Sunday, March 30, 2008

How to Stop Yo Yo Dieting Once and For All



Everything was going so well. You lost the weight you'd put on over Christmas and felt on top of the world- until you put it all back on again, nothing dents confidence more than regaining lost pounds. You need to get back those healthy eating habits.

Your psychological outlook can make the difference between success and failure. If your body is continually yo-yoing, you take on the identity of a failed healthy eater. Then loosing and then regaining weight can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You didn't dress for your new curves

While research shows that around 19% of us want to beat the bulge to fit into lovely clothes, many of us don't actually revamp our wardrobes when we hit our target weight.

A mistake a lot of healthy eaters do is they continue to think of themselves as big still. If you persist to stay in your fat clothes you give yourself permission to fill them out again.

So hit those shops.

Your brain suddenly became blind to calories

Once you reach your magic number on the scales, your head tells you to relax, you forget about healthy eating, so back come the biscuits, crisps and chocolates.

Many women switch from obsessing about calories to becoming blind to them, despite the fact that when you weigh less, you need fewer calories to function. The best way of becoming a long-term loser is to listen to your body-to its signs of fullness.

Also although you may weigh the same as a girlfriend, it doesn't necessarily mean you you can tuck into bowls of cabonara like she does. We all have different metabolisms and you may need to work harder to stay slim than your friend.

It seemed like groundhog day in your head

Your diet worked, but did continuing to eat the same meals leave you so bored you kept stealing the kids creme eggs? Food limits nutritional intake, which is unhealthy and really dull.

Ask yourself the question "Do I get excited at mealtimes?" If not, you need to take inspiration from cook books and start shopping for ingredients that excite your head and your palette.

Head to sections of the store you rarely visit, like the ethnic food or deli counter, for healthy but exciting alternatives.

You weren't prepared for the backlash

A healthy eating lifestyle and looking fabulous can stir up all sorts of emotions and envy in others. Take your girlfriend or sister : when you reach your goal-particularly something as hard won as losing weight-it may remind them of their own failed attempts.

They may then start dropping in not -so-nice comments, such as"are you sure you haven't got an eating disorder?"

Whereupon you reach for a unhealthy snack. Remind yourself these negative comments may be born out of resentment and say more about them than you.

' Your new figure can make your partner feel threatened, too 'recognise it's his insecurities talking and reassure him you still love and fancy him.

You were focusing on what not to eat

When it comes to avoiding regaining weight a healthy habit is to think about what you can eat, not what you can't eat.

'We spend too much brain-time thinking about what we shouldn't put in our mouths-whether it's a twix or a piece of buttery toast-making it instantly attractive.

This sets up a feeling of denial, which is never a good thing. But when you start concentrating on what you can tuck into, you'll find your brain squeezes out the calling for unhealthy options because you'll feel better about yourself.'

When you do feel like eating some think unhealthy, instead of feeling guilty afterwards, say to yourself. Don't slide back into bad habits, enjoy what your eating and get back on track the next day.

Low Calorie Foods - An Overview




If you are fat then it is clear that your body burns less calories than your body is consuming. However, Many people are not aware that what a calorie is.

A calorie is a unit to measure energy. It is known as an amount of heat required to raise one degree temperature of one kilogram water. The important part is that your body require certain energy level according to your day to day activities and that energy level requires certain calorie in your food. If your food has more calories than you need then that extra calories go into your safe that is called fat.

So, you should have food with required amount of calories as per the requirement of your day to day activities, like a sports involved person will need much more calorie in his or her food than a software professional.

Some specific Low calorie foods are:

Red Peppers,

Swede,

Mushrooms,

Tomatoes,

Celery,

Broccoli,

Boiled potatoes,

Brussels sprouts,

Water cress,

Famous fruits with low Calories are:

Crape,

Coyote,

Melon,

Currants apricot

Some Non-Veg low calorie foods are:

Low fat Cheese,

Egg's whites,

Beef,

Canadian bacon,

Ground turkey,

Lower fat hot dogs,

Low calorie drinks:

Soft drinks with low calories,

Coffee & tea with no sugar

Water

Water doesn't contain any calories at all. One personal experience is that you can use warm water with lime, this alone can reduce your weight up to 10 to 20 percent in few weeks.

I hope this article will give some awareness about low calorie foods and bit about calorie.

Wishing You success.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Negative Calorie Foods - What Are They and Do They Really Exist?




Negative calories foods are not foods that don't have calories-they're foods that cause the body to burn more calories than ingested to process it. For example, if a slice of carrot had 10 calories, but took 12 to burn, that food would have -2 calorie effect on your body.

The idea with negative calorie foods, which are always certain types of fruits and veggies and are usually very high in fiber, and have a low number of calories to begin with. The theory with negative calorie foods is that the energy (calories) the body burns in order to process the nutrients of these foods is more than the number of calories that are actually in the food.

If true, this makes these foods excellent choices for a diet, since they keep you full, but don't add any calories whatsoever.

So once again, I repeat this because it's important: no foods have negative calories. The lowest you can get is zero, which is basically water. But ice water requires the body to work to warm it up for use, meaning although the calorie amounts burned are paltry (an estimated 50 calories for the recommended 8 glasses of ice water a day), that still creates a negative calorie effect since your body burned 50 calories to process ice water, which gave back 0 calories.

