Friday, February 02, 2007

A Consumer's Guide to Fats

A Consumer's Guide to Fats





Once upon a time, we didn't know anything about fat except
that it made foods tastier. We cooked our food in lard or
shortening. We spread butter on our breakfast toast and plopped
sour cream on our baked potatoes. Farmers bred their animals to
produce milk with high butterfat content and meat "marbled" with
fat because that was what most people wanted to eat.

But ever since word got out that diets high in fat are related
to heart disease, things have become more complicated. Experts tell
us there are several different kinds of fat, some of them worse for
us than others. In addition to saturated, monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fats, there are triglycerides, trans fatty acids,
and omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.

Most people have learned something about cholesterol, and many
of us have been to the doctor for a blood test to learn our
cholesterol "number." Now, however, it turns out that there's more
than one kind of cholesterol, too.

Almost every day there are newspaper reports of new studies
or recommendations about what to eat or what not to eat: Lard is
bad, olive oil is good, margarine is better for you than butter--
then again, maybe it's not.

Amid the welter of confusing terms and conflicting details,
consumers are often baffled about how to improve their diets.
FDA recently issued new regulations that will enable consumers
to see clearly on a food product's label how much and what kind of
fat the product contains. (See "A Little Lite Reading" in the
June 1993 FDA Consumer.) Understanding the terms used to discuss
fat is crucial if you want to make sure your diet is within
recommended guidelines (see accompanying article).

Fats and Fatty Acids
Fats are a group of chemical compounds that contain fatty
acids. Energy is stored in the body mostly in the form of fat. Fat
is needed in the diet to supply essential fatty acids, substances
essential for growth but not produced by the body itself.

There are three main types of fatty acids: saturated,
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. All fatty acids are molecules
composed mostly of carbon and hydrogen atoms. A saturated fatty
acid has the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms attached to
every carbon atom. It is therefore said to be "saturated" with
hydrogen atoms.

Some fatty acids are missing one pair of hydrogen atoms in the
middle of the molecule. This gap is called an "unsaturation" and
the fatty acid is said to be "monounsaturated" because it has one
gap. Fatty acids that are missing more than one pair of hydrogen
atoms are called "polyunsaturated."

Saturated fats (which contain saturated fatty acids) are
mostly found in foods of animal origin. Monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fats (which contain monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fatty acids) are mostly found in foods of plant
origin and some seafoods. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are of two
kinds, omega-3 or omega-6. Scientists tell them apart by where in
the molecule the "unsaturations," or missing hydrogen atoms, occur.

Recently a new term has been added to the fat lexicon: trans
fatty acids. These are byproducts of partial hydrogenation, a
process in which some of the missing hydrogen atoms are put back
into polyunsaturated fats. "Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils,"
such as vegetable shortening and margarine, are solid at room
temperature.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is sort of a "cousin" of fat. Both fat and
cholesterol belong to a larger family of chemical compounds called
lipids. All the cholesterol the body needs is made by the liver. It
is used to build cell membranes and brain and nerve tissues.
Cholesterol also helps the body produce steroid hormones needed for
body regulation, including processing food, and bile acids needed
for digestion.

People don't need to consume dietary cholesterol because the
body can make enough cholesterol for its needs. But the typical
U.S. diet contains substantial amounts of cholesterol, found in
foods such as egg yolks, liver, meat, some shellfish, and whole-
milk dairy products. Only foods of animal origin contain
cholesterol.

Cholesterol is transported in the bloodstream in large
molecules of fat and protein called lipoproteins. Cholesterol
carried in low-density lipoproteins is called LDL-cholesterol; most
cholesterol is of this type. Cholesterol carried in high-density
lipoproteins is called HDL-cholesterol. (See "Fat Words.")

A person's cholesterol "number" refers to the total amount of
cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per
deciliter (mg/dl) of blood. (A deciliter is a tenth of a liter.)

Doctors recommend that total blood cholesterol be kept below 200
mg/dl. The average level in adults in this country is 205 to 215
mg/dl. Studies in the United States and other countries have
consistently shown that total cholesterol levels above 200 to 220
mg/dl are linked with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
(See "Lowering Cholesterol" in the March 1994 FDA Consumer.)

LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol act differently in the
body. A high level of LDL-cholesterol in the blood increases the
risk of fatty deposits forming in the arteries, which in turn
increases the risk of a heart attack. Thus, LDL-cholesterol has
been dubbed "bad" cholesterol.

On the other hand, an elevated level of HDL-cholesterol seems
to have a protective effect against heart disease. For this reason,
HDL-cholesterol is often called "good" cholesterol.

In 1992, a panel of medical experts convened by the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) recommended that individuals should have
their level of HDL-cholesterol checked along with their total
cholesterol.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
(NHLBI), a component of NIH, a healthy person who is not at high
risk for heart disease and whose total cholesterol level is in the
normal range (around 200 mg/dl) should have an HDL-cholesterol
level of more than 35 mg/dl. NHLBI also says that an LDL-
cholesterol level of less than 130 mg/dl is "desirable" to minimize
the risk of heart disease.

Some very recent studies have suggested that LDL-cholesterol
is more likely to cause fatty deposits in the arteries if it has
been through a chemical change known as oxidation. However, these
findings are not accepted by all scientists.

The NIH panel also advised that individuals with high total
cholesterol or other risk factors for coronary heart disease should
have their triglyceride levels checked along with their HDL-
cholesterol levels.

Triglycerides and VLDL
Triglyceride is another form in which fat is transported
through the blood to the body tissues. Most of the body's stored
fat is in the form of triglycerides. Another lipoprotein--very low-
density lipoprotein, or VLDL--has the job of carrying triglycerides
in the blood. NHLBI considers a triglyceride level below 250 mg/dl
to be normal.

