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Sunday, 21 June 2015
Friday, 19 June 2015
Eating Healthy For Students
Eating Healthy For Students
For students, eating at college is an entirely new ball game, with late night pizza delivery and food
from buggies. Even though some of these quick and simple options taste great, they are probably
not healthy for a student's body.
The food choices students make can affect whether or not they are able to remain awake during class
and whether or not they will come down with mononucleosis when it hits campus. The problem
is not only about eating junk food, it's more about not getting the proper proteins, carbs,
vitamins, and minerals that people need.
When it comes to defending against illnesses, vitamins and minerals are very important. Just
because they are important, isn't a reason for students to run out and stock up on vitamins and
supplements. It's best for students to get their nutrition from food.
You can find vitamin C in citric fruits, Vitamin A in milk and diary products, and vitamin E in
nuts, whole wheat products, and even green leafy vegetables. This is the ideal way to get
nutrition, as your body relies on these vitamins for many reasons.
When you eat on campus, skip on the soda's and go right to the juice machines. Explore the
different entrees available and go to the salad bar where there are fresh vegetables. You can
also try putting some broccoli and cauliflower in the microwave for steamed vegetables. There
are always healthy cereals and plenty of fresh fruit available in dining halls as well.
Always remember that eating healthy isn't just about avoiding greasy foods. Eating healthy
involves getting a balanced diet and getting the right nutrients and vitamins to keep your body
in peak performance - or at least awake during your classes.
For students, eating at college is an entirely new ball game, with late night pizza delivery and food
from buggies. Even though some of these quick and simple options taste great, they are probably
not healthy for a student's body.
The food choices students make can affect whether or not they are able to remain awake during class
and whether or not they will come down with mononucleosis when it hits campus. The problem
is not only about eating junk food, it's more about not getting the proper proteins, carbs,
vitamins, and minerals that people need.
When it comes to defending against illnesses, vitamins and minerals are very important. Just
because they are important, isn't a reason for students to run out and stock up on vitamins and
supplements. It's best for students to get their nutrition from food.
You can find vitamin C in citric fruits, Vitamin A in milk and diary products, and vitamin E in
nuts, whole wheat products, and even green leafy vegetables. This is the ideal way to get
nutrition, as your body relies on these vitamins for many reasons.
When you eat on campus, skip on the soda's and go right to the juice machines. Explore the
different entrees available and go to the salad bar where there are fresh vegetables. You can
also try putting some broccoli and cauliflower in the microwave for steamed vegetables. There
are always healthy cereals and plenty of fresh fruit available in dining halls as well.
Always remember that eating healthy isn't just about avoiding greasy foods. Eating healthy
involves getting a balanced diet and getting the right nutrients and vitamins to keep your body
in peak performance - or at least awake during your classes.
Thursday, 18 June 2015
Detox Diet: Juice Fasting Recipes
Detox Diet: Juice Fasting Recipes
Juice fasting is gaining popularity as a great way to detoxify. Many people are interested in getting toxins out of their system so they can live a healthier life.
When toxins accumulate in the body, they feel sluggish and also have a poor immune system.
Juice fasting, as a cleansing method, can help people to achieve better health and more energy. It is quite easy to do as fruits are readily obtainable and all that is required additionally is a juicer.
For a beginner to juice fasting, it is important to start out slow and to try it out for one day. By juice fasting, you are limiting your intake to juices only. Fruit juice is high in sugar, so if you are a diabetic or otherwise in need of monitoring your sugar intake you should be cautious of trying a juice fast with fruit juices.
Anyone just starting out with fasting should always speak with their doctor first. Also, do not juice fast for prolonged periods like more than 3 days, not unless your doctor agrees that it is safe for you to do so.
The following are sample recipes that can help give you an idea of combinations of fruits and vegetables to use together:
Recipe 1: Vegetable Juice Combo
2 Swiss chard leaves
1/2 beetroot
2 or 3 sprigs of watercress
3 carrots
1 celery stalk
Wash with filtered or distilled water, cut and put in juicer.
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Recipe 2: Carrot-Apple Juice
2-3 Green Apples
1 carrot
Fresh basil leaves
Wash with filtered or distilled water, cut and put in juicer.
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Recipe 3: Carrot-Vegetable Juice
A handful of dandelion leaves
1 kale leaf
4 carrots
Fresh mint, basil or coriander leaves
Wash with filtered or distilled water, cut and put in juicer.
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Recipe 4: Peach Juice
2 or 3 peaches
Wash with filtered or distilled water, cut and put in juicer.
There are many different types of juice fasts. Some diets call for fruit juices while others used less sugary vegetable juices. You can always come up with your own unique combination of fruit and vegetable juice diet recipes.
freedigitalphotos.net
Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Easy Weight Loss Diets
Easy Weight Loss Diets
It is a fact that over half of Americans are overweight. With most of us having busy schedules, it's not so easy to stick to diets or work out on a regular basis.But, all hope is not lost. The following advice should help you lose those unwanted bounds easily by following a safe diet plan and exercising.