This is what is meant by "negative calorie foods." A more accurate description might be "Foods low in calories that produce a negative calorie effect because of how much energy it takes to burn them," but that doesn't sound nearly as snazzy or sexy as "negative calorie foods," which gets the same idea across.

There is a heated debate, but the evidence seems to indicate that yes, there are foods that create a negative calorie effect. For people who automatically yell, "That's impossible!" without looking at the facts, well consider this very well known piece of survival knowledge: if you eat nothing but wild hares and wild rabbits for a large amount of time, you will starve to death. There aren't enough calories or nutrients because of the rabbits' diet, and the body takes too much energy to break down the protein that isn't giving anything back.

If you really liked this information and would like to know more, including full lists of negative calorie foods, then please visit my website at: http://www.squidoo.com/negative_calorie_foods for more information, and how these can be a great part of a healthy diet.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Eating Diet Food Makes You Fat




You have made a decision to eat more carefully and loose some weight.

You go to the supermarket and you go to the low-fat meals, diet drinks, sugar free snacks and you fill up your trolley. If you think buying all these products is going to benefit you think again.

New research shows that choosing "skinny" options is likely to make you fatter.

This healthy eating idea is not so healthy after all. Choosing the skinny option is more likely to make you consume more sugar and salt.

Also will leave you feeling more hungry.

Scientists at Purdue university, Indiana have shown artificial sweeteners in diet drinks make us want to eat more. What these artificial sweeteners do is send signals to our brain telling us to expect calories.

When no more calories arrive, we have the urge to eat more to compensate.

I decided to check their findings for myself and see if these so called healthy eating options were healthy.

For week one I chose foods marketed as having slimming or health benefits.

I ate the the quantities that I needed in order to feel full. For the second week I followed the G I style of eating diet plan. Again I ate as much as needed to fill full. I weighed myself before and after each week. You would think that you would loose more weight by having the special diet foods.

Here is the results of week one. Diet food verdict

After a few days, I felt hungrier and more sluggish. I began to feel bloated. I definitely did not feel as good as in week two and I got bored with the food. I started looking at labels and was surprised that, even though some foods said,low-fat, they were still very high in calories salt and sugar. By the end of week one,I had put on 3lbs.

Here is the results of week two. G I diet plan verdict

I felt full all the time I thought preparing my food would be a pain but it was simple. My energy levels went up and I was bounding out of bed in the mornings. I was able to concentrate better and was more alert. At the end of week two I lost 6lbs.

Final verdict

If you rely on diet food then,based on my experience, it looks as though it is time to stop being taken in by the big claims on the front of food packaging like- Low-fat Diet Reduced sugar instead what you should look at is the small print on the nutrition labels. Take a look at my five point check list of easy to make mistakes-then you can avoid the diet food trap. Which leads to putting on weight eating so called healthy eating options.

1. Reduced fat does not mean low-fat or low in calories. It actually means the food has 25 percent less fat than the original products. In the case of foods like taramasalata, which is high in fat in the first place, the reduced fat version may be better but it is still high in fat and calories.

2. Low fat does not mean low in calories. Many low-fat puddings,cakes and biscuits use sugar to replace all of the fat that has been removed. Always check out the small print calories per serving.

3. Healthy eating ready meals ranges in supermarkets often come in large portion sizes. So while they may be low in fat and salt, they have lots of calories.

4. Be aware that when you buy diet food you may kid yourself that, because you have made a healthy eating choice, you can then go and make up for it by eating more later.

5. Many diet foods may have lower calories but they still have lots of salt. Too much salt causes your body to hold on to excess water up to 3lb worth, so you end up feeling bloated and having swollen wrists and ankles.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Why Go on a Raw Food Diet?




The reasons that people move to the raw side of things are varied;
to lose weight, to increase energy, to look as good as Demi Moore or to simplify their life. It doesn't matter what gets you there, but once you are there, if you do it correctly, you will very quickly feel the benefits. Often it will take two or three weeks for people to start to feel the raw energy buzz. Two or three weeks of you life, however, is not much, if what you get in return are the following:

Weight Loss

Weight loss on the raw food diet is almost a guarantee. Occasionally, people that are very thin due to lack of absorption of nutrients will gain weight. People who have pounds of unhealthy weight, will see it melt off on the raw food diet. Even those people that just have two or three kilos extra on their bones will soon feel a lot lighter. This author went from 62kg to 55kg from practicing the raw food diet.

Increased Energy

Energy increase on the raw food diet is a guarantee.
There are occasional hiccups where a particular person finds that they need to include more of a certain food to feel that energy. After a little experimentation, the energy comes. Always.

Clear Mind

One of my favorite benefits of the raw food diet is the clarity of mind that it brings. Once you get rid of the coffee from your diet, and begin to include fresh juices, sprouts and healthy fats, your mind, like everything else, begins to work twenty times better. Have you ever sat at your desk, in a daze, for ten minutes, unable to formulate a simple plan for the day? This does not mean you are stupid, lacking in concentration or in some way hindered. It means that your brain is simply not clear, due to an unhealthy body. This will be a thing of the past on a raw food diet.