It is not clear whether high levels of triglycerides alone
increase an individual's risk of heart disease. However, they may
be an important clue that someone is at risk of heart disease for
other reasons. Many people who have elevated triglycerides also
have high LDL-cholesterol or low HDL-cholesterol. People with
diabetes or kidney disease--two conditions that increase the risk
of heart disease--are also prone to high triglycerides.

Dietary Fat and Cholesterol Levels
Many people are confused about the effect of dietary fats on
cholesterol levels. At first glance, it seems reasonable to think
that eating less cholesterol would reduce a person's cholesterol
level. In fact, eating less cholesterol has less effect on blood
cholesterol levels than eating less saturated fat. However, some
studies have found that eating cholesterol increases the risk of
heart disease even if it doesn't increase blood cholesterol levels.

Another misconception is that people can improve their
cholesterol numbers by eating "good" cholesterol. In food, all
cholesterol is the same. In the blood, whether cholesterol is
"good" or "bad" depends on the type of lipoprotein that's carrying
it.

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats do not promote the
formation of artery-clogging fatty deposits the way saturated fats
do. Some studies show that eating foods that contain these fats can
reduce levels of LDL-cholesterol in the blood. Polyunsaturated
fats, such as safflower and corn oil, tend to lower both HDL- and
LDL-cholesterol. Edible oils rich in monounsaturated fats, such as
olive and canola oil, however, tend to lower LDL-cholesterol
without affecting HDL levels.

How Do We Know Fat's a Problem?
In 1908, scientists first observed that rabbits fed a diet of
meat, whole milk, and eggs developed fatty deposits on the walls of
their arteries that constricted the flow of blood. Narrowing of the
arteries by these fatty deposits is called atherosclerosis. It is a
slowly progressing disease that can begin early in life but not
show symptoms for many years. In 1913, scientists identified the
substance responsible for the fatty deposits in the rabbits'
arteries as cholesterol.

In 1916, Cornelius de Langen, a Dutch physician working in
Java, Indonesia, noticed that native Indonesians had much lower
rates of heart disease than Dutch colonists living on the island.
He reported this finding to a medical journal, speculating that the
Indonesians' healthy hearts were linked with their low levels of
blood cholesterol.

De Langen also noticed that both blood cholesterol levels and
rates of heart disease soared among Indonesians who abandoned their
native diet of mostly plant foods and ate a typical Dutch diet
containing a lot of meat and dairy products. This was the first
recorded suggestion that diet, cholesterol levels, and heart
disease were related in humans. But de Langen's observations lay
unnoticed in an obscure medical journal for more than 40 years.

After World War II, medical researchers in Scandinavia noticed
that deaths from heart disease had declined dramatically during the
war, when food was rationed and meat, dairy products, and eggs were
scarce. At about the same time, other researchers found that people
who suffered heart attacks had higher levels of blood cholesterol
than people who did not have heart attacks.

Since then, a large body of scientific evidence has been
gathered linking high blood cholesterol and a diet high in animal
fats with an elevated risk of heart attack. In countries where the
average person's blood cholesterol level is less than 180 mg/dl,
very few people develop atherosclerosis or have heart attacks. In
many countries where a lot of people have blood cholesterol levels
above 220 mg/dl, such as the United States, heart disease is the
leading cause of death.

High rates of heart disease are commonly found in countries
where the diet is heavy with meat and dairy products containing a
lot of saturated fats. However, high-fat diets and high rates of
heart disease don't inevitably go hand-in-hand.

Learning from Other Cultures
People living on the Greek island of Crete have very low rates
of heart disease even though their diet is high in fat. Most of
their dietary fat comes from olive oil, a monounsaturated fat that
tends to lower levels of "bad" LDL-cholesterol and maintain levels
of "good" HDL-cholesterol.

The Inuit, or Eskimo, people of Alaska and Greenland also are
relatively free of heart disease despite a high-fat, high-
cholesterol diet. The staple food in their diet is fish rich in
omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Some research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids, found in
fish such as salmon and mackerel as well as in soybean and canola
oil, lower both LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the
blood. Some nutrition experts recommend eating fish once or twice a
week to reduce heart disease risk. However, dietary supplements
containing concentrated fish oil are not recommended because there
is insufficient evidence that they are beneficial and little is
known about their long-term effects.

Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids have also been found in
some studies to reduce both LDL- and HDL-cholesterol levels in the
blood. Linoleic acid, an essential nutrient (one that the body
cannot make for itself) and a component of corn, soybean and
safflower oil, is an omega-6 fatty acid.

At one time, many nutrition experts recommended increasing
consumption of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats because of
their cholesterol-lowering effects. Now, however, the advice is
simply to reduce dietary intake of all types of fat. (Infants and
young children, however, should not restrict dietary fat.)

The available information on fats may be voluminous and is
sometimes confusing. But sorting through the information becomes
easier once you know the terms and some of the history.

The "bottom line" is actually quite simple, according to John
E. Vanderveen, Ph.D., director of the Office of Plant and Dairy
Foods and Beverages in FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied
Nutrition. What we should be doing is removing as much of the
saturated fat from our diet as we can. We need to select foods that
are lower in total fat and especially in saturated fat." In a
nutshell, that means eating fewer foods of animal origin, such as
meat and whole-milk dairy products, and more plant foods such as
vegetables and grains. n

Eleanor Mayfield is a writer in Silver Spring, Md.
Fat Words

Here are brief definitions of the key terms important to an
understanding of the role of fat in the diet.
Cholesterol: A chemical compound manufactured in the body. It is
used to build cell membranes and brain and nerve tissues.
Cholesterol also helps the body make steroid hormones and bile
acids.

