A high protein low carb diet plan offers many health benefits. For example, cholesterol levels in people who choose a high protein and low carbohydrate diet plan have been clinically shown to improve. Triglyceride levels of individuals usually drop markedly and HDL levels rise. Do you know the higher the HDL levels, the more likely you are able to keep your body's blood circulation system in good condition?
Persons with Type II diabetes should notice an immediate improvement in blood glucose levels within a few days of implementing a low carbohydrate but high protein diet program. Individuals with high blood pressure can also achieve tremendous benefits from a similar plan. Many people have been able to discontinue the use of prescription medications for the treatment of both Type II diabetes and hypertension after starting a high protein low carb diet plan. Of course, you should NEVER stop using any medications without first consulting with your doctor. It is always advisable to check with your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.
Losing weight can be such a hard goal to reach when you're hungry all the time. Luckily, another benefit of using a high protein diet plan is that the types of food you can eat are foods that tend to leave you feeling fuller and for longer periods of time. When you eat food higher in protein, you feel less hungry. Nibbling and snacking on nuts and cheese for example, will leave you feeling more satisfied and for a longer period of time than if you chose to eat chips or a cookie since both of these have a high carbohydrate content.
For low carb diet plan, the reason it helps losing weight is due to the removal of the adverse effects carbohydrates can have on our bodies. Carbohydrates increase our bodies blood sugar. Increased blood sugar causes the pancreas to produce insulin. Insulin itself is a very necessary hormone that enables our bodies cells to use the needed blood sugar. However, insulin has some undesirable effects in the body as well. One such effect is that it causes fat to be deposited. Insulin also stimulates the brain to produce hunger signals. These signals cause us to crave more food. Usually they are the hunger for more high carbohydrate content food.
A low carb diet plan is a very effective way to halt this destructive cycle that is caused by a high carbohydrate diet. When such diet plan is enacted the level of insulin in the body is decreased. When the insulin level decreases the level of glucagons is increased. Glucagon is a hormone responsible for the burning of body fat and it is also what enables the cholesterol removal from the arteries.
For best results, besides following a low carb and high protein diet plan, get thirty minutes of exercise at least three times per week, and drink plenty of water. Doing so will keep your metabolism high and help you lose weight faster.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
How to Eat Out When on a Diet
According to the latest research, over 80 percent of people rank taste as the number factor in having an enjoyable meal out. Another fifty percent say that satisfying their hunger is a top priority but less than 30 percent say that eating healthy is important when eating out. The evidence is clear then - when going out to dinner, most people aren't thinking about their health.
If you are looking at losing weight then eating out will likely be one of your weaknesses. Surrounded by great looking food and tempting menus, you will probably eat too much of the wrong thing. While this is OK on the rare occasion, doing it regularly can really derail your diet plans.
However, it is possible to satisfy your taste buds and your hunger without sacrificing your diet. Below you will find some examples of how this can be achieved.
Chinese
Chinese can be filled with salt, fat and oil. However, food that is steamed is usually the much healthier choice. Stir-frys are also a good health choice. You should avoid food that is deep-fried, crispy or double sautéed.
Sandwiches
You've just run out from work to grab some food. Looking around the food court you spot the sandwich shop and think that this will be the best choice for your body. Right? Well, it depends. Even though they can look healthy, some sandwiches are filled with extra calories. Avoid the white bread, roll or wrap and choose whole-grain bread. Eat sandwiches which exclude high-fat spreads and cheese, and look for mustard, hummus and olive oil instead. Deli meat is also a high source of salt and fat.
Italian
Creamy and cheesy pasta can be a cholesterol bomb. Opt for a small bowl of salad with tomato sauce and have seafood as your main. Make sure the seafood isn't deep-fried or dipped in button. As a starter, opt for whole-grain bread and olive oil.
If you are looking at losing weight then eating out will likely be one of your weaknesses. Surrounded by great looking food and tempting menus, you will probably eat too much of the wrong thing. While this is OK on the rare occasion, doing it regularly can really derail your diet plans.
However, it is possible to satisfy your taste buds and your hunger without sacrificing your diet. Below you will find some examples of how this can be achieved.
