Nutritional Weight Loss

The theory is that carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels, which then kicks in insulin. Insulin drives blood sugar into the cells and prevents fat breakdown in the body, so you will not burn excess fat and lose weight. Proponents of low-carb diets take this one step further. They say that if carbohydrates raise blood sugar and insulin levels and cause weight gain, a decrease in carbs will result in lower blood sugar and insulin levels, leading to weight loss. And because you are not eating the carbs, your body breaks down fat to provide needed energy. Some people do lose weight on low-carb diets, but the weight loss probably is not related to blood sugar and insulin levels to any extent. A quote from Donald Hensrud, M.D., a preventive medicine and nutrition specialist at Mayo Clinic.

What Are Carbohydrates?

Carbs are the main energy source for the human body. As the name carbohydrate suggests, carbs are a mixture of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrates are manufactured inside plants from carbon dioxide in the air and water, under the influence of sunlight. (A process called photosynthesis).

Carbohydrate Intake The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2005) indicate there is no set RDA for carbs, although they are an important part of a healthy diet - both for energy content and nutritional value. Most dietitians and nutritionists advise a daily carb intake of between 45-65 percent of total calories. Dietary fiber - the non digestible type of carbohydrate has been shown to have a number of beneficial health effects, including decreased risk of coronary heart disease and improvement in laxation.

Douglas Adams
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/low-carbs-diet-plans-696994.html

This is the season to overeat! This time of year is full of parties, dinners and get togethers that all have one thing in common, tons of sweet foods loaded with calories. So what can you do this holiday season to stem the growing desire to eat all the goodies in sight?

Do Not Get Too Hungry!

It is easy in this busy time of year to forget to eat and then go to a dinner starving. No matter what you do when you set down to a table full of delicacies in this state you are bound to overeat. Make the time for regular meals; do not skip lunch because you have a holiday dinner to go to later. In fact go the extra step to reinforce your diet by eating a low calorie healthy snack before you arrive. Eating before the party will make you feel fuller faster and thereby eliminating the tendency to over indulge.

Water

It cannot be said enough how important water is to your health and in particular your diet. Would you believe that many times when you fell hungry it is the body indicating a need for hydration?

Even though it is wintertime, your body still needs to be properly hydrated. Drink the recommended eight glasses of water a day and be sure at least one of them is before each meal.

Make a Plan

Before attending a holiday party, predetermine what you will eat. That does not mean you must know what is on every menu. It just means that you will decide on one dessert or limit yourself to one plate. This keeps your diet goals fresh in your mind and will strengthen your resolve.

Don’t Stress

Everyone would agree that this is a stressful time of year especially in our current economy. Stress is bad at any time of year but especially so during the holidays. The chances to alleviate stress through overeating abound and in some ways are even expected. Do not fall into this trap, keep the holidays in perspective. This time of year is less about gifts and perfect entertaining and more about spending time with those we care about. When you look back on years passed what stick out to you the most? The dry turkey or laughing with friends and relatives over dinner? Relax the holidays come and go and the best thing you can do is focus on making happy memories.

Exercise

Finally, the holidays are not an excuse to forego your exercise routine. Keep it in the schedule and do not slack! With all the preparation for dinners and parties people often look for areas where they can cut back, do not let this be one of them.

Conclusion

This is the time of year for friends, family and fun, but it does not have to be the time when you gain more weight. Take the tips above and perhaps add a few of your own and enjoy your holidays without the guilt.

Paul Matthew Moore
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/fat-loss-4-idiots-diet-tips-for-the-holidays-711995.html

High protein diets are usually associated with low carbohydrates, even though people who have high protein requirements, like professional body builders, are not advised to go on a low carb diet. Protein is one of the most important nutrients necessary for health. The body uses it to build muscle, replenish cells, keep the blood in optimum condition, and basically to keep the body operating smoothly. If done properly, a high protein diet will keep you strong, healthy, and happy.