The first piece of advice deals with exercising.
Always exercise on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Take a walk on a treadmill or around the block a few times. Ten minutes will make a difference by burning stored energy - namely fat.
The second useful tip is not eating late night snacks.
If you avoid snacking three hours before bedtime, you wont be storing fat, and you will be amazed at the results.
Tip number three suggests that if you are going to drink coffee, make it black.
Fancy coffee flavoured drinks with cream and sugar are loaded with calories, as opposed to zero in a good old cup of black coffee.
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Tip four recommends that you eat four or five small meals a day rather than the traditional three.
Your metabolism needs constant fuel to burn fat. If you feed it in small amounts several times, your metabolism stays high and burns more calories.
Finally, cut down on your carbohydrate intake.
This will make a huge difference in how much and how quickly you will lose weight. Eliminate as much bread and other starches as you can from your diet, and you’ll see why it works when you step on the scale.
Take this advice, and you’ll see what easy weight loss dieting is all about.
Monday, 15 June 2015
Coconut Oil: Cholesterol And Weight Loss Maintenance That Tastes Good
Coconut Oil: Cholesterol And Weight Loss Maintenance That Tastes Good
Coconut oil does not contain toxic unsaturated oil that other oils do. It is loaded with healthy benefits that include lowering your cholesterol and your weight. If you find yourself in the “50 and over” group, should your cholesterol and weight rank higher than your retirement plan?
Coconut oil has a pleasant taste, does not go rancid (even after a year) like other oils and has health benefits instead of health detriments. Civilizations consuming coconut oil without the trans fat oils are healthier, have less colon problems, less cancer, do not battle weight loss and have less heart disease.
Coconut oil has antioxidant properties due to the lack of oxidation of the oil in the body thereby reducing the need to supplement Vitamin E that is normally used up in the oxidation process. The general studies indicate that regular consumption of coconut oil reduces cholesterol to a normal level by converting cholesterol into pregnenolone.
Ever since “trans fat” became a dirty food, we have looked for replacement oils that will deliver our favourite "bad" food to the table without sacrificing the good taste. It has been established that our best bet to stay healthy is to eat healthy. Eating healthy includes eliminating harmful oils and supplementing our diet with foods that includes basic building block nutrients that have eroded from our farms and gardens.
The trans fats stay in the bloodstream and eventually collect as fat in the vessels and body. Coconut oil goes straight to the liver and is converted to energy. This “good” oil speeds up your body’s metabolic rate, causes you to burn calories and in this manner you will lose weight.
Coconut oil has a laundry list of healthy benefits. Using coconut oil as a supplement, 3-4 table spoons a day, produces sufficient lauric acid. Lauric acid produces monolaurin. Monolaurin is a natural antiviral that kills viruses. This is a huge support to the immune system.
Cooking with coconut oil will eliminate harmful fatty chains that manifests themselves as trans fatty acids in the body. If you are reducing trans fat in your body you also raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels and lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels in your bloodstream.
freedigitalphotos.net
The medicinal use worldwide of coconut oil includes: supplement to prevent osteoporosis, sore throat, kidney stone dissolving, reduce swelling and for weight loss.
The results are clear, nutritionists and dieticians agree that coconut oil is one of the healthiest supplements you can consume. Civilizations that have used coconut oil are generally healthier and do not have the many western nation diseases such as heart disease, blood pressure issues, blood sugar, obesity and diabetes.
Coconut oil can be used for cooking and frying. Battle weight loss the natural way. Replace all oil such as butter, margarine, vegetable oil or shortening with coconut oil. Warmed to 76 degrees, coconut is liquid and can be used in salad dressing. You can also use it as a skin lotion. It is liquid on contact to the skin.
Sunday, 14 June 2015
Frequently Asked Questions About Weight Loss And Diets
Frequently Asked Questions About Weight Loss And Diets
If you’re on a diet, or considering going on one, you’re in luck. We’ve put together ten of the most frequently asked questions about diets and weight loss and compiled them here. Enjoy!
1. How much should I weigh?
Your doctor can answer that question most accurately. More important than how much you weigh is your body/mass index, which measures your height against your weight.
2. What's the best diet for losing weight?
Any diet that provides all the nutrition that you need for health, and in addition, provides fewer calories than your body burns regularly.
3. How can I keep off the weight that I lose?
If you lose weight gradually and re-educate both yourself and your body about food, you'll have a good start. The secret to keeping weight off is to balance your energy needs with your food intake. Eat enough calories to supply your body's energy needs, but not so many that your body stores the excess as fat.
4. What's the story with obesity and diabetes?
Obesity increases the risks of a number of chronic health conditions, and diabetes is one of them. People who are more than ten percent overweight increase their risk of developing type 2 diabetes substantially.
5. How do I decrease my intake of sugar?
Obviously, you can decrease your intake of sugar by cutting out sweets and refined snacks, but you should also watch out for 'hidden' sugars. Check ingredients. High fructose corn syrup and sucrose are both simple sugars that add lots of calories and little nutrition.