No More 'Normal' Ailments

No more colds. No more flu. Say goodbye to allergies, varicose veins, acne, dandruff, constipation, athletes foot, arthritis, and the list goes on. What 'common' ailment do you have right now that hinders your existence? It is not NORMAL that you should have to contend with this. It will all go once you are on the raw food diet. They will not disappear overnight, as it took you years to pick up these problems, but they will go. All thanks to the raw food diet.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Is It Healthy To Live On A 100% Raw Vegan Diet?




Many of you maybe familiar with raw food already.
For those of you, that are not, I’ll give a short explanation.
Eating raw food means eating raw fruits, raw vegetables (especially greens), raw nuts and seeds.

This is a diet that, if done right, can bring great health results.
I know stories of people with diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, arthritis, allergies and other diseases, who cured on raw food. Also for weight loss it turns out to be a great way of eating.

Of course changing from a standard diet to raw foods is not always easy. The body starts to detox, which can be hard sometimes, especially if you don’t understand what is going on. It’s best to have someone support you, who is experienced in this.

If you live on raw food already: is your diet balanced? Do you eat enough greens? Do you crave unhealthy foods? Do you sometimes overeat? Do you have any health issues? If not, great, you are doing fine. If you don’t feel totally balanced, take a closer look at your diet and your life (including your emotions).

Maybe you need more greens. Greens are essential in a raw food diet, because of the minerals they contain. Or maybe you eat too much fat. Whereas 10% of your calorie-intake should be from fats, the standard American diet contains about 40% and raw food often up to 65%. This excessive fat intake causes all kinds of problems.

I was impressed by a raw food talk last week by Bendan Brazier. He lives on a 100% vegan raw food diet and is a professional Ironman tri-athlete. Brendan won the 2003 and 2006 Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon. He explains how raw food helps him to be a top-performing athlete. As he tells, training creates acidity in his body. By eating fresh raw food immediately after a training session, he alkalizes faster than his competitors.

Because of this he is able to recover faster and can start training again sooner. This has made him better than all the others, who eat a standard diet and often stuff themselves up with junk food after a training or competition. He tells us, that especially after vigorous exercise, it is the most important time not to eat bad food, but to help your body recover and restore energy with fresh living food. For me it was really inspiring to hear Brendan talk about this.

If you want to know more about this, what to do exactly and how to change to a diet containing more raw food, visit our website at http://www.TheBestNaturalDiet.com/ The free E-book "The Seven Secrets of a Good Diet" will bring you more valuable information.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Can A Raw Food Diet Help You Lose Weight?




While raw foods are not new, the focus on eating plans that focus on them are and this trend in healthy eating appears to be gaining strength across the country. The focus of the diet is on eating uncooked, highly nutritious foods – fruits and vegetables. Of course, these foods are low in calories and extremely good for you, but eating them raw or uncooked is favored as it is believed that they lose nutritional value when cooked.

Those who subscribe to the raw food diet eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. They drink unpasteurized milk, water, juice, and tea. It is a revolutionary way to eat, but also a natural way and many of those who follow this way of eating say it keeps them thin and healthy.

However, while the raw food diet is rich in some nutrients, it lacks others. Although fruits and vegetables do have some protein and calcium, this diet may be lacking in these things. Experts are torn on whether it is healthy as a long term way of eating.

Another thing to consider when taking up a raw food diet is that most of the fruits and vegetables that you see in your supermarket are loaded with pesticides. Therefore, it might be best to consume only organic raw food.

If you decide a raw food diet is for you, you might consider supplements to compensate for the nutrients this diet is lacking. Some supplements to consider include vitamin B12, copper, zinc, and chromium. Also, proteins from plants do not the same amino acids as animal protein so you’ll have to consume a variety of different type sof raw foods in order to remain healthy.

Some medical experts see great benefits in the raw food diet. In addition to enabling weight loss, the diet can ostensibly increase one’s metabolism, making calorie burning easier. Some medical experts have also suggested that a raw food diet is a good antidote to eating disorders. In addition, it can help make your immune system stronger, and help the body rid itself of harmful toxins. Some supporters even claim that eating raw foods improves the look of their skin.

A raw food diet is not recommended for children, women who are pregnant, people suffering from osteoporosis, and those who are anemic. If you try a raw food diet, you should to plan your meals in advance to insure that you are receiving the maximum amount of nutrients. Also, it can be time consuming to prepare all the foods you need so make sure that you set aside the time to chop, blend and puree for each meal every day.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

A Raw Food Detox Diet - Frequently Asked Questions




If you are considering a raw food detox diet to achieve optimal health and weight loss you probably have a few questions. Here are some of the most common questions I’ve gotten.

What is a raw food diet?

A raw food diet is a diet rich in unprocessed, natural plant-based foods that are not cooked above 116°F (46°C). Here’s are the categories of raw foods:

- Fresh and dried fruits
- Fresh vegetables
- Sprouts
- Non-roasted nuts, nut butters, and seeds
- Sprouted, unprocessed, uncooked grains and beans
- Uncooked seaweed

What is a raw food detox diet?

A raw food detox diet is a diet of 100% raw foods which is followed to cleanse the body of harmful toxins. A detox diet is a great way for your body to return to its natural state of health therefore relieving many symptoms of ill health such as excess weight, acne, low-energy, constipation, and allergies.

Can anyone follow a raw food detox diet?

