs is almost triple the calories of the Edy’s Fat-Free Cookie Yogurt. The Ben & Jerry’s is lower in calories than the Häagen Dazs, but still contains 170 calories for only one-half of a cup. I would wager the average serving of ice cream/frozen yogurt is more in the range of two or more cups, four times the serving size listed. For the Edy’s Fat-Free Cookie Yogurt, that would equate to 440 calories. We won’t even discuss the thought of two cups of Häagen Dazs (which, by the way, is the entire pint), which would total 1160 calories!

Read labels

2008-03-04T01:57:00.000-08:00

Fortunately, most manufacturers are required by law to list the amount of calories, fat content, carbohydrate, sodium, etc., on most of their products. The data are there in black and white. Again, the choice is yours. You would be amazed how many people said things like, “I just read the label on my favorite can of soup and I was shocked.” This kind of surprise happens all the time, so read the labels. Researchers at the Fred Hutchison Cancer Center have found that people who read labels eat less than those who don’t.

The most important data from the label include the calories per serving or portion, the portion size, and the number of portions per container. Look at Entenmann’s Fat-Free Cakes. Many of them are 110 to 120 calories a serving. Then look at the fact that there are ten servings per cake. That would make each serving very, very small. You probably eat four or five servings, deluding yourself into believing that it was one, maybe one and a half, servings. Once you see the reality of the portion size, you will understand the reality of the numbers.

When you look at a food label, please observe the following:

Look at the serving size. In the sample label, the serving size is one-half cup. If necessary, get out a measuring cup and fill it up. That is the serving size.
Look at the servings per package or container. Notice how many total servings there are in the package or container. Remember this number when you look at calories per serving.
Look at the calories per serving. This is the amount of calories in the serving size you have identified. Multiply the number of servings and you will arrive at the total number of calories for the entire package or container. Now, be honest. What portion do you normally consume?

Get out your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt bowl and fill it with your average portion. Take that portion out and measure it in a measuring cup. That will give you a clearer indication of the number of calories you are consuming. Are you eating only one portion? Probably not.

THE BUSINESS PLAN FOR THE BODY, Jim Karas

Liquid calories

2008-03-04T01:22:00.000-08:00

You go to lunch. You are trying to lose weight. You order soup and salad. Unless you know for sure that it was prepared in a low-fat manner, the soup, even though it is just chicken soup, is high in fat, sodium, and calories. The salad has dressing in it. Your “healthy” lunch could be well over 1000 calories. Your weight-loss venture goes bust.

The lesson to be learned: stop drinking your calories, and that includes juice, soda, alcohol, so-called performance drinks (which are mostly a marketing sham and are loaded with sugar), lattes, cappuccinos, and similar drinks, unless they are in moderation and you are aware of their caloric content. As an alternative, order an espresso drink prepared with nonfat milk, which steams or froths up perfectly. Most juice is 15 calories an ounce; wine 25 calories an ounce. My four year old daughter drinks tiny juice boxes pierced with a straw all the time. Do you know that they are 90 calories each? Huge numbers for that amount of liquid. For most children, this is too many calories. Don’t forget, childhood obesity is at the highest level in our history. Most parents are thrilled when they tell me that “Johnny” doesn’t drink soda pop but instead drinks juice or Gatorade. That is a disaster. There is little difference calorically between soda, juice, and Gatorade. They are all loaded with calories. And forget smoothies. Many homemade or purchased smoothies can pack 500 calories in one serving, because they are made with double portions of frozen yogurt (or regular yogurt) and are a lot bigger than one cup. Think about it. You work out for an hour, sweat, shower, change, then negate the calories you burned in one “healthy” smoothie. Not smart, unless you know exactly what’s going into the blender and can control the calories yourself.

So what’s the message? Think before you drink. If you want to include liquid calories, so I do when I drink wine, be aware of the portion size and the associated caloric value. The same applies to a cocktail.