Chinese
Chinese can be filled with salt, fat and oil. However, food that is steamed is usually the much healthier choice. Stir-frys are also a good health choice. You should avoid food that is deep-fried, crispy or double sautéed.
Sandwiches
You've just run out from work to grab some food. Looking around the food court you spot the sandwich shop and think that this will be the best choice for your body. Right? Well, it depends. Even though they can look healthy, some sandwiches are filled with extra calories. Avoid the white bread, roll or wrap and choose whole-grain bread. Eat sandwiches which exclude high-fat spreads and cheese, and look for mustard, hummus and olive oil instead. Deli meat is also a high source of salt and fat.
Italian
Creamy and cheesy pasta can be a cholesterol bomb. Opt for a small bowl of salad with tomato sauce and have seafood as your main. Make sure the seafood isn't deep-fried or dipped in button. As a starter, opt for whole-grain bread and olive oil.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Easy Weight Loss Recipe - Start Your Day With This Superfood Smoothie
Eating low calorie foods for maximum nutrition is a must for any weight loss program. This delicious blueberry smoothie will add superfoods to your breakfast with sweet, tangy blueberries which contain anti-inflammatory ingredients, plus Vitamin K and Folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
This Superfood Smoothie is a meal in a glass and also makes a great snack for increased energy-something that is very important when you're trying to lose weight.
Smoothie Weight Loss Secrets
The more slowly you eat or drink the better when you're trying to lose weight. Savor each mouthful by eating your smoothie with a tablespoon over the course of ten or 15 minutes. Eating slowly is great for your digestive system and this is good practice for eating slowly throughout the rest of the day too.
Rinse out your glass and the blender with lots of warm water right away, and you won't have problems keeping your blender clean.
Ingredients
1 banana
½ c low fat vanilla soy milk or low fat milk
1 c vanilla fat-free yogurt
1 ½ tsp flax seed meal
1 ½ tsp honey
2/3 c fresh or frozen blueberries
You can also add a tablespoon of high quality protein powder for added protein to start your day.
Directions
Put banana, yogurt, flax seed meal, soy milk and honey into your blender and mix on low until smooth.
Add blueberries and continue blending.
Once the banana and blueberries are fully chopped, increase speed to medium.
Continue blending until you reach the consistency you want.
This blueberry smoothie recipe makes 2 servings of Superfood Smoothie
Rinse your blender and glass and the blender right away with warm water and it makes clean-up much easier.
Nutritional Information per Serving - does not include protein powder if you added this ingredient.
This Superfood Smoothie is a meal in a glass and also makes a great snack for increased energy-something that is very important when you're trying to lose weight.
Smoothie Weight Loss Secrets
The more slowly you eat or drink the better when you're trying to lose weight. Savor each mouthful by eating your smoothie with a tablespoon over the course of ten or 15 minutes. Eating slowly is great for your digestive system and this is good practice for eating slowly throughout the rest of the day too.
Rinse out your glass and the blender with lots of warm water right away, and you won't have problems keeping your blender clean.
Ingredients
1 banana
½ c low fat vanilla soy milk or low fat milk
1 c vanilla fat-free yogurt
1 ½ tsp flax seed meal
1 ½ tsp honey
2/3 c fresh or frozen blueberries
You can also add a tablespoon of high quality protein powder for added protein to start your day.
Directions
Put banana, yogurt, flax seed meal, soy milk and honey into your blender and mix on low until smooth.
Add blueberries and continue blending.
Once the banana and blueberries are fully chopped, increase speed to medium.
Continue blending until you reach the consistency you want.
This blueberry smoothie recipe makes 2 servings of Superfood Smoothie
Rinse your blender and glass and the blender right away with warm water and it makes clean-up much easier.
Nutritional Information per Serving - does not include protein powder if you added this ingredient.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
How to read the Nutrition Fact system?
Nutrition - each product has provided us tons of information on how much nutrition it has for each serving. In order to balance our diet and maintain a healthy eating habit, understanding nutrition fact system is important.
The following video provides some basic ideas on how to understand the nutrition fact system from the product you may buy everyday from grocery store. Hope you enjoy it.