No. If you are elderly, are pregnant or nursing, are anemic, are a young child, have a serious disease, are chronically ill, or are addicted to drugs or alcohol you should not follow any detox diet. Everyone else can follow a raw food detox diet.

Are there any side effects?

There may be a few mild side effects. The good news though is that the side effects usually mean that the detox is working effectively. You may experience mild headaches, cravings, or nausea. These side effects will usually go away within a few days.

How long should I stay on a raw foods detox diet?

The answer to this question depends on the results that you are looking for. If you are in fairly good health to begin with then a detox diet from a few days to a week will dramatically improve your health. If you have a lot of weight to lose, consider following a 100% raw food diet until you reach your ideal weight. In both cases though, if you follow a raw food diet for a while only to immediately return to a poor diet of processed foods, then you will undo all the good of the detox diet. Consider a raw foods diet as a more permanent answer to optimum health. As a long term approach, try to comprise your diet of 70 to 100% raw foods after your initial detox diet.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

The Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid - It's Not Your Average Food Pyramid



The way people eat in countries like Italy and Greece has had a nutritional model patterned after it. It is called the Mediterranean diet. They have been known to have a lower rate of cancer and other diseases in that area of the world, and so people have finally begun to give it some attention.

This way of eating has only recently been getting attention from Americans-- starting in the late 1990s in fact-- even though it was first developed in the 1940s by an American doctor. At least it's finally well-known. There are a fair amount of differences between the average American diet and this diet that are worth reviewing.

The Mediterranean Diet food pyramid is very different from the US Food Pyramid. It contains very little red meat, for starters. They do use red meat in their recipes, but not frequently, and in little portions. Taking up a big portion of the Mediterranean Diet food pyramid is fish. The US Food pyramid, on the other hand, groups all the different meats into one category.

In Mediterranean fare, whole grain foods make up the main staple. That includes rice, bread, couscous, potatoes, and similar foods. Fruits and vegetables are also an important part of the Mediterranean diet, as are nuts and beans, and this is one thing that the two food pyramids have in common, although the quantities that are recommended are somewhat different.

The traditional US food pyramid groups all the forms of protein into one category, which makes it hard to see what specific role each type of food ought to play in your diet. This diet food pyramid keeps them separate.

This Mediterranean way of thinking and eating has finally been getting attention, because people have discovered that those who follow this diet experience incredibly low rates of diseases and cancer.

The Mediterranean Diet includes plenty of red wine, usually very often in just about every meal. We know that red wine contains very powerful and beneficial antioxidants. You will also find a lot of olive oil in Mediterranean cooking. Like red wine, it also has some of its own antioxidant properties. If you want to live a healthy life, check out the food pyramid.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

All You Need to Know About Raw Food Diet



Many of dieters out there are trying this kind of diet. What is it, actually? What are the advantages and disadvantages? How to do it?

Let me help you get all the answers in the following detailed explanations about raw food diet before you decide to apply it:

• What is Raw Food Diet?

Raw food diet is a diet composed mainly or entirely of raw and living foods. These foods include mostly raw vegan food, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

The raw foodists can consume any foods which have not been cooked, frozen, or treated with chemical preservatives.


There are 3 types of raw foodists:

1. Living foodists, who eat a diet made up of plant food in active form, such as sprouted nuts and seeds. 2. Juicarians, who eat a diet made up entirely of juices. 3. Raw foodists who are not vegetarians, and therefore eat raw meats and unpasteurized milk

• How to Start a Raw Food Diet?

Going on a raw food diet can be similar to detoxifying your body, and there can be some side effects. So when considering the raw food diet, you should start slowly, with one or more raw meals per day, and one or more meals with a raw main dish and a small cooked side dish. This can be easier on your body as well as your habits.

• Where to Find the Foods?

The best kind of raw food is organic food. Organic foods are now available in a wide variety of products, not just fruits but even cookies.

While organic foods can be more expensive then regular foods, they can also be more convenient, as there are many companies starting in cities that will actually deliver organic fruits and vegetables to your front door.

• What Are The Advantages?

Many raw foodists choose the diet because they believe that cooking, freezing or otherwise processing foods can destroy vitamins, bacteria, and enzymes. They also believe that cooking food makes food harder to digest, partially due to destroying enzymes which are acting as catalysts in the digestion of food.

Raw foods contain less chemicals and preservatives, which are not natural in foods. Raw food is also less toxic and more easily digested, while containing more vitamins and minerals than processed foods.

The raw foodists also believe that the diet can improve health, lower risk of heart disease (because of a diet low in trans-fats), improve digestion, improve skin appearance, and increase the energy levels.


• What Are The Disadvantages?

An important concern in a raw food diet is the lack of animal proteins. One needs to get all the essential amino acids.

To fulfill all the nutrition and avoid deficiencies in protein and vitamin B12, a raw foodist might need some nutritional supplements.

So, after you find out all you need to know about raw food diet, are you ready to start one now?

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Food And ADHD Putting Yourself At Choice




The symptoms of a person suffering from ADHD have direct relations with his food intake. Most people do not have a balanced diet and suffer from food allergies due to the insufficiency of important nutrients in their diet.