A high protein diet can provoke weight loss, as several studies have indicated. Proteins are composed of amino acids, and science has shown that if your amino acids are deficient, you are prone to a number of health problems, including obesity. If you concentrate on protein-rich foods and minimize your intake of refined food that have a high carbohydrate and sugar content, after a while, your body will enter into a state called ketosis. Instead of burning carbohydrates as fuel, the body will turn to fat as its primary source of energy. Simply put, the less carbs you have in your body to burn, the more fat your body will use to give you the energy you need to live from day to day.

In addition, it has been proven that eating protein-rich foods leaves you feeling full longer and you will find that you are much less inclined to snack or go on an eating binge. This is because your blood sugar and insulin levels are kept within the normal range you’ll be keeping undue hunger at arm’s length.

Going on a high protein diet does not mean, however, that you are free to gorge on any and every type of protein. You would do well to avoid fried foods dripping in oil or margarine-smothered products. The reason for this is because these foods contain so-called trans-fats and other bad oils and fats that can lead to clogged arteries and heart disease. However, there is a wealth of other types of fatty, protein rich foods that are quite nutritious.

As is common knowledge, meat is an excellent source of protein. Pork and beef contain ample amounts of this nutrient. But if you are concerned about fat, you should limit your portions of dishes containing meat. On the other hand, there is no need to worry about oils and fats if you eat fish and other seafood. Aside from being rich in protein, they contain essential fatty acids that improve your blood cholesterol levels and help prevent ailments like stroke and coronary artery disease. So you need not have any qualms about indulging your appetite at a seafood buffet - most of them can do no harm, only good.

Many plant products also have a rich amount of protein in them. Soy-based produce like tofu and soy milk are suitable for those trying to lose weight on a high protein regimen. So are pulses and beans. Not only are they protein-rich, they are usually low-fat and low-carbohydrate as well.

There have been concerns that a diet rich in protein can have adverse health effects. Some health experts claim that too much protein can deplete the body’s calcium supply and lead to diseases like osteoporosis. Another concern is that the kidneys are forced to deal with more byproducts, thus lessening their efficiency. And there are indications that too much protein increases uric acid levels, which can lead to gout or kidney stones. However, the jury is still out on whether protein is the major culprit in these conditions. More, longer-term research is needed to determine this although there are also many studies that are being conducted to explore these problems, their extent, and their possible resolutions.

A high protein diet may not be for everyone, but for a vast number of people, it not only helps them in their weight loss efforts, it keeps them healthy, too! If you are considering going on this diet, always remember your limits and stick to the rules. It’s possible to modify it a little bit in various ways (such as reducing the intake of saturated fats) to suit your personal taste, but don’t deviate from the “main course.” Choose your protein sources wisely, don’t forget to exercise, don’t be a glutton (it’s one of the seven deadly sins, after all) and just watch the pounds melt away.

Trevor Mulholland
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/high-protein-diet-opposite-to-a-low-carb-diet-11134.html

The subject of diet is much discussed one of late. Its importance in relation to one’s perfect health is understood better now by the health-conscious people. A good diet can build your life. A bad diet though can break it.

Low cholesterol diet is one of the favorite subjects of the physicians to discuss with their patients.

When your physician talks about the diet, in relation to the levels of cholesterol and gives you long lectures on the benefits of the physical exercises, you wonder whether he is your physician or the physical instructor.

The pet advice of the physician would be to reduce the fat content in your diet. Animal fat, meat and dairy products are the number one culprits to increase the level of your blood cholesterol. Taking control of your diet is one of the easiest methods to tackle the levels of the cholesterol, but it is unnecessarily being made complicated by you. Such an easy option messed up, for lack of self-control. Your taste buds do most of the damage.

Low cholesterol diet is an easy option. Hitherto, you were not properly aware of it. Once you begin with this diet discipline, you will rather like it. You may even wonder why such a lifestyle was not adopted by you earlier. Your daily menu could be somewhat like this: One cup of skim milk every day. As for vegetables, take up to five helpings per day. You need to take brown bread, sprouted grains and fresh beans. It is better if the non-vegetarian food is avoided altogether because most of them contain high cholesterol agents. Also, choose liquid vegetable oils like sesame, sunflower and olive. Make salad eating a habit. Let your breakfast be ruled by vegetables and fruits.