THE BUSINESS PLAN FOR THE BODY, Jim Karas

From deprivation to cravings

2008-03-04T00:47:00.000-08:00

Clearly, some level of hungers works hand in hand with a multitude of learned factors to influence our eating. One hint about how it works is that a craving is usually for something we consider tasty and satisfying but that we don’t allow ourselves to eat on a regular basis. Chronic dieters, for example, are seized by cravings much more frequently than non-dieters. That’s because food deprivation and/or loss of body fat can have a profound influence on the same brain chemicals that regulate appetite. The maddeningly skinny person who never diets, on the other hand, isn’t deprived; she might want ice cream from time to time but won’t obsess about it. The dieter will change her mind 15 times about the flavor, endlessly debate the use of sprinkles or a topping, and worry about the consequences of going off her diet.

Another factor that appears to work with the “appetite chemicals” is hormonal. Women are known to have more cravings than men.

The next time you feel a craving coming on, or even a mild appetite for a particular taste, ask yourself what you really want. Is it the hot fudge sundae? Willa chocolate frozen yogurt do just as well? A craving can often be satisfied by a lower-calorie food of similar flavor or texture. But sometimes, you just have to go for the sundae.

PICTURE PERFECT WEIGHT LOSS, DR. HOWARD SHAPIRO

When are you eating?

2008-03-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

With regards to when you consume your food, the amount of time between meals is a significant issue. If you eat one big meal a day, as many people I know do, then for over twenty-two hours a day your body is in starvation mode. It thinks that it has to slow down to keep you alive since you are not eating, the same phenomenon we that occurs when you fast or go on a highly restrictive low-calorie diet. Then, once a day, you accost the body with food. Not smart. You need to space your food as best you can throughout the day, which keeps your metabolism up. But keep in mind, eating throughout the day is not the same as overeating throughout the day.

Our bodies are very smart. That is why OptiFast, a liquid protein diet (Oprah’s very public first diet) and other similar crash diets did not work – because they caused the body to go into starvation mode. If you drink or eat a very restricted diet, say 400 to 500 calories a day, your body thinks that you are being starved to death and slows your metabolism in order to keep you alive. An important point to realize is to attack lean muscle tissue, which is the body’s most “active” tissue. Using a business analogy, our lean muscle is our “capital” and must be preserved. So, severe dieting is not a viable option.

But what happens when you overeat? Just the opposite. Your body speeds up because it doesn’t want to carry around extra calories stored as fat. Your body is not your enemy but your number one ally. Your body does not want to be overweight.

The Journal of American Medicine reported a study that examined the effects of repeated cycles of weight loss and regain on adolescent wrestlers. High school and college wrestlers are constantly going on crash diets prior to competition in order to make a lower weight category, which their coaches believe will give them an advantage. Ultimately, they found that there was a 14 percent lower metabolic rate in those adolescent wrestlers who repeatedly lost and regained weight versus those who did not. Even at a very young age, the metabolic rate was significantly impaired.

THE BUSINESS PLAN FOR THE BODY, Jim Karas

Fluid Facts

2008-03-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

Our bodies are filled with enough liquid to fill a good-size puddle. If you’ve ever been stranded on sea or land without a drop to drink, you know how much you need depend on a constant supply of fluid to keep you feeling hale and hearty.

But you don’t have to be lost in the Mojave to suffer from dehydration. In general, you will lose 2 to3 quarts of water every day through breathing, perspiring, even sneezing. You lose more when the air is dry or stale – as in an airplane – or when the air is very hot or cold. Hence, the often-quoted recommendation is that you should drink the equivalent of eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day.

But does it really have to be water? And how do you keep count?

Here are some ways to measure your liquid assets without keeping a water meter running all the time.

Drink when you’re thirsty

Some people believe they have to force themselves to drink those right glasses of they’re going to get enough liquids every day. Thirst is a fairly reliable indicator of the need for fluids. However, there are times when thirst may not be the best indicator – for example, when you’re exercising strenuously.

Don’t scorn soda

While pure water is the easiest, quickest, and probably the best way to get fluids into your body, you’d probably like to have a soda now and then. The fluid in beverages does count, especially if you’re drinking a low-sodium, low-carbohydrate beverage such as a diet drink.