ADHD sufferers are usually allergic to food dyes and wheat. People worry that food allergies will make them have to go to the hospital if they eat that particular food. However, the symptoms one may have when eating a food one is allergic to is usually a runny nose, feeling tired all the time or having headaches often. The symptoms are rarely severe enough to go to the hospital.



ADHD sufferers can narrow down the list of the foods they are allergic to by keeping a food diary where they should write down in detail what they eat every day for a week. Bread, milk and cheese are staples on most peoples’ diets. After seeing which foods you eat on an everyday basis, eliminate those food items for about two weeks. Then you can put one at a time back into your diet and see how you react to them. If this does not help you to understand what foods you are allergic or sensitive to, get a blood test done by a doctor. This will give you a breakdown of the 200 food items you eat most frequently.



Things like added flavorings and colorings which do not belong in the food we ingest are the most common reasons for being sensitive to some kind of food which contains them. ADHD sufferers should adopt a diet which eliminates these harmful ingredients. If taking off commonly eaten foods from your diet for about a week and putting one at a time back is not working for you, you could go on a diet such as Feingold diet, which will make you eat whole foods. You can still have all your favorite foods, but now you will have to make them from scratch, instead of buying them from the supermarket.



Parents vouch for the efficacy of eating whole foods. Thus, one should try and stick to the healthy whole food diet even though it will be tough initially switching from processed foods to whole foods. But since many tests show that ADHD sufferers’ symptoms are directly associated to their diet, it is of prime importance that the family’s diet should be healthy and nutritious.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Get More Energy With The Raw Food Detox Diet




Raw food detox diet involves eating food in its uncooked form, referring to anything that occurs naturally. There are immense benefits to be derived from a diet consisting primarily or sole of raw organic vegan food. Eating raw foods gives you 100 percent of the available nutrition. But you can lose up to 85 percent of the original nutritional value when you cook the same food.


Raw food detox diet also provides enzymes that help digest your food. Living foods not exposed to temperatures above 116 degrees Fahrenheit keep their enzymes intact; otherwise, the enzymes break up and your body has to work harder to digest your meals. Enzyme-rich foods give you a more realistic and efficient energy source. They rapidly break down in our stomach and immediately begin to provide energy and nutrition.


One of the most life enhancing benefits from eating a raw food detox diet is the abundant amount of energy that is available to you. Energy that is usually use to digest cooked food is freed up for you to spend for other things, when eating raw. You will find that when eating raw foods you will need to sleep less to feel rested.


Many athletes have found that light raw meals give a more sustainable form of energy and improve their performance. Students find that raw food detox diet gives them a more stable blood sugar level, helping them to think more clearly and stay more focused. Eating raw food is also known to enhance your beauty. Most of all, when you eat well you feel good - and feeling good is the essence of life.


To start your raw food detox diet, increase the amount of fresh foods in your cooked food diet. The cleansing process begins and helps flush out old toxins. Greens and fresh fruits are especially effective in pushing debris out of your cells and colon. These two primary raw food sources attune your body to eating more and more raw food.


As you feel fuller and more nourished from the increased quantities of raw food, you may consider trying to let go of cooked food. Cultured foods (like tofu) help initiate beneficial flora. Dried foods assist your transition by giving a raw food way to satisfy a cooked food craving for something heavy. The goal in a raw food detox diet is to achieve the ideal balanced diet of 60 per cent fresh foods, 20 per cent sprouted foods, 10 per cent dried foods, and 10 per cent cultured foods. Try to achieve that to make the most of healthy, energy

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Fast Weight Loss with Fast Food - Is Weight Loss Possible with Fast Food?




Fast food is promoted by television, radio, classifieds ads, billboards, word of mouth, etc. This type of media presence sometimes makes it nearly impossible to stay away from fast food, especially when we are trying to eat healthier foods and lose weight.



Fast food restaurants are making a very good attempt to include more healthful foods on their menus. For instance, one fast food chain is offering a bean burrito that contains only 350 calories and a mere 8 grams of fat with a whopping 9 grams of fiber.



That is one healthy bean burrito. The problem is that most people do not just want one bean burrito. They want the side items that go with the burrito, such as fries, nachos, desserts, sugar-filled beverages, and other highly caloric foods.



It is no surprise that the average number of calories in a meal for the majority of overweight people is 957.



As can be seen from the paragraph above, it is not where the food comes from that that causes people to become overweight. What makes a person overweight is whether or not his total calorie intake exceeds his total calorie expenditure.



Believe it or not, fast food is not directly to blame for weight gain. In fact, a person could eat fast food for every meal, every day for the rest of his life, and not gain a single ounce of weight on his body.



So, eat as much fast food as you want. Just remember not to eat more calories than your body requires on a daily basis.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Understanding the Food Pyramid for Kids




In 2005, the US Department of Agriculture released the new food pyramid plan. Kids and adults alike no longer need to follow the same horizontally sectioned food pyramid. Adults now have their own pyramid while there is also a new food pyramid for kids. What does this say now about food, nutrition and diet?



The new food pyramid for kids basically implies that kids have different nutritional and diet needs as adults. Kids need to follow the specifications in the new food pyramid for kid so that they can grow up healthy and strong.



The food pyramid for kid is telling kids and parents that kids should eat a variety of food items from all the food groups. A healthy meal according to the food pyramid for kid should therefore contain lean meat, beans, nuts, fish, milk, dairy products, fruits, grains, vegetables and some fats.