Dietary cholesterol: Cholesterol found in animal products that are
part of the human diet. Egg yolks, liver, meat, some shellfish, and
whole-milk dairy products are all sources of dietary cholesterol.
Fatty acid: A molecule composed mostly of carbon and hydrogen
atoms. Fatty acids are the building blocks of fats.

Fat: A chemical compound containing one or more fatty acids. Fat is
one of the three main constituents of food (the others are protein
and carbohydrate). It is also the principal form in which energy is
stored in the body.

Hydrogenated fat: A fat that has been chemically altered by the
addition of hydrogen atoms (see trans fatty acid). Vegetable oil
and margarine are hydrogenated fats.
Lipid: A chemical compound characterized by the fact that it is
insoluble in water. Both fat and cholesterol are members of the
lipid family.

Lipoprotein: A chemical compound made of fat and protein.
Lipoproteins that have more fat than protein are called low-density
lipoproteins (LDLs). Lipoproteins that have more protein than fat
are called high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). Lipoproteins are found
in the blood, where their main function is to carry cholesterol.
Monounsaturated fatty acid: A fatty acid that is missing one pair
of hydrogen atoms in the middle of the molecule. The gap is called
an "unsaturation." Monounsaturated fatty acids are found mostly in
plant and sea foods.

Monounsaturated fat: A fat made of monounsaturated fatty acids.
Olive oil and canola oil are monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated
fats tend to lower levels of LDL-cholesterol in the blood.
Polyunsaturated fatty acid: A fatty acid that is missing more than
one pair of hydrogen atoms. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are mostly
found in plant and sea foods.

Polyunsaturated fat: A fat made of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Safflower oil and corn oil are polyunsaturated fats.
Polyunsaturated fats tend to lower levels of both HDL-cholesterol
and LDL-cholesterol in the blood.

Saturated fatty acid: A fatty acid that has the maximum possible
number of hydrogen atoms attached to every carbon atom. It is said
to be "saturated" with hydrogen atoms. Saturated fatty acids are
mostly found in animal products such as meat and whole milk.
Saturated fat: A fat made of saturated fatty acids. Butter and lard
are saturated fats. Saturated fats tend to raise levels of LDL-
cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) in the blood. Elevated levels of
LDL-cholesterol are associated with heart disease.

Trans fatty acid: A polyunsaturated fatty acid in which some of the
missing hydrogen atoms have been put back in a chemical process
called hydrogenation. Trans fatty acids are the building blocks of
hydrogenated fats. n

--E.M.
Government Advice

Dietary guidelines endorsed by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
advise consumers to:

Reduce total dietary fat intake to 30 percent or less of total
calories.

Reduce saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of
calories.

Reduce cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams daily. n
.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Sensible Diet Tips

Sensible Diet Tips
by Tycoon2k




Fat Loss 4 Idiots!


Start your diet with a food diary, record everything you eat,
what you were doing at the time, and how you felt. That tells
you about yourself, your temptation, the emotional states that
encourage you to snack and may help you lose once you see how
much you eat.

Instead of eating the forbidden piece of candy, brush your teeth.
If you're about to cheat, allow yourself a treat, then eat only
half a bite and throw the other half away.

When hunger hits, wait 10 minutes before eating and see if it
passes. Set attainable goals. Don't say, "I want to lose 50
pounds." Say, "I want to lose 5 pounds a month." Get enough
sleep but not too much. Try to avoid sugar. Highly sweetened
foods tend to make you crave more.

Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. Water itself helps
cut down on water retention because it acts as a diuretic. Taken
before meals, it dulls the appetite by giving you that "full
feeling." Diet with a buddy. Support groups are important, and
caring people can help one another succeed. Start your own, even
with just one other person.

Substitute activity for eating. When the cravings hit, go to the
"Y" or health club if possible; or dust, or walk around the block.
This is especially helpful if you eat out of anger.

If the pie on the counter is just too great a temptation and you
don't want to throw it away, freeze it. If you're a late-night
eater, have a carbohydrate, such as a slice of bread of a cracker,
before bedtime to cut down on cravings. Keep an orange slice or
a glass of water by your bed to quiet the hunger pangs that wake
you up.

If you use food as a reward, establish a new reward system. Buy
yourself a non-edible reward. Write down everything you eat - -
everything - including what you taste when you cook. If you
monitor what you eat, you can't go off your diet.

Weigh yourself once a week at the same time. Your weight
fluctuates constantly and you can weigh more at night than you did
in the morning, a downer if you stuck to your diet all day. Make
dining an event. East from your own special plate, on your own
special placemat, and borrow the Japanese art of food arranging to
make your meal, no matter how meager, look lovely. This is a trick
that helps chronic over-eaters and bingers pay attention to their
food instead of consuming it unconsciously.

Don't shop when you're hungry. You'll only buy more fattening
food. Avoid finger foods that are easy to eat in large amounts.
Avoid consuming large quantities of fattening liquids, which are so
easy to overdo. And this includes alcoholic beverages.

Keep plenty of crunchy foods like raw vegetables and air-popped
fat-free popcorn on hand. They're high in fiber, satisfying and
filling. Leave something on your plate, even if you are a charter
member of the Clean The Plate Club. It's a good sign that you can
stop eating when you want to, not just when your plate is empty.

Lose weight for yourself, not to please your husband, your parents
or your friends. Make the kitchen off-limits at any time other
than mealtime. Always eat at the table, never in front of the TV
set or with the radio on. Concentrate on eating every mouthful
slowly and savoring each morsel. Chew everything from 10 to 20
times and count! Never skip meals. carbohydrate, such as a slice
of bread of a cracker, before bedtime to cut down on cravings.

Fat Loss 4 Idiots!