The following video provides some basic ideas on how to understand the nutrition fact system from the product you may buy everyday from grocery store. Hope you enjoy it.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Quick Tips on Low Fat Cooking
Fatty foods may as well be the roots of a number of diseases. Medical experts conclude that people who eat fatty foods are more likely to suffer from heart related diseases compared to those who don't. With this in mind, low fat cooking is gaining popularity for health conscious people.
Aside from that, low fat food can also help you keep your weight down and remain fit. Recommended daily fat intake should be kept at 30% at a max. With reduced fat on your body, you have the ability to fight off stress and you're your body away from illnesses.
Low fat cooking need not to be coming from boring recipes. You can still spice up your meal and create delicious food even when keeping your foods low fat.
To get you started with your low fat diet, here are some cooking tips:
Non-stick frying pans
Avoid using oil any way you can possibly can. You can use non-stick frying pans so you can avoid adding fat to your food. It would be best to fry food at a minimum.
Woks
Woks are great utensils for low fat cooking. You can make a lot of stir-fried meals using woks.
Stir-frying
When preparing stir-fried foods, cut on the amount of meat and add more vegetables. To bring out the flavor in your food, you can add beef, chicken or vegetable broth.
Cooking oil sprays
Cooking oil sprays are great alternative to using fat. You can use vegetable oil sprays or olive oil sprays. Using this method can also lessen the amount of oil that you use compared to the typical way of pouring fat to pans. A light mist from cooking oil sprays would be enough to keep your food from sticking to cooking pans.
Meat and chicken
Lean meats are best for low fat cooking. If you were to use meat and chicken, trim off the fat and skin. Make sure to prepare a low fat marinade if you intend to grill any kind of food. If you are to cook them with sauce cut down on pan juices and add thicken the sauce with corn flour. Skim milk is recommended for white sauces.
Desserts
Whipped cream can be replaced with a mix of yogurt and ricotta. Most recipes would require using two or more eggs. You can replace one whole egg with two egg whites to cut on fat.
Fish
Fish is one of the foods that are very low in fat that you can turn up to a hearty meal anytime. See to it that you prepare a fishmeal at least every week. Fish contains Omega3 fatty acids that are good for the heart.
Vegetables
Vegetables are low fat and are good for your body. Steaming and putting your vegetables in the microwave are two of the best ways that you can enjoy your vegetables. You can also toss your vegetables for a delicious salad but remember to use non-fat or low fat dressings.
With the tips above, you are free to eat delectable foods and you are assured of good health as well.
Aside from that, low fat food can also help you keep your weight down and remain fit. Recommended daily fat intake should be kept at 30% at a max. With reduced fat on your body, you have the ability to fight off stress and you're your body away from illnesses.
Low fat cooking need not to be coming from boring recipes. You can still spice up your meal and create delicious food even when keeping your foods low fat.
To get you started with your low fat diet, here are some cooking tips:
Non-stick frying pans
Avoid using oil any way you can possibly can. You can use non-stick frying pans so you can avoid adding fat to your food. It would be best to fry food at a minimum.
Woks
Woks are great utensils for low fat cooking. You can make a lot of stir-fried meals using woks.
Stir-frying
When preparing stir-fried foods, cut on the amount of meat and add more vegetables. To bring out the flavor in your food, you can add beef, chicken or vegetable broth.
Cooking oil sprays
Cooking oil sprays are great alternative to using fat. You can use vegetable oil sprays or olive oil sprays. Using this method can also lessen the amount of oil that you use compared to the typical way of pouring fat to pans. A light mist from cooking oil sprays would be enough to keep your food from sticking to cooking pans.
Meat and chicken
Lean meats are best for low fat cooking. If you were to use meat and chicken, trim off the fat and skin. Make sure to prepare a low fat marinade if you intend to grill any kind of food. If you are to cook them with sauce cut down on pan juices and add thicken the sauce with corn flour. Skim milk is recommended for white sauces.
Desserts
Whipped cream can be replaced with a mix of yogurt and ricotta. Most recipes would require using two or more eggs. You can replace one whole egg with two egg whites to cut on fat.
Fish
Fish is one of the foods that are very low in fat that you can turn up to a hearty meal anytime. See to it that you prepare a fishmeal at least every week. Fish contains Omega3 fatty acids that are good for the heart.
Vegetables
Vegetables are low fat and are good for your body. Steaming and putting your vegetables in the microwave are two of the best ways that you can enjoy your vegetables. You can also toss your vegetables for a delicious salad but remember to use non-fat or low fat dressings.