The paths to lower cholesterol are many, and you need to choose your own path. Your intelligent physician may reel out many types of information on the diet pattern, only you need to choose, which is the best option for you. The educative information and literature available on the subject of cholesterol is plenty. You need to read and judge which one is the best option for you.

So, it is an interesting change of course in your life as for the diet. Your effort to lower the cholesterol level will also bring some other ancillary benefits to improve your overall physic.

Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/when-choosing-low-cholesterol-diet-62579.html

Do not worry, you are not the sole person having belly fat. Of course, it is a given that you would want to shed that belly fat in a fast and healthy way. The good news is that you have a lot of ways in order to lose belly fat quickly. You just need to look on the food that you eat and be more conscious with your fitness.

One of the best things you can do in losing that ugly belly fat is to get plenty of rest. Sleep at least 6 hours a day. You also need to have sound sleep at night.

Another way you can lose belly fat is to drink a lot of water. Ice cold water is helpful since it forces the body to burn a lot of calories in order to achieve the normal body temperature.

You also have to follow a regular exercise plan. This would help you lose unwanted pounds. Also, eat the right types of foods such as low-fat and low-sugar. Fresh vegetables and fruits as well as whole grains are also ideal for those wanting to shed the belly fat.

There are also good foods to help you in losing belly fat. For example, foods containing monounsaturated fats like nuts, olive oil, olives, avocadoes are good food items to consume.

Another good food to eat is protein shakes, which contains around at least 36 grams of protein that helps build muscle and burn fats. Protein shakes likewise help in repairing the tissues after a hard work out. It is recommended that you take protein shake some 30 minutes after a rigorous exercise.

You can also take whole grain foods like oatmeal with water, whole grain cereals, pop corn less butter and sale, brown rice, soy or skim milk, and whole grain corn.

Fresh fruits are also helpful in losing fats. You should eat apple since it is very low in calories yet very high in fiber. Experts suggest eating an apple before a meal so you would easily feel fuller.

Another good food you should take are fresh vegetables that contain tons of vitamins and minerals needed for a healthier body. Pack sliced vegetables whenever you go out, thus you will have a chance to munch on them every snack time.

Dave Porter
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/getting-rid-of-belly-fat-with-a-great-diet-and-fantastic-workout-649014.html

Fat Loss 4 Idiots is well known for one of its best feature, the Diet Generator. Most diet program will just go for a standard meal plans and expect you to follow it, but with a Diet Generator each person will get a personal meal plans based on his preference, which will make the diet easier to do.

Some facts about the Diet Generator:

• First it will give you two options: Vegetarian or Regular. Once you pick your choice it will put you into a series of multiple choice session to determine your favorite 14 foods. These 14 foods will be the base of your 11 days meal plans, which is consist of 4 meals a day.
• The 4 meals should be eaten at a minimum of 2.5 hours apart.
• There is no portion limit.
• The foods made up of lean proteins, fruit, vegetables, and whole foods as fat source (cottage cheese, eggs). There are also some starchy carbohydrates such as oats and pasta.
• No special or expensive foods required.
• The 4th day is typically a fruit and vegetables day which is only consist of 3 meals a day: two meals of vegetables and one meal of fruit.
• There are 3 cheat days after 11 days meal plans where you can eat anything you like, and then you are back to the 11 days meal plans again.
• It is required that you don’t gorge; you must eat until you are at the point of being full, but not until feeling stuffed.
• A glass of wine is allowed each day, but it’s optional.
• For vegetarian meal plans, the Diet Generator will substitute meat with soy products (soy chicken, soy beef, etc) and raise the nuts proportion (unsalted nuts, walnuts, and macadamias).

A few samples of Fat Loss 4 Idiots meal plans:

Sample 1:

Meal 1: Fruit salad.
Meal 2: Tuna salad.
Meal 3: Boneless and skinless chicken breast.
Meal 4: Banana milk shake.