6. How often should I weigh myself?
Most diet experts recommend that you weigh yourself no more than once a week. Some go so far as to tell you to throw out the scale entirely! A more accurate measure of your loss is your clothing size. If your clothing is feeling looser, you're doing great.
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7. Do I really have to exercise?
You don't HAVE to, but it will be a lot harder to lose weight if you don't. A half hour of moderate exercise daily is the minimum activity level for healthy weight loss. You can get it walking, running, cleaning your house - anything active burns calories.
8. What's a calorie?
A calorie is a measure of energy. Foods are rated with calories based on the amount of energy they provide to the body when consumed.
9. Can I lose weight without changing my diet?
Weight loss results when you burn more calories than you consume. If you only need to lose a small amount of weight and your diet is generally healthy, you can lose weight by increasing your activity level to burn more calories. If your diet is poor, or if you're more than a few pounds overweight, you really need to learn a new, more healthy way or eating, or you'll put the weight back on when you go back to 'normal' eating.
10. Should I eat fish on my diet?
Unless it's expressly forbidden by your diet, absolutely. Fish is high protein, low saturated fat, and high in omega 3 fatty acids. Some doctors recommend eating as much as 10 servings of fish per week.
5 Healthy Benefits of Following a Mediterranean Diet Plan
5 Healthy Benefits of Following a Mediterranean Diet Plan
The Mediterranean diet has been around for centuries, but if you don't live in countries where this diet is prevalent such as Greece or Italy, you may not realize the many benefits of eating healthy foods "Mediterranean" style. According to studies, the Mediterranean diet encourages healthy weight loss and helps to reduce risks of many life-threatening diseases. Below are five of the top benefits of following this diet.
1. Fast Weight Loss
One of the key benefits of the Mediterranean diet is fast weight loss. This is not from the results of a diet pill or a crash starvation diet, but from healthy, portion-controlled eating. Weight loss rates will vary, but some have reported losing an average of 10 pounds per month. Delicious diet recipes are often provided when following the Mediterranean diet that help to speed up the weight loss process without depriving you of much needed vitamins and nutrients. Losing weight alone can offer many health benefits.
2. Good Heart Health
The delicious diet recipes provided while following a Mediterranean diet are all designed to promote good heart health. The Mediterranean diet consists of healthy doses of olive oil, fruits and vegetables, and oily fish. With some participants, a moderate amount of wine is consumed with meals. All these help to lower cholesterol and keep the blood flow to the heart at a normal level, thus, reducing the risk of heart disease tremendously.
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3. Lower Cancer Risks
Having too many toxins in the body can cause some types of cancer, such as breast cancer. Eating the types of healthy foods promoted in the Mediterranean diet such as fruits and vegetables will lower the amount of toxins in the body because these foods are natural antioxidants.
4. Prevent Gallstones
Those who have fallen victim to gall stones realize how painful they can be. With around 639,000 people being hospitalized per year with gallstones, many studies are being conducted to help find a cause and cure. The Mediterranean diet is rich in nuts, vegetable oil, and fish. Though gallstones are not always diet-related, consuming these foods can help to reduce the risk of gall stones or eliminate them altogether for some according to recent studies.
5. Lower Blood Pressure
The healthy foods in a Mediterranean diet can also work to lower and regulate blood pressure. Blood cholesterol levels can return to normal when eating less fatty foods and salt, and more healthy vitamins and minerals. Cooking procedures on a Mediterranean diet usually involve roasting or grilling rather than frying, so more nutrients are retained in the food during preparation, and there is much less fat consumption.
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These are only a few of the benefits. The Mediterranean diet also offers many other benefits such as reducing the risks of blood clotting, diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and other life-threatening diseases. Don't deprive yourself. Start eating delicious diet recipes on the Mediterranean diet for healthy weight loss today.
Saturday, 13 June 2015
Eating And Exercise
Eating And Exercise
Anytime you exercise, you do so in order to try and maintain good health. You also know that you have to eat as well, so your body will have the energy it needs to exercise and maintain for the everyday tasks of life. For making the best of your exercise, what you eat before and after you workout is very important.
No matter if you are going to be doing a cardio workout or a resistance workout, you should always
make it a point to eat a balanced mix of protein and carbohydrates. What makes that determining percentage of carbs and protein you consume is whether or not you are doing cardio or resistance exercise and the intensity level that you plan to work at.
The ideal time for you to eat your pre workout meal is an hour before you start. If you plan to work
at a low intensity level, you should keep your pre workout meal down to 200 calories or so. If you
plan to exercise at a high level of intensity, you will probably need your meal to be between 4,000
and 5,000 calories.
Those of you who are doing a cardio session will need to consume a mix of 2/3 carbs and 1/3 protein.