Gain from the garden

Fruits and vegetables definitely have fluids that contribute to your total daily consumption.

Count tea and coffee

It’s a common misperception that the caffeine found in tea, coffee, or other caffeinated drinks actually “drains” fluids from your system. Though caffeine is a mild diuretic, when you drink a caffeinated beverage, your body retains as much as half the fluid.

Is alcohol fattening?

You’re more likely to put on weight if you drink alcoholic beverages.

In fact, drinking alcohol is a double whammy. Not only is booze high in calories, but it also evidently leads to increased appetite.

In a study, researchers alternated giving alcoholic and nonalcoholic aperitifs to a group of men and women lunchers over a 7-day period. In the days when the group drank alcohol, they ate faster, ate more, ate for a longer time, became “full” later, and kept on eating even after they had reached satiety.

Certainly, the alcohol prompted the people in the study to eat more and eat faster. Perhaps it also made them throw caution to the wind.

Picture Perfect Weight Loss, Dr. Howard M. Shapiro

Does Your Diet Program Address the Issues of Fat Build-up?

2008-02-28T19:32:00.000-08:00

Many might think eating excess calories is the only reason for overweight. In fact, there are several factors most commonly responsible for fat build-up. Before choosing your diet program, make sure it can effectively address the following issues:

1st Issue: High-calorie and nutrient-empty foods

Solution: Your diet program should help you get all the healthy fats and nutrients that your body requires. If it is achieved, you would eliminate cravings that would lead you to foods such as soda and junk food.

2nd Issue: Low thyroid function.

Solution: With low thyroid function, no weight loss could be attained no matter how little you eat. As a result, your diet program should improve thyroid function and upgrade your metabolism by consuming energy-boosting and thyroid-supporting coconut oil.

3rd Issue: Excess sugar and carbohydrate consumption, and insulin sensitivity

Solution: Your diet program shall emphasize nutrient-rich protein, dairy, and vegetables which would help you bypass excess consumption of insulin-activating sugars and grains.

4th Issue: Consumption of renegade fats

Solution: Your diet program shall exclude all trans-fats as they would interfere with various biochemical processes in your body and weight gain would be resulted eventually.

What are Healthy Traditional Diets?

2008-02-28T01:07:00.001-08:00

Eat whole, unprocessed foods.
Eat beef, lamb, organ meats, poultry and eggs from pasture-fed animals.
Eat wild fish, shellfish, and fish roe from unpolluted waters.
Eat full-fat milk products from pasture-fed cows, such as raw milk, yogurt, cultured butter, whole raw cheese, and fresh sour cream.
Use animal fats, like butter
Use traditional vegetable oils, for example: extra-virgin olive oil, expeller-expressed sesame oil, and coconut oil.
Eat fresh fruits and vegetables preferably organic in salads and soups
Use whole grains and nuts that have been prepared by soaking or sprouting.
Prepare homemade meat stocks from bones of chicken, beef, lamb, and fish.
Use filtered water for cooking and drinking
Use unrefined salt and a variety of herbs and spices for food interest and appetite stimulation
Make your own salad dressing using raw vinegar and natural traditional oils.
Use natural sweeteners, such as raw honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar.
Cook only in stainless-steel, cast-iron, glass and don’t use aluminums cookware
Do not use microwave
Use only natural, food-based supplements.
Get plenty of sleep and exercise

Think positive and don’t give up too easily as weight loss requires persistence.

Tips for Quick and Easy Weight Loss

2008-02-27T01:38:00.000-08:00

If you nourish yourself well, impose a healthy discipline, and exercise, you would soon say good-bye to the extra weight your body has been carrying around. Keep four core principles in mind which would not only help you attain health but also release excess weight in a natural, non-disruptive way. They are as follows:

Principle 1:
Eat three meals per day, and always eat breakfast

Principle 2:
Include traditional fats, especially coconut oil

Principle 3:
Consume nutrient-dense foods, particularly those with calcium and vitamins A and D.

Principle 4:
Restrict calories moderately

Question: What effects do these core principles bring to help attaining weight loss?