Sample 2:

Meal 1: Banana milk shake or oatmeal.
Meal 2: Tuna salad or fruit salad.
Meal 3: Fish fillet or sandwich of your choice.
Meal 4: Cottage cheese or scrambled eggs.

These might not looks like a lot of food, but remember that you are eat 4 times a day and there are no portion limit, which mean that you are allowed to eat as much as you like. There are also no rules on how to cook your food; you can grill or roast the chicken as you please.

Nutritional Breakdown

Since the program suggest the user to eat until you satisfied, it’s hard to count the exact calorie intake. Rough analyses of typical day’s meal suggest that this is a low carbohydrates, low fat, and high protein diet. But it is only a rough analysis, the everyday meal plans itself cannot be identified, sometimes it consist of more carbohydrates, sometimes more protein; this perhaps due to the creator’s calculation based on the calorie shifting theory. There are also theories that the rapid weight loss comes from water loss due to reduction in carbohydrates intake and the protein intake are a little too high for some people.

Conclusion

While it is proven to work in many cases, the basics behind the Diet Generator remained unknown since there are no supports or people known behind this program. The important thing when using the Diet Generator is knows your own limit, eat until you are full but not overly stuffed; this will help you to avoid lack or carbohydrates or too much protein.

Stefan V.
http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/fat-loss-4-idiots-the-diet-generator-facts-1060049.html

Have you ever thought why your current diet plan is proving to be ineffective? If you think much more carefully and do some investigation online you will soon realize that a lot of weight loss diet programs are based purely on myths and faulty unproven concepts. The type of food that you consume, the number of calories that you gather, and the patterns of consumption daily are major factors in determining the amount of weight you will lose. Some weight loss diet programs bring about changes gradually, but there are others that bring about dramatic changes in about a little more than a week.

People who are quite desperate about losing weight resort to taking weight loss pills. Pills just have a temporary effect and some are even harmful to the human body. A proper weight loss diet is the only thing that can make you attain an hour glass figure. You do not have to jog or follow strenuous exercising regimes in order to get a slim 24-inched waist. Your pattern of eating is what actually matters.

Since it is established that diet is the most important factor for losing weight, you should be aware of certain myths that are ruling the diet plans commonly being offered for slimming. You spend huge amounts of money on these diet plans and ultimately land up with no significant results, or worst, in some cases, negative consequences.

Most of the weight loss diet plans out there revolve around a low carbohydrate intake. You can safely consider this a myth. The actual fact is that your body adjusts its digestive powers to the number of calories that it encounters in the food you consume. Once you cut down on your daily calorie intake, your body will detect the change and adjust itself to burning fewer calories. As a result, you still have a lot of unburnt calories in your body that impedes your rate of losing weight.

The same goes for a low fat diet. Nowadays, the markets are flooded with products that have a low fat content. Consuming food with low fat content is good for your health in general, but it does very little to reduce your weight. Has giving up on your favorite black forest cake totally made you lose weight? Your body always adjusts to the amount of fat or carbohydrate that you consume and the metabolism works accordingly. In general, a weight loss diet that is less in carbohydrates or fats, in the minimum quantities required by your body, will leave you feeling weak and drained out of all energy.

You should understand that food is not the culprit in not making you lose weight. Eating the right food, in the right intervals of time, and in the right pattern are the pillars of an ideal and hundred percent effective weight loss diet plans. By following an accelerated fat burning plan, such as, the Fat Loss 4 Idiots weight loss diet plan, you can expect to see results in just about eleven days.

Paul Matthew Moore
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/fat-loss-4-idiots-diet-plan-guaranteed-results-within-11-days-730902.html

The low carb diet is one of the most talked about and well known diets around right now. Specific low carb foods are now showing up in stores and on menus around the world. This is probably why when the average person decides they want to lose weight, the first thing that enters their mind is the low carb diet. In this article I will explain what this diet is, if it actually works, if it is required for weight loss to happen, and whether or not you should do it. I will also list some low carb foods and explain the difference between good carbs and bad carbs.