Doing so will give you longer sustained energy from the extra carbs with enough protein to keep your
muscle from breaking down while you exercise. For resistance exercise, you'll need to eat a mix
of 1/3 carbs and 2/3 protein, as this will help you get plenty of energy from the carbs to perform
each set you do and the extra protein will help keep muscle breakdown to a minimum while you
exercise.
Eating after you exercise is just as important as your pre workout meal. Anytime you exercise,
whether its cardio or resistance, you deplete energy in the form of glycogen. The brain and central
nervous system rely on glycogen as their main source of fuel, so if you don't replace it after
you exercise, your body will begin to break down muscle tissue into amino acids, and then convert
them into usable fuel for the brain and the central nervous system.
Keep in mind that mostly during resistance exercise, you'll break down muscle tissue by
creating micro tears. What this means, is that after a workout, your muscles will instantly go
into repair mode. Protein is the key here for muscle repair, as you don't want muscle breaking
down even further to create fuel instead of lost glycogen.
Once you have finished a cardio session, you'll need to consume mainly carbohydrates, preferably
those with high fiber. Rice, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, and northern fruits are excellent sources.
Also, try to consume 30 - 50 grams of there types of carbs after you exercise. After your
cardio workout, it is fine to eat within 5 - 10 minutes.
Once you've finished a resistance workout, you will need to consume a combination of carbs and
protein. Unlike cardio workouts, resistance workouts will break down muscle tissue by creating
micro tears.
You'll need protein as this happens to build up and repair these tears so that the muscle can
increase in size and strength. The carbs will not only replace the lost muscle glycogen, but
will also help the protein get into muscle cells so it can synthesize into structural protein, or
the muscle itself.
After your resistance exercise, you should wait up to 30 minutes before you eat, so that you won't
take blood away from your muscles too fast. The blood in your muscles will help the repair process
by removing the metabolic waste products.
Friday, 12 June 2015
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Why Is Weight Loss So Hard?
Why Is Weight Loss So Hard?
Weight loss is a common problem millions of Americans today struggle with. Very few Americans have been successful at losing a desired amount of weight.
The main problem is that most cannot stick to the designated program. For instance, a general weight loss program includes both diet as well as exercise. Most of the time an individual trying to lose weight will at least attempt one of these. Often times what happens is that the exercise may be too strenuous for that person since they must have lacked exercise for so long going back to why they are in such shape.
Another perspective is the diet. Most people looking to lose weight are usually in this pandemic because of eating not only food with high amounts of sugars and fats, but also food in high quantities of these fats and sugars. This becomes a significant problem because changing old habits for anyone is such a difficult process especially in America since you can’t walk two feet out your door without seeing a McDonald’s.
So in the end dieting or weight loss in general is such a difficult process because of the extreme new “way of life” you would have to adapt to. A recent statistic said that of those who fail to reach an ideal weight goal in a diet actually gain more weight trying the diet rather then losing.
The reason for this is once you “give in,” you start “binge eating” meaning you eat almost everything in site with no restrictions. This is a one negative impact of dieting viewed by many. Of course most researchers/doctors say diet and exercise are essential for a healthy life, whether losing weight or not.
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Why Home Exercise Equipment is Better Than a Gym Membership
Why Home Exercise Equipment is Better Than a Gym Membership
Everyone buys gym memberships with the best of intentions. You plan to go several times a week. You plan to take advantage of classes or sessions with personal trainers. You have every intention of formulating a plan, and sticking to it. The problem is: the gym is too easy to avoid. And the reasons for avoiding it are just too good.
It's not just laziness. Commute times are getting longer and longer: the last thing you want to do before or after work is spend some more time driving to a gym and fighting for a parking space. That's assuming you even have the option: if you have kids to pick up or drop off, or chores to do at home, you may simply not have the time you feel you need to get a good workout at the gym.
This is where the benefits of home exercise equipment really show. You can snatch a few minutes here and there on the treadmill while dinner's cooking. You can watch your kids while you work out. You can watch your own DVD's in the comfort of air conditioning set to your preference while you use a stationary bike, elliptical or treadmill.
You can listen to music you like, set up some aromatherapy that you find inspiring, or do some reading while you exercise. And when you're done, you can take a shower in the comfort of your own bathroom, with all your favourite shampoos, soaps and towels right there waiting for you.
Sunday, 7 June 2015
Saturday, 6 June 2015
Cardio Exercise
Cardio Exercise
Everyone has wondered at some point in time which cardio exercise is better. To put it in simple
terms, both low and high intensity exercises will help you to burn off body fat. The question here
is which is the most effective to burn off more body fat.
When scientists first discovered that during intensive exercises, your body burns glycogen, which
is a form of stored carbohydrates that are stored in your liver and muscles for energy. During low
intensity exercises, your body will burn a lot of fat.
If your wondering whether or not it works, the answer is no because there are so many obese people
still around. Even though they are working out with low intensity routines, it still makes you
wonder how it can be.
The scientists were right when they said the human body burns more body fat during low intensity
exercises like walking or swimming. During a high intensity exercise such as running, the body
will burn a lot more calories. Even if some of the calories burnt are from glycogen, there are
still many fat calories burned as well.