The food pyramid for kid however is not telling kids to eat everything in the same amounts. The same age old advice still holds about eating more grains, fruits and vegetables than other food types. Oils and sugar should be eaten in smaller portions. Parents should also note that some foods in each category should not be eaten in great amounts. Fruit pies and tetra pack juices for example do not necessarily contain the same nutrients as real fruits and should only be taken occasionally.



The best way to encourage kids to follow the food pyramid for kid requirements is to set a good example. Parents and other family members should vow to eat only healthy food. It would also help to keep the whole house free of junk food and other food items that are less in nutritional value.



The new food pyramid for kid is also trying to tell us that kids should be given a lot of time to exercise. Good physical play for example is advisable for kids to stay healthy. Parents can also encourage kids to follow the physical exercise advice of the new food pyramid for kid by being a good example and engaging in physical activities as well. Parents can keep kids active by participating in family camping activities or family sports games.



The whole business of eating and living healthy may be a difficult concept to teach children. The food pyramid for kid also suggests however, that healthy living and eating should be taught slowly but surely.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Raw Food Restaurants Worldwide - Exploring Raw Food Restaurants for Taste & Nutrition




Raw Food Restaurants Are Increasing in Number
Raw food restaurants have increased in number over the past 10 years, as more people seek healthier diets and lifestyles. Raw food restaurants serve no cooked foods. Instead, they serve an assortment of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains—including raw desserts, raw pizza, raw “lasagna” and more. Surprisingly, raw food tastes good—and best of all, it’s good for you.

Currently there are 95 raw food restaurants worldwide—however, this number also includes a handful of vegetarian restaurants that are partially raw (restaurants that serve both cooked and raw food selections).



Raw Food Restaurant Food Preparation
Raw food restaurants use several tools to prepare food for customers: a food processor, a high-powered blender, juicers, and variable-temperature dehydrators, among others. Absolutely no microwaves, ovens, or stoves are used. This is done to preserve the live enzymes presents in all raw food. Live enzymes are destroyed when food is cooked beyond 114 degrees Fahrenheit.



Raw Food Gourmet Chefs
The raw food trend has picked up steam in recent months, spawning “gourmet raw food chefs” and raw food cooking schools. Even classic chefs are visiting raw food restaurants to discover a cuisine that offers surprising diversity, flavor and texture.



Popular Raw Food Restaurants
Some of the more well-known raw food restaurants include Juliano’s Raw in Santa Monica, California. Juliano’s Raw was one of the first raw food restaurants to open its doors. Other well-known raw food restaurants include Pure Food & Wine in New York City, and Café Gratitude in San Francisco, California.


Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Know The Difference Between Raw Food and Vegetarian Diet




Most people do not know the difference between raw food diet and vegetarian diet. In order to first know the difference among the two, we must first take a closer look on their similarities. True, a person who is on a strict raw food diet can be considered as a vegetarian. However, unlike a vegetarian who can eat cooked vegetables, a raw foodist only consumes foods that are uncooked and unprocessed. A vegetarian is a person who eats cooked and uncooked, processed and unprocessed fruits and vegetables. A vegetarian can eat onion rings in a restaurant but a raw foodist can only eat raw fruits and vegetables and drink fruit juices. If you think it is hard for vegetarians to find something to eat, how much more for the raw foodist.


There are several different types of vegetarians – vegans, fruitarians, etc. – and a raw foodist is a type of vegetarianism. Unlike that of a vegetarian, a raw foodist can include sushi on their diet. As long as the food is not cooked and unprocessed. A vegetarian may eat steamed broccoli, however, a raw foodist only consumes it in its raw form. A vegetarian’s diet do not include meat, fish, or any kinds of animal product while a raw foodist – as mentioned above – can include it in its diet as long as it is in its raw form. Meaning, a person who is on a raw food diet is also considered a vegan who consumes uncooked, unprocessed raw foods.



Raw only?

If you are on a diet that only consumes foods that are at least 75% raw, or uncooked fruits and vegetables, then you are one of the many people who are on a raw food diet. Raw foods contain the necessary food enzymes that our body needs. As a matter of fact, raw foods have high levels of enzyme than that of cooked foods. Studies show that cooking foods (especially above 116°F) is can reduce the enzymes of the food.


Those who are on a raw food diet have a meticulous method in preparing their food such as sprouting seeds, grains and beans; soaking nuts and dried fruits; and extract juice from fruits and vegetables.


Consuming organic foods is the best way to have a healthy diet. Lots of supermarkets and grocery stores are now offering packed fruits and vegetables. As a matter of fact, more and more fruits and vegetable retailers have been popping up these days. It is now much easier purchase bags of fruits and vegetables.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Atkins Diet Tips - 6 Powerful Atkins Diet Tips




In this article you will find six useful Atkins diet tips.
It is no surprise that the Atkins diet spreads around the world like wildfire to help you out with your weight loss battle.
I give you seven tips to get more results from the Atkins diet.


Atkins diet tip 1 # 1 Get protein from lower fat sources


If you want to apply the Atkinson diet effectively you must eat foods that contain low fat.
Examples of some lower fat sources are chicken, olives, pasta dried fruits and so on.



Atkins diet tip 2 # Drink water.