Sensible Diet Tips
by Tycoon2k

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

WALKING AND WEIGHT LOSS

WALKING AND WEIGHT LOSS
by tycoon2k Webmaster









Three universal goals most of us share are: to live longer, to live free of illness and to control our weight. Interesting enough, normal walking lets us achieve all three. In fact, walking may be man's best medicine for slowing the aging process. First, it works almost every muscle in the body, improving circulation to the joints and massaging the blood vessels (keeping them more elastic). Walking also helps us maintain both our muscle mass and metabolism as we age. It also keeps us young in spirit. For anyone out of shape or unathletically inclined, walking is the no-stress, no-sweat answer to lifelong conditioning.

All it takes is a little time, common sense and a few guidelines. Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformation floating around regarding fitness walking, weight-loss and dieting. Walking is one of the best exercise for strengthening bones, controlling weight, toning the leg muscles, maintaining good posture and improving positive self-concept. People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time. Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight loss consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns, it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase your metabolism by exercising daily.

To lose weight, it's more important to walk for time than speed. Walking at a moderate pace yields longer workouts with less soreness - - leading to more miles and more calories spent on a regular basis.

High-intensity walks on alternate days help condition one's system. But in a waking, weight-loss program, it's better to be active every day. This doesn't require walking an hour every day. The key is leading an active life-style 365 days a year.

When it comes to good health and weight loss, exercise and diet are interrelated. Exercising without maintaining a balanced diet is no more beneficial than dieting while remaining inactive.

The national research council recommends eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Fruits and vegetables are the ideal diet foods for several reasons. They're relatively low in fat and calories, yet are often high in fiber and rich in essential vitamins and minerals. Remember that rapid weight-loss consists mostly of water and muscle - - the wrong kind of weight to lose. To avoid this, set more reasonable goals, such as one pound per week.

Carbohydrates are high-octane fuel. They provide energy for movement and help raise internal body metabolism. They're also satisfying. The key is not adding high-fat toppings to your carbohydrates.

It's everyday habits which define our weight and body composition. A three-minute walk after each meal is worth four pounds less body fat annually. Two flights of stairs a day burns off half a pound of body fat in a year. On the other hand, one candy bar eaten daily will cost you 20 pounds annually.


by
Tycoon2k Webmaster




Leptoprin Weight Loss




1000000 Links




Mister Linker

Monday, January 15, 2007

Liquid Diets

Liquid Diets
By Eddie Tobey





Liquid diets are usually a temporary form of diet advised before a surgery takes place. The liquid diets fall in to two categories. One is a low calorie liquid diet and the other a meal replacement liquid diet.

The low calorie liquid diet is practiced under strict medical supervision only. This diet provides on an average about five hundred to eight hundred calories a day. This is normally a short-term diet plan, mostly recommended to those who have serious obesity problems and need to lose a lot of weight in a short span of time.

The meal replacement liquid diet replaces one or two whole meals with liquids. This type of liquid diet is offered to many people as an effective tool to reduce weight.

A liquid diet consists of fresh fruit juices or shakes. They are prepared keeping in mind nutritiously, along with sweeteners, sugar, skimmed milk and a good quantity of fiber, minerals and vitamins. Certain liquid diets also permit the consumption of solid or real food intake in proportional sizes.

There could also be certain disadvantages an individual encounters while on a liquid diet. The person may get very little fiber, and the important antioxidants present in whole fruits and grains may be left out. This will lead to having a low resistance to disease. Moreover, a liquid diet should be under medical supervision only. The weight lost during the intake of a liquid diet is rarely maintained, as such diets do not teach us to eat right long term. An individual should realize, that although liquid diet works, it is not recommended for everyone.

Diets provides detailed information on Diet, Diet Pills, Diet Programs, Diet Plans and more. Diets is affiliated with Herbal Diet Products.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Tobey

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Weight Loss Diets - A Review Of 4 Popular Diets

Weight Loss Diets - A Review Of 4 Popular Diets
By Michael Aldridge






1000 calorie diet
Trying the 1000 calorie diet is only advisable for one week, due to your body entering starvation mode and conserving fat. Overdoing the 1000 calorie diet is counterproductive to your body so try to stay on it for only 1 week. After 1 week you will lose between 3-5 pounds. The 1000 calorie diet can be used as a starter diet for a long term weight loss program. Try to aim for 2-3 pounds of weight loss and a good exercise program to begin with. After 1 week on the 1000 calorie diet, try upping your calorie intake or reverting back to a not so severe diet, this will prevent your body’s metabolism from slowing down. Here is a simple 1000 calorie daily menu.

Breakfast
• Banana sandwich made with 2 slices of wholemeal bread and a small banana
• Small glass of orange juice

Snack
• 1 pot of low fat yoghurt (preferably fruit)

Lunch
• 1 wholemeal roll filled with tuna and low fat mayonnaise (use tin tuna in spring water)
• Mixed lettuce salad, red or yellow sweet peppers, spring onions

Snack
• 1 bag of lower fat crisps

Dinner
• Roast chicken breast (without skin)
• Potatoes, mashed with 30ml semi-skimmed milk
• Broccoli (all vegetables steamed or boiled)
• Carrots
• Gravy (made from granules)

Evening
• 1 low calorie hot chocolate drink made with powder and water

Drinks throughout the day
• Diet coke, water, black coffee or tea without sugar

The 1000 calorie diet can be used as a starter diet for a long term weight loss program. Try to aim for 2-3 pounds of weight loss and a good exercise program to begin with. Remember after 1 week on the 1000 calorie diet, try upping your calorie intake or reverting back to a not so severe diet, this will prevent your body’s metabolism from slowing down.