How is a low carb diet supposed to work?

The idea behind the low carb diet goes something like this… carbs raise blood sugar and insulin levels. This leads to weight gain. So then, less carbs means less weight gain. Your body also uses carbs for energy. So, if you start eating mostly low carb foods and therefore restrict the amount of carbs you take in, your body will use glycogen and stored fat for energy instead, which is a process known as ketosis.

Is the low carb diet a “gimmick” diet?

On the surface, the low carb diet is a gimmick diet (aka fad diet). By gimmick diet, I mean it is based on the gimmick of eating “low carb.” The reason this would be considered a gimmick is because, while these types of diets CAN work, they are NOT something that is required for weight loss to happen. Eating mostly low carb foods isn’t necessary at all, actually. See, for the average person, weight loss occurs when one thing and one thing only happens. That one thing is when your daily calorie intake falls below your daily calorie maintenance level. That’s CALORIE… not CARB. Let me explain…

Every human body has a certain number of calories that it requires from your diet each day in order for it to maintain your current weight. This is called your calorie maintenance level. Let’s pretend for example that your maintenance level is 2500 calories. So then, if you started eating 2000 calories a day, you would lose weight. If you still ate 2500 calories a day, but then burned off 500 through working out, you would lose weight. If you did a combination of both, you would lose weight. So generally, weight loss is all about calories, not a low carb diet and eating low carb foods.

In the simplest sense, calories are what really controls a person’s weight. Eating less of them is what will make weight loss happen. And, if you greatly limit your carbs, you just so happen to end up limiting your calories as well. Weight loss diets are all about limiting something. In that sense a low carb diet is a lot like a low calorie diet, except it limits JUST carbs. For this reason, I don’t know why these types of diets are so popular. Why put such a big limit on only carbs when you can put a much smaller, much healthier, and much more proportionate limit on protein, carbs and fat as a whole? This way you wouldn’t have to eat only low carb foods. This way your calorie intake would decrease by restricting a little bit of everything (protein, carbs and fat) rather than JUST carbs alone as you do on low carbohydrate diets. Go and have at look at one of the best products just click here

Simon Fusco
http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/the-low-carb-diet-717630.html

Been to a grocery store lately?

Does your mouth start to water when you pass aisle after aisle of….

-Potato chips

-Pop tarts

-Ice cream

-Cookies

-Fresh baked pastries

-Cakes

-Carbonated beverages

-Syrups with high fructose corn syrup

Mmmmm…I can almost taste it right here from my computer.

How does that fit into your fitness plan, or your weight loss diet plan?

Gooey chocolate chip cookies, devil’s food cakes, ultra high sugar cereals…all washed down with your favorite carbonated beverage.

Uh oh, there goes your weight loss diet plan.

Ok, I’m getting off track here….and so is your fitness plan.

Whatever.

Let’s focus and regroup.

Here’s a challenge for you (pay attention, this is a good start to a weight loss diet plan)…

Next time you go to the grocery store, put 10 healthy things that will help achieve your overall fitness plan and your weight loss diet plan in your cart before you put 1 unhealthy thing.

Yep, you heard right.

It’s not only a challenge, but this should be the way (now and always) you grocery shop for you and your family.

For every 10 things for your fitness plan….you are allowed 1 “treat”.

So, for example…you could put things in your cart like:

-Oatmeal

-Assorted fruits and vegetables

-Lean meats (chicken, beef, some kinds of fish, etc.)

-Whole grains

-Low fat yogurt (no sugar added)

Then…..after 10 of these items that help you achieve your weight loss diet plan….you can go ahead and “treat” yourself to one of those high calorie, “fat in the box” cookies…….if you so desire.

But here’s a little secret…

A shocking, little-known, secret that will keep you on your fitness plan like glue…

You think you can handle it?