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To put the icing on the cake, when your store of glycogen gets low, the carbohydrates from your
food you eat will later get converted into glycogen to fill up the store and won't be
converted to body fat when they are left unused for energy.
High intensity cardio exercise will juice up your metabolism even after you have completed your
workout. What this means, is that your body will continue to burn body fat hours after you have
left the gym. This effect is nearly non existent in low intensity cardio or aerobic workout.
Accumulatively, your body will burn up more and more calories during and after you have finished a
high intensity cardio exercise that it will with low intensity.
You can inject high intensity exercises into your cardio workout by introducing some interval
training. You can walk for 5 minutes or so, then break into some jogging for another 5 minutes or
so. Then, walk briskly again until you have caught your breath and then sprint for a minute
before you walk again. From this point, simply alternate your running and walking for the
next 15 minutes until you are finished.
One of the best things about cardio is the more you do it, the more energy you'll have. Cardio
will help you to burn calories, although its more useful for keeping your energy levels high.
If you've never tried cardio before, you should give it a shot.
If you like to exercise, you'll find cardio the best way to boost your energy and keep in top shape. If you are just starting out, you'll want to go slow and keep your cardio exercise in track - as it is very easy to over exert yourself.
Friday, 5 June 2015
Are Meal Replacements A Good Idea For Weight Loss?
Are Meal Replacements A Good Idea For Weight Loss?
Think about the number one reasons why people are overweight nowadays. Overweight people fall into one of two different categories.
Either they have an unhealthy lifestyle – working long hours, eating out all the time, not getting enough exercise – or they simply eat too much, often in a compulsive way.
This type of eating – eating when one isn’t hungry, for example, or eating for emotional reasons rather than physical hunger – is really a type of addiction. It should be understood as an addiction, and it often is.
For example, the group Overeaters Anonymous functions on many of the same principles as AA or other twelve step programs. Excessive eating is treated like an addiction because that’s exactly what it is.
But if that’s the case, it’s easy to see why this addiction might be harder to treat than some others. The way to deal with an addiction is to stay away from the behaviour that’s out of control – alcoholics can’t touch alcohol, for example. The idea is to not do it at all until the addiction becomes a thing of the past – in fact, for many addicts, they can never indulge in their addictive behavior again, not even once.
With food addiction, though, that’s obviously impossible. People have to eat – there’s no getting away from it. That’s why food addiction, though it’s an addiction to a non-lethal substance, may be the hardest of all to deal with. And that’s also why companies such as Slim-fast, who produce and market meal replacements for people to use while dieting to lose weight, actually do succeed in helping some people.
The idea behind meal replacements is that you don’t really eat at all for a good part of the day – instead, you have a special shake or other product that gives you all the nutrients you need, and stops you from feeling hungry. This works in two ways: first, it controls the calories you take in, because the meal replacements are quite low calorie. Second, it breaks the cycle of addictive behaviour because you’re not really eating. You can get away from the behaviour much as an alcoholic can (and must) get away from alcohol, and that gives you a better chance of breaking the addictive process.
Though most meal replacement plans do recommend that you eat one ‘normal’ meal per day, some people who are serious about losing weight don’t do even that. That’s precisely how Oprah Winfrey once lost a lot of weight – about fifty pounds. She said that she found it easier not to eat at all (subsisting on meal replacement shakes and bars) than to control her eating. When you know that you won’t be eating ‘real food’ at all for a while, it takes the guesswork out of it. Everything becomes very straightforward, and it’s a fact that many people have lost weight using this method of weight loss.
There are drawbacks, though. For one thing, while a weight loss program is supposed to teach you about how to eat for the rest of your life – to establish healthy habits, in other words – using meal replacements clearly doesn’t do so. Once you go back to eating real food, you might find that your problems with controlling your food intake are still there. Though you will have lost weight, you are more likely to gain it back if you haven’t learned healthy eating habits.
Also, there’s a danger that some people will keep on using the meal replacements for extended periods of time, just because it’s easier and more convenient. Thought they re designed to give you a minimum level of calories and nutrition, meal replacement bars cannot substitute for real food over an extended period.
However, if you know or suspect that your problem with food resembles an addiction or compulsion, it may be worth your while to think about using meal replacements for a while in order to lose some weight. Try to make the time you spend using them as productive as possible, though. Really come to terms with your past behaviour, and learn what it feels like to be full but not stuffed. Figuring out the answer to these and other aspects of healthy eating will help make your weight loss permanent.
Thursday, 4 June 2015
Why Low Carb Diets Are Bad For Weight Loss
Why Low Carb Diets Are Bad For Weight Loss
Many people looking to burn / lose a significant amount of fat / weight can become very confused when they read and hear all of the conflicting information that's spread on TV, magazines, the internet, and diet books. ..
One of the most misunderstood techniques is the low carb diets that have been very popular in the last several years.
The popular belief lately is that sugar (carbohydrates) should be kept to moderate to low levels in your eating.