Whether you like it or not if you follow the Atkins diet you have to drink water.
Drinking water is necessary to keep your metabolism active.
Try to link at least eight glasses of water in a day.



Atkins diet tip 3 # Take a picture

It is important thay stay motivated.
Take a picture of yourself before you follow the diet and share it with your partner, friends, colleagues and family members.
Now everytime you want to quit with the atkins diet look at the picture and see how far you have come?



Atkins diet tip 4 # 4 Try a low fat carb fruit dessert.

No good meal without a dessert. However if you want to lose weight pay attention.
Do not cakes, ice creams or giant pieces of apple pie.
Yes they are very tasteful but if you do this say goodbye to your fat burning efforts.
Instead try a low fat carb fruit dessert. Well here are some fruits you can eat and believe me they are almost as good as apple pie perhaps sometimes even better.
Try this out melon, pears, grapefruit, blueberries, strawberries.



Atkins diet tip 5 # Make your diet public

You want to follow a diet but you are a little bit unsure what people will think about you.
Don't be afraid dieting is not a crime. Instead tell people about your plan to follow an Atkins diet plan.
In fact telling your friends, partners and co workers will increase your accountability.



Atkins diet tip 6 # Choose the right Atkins diet book.

Well I keep it simple the best books related to the atkins diet are the books from Dr Atkins himself.
Of course there are other great diet books written by others too.
Don't forget to do research about it you it is better to spend fifty bucks on useful information that ten bucks on crap information.


I'm sure these atkins diet tips will help you to lose more weight
However if you're not sure about it ask a doctor or diet specialist for help


Saturday, March 8, 2008

Calorie-Cutting For More Life And Health



When you receive the Seal you will begin to control what you eat. New York City is reviving efforts to try to help by requiring restaurants to post the calorie-count of their meals on the menu.
Around 1 in 10 restaurants in New York City is a fast-food restaurant of a big chain. New York wants to require these restaurants to post their calorie-counts right on the menu where the buyers can see what they are buying.

Last September a federal judge would not allow the plan to go forward because it did not include also other restaurants in the city. But the New York City Board of Heath is planning to revive the measure January 22, 2008.

This measure would require fast-food companies to display the amount of calories in meals on the menu board in big enough print that people can see how many calories are in a potential meal.

Big fast-food chains like McDonald's know how many calories are in all their food and they do make that information available to the public but they do not warn buyers by posting it on the menu boards.

Fast-food meals are notorious for containing huge amounts of calories. A single meal can contain 1000s of calories, even meeting or exceeding the amount of calories a person needs in the whole day.

And that is just from the single meal which offers poor nutrition. A diet largely consisting of fast food does not offer the kind of nutrition needed to keep a person healthy and even alive.

NYC officials are hoping to address the problem of obesity by making people more aware of what each meal is doing to them. These meals have not enough nutrition to qualify as one meal but have enough calories to cover the whole day.

NYC also outlawed trans fats in cooking oils from all the restaurants in the city in 2007. Trans fats are the worst kind of fat you can possible eat, made by altering natural fats artificially.

The New York Restaurant Association is the culprit that sued NYC because of the measure in 2007. That was why a federal judge decided that the law had to be changed to become acceptable.

If NYC changes the requirement so restaurants who have not volunteered their calorie counts are also included in the requirement, then the judge from last year would consider it an acceptable requirement.

When you are sealed you will start to change your diet. You will take steps to lose the extra weight. And you will not do it because you just want to look better. It will change the way you feel and is likely to extend your life.

Calorie restriction has often been proven in tests on animals to lengthen their lifespan. It takes a lot of self-discipline to restrict calories. And that self-discipline is often lacking in Americans.

But usually when people eat too much they do not truly enjoy their food. So you will find it easier to cut calories than you first think, because when you start eating less you will start to also enjoy your food more.

When you are sealed you will learn to enjoy food because you will be thankful for what God has given you. And even more than the food itself you will enjoy how much better you feel from eating less food that is healthier food.

When you are sealed God will write His Name upon you. Then you will belong to God. And He will give you the ability to nurse yourself back to health by cutting calories when you receive the Seal.

And now Jason would like to invite you to get your FREE report Are You Making These Mistakes as a Christian? and "Get God's 'Seal of Approval' and Get the Victory Over Evil" Jason Witt

http://www.sealsecrets.com/

http://www.sealofthesoul.com/

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Calorie Shifting Menu




Are you looking for a calorie shifting menu plan? The foundation of this plan is based on premise that you can manipulate your body's metabolism at will simply by shifting the type of calories you eat from meal to meal, in a combination, such that it induces fat burning.


Here is a sample menu plan:

Day 1

Meal #1: Flavored Oatmeal

Meal #2: Tuna Salad

Meal #3: Sandwich (any type)

Meal #4: Scrambled Eggs Meal


Day 2:

Meal #1: Banana Milk Shake

Meal #2: Chicken

Meal #3: Scrambled Eggs [and] Mixed Vegetables

Meal #4: Cottage Cheese


Day 3:

Meal #1: Chicken

Meal #2: Fruit Salad

Meal #3: Fish Filet

Meal #4: Cottage Cheese

Here are the basic rules of the calorie shifting diet plan:




You can eat as much food as you want of each food at each meal until you are satisfied but not too full.