With the tips above, you are free to eat delectable foods and you are assured of good health as well.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
What Are Low Cholesterol Foods?
According to the University of Utah Health Services Center, low cholestrol foods are available that can be incorporated into any recipe or diet plan. These foods contain good cholestrol amounts, but are low in saturated fats.
Thanks to extensive research, scientists have found a way to create a diet to lower cholestrol by reducing margarine consumption, not butter and eggs as originally thought. A meal or recipe that does not incorporate processed/refined foods, as well as trans/hydrogenated oils and fats are far more beneficial.
The important criteria when cooking recipes is to find ones that lower bad LDL cholestrol, but increase good HDL cholestrol. LDL that attaches to artery walls acts like plaque does on teeth. It can partially or completely block not only arteries, but veins and capillaries, limiting or halting blood flow to body cells, organs and most importantly the heart and brain. Such build up can result in heart attacks and strokes.
With labels on food packages giving more information than ever before about the nutrients, carbohydrates and cholestrol they contain, it is getting easier to eat the foods we like without the high risk of heart disease or stroke. The following is a list, based on the four food groups, of healthy, low cholestrol foods:
Meat, fish, poultry and meat alternatives:
(2 to 3 servings daily of a maximum of 6 oz. per serving)
Beef - sirloin, loin, chuck
Eggs - organic or free-range, cholesterol-free substitute
Fish and shellfish - white, pink, red, grey (fresh or water packed only)
Lamb - leg, rib, loin, arm
Legumes - peas, beans, lentils, etc.
Pork - leg, shoulder, tenderloin
Poultry - chicken, turkey, and game birds (white or light meat only, and no skin)
Veal - all types, fat cut off
Dairy products:
(2-3 servings per day - 6 oz. milk or yogurt, or 1 matchbox size of cheese)
Milk - low-fat, 1%, 2%, no-fat, skim, low-fat evaporated, low-fat powdered or low-fat buttermilk
Yogurt - low-fat
Cheeses (soft) - low-fat cottage or farmer; part-skim ricotta, mozzarella
Cream cheese - light or low-fat
Sour cream - light or low-fat
Ice cream - low-fat
Breads, cereals, rice, pasta:
(6-11 servings daily of whole wheat, vegetable, Omega 3, fiber2c, or low-cholestrol varieties)
Bread - pita, pumpernickel, rye, whole wheat
Rice cakes
English muffins - whole wheat
Crackers - low-fat, matzo, rye crisp breads, saltines, zwieback
Cereals - low-fat, low cholestrol, low sugar, low sodium
Pasta - any type
Rice - basmati, Thai, very long grain, wild
Fruits and vegetables:
(3 to 10 servings daily of green, orange, yellow, red and dark green vegetables and varied fruit and juices)
Any vegetable - low-sodium canned, fresh, frozen, dried
Any fruit - low-sodium, canned, fresh, frozen, dried
Other foods:
Oils - (6-8 oz maximum daily) unsaturated corn, extra virgin olive, peanut, canola oil, safflower, sesame, soybean
The following foods should be avoided or kept to a minimum as they contain a fair amount of saturated fats and too high a concentration of LDL cholestrol:
All candies, cakes, soft drinks and sweet snacks
Animal fats - all types, lard
beef - corned, regular ground, short ribs, brisket
caviar - all types
cereals - high sugar, high saturated fat, granola
cheese - Neufchatel, Swiss, Brie, Mozzarella, Cheddar, American, Feta, processed, full chocolate
cream, full cream ricotta, Muenster
cream - most regular, and non-dairy
duck
ice cream - full cream
goose
luncheon meats - regular
most snack crackers - cheese, butter
organ meats - liver, sweetbreads, kidney, brain
pasta dinners - cheese sauces, cream sauces, butter sauces; egg noodles
popcorn - buttered
pork - blade roll, spare ribs, bacon
potato chips
rice dinners - cheese sauces, cream sauces, butter sauces
sausages - most varieties, including wieners and frankfurters
sour cream - full fat
vegetable dishes - buttered, with cream, with gravy, or with fatty sauces
yogurt - full fat
Thanks to extensive research, scientists have found a way to create a diet to lower cholestrol by reducing margarine consumption, not butter and eggs as originally thought. A meal or recipe that does not incorporate processed/refined foods, as well as trans/hydrogenated oils and fats are far more beneficial.