Vegetarian Diet
A well balanced vegetarian diet provides many benefits for the body. Some of those benefits include a reduced risk of chronic diseases, such as:

• Obesity
• Coronary artery disease
• Hypertension
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Some types of cancer and more…

Your vegetarian diet, must be planned well. If not your body could end up in need of some vital nutrients. Some of these nutrients essential for the body are:

• Protein
• Minerals (zinc, calcium, iron)
• Vitamin b12
• Vitamin d

Protein sources include, tofu and other soy-based products, legumes, seeds, nuts, grains, and vegetables

Experts say that in order for a balanced vegetarian diet, you should eat nuts and whole grain cereals for good sources amino acids.

Greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli are a good source of calcium.

For sources of vitamin b12 which comes from animals, can be substituted with fortified breakfast cereals and fortified soy drinks.

Sources of iron are red meats, liver and egg yolks which are all high in cholesterol. Spinach, dried beans and dried fruits are all good vegetarian sources of iron.

A vegetarian diet is healthier than a meat diet. However this does not mean that you have the right to stuff your face with crisps, chocolate and chips everyday. Your balanced diet should include all of the above, i.e. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, dairy produce and soy. Below is a table of some calorie controls in a vegetarian diet:

Food Group 1200 Calorie 1500 Calorie 1800 Calorie
Vegetables 5 servings 6 servings 8 servings
Fruits 3 servings 3 servings 5 servings
Grains 2 servings 3 servings 4 servings
Dairy 2 servings 2-3 servings 2-3 servings
Beans, Nuts and Seeds 5oz 6oz 7oz
Total Fat 30-35g 40-50g 50-60g

You can find a massive rage of diets on the internet free of charge! A vegetarian diet is an all round healthier option, and can go a long way to helping you on the road to losing weight.

Abs Diet
The Abs Diet works on the theory that every 1lb of muscle gained, your body intern burns an extra 50 calories per day. So if you can build an extra 10lb of muscle your body will then burn an extra 500 calories per day. Using the Abs Diet your body will burn more energy by eating the correct foods and exercising the correct way. Losing 500 calories per day will loose you 1lb of weight per week. Expect to loose up to 12lb in the first two weeks followed by 5-8lb in the forth coming two.

The Abs Diet allows you to eat 6 meals per day which consist of 12 power foods, such as: chicken, turkey and other lean meat, olive oil, beans and pulses, almonds, low fat dairy products, green vegetables, oats, eggs, wholegrain bread, whole grain cereals, berries, and protein powder. All other food is a not allowed.

For 6 weeks you will eat a series of 12 power foods, which provide the body with all the fibre and minerals you need to stay healthy and build muscle. Along with the diet you will do a 20 min workout three times per week, which will aid in the fat burning.

The Abs diet is mainly aimed at men, however women are encouraged to participate. The range of foods you can eat is still good and you do get an exercise program out of it. Also some very good looking Abs, health and sex life. The full diet book is: The Abs Diet by David Zinczenko from all good on-line book stores.

The Kellogg’s Cereal Diet

One of the simplest diets around at the moment is the Kellogg’s Cereal Diet. It is not a crash weight loss diet which will lose you pounds upon pounds; however it will allow you to get into those jeans that are 1 size to small.

To start the Kellogg’s Diet all you have to do is, eat one bowl of Kellogg’s Special K or Cornflakes for breakfast, and also one for a replacement lunch or dinner. That’s all! Carry this on for two weeks then you will see the results. Expect to lose around 3-6lb.

Whist on your diet, Kellogg’s allow you to have the same drinks and snacks as you usually would, but recommend that you eat a well balanced meal every day, with more fruit and vegetables. Another tip from Kellogg’s, is to keep a food diary to monitor and keep you aware of your current eating habits.

Article supplied by Michael Aldridge. For a complete and extensive guide to losing weight, please visit our web site at http://www.onlineguidetoweightloss.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Aldridge

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Rapid Weight Loss Through Lo Carb Diets

Lo Carb Diets Can Assist Your Rapid Weight Loss
By Nathan T. Lynch





Lo carb diets are the newest dieting trend, and seem to be effective. Here are some tips for following a balanced lo carb diet:

Eat more fruit and vegetables, aiming for at least five portions a day. Include fruit at breakfast and salad at lunch. Reduce the amount of salt by eating less processed food, such as ready meals, and adding a smaller amount of salt to food. Eat a varied diet. Change your shopping list every week to help keep you out of unhealthy food ruts and make eating more enjoyable. Eat regular meals - although it doesn't matter when you eat your food, a consistent schedule helps most people to control their diet and their weight. Control your portion sizes so that over time, if not necessarily every day, the amount of energy you consume matches your level of activity. Try to be more physically active. Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. Activity helps to regulate your appetite, and means that you can eat more without gaining weight. Drink alcohol only within sensible limits: not more than 14 units per week for women, and no more than three in any one day, and not more than 21 units per week for men, and no more than four in any one day.

The current most popular fad diet is the Lo Carb or Atkins diet. It restricts carbohydrate rich foods, thereby restricting total daily calories. Phase One of the four in the Atkins Diet consists of between 1400 to 1500 total daily calories. The average adult female consumes around 2200 calories daily and the average adult male consumes around 2800 calories daily. Almost any adult will lose weight if they consume 800 to 1300 fewer calories daily. Phase One of the Atkins Diet also restricts carbohydrate intake to only 20 grams of net carbohydrates daily. The definition of net carbohydrates is total grams of carbohydrates per serving minus dietary fibre per serving. Dietary fibre is the non-digestible remains of plant products found in beans, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel source. In the near future there will be a recommended dietary allowance, or R.D.A., for carbohydrates of 130 grams daily. 130 grams of carbohydrates our body needs daily is for the proper functioning of the central nervous system and production of red blood cells. Only during Phase Four of the Atkins Diet are participants allowed up to 120 grams of net carbohydrate daily. Low carbohydrate diets are nothing new, they have been around since the 1860’s and the Atkins Diet first came out in the early 1970’s.