Answer: These four core principles provide a synergistic environment that drives weight loss as this diet plan will communicate to your body that:

1)You have safely released it from the feast-or-famine cycle

2)You will be providing it with no more, yet no less, than what it needs

By following these 4 core principles, you can maintain a stable, mutually satisfying, and long-term relationship with your own. In return, your body will give you a slimmer look as you desire, while keeping good health and an abundance of energy.

Tips for Dieting while Eating Out

2008-02-24T20:13:00.000-08:00

Most people on diet might have already tried following a fixed weekly eating schedule that set up what you should eat for each meal on each day. Yet, occasionally, unpredictable things just pop up and break your daily eating routine. Your friend might want to call you out for dinner. Your little brother might want you to take him to a fast-food restaurant for lunch so badly. Of course, dieting shouldn’t be an excuse that limits your social life. We offer you with great tips that make eating out a fun experience without the worry of getting your waist extra two more inches.

If you are going to McDonald’s and concerning about what to order, fruit or Caesar salad with grilled chicken would be a good dish.
If you are going to Burger King, why not choose the Veggie Burger without cheese or the Grilled Chicken Sandwich without sauce.
If you are going to enjoy American cuisine, you could order salad with oil and vinegar as your appetizer, and grilled chicken sandwich with baked potato as the main course. But, you remember to avoid ordering hamburger, grilled cheese, and fries, etc.
For Italian cuisine, you could have seafood salad and fish with olive oil or a small portion of whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce. But, do avoid having fried calamari, stuffed mushrooms, pizza with meat toppings, and anything that is fried or contains lots of cheese.
For Asian cuisine, you could choose seaweed salad, miso soup, sashimi, vegetables and tofu that are not fried, steamed fish, and broiled chicken. Again, do avoid anything that has “fried” or “crispy” in the name and food that contains too much soy sauce.
If your family decides to go to the buffet tonight, you don’t need to say “no, I am on a diet” and turn your family down. Before you go, you could have a cup of soup and a handful of nuts that would fill you up. Go have fun and don’t miss out any family or friends gatherings.

Choices of Dietary Breakfast Menus for You to Love

2008-02-22T01:44:00.000-08:00

Many might think “on a diet” is equivalent to “skipping a meal.” Let’s sacrifice breakfast. Wait, that’s a wrong concept. Breakfast helps charging you up with the energy you need for the entire day. Also, as fiber helps control afternoon cravings and protein helps decrease appetite, including more of these both substances in the morning would be a good choice.

Here we provide you with different breakfast menus hoping to keep you healthy and not to upset your taste buds in the same time. For cereal lovers, you could have cooked oat cereal with four ounces of skim milk or soy milk fortified with vitamin D and calcium. You might sprinkle few pieces of your favourite fruits over it as well. If you are an egg-lover, you might have egg-white omelet which is made of 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg mixing with cut-up vegetables. For bread lovers, you might choose to have one slice of toasted whole wheat bread topped with one teaspoon of peanut or walnut butter, or avocado spread.

Your list of drinks could consist of plain or sparkling water (either with fruit slices or not), skim milk, hot or iced tea, fruit or vegetable juice. Tomato, grapefruit, or orange juice with pulp, fortified with calcium and vitamin D, would be suggested. So don’t hesitate, begin your day with a healthier and enjoyable breakfast.

Tips for Successful Dietary Contingency Plans

2008-02-21T02:19:00.000-08:00

Eating is an emotional action. Often, even when you have just finished up your double cheeseburger with fries as the side dish and a bonus large pop drink for lunch, you might also want to grab a few pieces of delicious, sugar-glazed donuts as desserts. While enjoying every bite of your meal, you might not have noticed how much waist-killing foods you have been eating. Plus, unhealthy foods usually are fast and convenient; these attractive traits might get you into a whole lot of trouble as well.

Three key healthy ways to overcome such temptations and the impulsive craving for bad foods are to: find a substitute, prepare pre-made Foods, and have emergency foods ready.