The important criteria when cooking recipes is to find ones that lower bad LDL cholestrol, but increase good HDL cholestrol. LDL that attaches to artery walls acts like plaque does on teeth. It can partially or completely block not only arteries, but veins and capillaries, limiting or halting blood flow to body cells, organs and most importantly the heart and brain. Such build up can result in heart attacks and strokes.
With labels on food packages giving more information than ever before about the nutrients, carbohydrates and cholestrol they contain, it is getting easier to eat the foods we like without the high risk of heart disease or stroke. The following is a list, based on the four food groups, of healthy, low cholestrol foods:
Meat, fish, poultry and meat alternatives:
(2 to 3 servings daily of a maximum of 6 oz. per serving)
Beef - sirloin, loin, chuck
Eggs - organic or free-range, cholesterol-free substitute
Fish and shellfish - white, pink, red, grey (fresh or water packed only)
Lamb - leg, rib, loin, arm
Legumes - peas, beans, lentils, etc.
Pork - leg, shoulder, tenderloin
Poultry - chicken, turkey, and game birds (white or light meat only, and no skin)
Veal - all types, fat cut off
Dairy products:
(2-3 servings per day - 6 oz. milk or yogurt, or 1 matchbox size of cheese)
Milk - low-fat, 1%, 2%, no-fat, skim, low-fat evaporated, low-fat powdered or low-fat buttermilk
Yogurt - low-fat
Cheeses (soft) - low-fat cottage or farmer; part-skim ricotta, mozzarella
Cream cheese - light or low-fat
Sour cream - light or low-fat
Ice cream - low-fat
Breads, cereals, rice, pasta:
(6-11 servings daily of whole wheat, vegetable, Omega 3, fiber2c, or low-cholestrol varieties)
Bread - pita, pumpernickel, rye, whole wheat
Rice cakes
English muffins - whole wheat
Crackers - low-fat, matzo, rye crisp breads, saltines, zwieback
Cereals - low-fat, low cholestrol, low sugar, low sodium
Pasta - any type
Rice - basmati, Thai, very long grain, wild
Fruits and vegetables:
(3 to 10 servings daily of green, orange, yellow, red and dark green vegetables and varied fruit and juices)
Any vegetable - low-sodium canned, fresh, frozen, dried
Any fruit - low-sodium, canned, fresh, frozen, dried
Other foods:
Oils - (6-8 oz maximum daily) unsaturated corn, extra virgin olive, peanut, canola oil, safflower, sesame, soybean
The following foods should be avoided or kept to a minimum as they contain a fair amount of saturated fats and too high a concentration of LDL cholestrol:
All candies, cakes, soft drinks and sweet snacks
Animal fats - all types, lard
beef - corned, regular ground, short ribs, brisket
caviar - all types
cereals - high sugar, high saturated fat, granola
cheese - Neufchatel, Swiss, Brie, Mozzarella, Cheddar, American, Feta, processed, full chocolate
cream, full cream ricotta, Muenster
cream - most regular, and non-dairy
duck
ice cream - full cream
goose
luncheon meats - regular
most snack crackers - cheese, butter
organ meats - liver, sweetbreads, kidney, brain
pasta dinners - cheese sauces, cream sauces, butter sauces; egg noodles
popcorn - buttered
pork - blade roll, spare ribs, bacon
potato chips
rice dinners - cheese sauces, cream sauces, butter sauces
sausages - most varieties, including wieners and frankfurters
sour cream - full fat
vegetable dishes - buttered, with cream, with gravy, or with fatty sauces
yogurt - full fat
Monday, September 7, 2009
What Foods are Great for a Natural Body Detox
When you are thinking about a body detox plan, there is a good chance that you are suffering from all the signs of having too many toxins your system; you are lethargic, tired all the time, and probably fighting depression on top of it. When you are looking for ways towards a full body detox, you'll find that you are often told to eat better, but what does that mean? The fact is, there are many foods that you can eat that will have an excellent whole body detox effect on you, so make sure that you stock up the next time that you are at the grocery store!