Most nutrition experts agree that to be successful in weight loss a person needs to keep the weight off for 5 years. Over 90% of people who take weight off through a fad diet like the Atkins Diet gain the weight back in less than one year. Participants on the Atkins Diet lose between 10 to 12 pounds in the first several weeks but this is only water loss, not fat. One pound of fat contains 3500 calories. Therefore to lose 10 pounds of fat in several weeks you would need to consume 35,000 fewer calories or burn 35,000 calories more through exercise. Neither is likely to happen.

So, the best way to lose weight and become more healthy is to eat a balanced diet. Don’t cut out all your carbs, but don’t go overboard with them either. In addition to eating well, exercise in a proportional amount to what you are eating. Exercising too much is as bad as exercising too little.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathan_T._Lynch

Sunday, January 07, 2007

The Psychology of Weight-Loss

The Psychology of Weight-Loss
By Craig Harper


Fat Loss 4 Idiots




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The following post is kind of long, so you may want to get yourself a cup of tea (coffee, hot chocolate) and kick back. I have taken a couple of words here and there from some of my previous scribblings so if you sense that deja vu feeling, you probably don't need your pills after all. The good news is that your memory is working. Nice to know.

The first bit. One day in the mid eighties, possibly a Tuesday, I was manning, or should I say 'personing' the gym floor (must be PC), picking up stray dumbbells, mingling with the club members, dispensing incredible advice (as always) and generally being fabulous, when a familiar figure loomed large in the doorway of the weight room. For the sake of my story and his anonymity, we'll call him 'Ted'.

Ted was not unlike many people that I've met over the years; he would re-appear at the gym about every six months with a steely, new resolve to create 'Super Ted'; a new leaner, meaner version of himself. He would tell me that he hated his body, needed to drop fifty kilos (110 lbs)and that "this time it would be different." Stupidly, I would believe him. Call me young, naive, gullible, call it what you will, but every time, I was sure the big fella would get the job done; he seemed so sincere and desperate. If you had seen his big dopey, chubby face and those big, puppy dog eyes you'd have believed him too. How could I not have faith in him?

With an over-riding sense of familiarity, I would take Ted's measurements, talk to him about his crappy diet and diabolical lifestyle (again), set some (more)goals (because that's what you do) and write him a new program (again).

For about two weeks the big guy was a cross between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sugar Ray Leonard (it was the eighties), lifting, riding, punching and sweating his way to a better body. Then somewhere between weeks three and four his amazing commitment and Olympic attitude would start to wane and the inevitable slide would commence. By weeks five and six the daily visits turned into weekly cameos, and by the two month mark, Ted was lucky to make a fortnightly appearance. When I called him to see where he was, he would inform me that he was still pumped and totally in the zone but that "work was crazy, his ankle was playing up and that he'd been carrying a sore throat for a week or so." Sure Big Ted.

The Revelation. After yet another of Ted's failed weight-loss campaigns I was feeling a little inadequate and frustrated. I got off the phone after chatting with him and sat there trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I was setting him good programs, giving him appropriate advice, providing him with all the resources he needed to exercise effectively and being as encouraging, understanding and supportive as a twenty two year-old alpha-male, meat-head could be... and then it dawned on me:

I could tell people what to do (how to exercise and eat),why they should do it (the physiological benefits) and how it should be done (the method) but I couldn't actually make anyone do it.

Maybe it wasn't about finding the right program or diet; maybe it was about finding the right attitude. The right head-space.

Having a personally designed exercise program is handy. Being a member of a health club is .. nice. Having resources at your finger tips might help. Knowing what to do is always a good start. But the truth is many of us have all the reasons in the world to change our body, life and reality but never do. We are consistently almost getting in shape. For a range of reasons we spend our life getting on and off the weight-loss merry-go-round, wasting time, starting, stopping, procrastinating, lying about our behaviours, making excuses, waiting for the right time to start (which never comes), getting frustrated, complaining about our genetics and generally being miserable.

Standing there on the gym floor it began to dawn on me that creating physiological change (getting bigger, smaller, faster, fitter, lighter, leaner) is more about our head than it is about our body. More about his 'readiness' to genuinely change than my programs. For the first time I began to really understand that the weight-loss process isn't as much about dumbbells, treadmills and carbs as it is about attitude, thinking, beliefs, passion, self-control, decisions, standards and habits.

Getting in shape is more of an internal process than it is an external one. When we get the internal stuff right... the external change is merely a (positive) by-product.

Why then (I hear you ask) do most health fitness, health and medical professionals focus solely on the practical, external stuff (lift this, stretch that, run there, eat these, don't eat those) when obviously creating 'forever change' (what most people want) is largely about controlling and managing our thoughts, feelings and emotions? Good question Grasshopper. Let me know when you get the answer.

So while conventional thinking tells us that losing weight is essentially a physical process, my experience with thousands of people over way too many years tells me that losing the love handles is more about our head than it is about our body.

If only our obesity problems could be fixed by merely providing people with information and direction. If it were that easy then we'd see almost zero fat people because we live in a society which is bombarded with exercise and dietary information from a range of sources on a daily basis; we live in the information age. Years ago I learned that telling people what to do and how to do it was the easy bit but getting them to actually do it (consistently) was the real challenge. What shape we are in (whether we're fit or fat) invariably comes down to two key things; 1.The decisions we make and 2.The things we do (and don't do). When we look at what influences those two things the most, our head (thinking, beliefs, standards, fears, expectations, desires), then we begin to understand that getting in shape is, without doubt, more about our mind than it is about our muscles.

Take your head where it needs to go and your body will follow.



FAT LOSS 4 IDIOTS!


I've never met anyone who has created 'forever' change (in any area of their life) who hasn't had a significant shift in thinking, attitude and perspective.