Find a Substitute

Many might find eating is the best way to relieve stress from work and a gain in weight might be resulted unconsciously in return. Instead of craving for sweets like chocolate, one might turn to carrots and apples, which are perfect anti-stress foods containing a tinge of sweetness. When you feel frustrated, mad, or upset, you could choose baby carrots, celery, or any crispy vegetables such that they not only give you something to crunch into but also have a nutritional value.

Prepare Pre-made Foods

You might cut up vegetables, or sauté them in olive oil with chopped garlic and red pepper. Bag them, refrigerate them, and use them for side dishes or snacks. To safe time, you could also make soup with vegetables of your choice once a week, store them in cups in the fridge, and drink a cup as an appetizer for dinner. You could also cook up one week’s worth of oats, store them in the fridge up to one week, and reheat them when needed.

Emergency Foods

After having the regular meals of the day and you are still struggling in a hunger emergency, that’s the best time when the emergency foods come in place. Make sure that these emergency foods could be easily accessible when you are hungry. Such foods include apples, almonds, walnuts, edamame, sugarless gum, low-fat yogurt, peanuts, dried fruit, and cut-up vegetables.

Vegetables: Cooked vs. Raw

2008-02-19T01:13:00.000-08:00

Some people are under the impression that cooked vegetables have more calories than raw vegetables. In a sense, they’re right: A cupful of raw spinach has fewer calories than a cupful of cooked spinach. That’s because when spinach cooks, it shrinks, and you can therefore pack more into a cup.

But that’s measuring by volume. By weight, the calories are the same whether you eat your spinach cooked or raw. And the same is true with broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and any other vegetable that can be eaten either way.

I constantly say that it makes good sense to eat your vegetables cooked as well as raw. There’s no calorie difference and no healthfulness gap, and cooking vegetables certainly extends the range and variety of tastes and textures your can enjoy.

Cooked vegetables seem more filling and satisfying, more like real food, especially if they’re well-flavored. How about grilled Portobello mushrooms, or baked eggplant, or curried pumpkin soup, just for openers? These foods seem like real meals.

What I’m saying, of course, is that I don’t want you to think you have to eat the “rabbit food” that many people associate with dieting. Cold, raw vegetables – lettuce leaves, sprouts, celery, and carrot sticks – aren’t for everyone. In fact, even people who love the rabbit-food veggies find there’s only so much of them they can eat. So to the extent that cooked vegetables extend your vegetable options, they are a definite plus for weight loss.

Here’s something that I always say: eat as much as you want of vegetables, any way you want them.

Use vegetables in soups and stews. Marinate them – or choose the marinated vegetables at the salad bar. Puree your vegetables, sauté them, chop them into slaw, pickle them, grill them, or serve them with a range of low-calorie sauces, dressings, relishes, chutneys, condiments, spices, and herbs.

Does Portion Size Matter? Part 2

2008-02-14T00:08:00.000-08:00

You can find Part 1 here.

The same principle applies to bread. Do you realize that most retail bagels are over 500 calories each, and that is before taking into account cream cheese or other toppings? Big numbers. A recent study asked a hundred college students to find a “medium”-size bagel, basked potato, muffin, apple, or cookie. The items the student brought back were as much as three times larger than the amounts defined as standard serving sizes by the USDA’s food pyramid. Clearly, this illustrates that Americans suffer from a severe case of portion and size distortion. And most of us don’t even realize this.

Here are some additional methods to help you visualize proper portion size: one cup of rice, vegetables, fruit, etc., is approximately the size of an average fist; three ounces of meat, fish, or poultry, approximately the size of your palm or a deck of cards; your thumb tip represents a teaspoon, three thumb tips equal a tablespoon; one medium apple or orange, the size of a baseball; one ounce of cheese, the size of four dices. Remember, keep eyeballing your food to keep a handle on portion size. But most of all, buy a measuring cup and a food scale. They will really make a difference when it comes to your caloric education. You don’t have to use them forever, just long enough to get a feel for the portion size and the corresponding caloric value. You will find that you learn these values very quickly.