The reason for this is because of the recent popularity of low-carb diets, such as The Atkins diet, The Southbeach diet, The Zone diet, etc.
Even in bodybuilding magazines all of a sudden everyone and their mother is recommending to keep carbs in your diets almost to a minimum.
Well, the misconception that sugar is somehow "evil" and will cause you to get fat, raise your bad cholesterol, and even lose your "insulin sensitivity" is based on several MYTHS that have been passed around by the media and "monkey see, monkey do" nutrition and exercise "gurus".
One of the main misconceptions is that eating carbs will cause a sharp rise of insulin in your blood, which supposedly causes your body to store fat.
A lot of this is based on the incorrect belief that you should avoid eating "high GI (glycemic index)" foods, and to mainly get most of your carbs from "low GI" foods.
Basically, the Glycemic Index is a chart that was developed years ago that measures how much of a rise in insulin a certain food causes in the blood once digested.
To put it simply, the higher the GI number is, the higher and quicker it makes your insulin rise.
(For some odd reason that's NOT based on any real, conclusive evidence. People seem to think that raising your insulin levels is "bad").
Well, in 1981, researchers at the University of Toronto were the first to accurately notice that "simple" carb foods (having a high GI) actually produced a smaller increase in blood sugar than most "complex" (or low GI) foods (everyone today thinks the opposite is true, of course based on what they read in the "burn fat / lose weight" article)!
In fact, eating table sugar (sucrose) actually causes a smaller increase in blood sugar than eating foods such as baked potatoes and whole wheat bread.
Foods containing added sugars do NOT have a higher GI than foods containing naturally occurring sugars.
In fact, you really can't count on the "GI" much at all!!!
Why?
Because the Glycemic Index does NOT take into account the differences in variety, ripeness, processing, or cooking foods, which have a huge impact on how that particular food affects your insulin levels, even if you are trying to lose weight.
Also, the fat content of food also has an affect on insulin: foods that are high in fat have a lower GI, like peanuts, which only have a GI of 14.
In addition, there some foods that have a high GI number, but don't affect your insulin levels at all........like carrots!
Carrots have a GI of 95 (which is pretty high), but don't try to tell me that you'll get fat, get diabetes, etc., from eating carrots!!!
Bodybuilding magazines, supplement companies, and the internet spread myths to all of us seeking to burn fat / lose weight, only leading us to NO RESULTS!
If you are trying to eat your way to a leaner, more defined, more sculpted you, there is NO NEED TO BREAK DOWN YOUR EATING DOWN TO ALL KINDS OF RATIOS or PERCENTAGES.
Regardless of what type of foods you eat and in what combinations, "IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE CALORIES"!
Copyright 2006 Jonathan Perez
Wednesday, 3 June 2015
Mars vs. Venus - The Weight Loss Wars
Mars vs. Venus - The Weight Loss Wars
Men have it easy when it comes to weight loss.
Evolution has designed their bodies to resist fat accumulation, and to practically melt off the fat at a moment's notice. OK, so that might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but compared to the fat lady who has to sing for her supper, men have it easy.
Women were not meant to lose weight. Not according to nature which has arranged things so that fat accumulation is EASY for the girls. Especially when it comes to putting weight on in the area of the hips, thighs, and butt.
There is a good reason for this, of course, and it has to do with a woman's reproductive role in the species. Women need to be carrying an extra 20 pounds or so of fat before their body will play ball and prepare itself for ovulation each month.
So a woman's body will hold onto that fat, quite literally, for dear life. The life of the next generation.
So there's that element to contend with when you are trying to figure out why the weight is not coming off very easily.
But there are other factors that come into play as the years pass and a woman moves from her twenties to her thirties. Her hormones begin to wane as she moves away from her most reproductive years. But they do not all drop at the same rate and imbalances creep in.
Which can be a big problem. After years of fine balancing for body weight maintenance, the ever greater lop-sidedness of hormone concentrations can skew to favour what appears to be fairly sudden weight gain in a woman's mid-thirties.
And until she figures out how to rebalance those hormones, exercise and careful monitoring of calories is not likely to help all that much.
In effect, her body has become weight loss resistant. And yet, this is just one of MANY ways that it can happen.
If you suspect that your own body is weight loss resistant to at least some degree, you can have your suspicions confirmed or allayed by going here:
Click Here to find out your Weight Loss Resistance Number
That's the link to a short 7-question multiple-choice quiz that fitness expert Carolyn Hansen has set up to help you figure out where you lie on her "weight loss resistance scale".
She also provides an immediate "overview" assessment, and if you really want it, a customized analysis based on your answer set.
Tuesday, 2 June 2015
10 Killer Tips For Rapid Weight Loss
10 Killer Tips For Rapid Weight Loss
In order to make the most of your weight loss program, finding the most effective ways to burn fat will maximize your results and minimize your waistline! Follow these 10 tips for fat burning if you want to lose weight and lead a healthier way of life.