These days my team of trainers complete around 75,000 personal training sessions per year. Since the eighties I have personally conducted over 40,000 sessions with thousands of people with all types of bodies and all types of goals. When it comes to the pursuit of health, fitness, weight-loss, physical perfection (doesn't exist), big biceps, flat tummies and long-lean-legs... there's not a lot I haven't seen or heard.

So here's my take on how the get the most out of your head... in order to get the most out of your body.

1. Go into the process with the best possible attitude.

There is an undeniable relationship between attitude and outcome. Many people don't want to hear that transforming their body is more about attitude, commitment and self control than it is about finding the right program, health club, diet, trainer or miracle-pill. Good attitude typically equals a good outcome. I have watched thousands of people sabotage themselves with a crappy attitude; they whinge, complain, blame, rationalise, justify, and procrastinate and then end up back where they started anyway (or worse). Conversely, I have watched thousands of people with limited genetic potential, time, money and resources create (and maintain) amazing results because they got their head where it needed to be. If you tell yourself getting in shape will be a painful, un-enjoyable process... it probably will be.

Amazing results are about attitude and effort; not genetics.

2. Get in shape for life; not an event.

Too many people spend their life getting in shape for summer, birthdays, weddings, school reunions and other significant social occasions. Like athletes, they peak for an event... and then get fat again. Sad really. Creating (and maintaining) your best body is about the next few decades, not the next few weeks.

3. Make some tough decisions about you.

Your lifestyle, your habits, your diet and your exercise habits. You know these decisions; the one's you keep avoiding, the one's that make you uncomfortable. The decisions you should have made a long time ago; the scary, but necessary ones.

4. Don't start something that you can't or won't finish.

Every day around the world thousands of people start programs or routines which they will never maintain. They make decisions that they don't follow through on. They join health clubs but rarely go. They start running programs that last a week. They go on diets and then go off them. Some people spend their life getting on and off the weight-loss-merry-go-round. Don't be one of them. Start realistically and progress sensibly. Don't try and undo twenty years of bad behaviour by next Tuesday.

5. Procrastination.

Stop waiting for the right time to get in shape; it never comes. "I'll start next Monday, next week, next month, when the kids are at school, when it's not so dark in the morning, when all the planets align, when Tasmania (remember I'm an Aussie) reconnects with the mainland. Sure you will. The only person you're deluding is yourself.

6. Don't make excuses or tell fibs!

If you want to find a reason not to change, you'll find one.

Many people lie to themselves and others constantly; "it's not my diet, it's my genetics, it's a time thing, a money thing, my sore ankle". They don't want to acknowledge that it's a them thing because if they did, then they would have to do something about it. I regularly talk to morbidly obese people who apparently 'eat hardly anything'.

Liar, liar pants on fire.

7.Don't lay blame.

I'll be brief. People make people fat - not junk food, soft drinks in schools, drive-thru restaurants, remote controls, lack of time, business lunches or clever marketing. Yes, there are many variables, hurdles and factors to be negotiated along the way, but unless someone's making all your decisions for you, or holding you down and force feeding you, the only person making you fat is you.

Don't get precious on me now.

8. Stop looking for the magic pill.

For most of us, the simple reality of getting-in-shape is a bit of sweat, a bit of discomfort, a bit of tiredness, a bit of inconvenience and the odd sore knee. The sooner we get that and accept it, the sooner we'll get where we want to go. Look for the most effective option not the easiest one. By the way, easy or hard is largely about perception and attitude.

9. Nothing tastes as good as being in shape feels.

Focus on what you're gaining, not what you're missing out on. Many people who change their eating habits sabotage themselves by constantly focusing on 'how deprived' they are and all the 'good stuff' they're missing out on. That piece of chocolate or slice of cake might give you a few minutes of pleasure but it doesn't change the fact that you live in a fatter-than-desirable body 24/7.

10. Motivation is temporary.

For most people motivation is an emotional state; a feeling that comes and goes. We can't rely on it to get us to our destination because it ain't always there! If you experience motivational peaks and troughs, you're not a loser; you're normal. Motivation is great when it's there but when you don't feel pumped to do that workout, do it anyway. Changing your body is more about self control and consistency than it is about being in the zone. It's possible (necessary sometimes) to exercise even when you're not motivated. I tell people "if you don't feel like training, do it anyway. You might not love the process but you'll love the results". If we only exercise when we 'feel' like it, we'll never be consistent and we'll never create life-long change.

Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is an Australian motivational speaker, qualified exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, and owner of one of the largest personal training centres in the world.

He can be heard weekly on Australian Radio SEN 1116 and GOLD FM and appears on Australian television on Network Ten's 9AM.

Motivational Speaker - Craig Harper

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Harper





WEIGHT LOSS FACTS

Low Fat Foods DON'T WORK.

You cannot lose weight using Low Fat Diets. Low fat foods have been popular for more than 15 years, but yet our society is getting more overweight as each year passes. This fact alone should tell you that eating a purely low fat menu is not the answer to losing weight.

Low Calorie Diets DON'T WORK.

You won't lose weight using a Low Calorie Dieting Plan either. In fact, eating low calories is the worst thing that you can do to your body, since that will only slow down your body's fat burning engine and ruin all chances of losing weight (low calorie diets may allow a few pounds of weight loss for the first few days, but then after that all weight loss comes to a halt --- known as a dieting plateau). You can never get slim by starving yourself.

Low Carb Plans DON'T WORK.

You'll probably find it extremely difficult to get slim using a Low Carb Dieting Plan. Low carb diets have recently become popular over the last couple years, but the problem with low carb menus is that they are too strict and TOO HARD TO FOLLOW for average people. Low carb menus tend to rob your body of too much energy (carbohydrates) and make it nearly impossible to remain on the program for very long. This is why so many dieters find it difficult to follow a strict low carbohydrate menu.