You can eat any of the 4 meals of each day in any order.


You must space out each meal by at least 2.5 to 3 hours.


You must take a break from the diet every 12th through 14th days before you resume the diet again.

As is evident from this the sample menu plan above, the calorie shifting diet is designed to be extremely satisfying and sustainable. You have the opportunity to eat from all four food groups and there is no restriction on the amount of food that you eat, except that you should not stuff yourself. The main requirement is that you must group your foods together into meals that are the most conducive to the fat burning process.

So what are you waiting for? Generate your personalized meal plan now at http://www.IdiotProofFatLoss.com and you will be 9 pounds lighter in a week and a half!

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

15 Amazing Raw Food Diet Benefits



First, What Is A Raw Food Diet?

A raw food diet typically consists of nearly all uncooked food. A standard ratio is usually 75% raw food to 25% or less cooked food. Many people will even aim to achieve 90 to 100% raw foods in their diet.

By following these guidelines, many wonderful raw food diet benefits are realized.

Some of the most common types of raw foods are...fresh and dried fruits, fresh fruit juices, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts.

Let's look at some of the most noticeable raw food diet benefits people typically experience once they make this shift in their dietary habits.

Powerful Raw Food Diet Benefits

Some of the most common benefits of a raw food diet include...


Increased energy level.


Clear, soft skin.


Establish and maintain your ideal body weight.


You do not feel deprived of eating.


Eat as much as you want and not gain weight.


Enjoy a deep, sound sleep at night.


Have regular bowel movements and rarely suffer from constipation or indigestion.


Look younger and healthier.


Your health and fitness levels increase.


Your eyes will be more clear and bright.


Feel happy throughout the day - with no signs of depression.


Your level of concentration and focus will improve greatly.


Your instincts and intuitiveness will be sharper.


Less degenerative disease.


Less frequent or less intense colds and flus.

Based on the raw food diet benefits listed above, it's plain to see that raw foods are a simple, effective and natural way to improve your overall health and experience life at an optimal level!

Monday, March 3, 2008

Healthy Weight Loss Drinks



When trying to lose weight with our rapid weight loss diet plans, we often focus our attention so much on the food we eat that we forget to think about what we are drinking. Certain juices and drinks we may think are not that bad can be loaded with calories, sugar and other things. Now if you have these drinks with each meal then you can see how fast the calories can sneak up on you.

It is important to consider all rapid weight loss methods, including changing your drinking habits if you want to lose inches off your waist! These healthy weight loss drinks tips below will help you cut tons of calories from your diet very easily!

Healthy Weight Loss Drinks 1 Serving = 8 Ounces

Replace a serving of orange juice (110 calories), with fruit flavored water sweetened with Splenda, which adds 0 calories to your rapid weight loss diet plan.

Replace a serving of Hi-C Lemonade (120 calories) with a serving of Crystal Light, which adds only 5 calories to your rapid weight loss diet plan.

Replace a serving of whole milk (150 calories), with skim milk, which adds only 90 calories rapid weight loss diet plan.

Replace a serving of iced tea (80 calories) with a serving of fresh-brewed or diet iced tea sweetened with Splenda, which adds 0 calories to your rapid weight loss diet plan.

Replace a serving of regular soda (150 calories) with diet soda which adds 0 calories to your rapid weight loss diet plan.

When in Doubt Just Drink Water

When in doubt you can always drink water which is by far the weight loss drink you can have. It is recommended you drink around 4-6 glasses of water a day when trying to lose weight. This will help keep you hydrated and flush you clean! To lose even more weight you can add a safe and natural fat burning pill to your balanced diet and exercise routine to lose an average of 4-18 extra lbs. a month.

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Check out his website fatburningpillreviews.com if you are interested in how Fat Burning Pills can help you lose weight.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

How Diet Soft Drinks Can Make You Gain Weight!



People who drink diet sodas, or (as I call them) soft drinks have a very high chance of becoming overweight or even obese!

At the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio researchers found, during a 26 year study, that 622 participants aged 25-64 who drank diet soft drinks were more likely to be overweight.

According to the Associated Press, the chances of becoming overweight or obese increased by 65% with each and every diet drink per day.

Throughout the study, 32.7% of all those involved in the study, became either overweight or obese. And 47.2% of those who had 2 or more regular soft drinks a day became obese or overweight. But, the ones who drank 2 or more diet drinks a day, 57.1% became overweight or obese.

"Right now we don't have any clear public message here. This just raises an interesting question" says Sharon Fowler, the study's lead author at the University of TexasHealth Science Center. She told the Houston Chronicle, "I want to be very clear our findings do not prove that diet soft drinks cause people to gain weight".

The researchers are baffled. Even though the diet drinks don't cause people to gain weight they replace that with what should be healthier drinks.

So what is this telling us? Do diet soft drinks make us gain weight? Well, the answer is no, not really! The idea behind this, and I guess the point of the study, is that when people drink a diet drink they tend to eat more or higher calorie foods. We seem to think that we can go ahead and eat that "super size fry" or that "triple cheeseburger" because, hey, I'm drinking a diet soda.

If you want to feel good about what you eat and drink then eat in moderation. Go ahead and have the diet drink, but eat sensibly along with it then you will see good results!