Ok, here goes…

After you start CONSISTENTLY buying and eating healthier foods…you will no longer be interested in those “treats”…which will eventually do nothing but make you feel bad…but you WILL BE HAPPY about your newly found self-esteem, and your body will be very thankful…it may sound hard to believe right now…but it’s true….very true.

Why?

Because you are CONSISTENTLY conditioning yourself to eat healthier foods and following your fitness plan and staying on top of your weight loss diet plan…and your body is responding to it…

Better yet, your body is EXPECTING it.

I remember when I was back in college and when I was eating very healthy and working out like a champ, I was following my fitness plan to a “T”…

I was doing this very consistently for a good while…then, one night I went out to dinner with some friends.

Didn’t really think about how I had been eating lately (very healthy) and ordered myself a nice juicy, fatty hamburger and fries.

Well, about a ½ hour later, after my stomach kept asking me “What in the world is this in here?”…I became very familiar with the bathroom for a little while.

Onward.

Ok, I didn’t tell you that story to make you scared of eating hamburgers, or say that you can never, ever, ever eat anything you want or crave…

But be smart.

Use your common sense.

Follow your fitness plan.

Stay on your weight loss diet plan.

Eating Twinkies will never help you lose the fat off your body.

Neither will the candy bars.

Or the….

Well, you get the picture.

So…realize that it all STARTS at your local grocer.

And if you follow my advice, you can make sure it doesn’t END on your waistline.

I’ll talk to you soon.

Chris C.

P.S. You think this is the end-all, be-all of fitness and nutritional tips? Well, it’s not even close…just go on over to www.fitnesswithchris.com and look at all of the information I have for you for you to follow and improve your fitness plan.

Christopher C.
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/how-to-organize-your-grocery-shopping-experience-to-yield-your-optimal-bodybuilding-nutrition-healthy-snacks-low-fat-cooking-and-a-brand-new-you-67321.html

A good low carb diet can actually have you eating more food than you’re eating right now.

Think about it, when most people want to lose weight what’s the first thing they do? They tend to stop eating or cut way back on their food intake.

Well my friends I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way.

A healthy diet should consist of eating less of the foods that contain calories from simple carbohydrates (sugar and processed flour) and more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and good sources of protein. This is the basis of a good low carb diet plan.

In fact, a good diet should have you eating more instead of less! Not more food, but more often in smaller portions.

Your body’s a truly wonderful machine geared towards one important goal. Survival. When you cut way back on your food intake your body feels threatened and automatically assumes that you’re starving.

This built in survival mechanism dates back to the stone age and is simply nature’s way of keeping you alive for as long as possible. Long enough to get to your next meal.

To combat this condition the body will start breaking down muscle tissue to use as energy and saves its fat stores for the last ditch effort to save itself from what it thinks is immanent death. Fat is just that, a storage material.

This is not good because first, by using muscle tissue for energy you’re losing precious lean mass which is metabolically active. This means that you need energy to support muscle which helps to keep your metabolism running at a higher pace. Higher metabolism means more calories burned even in a resting state.

Fat, on the other hand, doesn’t need any energy to support it. It’s simply “dead” weight.

Secondly, the body will start storing more fat because it’s preparing itself for the worst. Your survival is your body’s most important concern so it’ll do whatever it can to stay alive.

So what can you do if you want to eat less without starving yourself and sending your body into this defense mode?

Eat smaller meals more often throughout the day.

This works on two levels.

By eating more often you won’t get hungry as quickly and your metabolism will stay raised because you’ll be digesting food more often. Digesting food uses calories just like any other physical activity.

So here’s a simple low carb diet plan that anyone can follow. Eat four or five small meals a day, each consisting of a small portion of protein along with some fresh fruits and veggies.

Try to eat every three hours or so to keep your metabolism and energy up. This’ll help you stay away from those snacking binges too.

Also, drink lots of water. Water will help to cleanse your body and make you feel full.

So you see, with a little planning and by adhering to a low carb diet plan eating more can actually be better!

Michael Harris
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/low-carb-diet-eat-more-not-less-71879.html