What about Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig Dieting Plans?

Weight loss programs such as Weight Watchers (and Jenny Craig) usually involve slower dieting progress over a longer period of time, since such programs generally promise only 2-3 pounds of weight loss per week. Also, programs such as Jenny Craig usually involve buying special meals and/or dietary supplements during the initial phases of the program. While some people may like these types of dietary programs, we prefer a dieting plan which focuses on faster weight loss, such as the Accelerated Fat Burning Program shown below...

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The Diet of Distraction

The Diet of Distraction
By Charlotte Laws




Learn How To Cook Low Fat & Low Carb Chinese Food From Master Chef W/ 40 Years Of Cooking Experience!




I am not a diet guru, the czar of calorie counting or a member of the binge police. I don’t have a cookbook, weight-reduction program or fad to peddle. In fact, I’d say “experts” who push a single, “one-size fits all” weight-loss approach are a few fries short of a happy meal or a few sandwiches short of a picnic. It’s disingenuous to think there is only one way to help the plump.

I’m a big fan of my own creation--the diet of distraction—but I’m the first to admit it may help some drop pounds and lead others over the pig-out cliff. Because we are all unique, a habit that fattens Jack Sprat may not faze his wife.

The diet of distraction is based on two premises: forget about food and throw yourself into an activity that will propel you away from your gluttonous routine. In order to succeed, you must not weigh your food, mark your calories on a chart, or look up codes in a tiny book. How many times have you blurted out, “Oh no, I’m not allowed to have any more number threes (miniature puddings) today?” Then, all you think about are miniature puddings.

To calorie count or diary-keep is to think about food, and this is a no-no when you’re committed to the diet of distraction. Thinking about food leads to obsessing over food. Obsessing over food, leads to temptation. Temptation leads to overeating and never escaping the dreaded see-saw.

I know a lot about see-saws as a former member of See-saws Anonymous. In my teens and early twenties, I could both lose weight and gain it back before a lemon torte defrosted. There were times when I fasted for 17 days with nothing but water—a feat I can no longer accomplish as an adult. Once, I refused to go out with a man for two months because I felt too fat. He thought I didn’t like him. Crazy men. Don’t they understand women at all?

Then there were those nights of extreme exercise. I would leave my childhood home at 10 pm and run to my high school and back in the dark--a 24-mile journey--carrying a rock for protection and hiding behind trees when I saw oncoming vehicles. You never know who’s a mass murderer. At 9:00 am the next morning, you’d find me limping up my driveway, convinced I was suddenly skinny.

As I got older, I left behind the playground and the see-saw. I discovered some interesting tendencies in myself. I found that I ate very little when I vacationed, when I moved to a new place and when I became immersed in an interesting project. Vacationing and moving were projects in themselves. I realized that my problem had less to do with overeating than it did over-thinking. The trick was mostly to forget about food and to stay busy.

Furthermore, the diet of distraction required me to grocery shop on a full stomach and to think very little about my purchases beyond making sure they were reasonably healthy. My rule was no meat products (including fish and chicken), no fried foods and no sweets. I did not plan meals ahead or coordinate how rice and squash might go with a salad. That would, of course, be thinking too much.

I found it advantageous to refrain from buying my favorite starches, knowing that if I liked something too much, I might be tempted to over-indulge. I never felt deprived, because my life was focused on projects, rather than food. When I dined at restaurants, I ate what I wanted, as long as it was vegetarian.

The tendency to overeat is one many of us have experienced. According to the Obesity Society, more than 64% of Americans are either overweight or obese. The U.S. Surgeon General blames obesity for 300,000 deaths every year, and 3.8 million Americans weigh over 300 pounds.

Health is fulfillment, not just what you put in your mouth. Health means using your brainpower to realize your personal calling rather than to calculate caloric intake or weigh a slice of bread. Health means putting energy towards the positive rather than obsessing over the negative.

You might want to try the diet of distraction. It’s (not) food for thought.

Dr. Charlotte Laws is an author, syndicated columnist, and local politician in Southern California. Her website is http://www.CharlotteLaws.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charlotte_Laws




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Thursday, January 04, 2007

Weight loss in 2007 by Dr. Alan Jenks

I just finished reading an article in Chatelaine magazine. I believe this is a Canadian only magazine. On the front cover was Jan Arden. She is a Canadian folk signer that I love. The headline is "I'm 50 pounds lighter and louder than ever". In the article she talks about how she changed her lifestyle. She has been continuously on the road in 2006 travelling with Michael Bubble. She talks about how being "on the road" is a lifestyle challenge and after every show she would be at the bar chatting with the band drinking beer etc. Now after every show she heads back to the hotel and exercises. This made me think about how we do things in our lives out of habit, and if we just change the pattern a little bit we can make drastic improvements to our life (lose weight). What thing or things do you do everyday that are just habit that you will be able to change for a walk, trip do the gym or something that is going to benefit the body to lose weight. My life over the last 5 months has really gotten out of control trying to get my websites functioning and trying to finish writing a book. As a result my exercise routine has suffered. I spent much of the New Years holiday doing a pattern interrupt and exercising when the habit said not too. I feel better and more productive now. I thought this would be a really great thing to document on this Blog. For the rest of the year I am going to update my progress on my Blog. We get so use to "doing" our life that we forget how easy it is to change sometimes. Jan Arden decided that rather then go for a beer with the boys after a concert she would go to the gym instead. We need to look for opportunities to supplement a not so productive habit with something that is a benefit to the body. Sit down right now and write down on a piece of paper where you could replace some habit with exercise. This one thing will assure you of losing the weight you want. Here is to a prosperous 2007




About the Author
Dr. Alan Jenks is author of "The Doctor Is Thin". Get Free natural weight loss tips and information from http://www.thedoctoristhin.com


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