1.) Drink More Water
One of the best weight loss secrets is to ditch the sodas and stick to water! Experts say you should drink approximately eight glasses of water a day to stay hydrated and healthy. Instead of turning to calorie-laden or sugar-rich drinks, grab a refreshing glass of water. In addition to flushing toxins out of your system, drinking water encourages you to build muscle.
2.) Eat More Meals
A traditional three-meals-a-day plan just will not cut it if you are in the market to burn fat. Your body is not able to metabolize large meals and will quickly turn any excess into fat. Many experts believe you should eat six small meals a day. Be sure you cut back on your food consumption at each meal, or else you will be doubling your intake—and doubling your fat storage!
3.) Work Out with Weights
One great way to maximize the amount of fat you are burning is to add a weight program to your work out routine. Weight training will not only tone your physique, but will strengthen your body and improve your general health. Lifting weights will also burn calories and fat more quickly than traditional exercising, and it will also boost your metabolism.
4.) Choose Protein
Choose protein-laden foods for boosting your metabolism and enabling your body to burn fat rapidly. In addition to burning fat, consuming a protein-enriched diet will help you rebuild muscle after work outs and maintain leanness of that muscle. Wisely choose proteins for your diet. Take great care to pick proteins low in fat so you do not consume extra calories.
5.) Cut Calories Wisely
It may be tempting to drastically cut your calorie intake when starting a healthy lifestyle. Instead, use a step method when cutting your calorie intake to minimize risk. Reducing calories too quickly results in your body rapidly burning all available calories, which will lower your metabolism. Furthermore, you are more likely to maintain your healthy lifestyle through this step method.
6.) Reward Yourself
When it comes to successfully dieting to burn the most fat, be sure to reward yourself. Everyone has temptations and favorite treats—so allow indulgence. You will be less likely to cheat on your new diet if you grant yourself small rewards. If you are a chocolate lover, treat yourself to a small square of chocolate or single chocolate kiss each evening.
7.) Avoid Marathon Work Outs
The biggest mistake people make when looking to burn fat and lose weight is to have one long, extensive work out session. Instead, break up your work out plan into small chunks throughout the day. Take a brisk walk in the morning, enjoy a work out at lunch, and then exercise more in the evening. In addition to staying active all day long, breaking up your work out will better maintain your metabolism.
8.) Mix It Up
Choosing to engage in a variety of quality exercises will keep your interest and best allow you to maintain your goal of burning fat. Instead of doing the same exercises each day—mix it up! Opt to swim laps one day, jog another, and bike the next. Rotating your activities will not only allow you to experience a variety of athletics, it will also allow you to better tone your body.
9.) Skip Happy Hour
For those individuals who want to burn fat quickly, avoid alcohol. Rich in sugars and carbohydrates, alcohol is a calorie-rich substance. These empty calories can add up quickly and take away from necessary nutrients that should be included in your daily diet. Furthermore, alcohol acts as an inhibitor for burning fat, allowing your body to store it more quickly.
10.) Try a Low GI Diet
A low GI diet is an excellent method of burning fat quickly. This diet encourages individuals to consume high amounts of foods with low rankings on the Glycemic Index. These foods are nutritious and will aid your body in burning fats and calories at a quicker pace. This diet includes many of your favorite fruits, vegetable, meats, dairy, and grain products.
In order to make the most of your weight loss program, finding the most effective ways to burn fat will maximize your results and minimize your waistline! Follow these 10 tips for fat burning if you want to lose weight and lead a healthier way of life.
1.) Drink More Water
One of the best weight loss secrets is to ditch the sodas and stick to water! Experts say you should drink approximately eight glasses of water a day to stay hydrated and healthy. Instead of turning to calorie-laden or sugar-rich drinks, grab a refreshing glass of water. In addition to flushing toxins out of your system, drinking water encourages you to build muscle.
2.) Eat More Meals
A traditional three-meals-a-day plan just will not cut it if you are in the market to burn fat. Your body is not able to metabolize large meals and will quickly turn any excess into fat. Many experts believe you should eat six small meals a day. Be sure you cut back on your food consumption at each meal, or else you will be doubling your intake—and doubling your fat storage!
3.) Work Out with Weights
One great way to maximize the amount of fat you are burning is to add a weight program to your work out routine. Weight training will not only tone your physique, but will strengthen your body and improve your general health. Lifting weights will also burn calories and fat more quickly than traditional exercising, and it will also boost your metabolism.
freedigitalphotos.net
Choose protein-laden foods for boosting your metabolism and enabling your body to burn fat rapidly. In addition to burning fat, consuming a protein-enriched diet will help you rebuild muscle after work outs and maintain leanness of that muscle. Wisely choose proteins for your diet. Take great care to pick proteins low in fat so you do not consume extra calories.
5.) Cut Calories Wisely
It may be tempting to drastically cut your calorie intake when starting a healthy lifestyle. Instead, use a step method when cutting your calorie intake to minimize risk. Reducing calories too quickly results in your body rapidly burning all available calories, which will lower your metabolism. Furthermore, you are more likely to maintain your healthy lifestyle through this step method.