Does Portion Size Matter? Part 1

2008-02-14T00:06:00.000-08:00

The problem is not the food, it’s the portion size. America is the land of the thirty-two-ounce Porterhouse steak. Lobster, a harmless shellfish, has to be dipped in drawn butter. Most salad bars present you with a plate the size of a serving platter and are nothing more than the resting place of fatty meat, cheese, mayonnaise, and creamy salad dressing. If you want to eat 400 calories of pasta, go ahead, just know that 400 calories of pasta is not a great deal of food. Try this test.

Buy an inexpensive one pound box of pasta. The average box is 1600 calories in total. Now boil all the pasta and look at the cooked portion. That is 1600 calories. Separate in half: that is 800 calories. Cut it in half again, and that is 400 calories. Cut it one more time, that is 200 calories. Now honestly, which is your “normal” portion size? Probably at the high end. Mind you, this is before the sauce, which generally is loaded with calories and fat. Also, know that most restaurants coat the pasta noodles with oil, butter, or another fat before they even put on the sauce to prevent the pasta from sticking. So you end up with high-calorie, low-fat pasta noodles, tossed in oil, butter, or other fats before you add the sauce. This all translates into huge caloric numbers. Pasta should be a side dish, eaten in small portions, whereas Americans eat huge portions of everything on a daily basis. In Italy, pasta comes as a small course before the entrée. The portion size amounts to about four twirls of a fork. Now think about your average twirl.

You can find Part 2 of this article here.

Why Include Three Servings Of Fruit Each Day?

2008-02-13T22:30:00.000-08:00

Like vegetables, fruit is packed with vitamins and nutrients, filled with water and fiber, and supply between 50 to 100 calories for a medium-size piece, or one cup, cut up (which equals one serving). Fruit makes a great dessert because it’s a tasty, low-calorie way to satisfy a sweet craving. The same research conducted in 1994 by the USDA showed that only 24 percent of Americans are eating two servings of fruit a day, and that occurs only because they are including fruit such as the apples in apple pie and the fruit filling in a danish. Not impressive. Don’t even think of including a Pop-Tart or jelly doughnut as your fruit.

Some interesting research from New Zealand’s University of Auckland revealed that the weight of food may be more important than fat and calories when it comes to weight loss. Individuals tend to eat the same weight of food each day. What foods weigh the most with the least amount of calories? Fruit and vegetables, whose high water and fiber content keep them high in weight. A navel orange, for instance, weighs two and a half times as much as a croissant but contains approximately 60 calories. The croissant can be hundreds of calories but weighs very little. Light foods such as popcorn, cheese puffs, rice cakes, and Twinkies don’t weigh very much but have lots of calories. Consider the weight of the food you are eating and realize that the heavier items are often lower in calories.

Vegetables and fruits fill you up and are enormously healthy. They are low in calories and, once again, are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and water. Think of eating vegetables and fruit as your core curriculum. Reach for fruits and vegetables instead of other snacks, and minimize your caloric intake.

Healthy Oil: High-Vitamin Butter Oil

2008-02-12T23:40:00.000-08:00

In addition to cod-liver oil, doctors sometimes prescribe what is known as ‘high-vitamin butter oil’. It is a great superfood, extremely beneficial for your weight loss diet. This deep yellow butter oil from cows feeding on rapidly growing green grass in the spring and fall, produced by a low-temperature centrifuge process that concentrates the vitamins in the oil, supplies not only vitamins A and D but also Activator X. This high-vitamin butter oil has been used to treat diseases such as bone loss, arthritis, tooth decay and fatigue.

High-vitamin butter oil is not the same as ghee. Ghee, or clarified butter, is butter from which the milk solids have been removed. It is a wonderful fat for cooking because it does not burn as easily as regular butter and also has a delightful flavor and color. However, it is not a superfood since its nutrients are much less concentrated than those of high-vitamin butter oil.

High-vitamin butter oil has been proven very beneficial for digestive problems and convalescence. Even if you don’t suffer from serious health problems, you may want to include this remarkable superfood in your diet. The recommended does is ½ teaspoon per day. They best way to take it is with your cod-liver oil mentioned previously in this website.

Several years ago an enterprising farmer named David Wetzel developed a method to grow new green grass year-round, plus a way to centrifuge the butter at low temperature. Many doctors are recommending high-vitamin butter oil to their patients.