1.Broccoli Spears:
You'll find that broccoli has some very powerful antioxidants at work in it, and they are also hard at work when it comes to be an enzyme stimulator. Many people balk from eating this vegetable, but try it again as an adult, even if you hated it as a little kid; this is surprisingly tasty when steamed and it is used in many a body detox recipe.
2.Lemons
Not only do lemons provide you with a good dose of Vitamin C, you'll find that it can be a great way to keep your body regulated as well. Mix up some fresh-squeezed lemonade and make sure that you drink it down; lemons contain some powerful antioxidants in form that is very easy to absorb into your system during a body detox plan.
3.Leafy greens
In a word, salads! Leafy green vegetables can be integrated into any body detox recipe and you'll find that the chlorophyll in them helps you sweep out toxins that include heavy metals and pesticides. Leafy greens are excellent for the liver. Make sure that you choose the heftier types of lettuces, though; iceberg lettuce doesn't have very much when it comes to nutrients, but romaine and spinach are excellent.
4.Garlic
Lets hope you like Asian food or Italian food, because one of the best detox foods for you out there is garlic. When you are sick, the sulfur in garlic can help kill of the germs, and you'll find that it is quite powerful when it comes to helping protect your heart and your liver. You'll find that eating garlic is one of the healthiest things that you can do on a body detox diet
5.Fish
When you are looking to do a home body detox, you should typically stay away from meats, but fish for the most part is significantly better for you than any sort of red meats. Not only will you get a good complement of the good kind of oils, you will also see that eating salmon and halibut can help your body cleanse itself of cravings for heavier meats.
6.Just about any kind of fruit
Fruits are great because they can help you beat a craving for refined sugars when you are easing into a body detox diet. Take some time and figure out what fruits you like. Many nutritionists are saying that red fruits are great for helping you detox, so pile on the cranberries and strawberries. You'll find that fruit can be a great way to kill hunger pangs and to have some really wonderfully tasty treats at any point in the day.
This is the beginning of great foods to eat when you are looking forward to a body detox plan, so don't stop here! Look for more ways that you can do some spring cleaning on your body!
1.Broccoli Spears:
You'll find that broccoli has some very powerful antioxidants at work in it, and they are also hard at work when it comes to be an enzyme stimulator. Many people balk from eating this vegetable, but try it again as an adult, even if you hated it as a little kid; this is surprisingly tasty when steamed and it is used in many a body detox recipe.
2.Lemons
Not only do lemons provide you with a good dose of Vitamin C, you'll find that it can be a great way to keep your body regulated as well. Mix up some fresh-squeezed lemonade and make sure that you drink it down; lemons contain some powerful antioxidants in form that is very easy to absorb into your system during a body detox plan.
3.Leafy greens
In a word, salads! Leafy green vegetables can be integrated into any body detox recipe and you'll find that the chlorophyll in them helps you sweep out toxins that include heavy metals and pesticides. Leafy greens are excellent for the liver. Make sure that you choose the heftier types of lettuces, though; iceberg lettuce doesn't have very much when it comes to nutrients, but romaine and spinach are excellent.
4.Garlic
Lets hope you like Asian food or Italian food, because one of the best detox foods for you out there is garlic. When you are sick, the sulfur in garlic can help kill of the germs, and you'll find that it is quite powerful when it comes to helping protect your heart and your liver. You'll find that eating garlic is one of the healthiest things that you can do on a body detox diet
5.Fish
When you are looking to do a home body detox, you should typically stay away from meats, but fish for the most part is significantly better for you than any sort of red meats. Not only will you get a good complement of the good kind of oils, you will also see that eating salmon and halibut can help your body cleanse itself of cravings for heavier meats.
6.Just about any kind of fruit
Fruits are great because they can help you beat a craving for refined sugars when you are easing into a body detox diet. Take some time and figure out what fruits you like. Many nutritionists are saying that red fruits are great for helping you detox, so pile on the cranberries and strawberries. You'll find that fruit can be a great way to kill hunger pangs and to have some really wonderfully tasty treats at any point in the day.
This is the beginning of great foods to eat when you are looking forward to a body detox plan, so don't stop here! Look for more ways that you can do some spring cleaning on your body!
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