6.) Reward Yourself
When it comes to successfully dieting to burn the most fat, be sure to reward yourself. Everyone has temptations and favorite treats—so allow indulgence. You will be less likely to cheat on your new diet if you grant yourself small rewards. If you are a chocolate lover, treat yourself to a small square of chocolate or single chocolate kiss each evening.
7.) Avoid Marathon Work Outs
The biggest mistake people make when looking to burn fat and lose weight is to have one long, extensive work out session. Instead, break up your work out plan into small chunks throughout the day. Take a brisk walk in the morning, enjoy a work out at lunch, and then exercise more in the evening. In addition to staying active all day long, breaking up your work out will better maintain your metabolism.
8.) Mix It Up
Choosing to engage in a variety of quality exercises will keep your interest and best allow you to maintain your goal of burning fat. Instead of doing the same exercises each day—mix it up! Opt to swim laps one day, jog another, and bike the next. Rotating your activities will not only allow you to experience a variety of athletics, it will also allow you to better tone your body.
freedigitalphotos.net
9.) Skip Happy Hour
For those individuals who want to burn fat quickly, avoid alcohol. Rich in sugars and carbohydrates, alcohol is a calorie-rich substance. These empty calories can add up quickly and take away from necessary nutrients that should be included in your daily diet. Furthermore, alcohol acts as an inhibitor for burning fat, allowing your body to store it more quickly.
freedigitalphotos.net
10.) Try a Low GI Diet
A low GI diet is an excellent method of burning fat quickly. This diet encourages individuals to consume high amounts of foods with low rankings on the Glycemic Index. These foods are nutritious and will aid your body in burning fats and calories at a quicker pace. This diet includes many of your favorite fruits, vegetable, meats, dairy, and grain products.
Monday, 1 June 2015
How I Lost 51 Pounds In 4 Months Using The Simplest Diet Plan In The World
How I Lost 51 Pounds In 4 Months Using The Simplest Diet Plan In The World
Like many people I've been on dozens of diet plans over the years ranging from Atkins to South Beach to Weightwatchers to Jenny Craig and lots more besides. In fact, I've eaten enough cabbage soup to satisfy a small country!
I'm 5 feet 10 and I used to weigh 230 pounds and needed to lose a good 50 pounds to get myself in some short of shape. And then it hit me. It's seems so logical now and so simple but I had ignored the simplest weight loss solution of all. Here's how I discovered it.
I was over in the UK on vacation and saying with an Aunt. We were having tea together and my Aunt was watching her favourite daytime TV show called "Today with Des and Mel." The host, a rather charming guy called Des O'Connor was being asked how he stayed so trim and slim and indeed virile at aged 70 (he had just once again become a father) and he gave me the simplest weight loss solution I have ever heard. In fact you'd be seriously challenged to find a fitter and more vibrant looking 70 year old anywhere on the planet.
Obviously this article was written some years ago as Des is now 83 and still going strong!
Des's answer was that he only eats one meal per day in the evening, and in fact eats as much as he wants at that one meal sitting. During the day he may well graze on a bit of fruit and naturally drinks plenty of fluids but he swears by the plan and has done for over 40 years.
freedigitalphotos.net
This seemed so simple and ridiculously easy and I was very doubtful whether it would work for me. However, it's based on pure logic. By missing out on significant calories during the day, the body makes up for it in the evening and then stores up calories to keep you going the next day until your evening meal. However, I'm no scientist or doctor and I'm only interested in results. Here's how it worked for me.
Week One was a little challenging. I did nibble on the odd cookie to keep me going with my morning black coffee. I missed the social aspect of lunch but contented myself with knowing that I was doing my health and body a huge favor. In week one I lost 6 pounds and in the first month 15 pounds dropped off my body! However, having been on many diet programs over the years I was worried it could all come back.With this in mind I started a gentle walking program in the evenings after my meal of the day and this really helped me with my energy levels. I really didn't want to visit a gym or stress myself by running.
I was eating everything I wanted in the evenings, including ice cream and lots of ribs and fries etc. However, after the first month my body seemed to start regulating itself and I didn't seem to crave these heavy rich foods as much. I think my body started to learn that it needed to eat well and wholesome in the evenings so it could get through the next 24 hours.
In month two I dropped another 13 pounds. In month three I lost a further 12 pounds and in month four another 11 pounds making for a total weight loss of 51 pounds in FOUR months. Truly amazing. I'm still staggered by it. I don't recommend this plan for life and have slowly reintroduced a healthy breakfast and a very light lunch. It's a truly great plan for losing excess weight quickly though - and works like nothing I've ever tried before.
One year on and I'm still at my target weight of 180 pounds. I still do my walking exercise most evenings and feel 1000% better with loads more energy. I've recommended this plan to dozens of friends and I have to say it's worked for 90% of them. Give it a shot, the odds are that it'll work great for you too! Check with your doctor first though to be safe.
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