Cod-Liver Oil: A Great Superfood For Your Diet

2008-02-12T23:12:00.000-08:00

Cod-liver oil supplements are critical for redressing the widespread deficiencies in vitamins A and D in the modern diet. Unless you have access to whole dairy products from pastured cows and also eat liver several times per week, you will not be getting the levels of fat-soluble vitamins that are needed to be healthy.

Healthy individuals from historic times are believed to have made a practice of consuming special nutrient-dense foods before conception and during pregnancy and lactation and of giving them to growing children, to ensure the health of everyone in the village or tribe, generation after generation. For modern Westerners, then, taking cod-liver oil for several months before conception is particularly important for women and their male partners, as well as for women during pregnancy and lactation, to ensure the optimal development of the child and prevent birth defects. Growing children will also benefit from a small daily does.

Cod-liver oil is also rich in DHA and EPA, the long-chain fatty acids critical to neurological health and many other processes in the body. Cod-liver oil should be part of a diet that contains ample saturated fats from butter, coconut oil, an other sources because the very unsaturated fatty acids in cod-liver oil work synergistically with saturated fats. To increase its effectiveness in treating serious medical conditions, doctors sometimes gave cod-liver oil along with high-vitamin butter oil.

How much cod-liver oil do I need?

An optimal maintenance does of cod-liver oil provides 10000 IU of vitamin A per day for adults and 5000 IU of vitamin A per day for infants and children. Those recovering from illness, accidents, or surgery should take 20000 IU a day. Miraculous cures from various conditions, especially cancer and hormonal imbalances leading to menstrual and fertility problems, have been reported be people taking even larger doses for several weeks or months. High-vitamin cod-liver oil is perfect for weight loss, since it provides the maximum amount of A and D for the minimum number of calories.

How Many Calories In Wine?

2008-02-05T05:12:00.000-08:00

Many of us enjoy a glass of wine with meals. Wine, like any other brightly colored food, is replete with heart-friendly antioxidants and other chemical compounds that can help you live longer and healthier.

But there is a downside, I am referring not to alcohol abuse, which can be a concern, but to the calories. Alcohol is chemically similar to fat, with about 7 calories per gram. No matter how much you skimp on portions or deny yourself the creamy sauce, having a few glasses of wine, beer, or liquor will drop all of those calories right back in the tank. Here's the lowdown:

Beer, 12 ounces: about 146 calories
Vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, or tequila, 2 ounces: about 128 calories
Red or white wine, 7 ounces: about 85 and 80 calories, respectively
Cordials: 146 to 186 calories per serving

It's okay to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or to have a coctail or an after-diner brandy. Just make sure you savor every sip to make it last. Responsible drinking isn't only about staying sober, it's also about keeping your weight where you want it. Remember, when it comes to alcohol, less is more.

How To Order At McDonald?

2008-02-04T04:05:00.000-08:00

It's tougher to find items on the main menu at McDonald's that promote real weight loss and general health. The Big Mac alone, which isn't all that big compared to some of the other burger behemoths out there, delivers 560 calories. To its credit, McDonald's has included quite a few non-burger meals on the menu. Unfortunately, these aren't the things most people want to order. In the meantime, there are a few items that won't blow your fat or calorie budget. Here are your best picks at McDonald's.

Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich
It's not a total calorie lightweight, but at least the chicken is grilled instead of battered and fried - and if you top it with Newman's Own Low-Fat Family Recipe Italian Dressing, it can easily fit into any weight-loss diet plan. Vital stats: 470 calories, 9 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat.

Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken
As with most chicken salads at any of the chains, this one's high in sodium. So if high blood pressure is something you are dealing with, don't bother. But if your overall sodium intake is good, go for it. This salad is filling, flavorful, and very good for losing weight. Vital stats: 220 calories, 6 grams total fat, 3 grams saturated fat.

Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait
With this one, McDonald's has earned a pat on the back. It's a rich-tasting dessert that doesn't act rich. Vital stats: 160 calories, 2 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat.