We've entered the Twilight Zone when it comes to the multitude of diets being promoted today. Starting with the Atkins Diet, then the South Beach Diet, now the Hamptons Diet and more. All higher in protein, lower in carbs, but the distinction should be quality of carbs, not singling out one nutrient entirely. If you are on the Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet or any other variation of a high protein/low carb diet simply adjust from eating low quality carbs like refined flour and sugar products (think if it comes in a box, it's likely low quality) to eating more whole food products like fresh vegetables and fruits - yes fruits.
Apples vs. Apple Jacks - You be the Judge
I know the traditional Atkins Diet doesn't advocate much fruit (too high sugar) but think about that for one minute. My strong belief is that an apple is a good food, a bowl of Apple Jacks cereal may not be on an equal level. One is highly processed sweetened by added white sugar and corn syrup, and one is natural, plucked from a tree and sweetened by the sun. Which would you choose? Don't shun fresh fruit for the sake of following your low carb diet to the letter.
Eliminating healthy, wholesome foods is not the best way to learn to eat better, but severely cutting back on the frequency of eating highly processed foods is. I saw a site which called it GM or MM: God Made or Man Made. If you think of those terms when you go to choose your foods, it starts to make more sense. No one says you shouldn't eat chips, or whatever strikes your fancy, but make them a treat - and eat the GM foods more often.
Common Sense Diet
Common sense will answer the question about what to eat. If you are on Atkins, South Beach or any variation of low carb diet, avoid processed foods, not natural foods. Stop using "instant" breakfast, and cook whole rolled oats for instance. Sure you might have to get up 10 minutes earlier, oh well. You're worth it!
You can still stay on a higher protein food plan, but this one minor adjustment will allow you to continue with your eating plan for a lifetime, rather than a short-time. I'd go insane if I couldn't eat my daily apple, banana or other fruit. I love fruit. I think there's a very good reason humans desire sweet foods - Vitamin C, and other nutrients, including bio-flavnoids.
Can You Be Addicted to Fruit?
I heard someone complain they were "addicted to fruit" and I had to wonder, what do they eat? The person who refuses to eat fruit because they believe it is too high in sugar, probably does eat cookies, crackers and sugary cereals. They might even drink artificially flavored and sweetened drinks, but they refuse to eat a natural food, grown from our earth? That makes no sense, if you think about it. Did our planet develop and thrive based on processed foods? No, of course not. They are very recent in the evolution of our world. Very recent. In fact, we've had processed foods less than 200 years while our planet is millions of years old.
With the high incidence of obesity, and our high consumption of processed foods, it's hard not to draw the conclusion that one causes the other. You won't hear big industry stating that case because our economy depends on us buying the products being produced by the companies that employ us. You'll never see it reported that "scientists discovered refined flour kills," even if it were proven true because it doesn't support our way of life. We need industry.
Witnessing the epidemic of food illnesses such as Mad Cow, and now Bird Flu, I can envision a society without the mass produced meat industry. It will come to pass - nothing but your local farm will be allowed to sell meat because the big farm industry cannot guarantee safety of the food supply. Meat will become much more expensive because when they can no longer mass produce it, there is nowhere for prices to go but up. So do we whine and cry and moan about our misfortune or do we start to think of meat as something to savor and enjoy like the Sunday roasts we had years ago? We never ate meat every day then - and we weren't so fat either. We simply didn't eat as much processed foods. Most of us had moms at home cooking us dinner, making our lunches and even fixing our breakfasts.
Yes, progress marches on, but when it comes to your body, common sense rules the day. The Common Sense Diet! Try it on for size today.
Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, author of Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com
Get the Daily Bites: Inspirational Mini Lessons Using EFT and NLP for Ending the Struggle with Weight Loss.
Finding Mad Cow in Oregon puts a new wrinkle in the high protein diet, doesn't it? What's a person to do that wants to eat more meat, not less?
Are you Eating Less Meat Due to Mad Cow Disease?
Not the people I've spoken with. Most are saying, "Yipee, beef's on sale!" The food industry has done a great job of convincing us they are providing a safe food supply and we've been lulled into a false sense of security. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In July 1988, a ban was introduced in the UK which prohibited the use of the remains of sheep in cattle feed. BSE is thought to have spread to cattle from feed including meat and bone meal made from sheep suffering from a similar brain disease, called scrapie.
Ban Not Properly Enforced
Unfortunately the ban was not enforced properly for many years and remained a paper exercise (exactly as it has been in the US ever since).
Francis Anthony, a Herefordshire veterinary surgeon, and the British Veterinary Association's spokesman on BSE said, "If the ban had been enforced properly from the start, I have no hesitation in saying categorically that we should be seeing only a few cases today. But that contaminated feed was being given to animals until at least 1995, and possibly a year later."
The false sense of security for us in the US came from it being widely reported that the practice had been banned. They failed to make it clear that this was a "voluntary ban." Even I falsly believed they had long ago ended this practice until the recent news reports that it is still being done. Despite there being a clear connection between feeding rendered animals to animals causing Mad Cow disease, the meat and dairy industry continues the practice to this day. Why? Corporate greed, plain and simple. It is a cheap source of "protein" and makes cows and other animals fatten faster. A fatter animals weighs more, and they are sold by weight.
I have no doubt that people in the US aren't getting excited about the threat or beginning to avoid beef simply because no people have been reported with the disease. After all, this was a sick cow, not a human. Hence, people do not consider it a direct threat. Amazingly they don't consider those with CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) a varient of Mad Cow as being related when clearly it is.
The Costs of Clean Meat Supply
The meat and dairy industry will now begin a campaign to make the higher cost of clean meat seem a ridiculous indulgence rather than a possibly life saving measure. It does cost more to have a clean food supply. I and my family are worth it, are you and yours?
For excellent reference materials read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, The Crazy Makers by Carol Simontacchi, and Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher who Won't Eat Meat by Howard F. Lyman. Be informed then make the choice for you and your family.
Food politics aside, I'm interested in my and my families health and well being, and I'm not interested in supporting an industry that doesn't care about the quality of their products or whether those products are potentially dangerous or even deadly.
What You Can Do to Avoid Dangerous Meat
Buy all your meat from the local butcher. He gets the animals from local farmers, and can tell you which Farms, if you ask.
Buy all your meat from local stores that certify it is grain fed. Visit sites such as EatWild.com
Cut back on your consumption of all meat in general, substituting beans for instance for protein.
Eat a "special occasion" steak at the best restaurants such as Ruth Chris' Steak House. Now that's a steak!
More Info on Mad Cow and it's Variant CJD
MadCow.org: Everything you ever wanted to know about Mad Cow.
Human BSE Foundation: An organization for those with CJD (the human variant of Mad Cow)
Mad Cow Facts
You don't have to be a fanatic, just be informed and then make the best choices you can for yourself and your family.
Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, and author of Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss. Visit OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com to learn how she lost 80 pounds over 20 years ago and kept it off, and how you can do the same.
Are you Eating Less Meat Due to Mad Cow Disease?
Not the people I've spoken with. Most are saying, "Yipee, beef's on sale!" The food industry has done a great job of convincing us they are providing a safe food supply and we've been lulled into a false sense of security. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In July 1988, a ban was introduced in the UK which prohibited the use of the remains of sheep in cattle feed. BSE is thought to have spread to cattle from feed including meat and bone meal made from sheep suffering from a similar brain disease, called scrapie.
Ban Not Properly Enforced
Unfortunately the ban was not enforced properly for many years and remained a paper exercise (exactly as it has been in the US ever since).
Francis Anthony, a Herefordshire veterinary surgeon, and the British Veterinary Association's spokesman on BSE said, "If the ban had been enforced properly from the start, I have no hesitation in saying categorically that we should be seeing only a few cases today. But that contaminated feed was being given to animals until at least 1995, and possibly a year later."
The false sense of security for us in the US came from it being widely reported that the practice had been banned. They failed to make it clear that this was a "voluntary ban." Even I falsly believed they had long ago ended this practice until the recent news reports that it is still being done. Despite there being a clear connection between feeding rendered animals to animals causing Mad Cow disease, the meat and dairy industry continues the practice to this day. Why? Corporate greed, plain and simple. It is a cheap source of "protein" and makes cows and other animals fatten faster. A fatter animals weighs more, and they are sold by weight.
I have no doubt that people in the US aren't getting excited about the threat or beginning to avoid beef simply because no people have been reported with the disease. After all, this was a sick cow, not a human. Hence, people do not consider it a direct threat. Amazingly they don't consider those with CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) a varient of Mad Cow as being related when clearly it is.
The Costs of Clean Meat Supply
The meat and dairy industry will now begin a campaign to make the higher cost of clean meat seem a ridiculous indulgence rather than a possibly life saving measure. It does cost more to have a clean food supply. I and my family are worth it, are you and yours?
For excellent reference materials read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, The Crazy Makers by Carol Simontacchi, and Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher who Won't Eat Meat by Howard F. Lyman. Be informed then make the choice for you and your family.
Food politics aside, I'm interested in my and my families health and well being, and I'm not interested in supporting an industry that doesn't care about the quality of their products or whether those products are potentially dangerous or even deadly.
What You Can Do to Avoid Dangerous Meat
Buy all your meat from the local butcher. He gets the animals from local farmers, and can tell you which Farms, if you ask.
Buy all your meat from local stores that certify it is grain fed. Visit sites such as EatWild.com
Cut back on your consumption of all meat in general, substituting beans for instance for protein.
Eat a "special occasion" steak at the best restaurants such as Ruth Chris' Steak House. Now that's a steak!
More Info on Mad Cow and it's Variant CJD
MadCow.org: Everything you ever wanted to know about Mad Cow.
Human BSE Foundation: An organization for those with CJD (the human variant of Mad Cow)
Mad Cow Facts
You don't have to be a fanatic, just be informed and then make the best choices you can for yourself and your family.
Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, and author of Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss. Visit OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com to learn how she lost 80 pounds over 20 years ago and kept it off, and how you can do the same.
When you truly consider the weight-loss process, the battle waged is mostly in your mind. "Should I eat the corn muffin with butter or would it be better for me to have margarine or better yet, have jelly? What am I doing eating this muffin anyway? It's so caloric and filled with saturated fat. I'm such a pig. I have absolutely zero willpower." It's no wonder you'll eat that muffin with the butter and slather jelly on top to quiet that negative self-talk.
What you need more than a diet is a way to shift those negative self-defeating thoughts to more adaptive, positive self-statements. As with most things worth doing, this requires a bit of practice. First, become aware when you're using a negative statement, then determine what about that thought is faulty and finally, replace it with a self-defense response or coping thought. In the corn muffin example, instead of listening to "I'm such a pig" which clearly mislabels who you are, respond with "Pigs are animals and I am human. I don't have to be perfect."
Many people cannot change their eating habits until they change their thoughts about food, eating and drinking. By shedding "distorted" thoughts and replacing them with productive ones, eating habits can be changed. It is possible to rid yourself from many self-critical thoughts, but like any ingrained habit, it takes vigor and vigilance to change. Here are some other thinking distortions to challenge:
Shoulds. Should statements are more about other people's values, not ones chosen by the person who wants to lose weight. Additionally, should statements reflect an attempt by the dieter to motivate herself without really believing in the value. Better to determine what works for you. "I will eat up to two Hershey kisses daily and thoroughly enjoy them."
All-or-Nothing. This kind of reasoning is the foundation for perfectionism. An all-or-nothing individual views the world as black or white. Since there is no allowance for gray areas, the behavior is either perfect or a failure. "I've ruined my diet by eating all that pizza. I can't stay on a diet and I'll just always be fat." Maybe the problem does not arise from the behavior? maybe the problem is with the diet that does not allow for pizza. "I do not want to give pizza up for the rest of my life, so what I need is a way to include pizza in my diet without feeling like a failure. Let me try having a salad (dressing on the side) before the pizza to take the edge off my hunger."
Good Foods/ Bad Foods. If the truth be told, foods do not misbehave. Foods are not good or bad. While it is true that some foods have more nutrients or are more fiber-dense than others, all foods can be enjoyed. How we think about food colors what we eat and how much we eat. If a food is labeled as bad (such as fries), then for many individuals that food is taboo. When one eventually succumbs to eating the forbidden, French fries, bingeing may result. Rather than continue with dichotomous thinking of good food/bad food, shift to allow space for all foods you like without judgement. Instead of "I ate those fries which are so bad for me" to "I really enjoyed that small portion of fries. They really satisfied me."
Body Distortions. Rather than dwelling on how fat or thin you think your body is, it is extremely helpful to view your body in terms of what it can do for you. For example, when you look in the mirror, instead of zooming in on your stomach which "looks five months pregnant, although your last baby was nine years ago" tell yourself "my body has given life" or "my body enables me to go where I want to and allows me to have fun."
The conversations that are going on inside your head cannot be stopped. However, what you can do is to be aware of negative self-talk and understand that it has little to do with actual reality. When you believe this, you can respond to the critical voice with a more objective, coping thought. Although negative thoughts may not be stopped entirely, they can be quieted by listening to your compassionate, caring voice. In much the same way you would sympathize and listen to a close friend, listen to yourself. Be your own best friend and chances are you'll have greater weight loss success.
Helene Haber
Holistic Nutrition Coach
Helene Haber, HHC is a board certified health counselor. She designs personalized wellness solutions for women of all ages looking to enhance their lives, get their bodies back in shape and their health back on track. Email: TopCatHelene@aol.com.
http://www.integrativenutrition.com/graduates/HHaber.aspx
What you need more than a diet is a way to shift those negative self-defeating thoughts to more adaptive, positive self-statements. As with most things worth doing, this requires a bit of practice. First, become aware when you're using a negative statement, then determine what about that thought is faulty and finally, replace it with a self-defense response or coping thought. In the corn muffin example, instead of listening to "I'm such a pig" which clearly mislabels who you are, respond with "Pigs are animals and I am human. I don't have to be perfect."
Many people cannot change their eating habits until they change their thoughts about food, eating and drinking. By shedding "distorted" thoughts and replacing them with productive ones, eating habits can be changed. It is possible to rid yourself from many self-critical thoughts, but like any ingrained habit, it takes vigor and vigilance to change. Here are some other thinking distortions to challenge:
Shoulds. Should statements are more about other people's values, not ones chosen by the person who wants to lose weight. Additionally, should statements reflect an attempt by the dieter to motivate herself without really believing in the value. Better to determine what works for you. "I will eat up to two Hershey kisses daily and thoroughly enjoy them."
All-or-Nothing. This kind of reasoning is the foundation for perfectionism. An all-or-nothing individual views the world as black or white. Since there is no allowance for gray areas, the behavior is either perfect or a failure. "I've ruined my diet by eating all that pizza. I can't stay on a diet and I'll just always be fat." Maybe the problem does not arise from the behavior? maybe the problem is with the diet that does not allow for pizza. "I do not want to give pizza up for the rest of my life, so what I need is a way to include pizza in my diet without feeling like a failure. Let me try having a salad (dressing on the side) before the pizza to take the edge off my hunger."
Good Foods/ Bad Foods. If the truth be told, foods do not misbehave. Foods are not good or bad. While it is true that some foods have more nutrients or are more fiber-dense than others, all foods can be enjoyed. How we think about food colors what we eat and how much we eat. If a food is labeled as bad (such as fries), then for many individuals that food is taboo. When one eventually succumbs to eating the forbidden, French fries, bingeing may result. Rather than continue with dichotomous thinking of good food/bad food, shift to allow space for all foods you like without judgement. Instead of "I ate those fries which are so bad for me" to "I really enjoyed that small portion of fries. They really satisfied me."
Body Distortions. Rather than dwelling on how fat or thin you think your body is, it is extremely helpful to view your body in terms of what it can do for you. For example, when you look in the mirror, instead of zooming in on your stomach which "looks five months pregnant, although your last baby was nine years ago" tell yourself "my body has given life" or "my body enables me to go where I want to and allows me to have fun."
The conversations that are going on inside your head cannot be stopped. However, what you can do is to be aware of negative self-talk and understand that it has little to do with actual reality. When you believe this, you can respond to the critical voice with a more objective, coping thought. Although negative thoughts may not be stopped entirely, they can be quieted by listening to your compassionate, caring voice. In much the same way you would sympathize and listen to a close friend, listen to yourself. Be your own best friend and chances are you'll have greater weight loss success.
Helene Haber
Holistic Nutrition Coach
Helene Haber, HHC is a board certified health counselor. She designs personalized wellness solutions for women of all ages looking to enhance their lives, get their bodies back in shape and their health back on track. Email: TopCatHelene@aol.com.
http://www.integrativenutrition.com/graduates/HHaber.aspx
1. What is Atkins Diet?
Dr. Atkins diet, first introduced in 1972, is strictly
focused on limiting carbohydrate consumption.
That is why it is called a low-carb, high-protein diet or
sometimes simply a low-carb diet, together with other
diets such as South Beach Diet, Power Protein Diet etc...
2. What are carbohydrates, and where can they be found?
Carbohydrates provide your body with its basic fuel, very
much like a car engine and gasoline. Glucose goes directly
into the cells, which convert it into the energy they need.
There are two types of carbohydrates:
Simple carbohydrates (also called "sugars" on food
package labels): glucose, fructose and galactose are
referred to as monosaccharides. Lactose, sucrose and
maltose are called disaccharides (they contain two
monosaccharides).
Complex carbohydrates ("starches"), made up of chains
of glucose molecules, which is simply a way plants store
glucose.
Starches can be found in great quantities in most
grains (wheat, corn, oats, rice) and things like potatoes
and plantains.
Your digestive system breaks a starch back down into
its component glucose molecules so that the glucose
can enter your bloodstream.
A complex carbohydrate is digested more slowly than
simple carbohydrates because it takes longer to break
down a starch.
Complex carbs can be either high in fiber such as
broccoli or low in fiber such as bananas or potatoes.
But carbohydrates are not the only substances the body
uses: it also needs proteins and fats.
3. What are proteins and where can they be found?
A protein is any chain of amino acids. Carbohydrates
provide cells with energy, proteins provide cells with the
building material they need to grow and maintain
their structure.
Protein can be found in both animal and vegetable foods.
Most animal sources (meat, milk, eggs) provide "complete
protein": they contain all of the essential amino acids.
Vegetable foods usually have few or none of the essential
amino acids. Example: rice is low in isoleucine and lysine.
Some vegetable sources contain quite a bit of protein --
things like nuts, beans, soybeans, etc. are all high in protein.
4. What are fats and where can they be found?
Fats are also an important part of our diet. Many foods
contain fat in different amounts. High-fat foods include
dairy products like butter and cream as well as mayonnaise
and oils.
There are two kinds of fats: saturated and unsaturated.
Saturated fats are normally solid at room temperature,
while unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature.
Vegetable oils are the best examples of unsaturated fats,
while lard and shortening (along with the animal fat you
see in raw meat) are saturated fats.
We can further distinguish the unsaturated fats between
polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Unsaturated fats
are currently thought to be more healthy than saturated fats,
and monounsaturated fats (as found in olive oil and peanut oil)
are thought to be healthier than polyunsaturated fats.
Fat is necessary because: the only way to get certain
fat-soluble vitamins is to eat fat, your body has no way to
make certain essential fats, so you must get them in your
food.
Another reason is that fat is a good source of energy,
in fact it contains twice as many calories per gram as
do carbohydrates or proteins. Your body can burn fat as
fuel when necessary
5. and how can I loose weight by reducing carbohydrate
consumption?
Atkins diet and other low-carb diets are based on the theory
that certain carbohydrates have a greater impact on blood
sugar levels than others.
So you count these carbs. They are the ones that matter.
To figure out the net carb count of a food item, you need to
identify the carbs that don't have a high impact -- those from
fiber and sugar alcohol, and subtract that total from the
overall carb count
Just regulate your blood sugar levels (from carbohydrates)
and you'll be able to better regulate your appetite... and
your weight.
Therefore, say Atkins diet proponents, the culprits are
carbohydrates and there is nothing wrong with eating as
much meat as you want!
What you should do is restrict carbohydrate consumption,
specially starchy foods such as bread, rice, corn etc...,
except for what they consider as "good carbohydrates"
such as high fiber vegetables (broccoli etc...)
According to them, the energy we need should be taken
from proteins, and sometimes fat, but as few carbohydrates
as possible, hence the name: low carbohydrate diet..
6 . What else does the human body need?
Mainly vitamins and minerals. These can be found in various
foods, fruits, etc..It seems the "Standard Western Diet" is
deficient in vitamins and minerals. This has led to the
creation of vitamin and mineral supplements.
7. Is Atkins diet efficient?
Anybody can note the simple fact that cutting back on
carbohydrates works, at least for a quick drop in body fat
and body water.
However, for most dieters the problem is the long-term
effects on the body due to such a drastic reduction in
carbohydrates.
Whatever Atkins diet proponents have said, this remains a
real problem and people like those at South Beach Diet have
tried to solve it by introducing carbohyfrates after the 14 days
initial phase.
8. What about the "fat makes you fat" theory?
According to Anthony Colpo, one of the most articulate of the
Atkins diet defenders:
"Some folks have been so inculcated with the simplistic
"fat makes you fat" theory that they just cannot believe
a diet high in fat can lead to a loss of bodyfat.
The fact is, high fat diets can result in spectacular fat loss
- as long as carbohydrate intake is kept low. Eat a diet that
is high in both fat and carbohydrate and your bodyfat
percentages will head north real quick! "
9. Does Atkins diet cause coronary heart disease (CHD)?
On May 26, 2004 A Florida businessman filed suit against
the makers of Atkins diet.
The man claimed as a consequence of following the low-carb
diet, he suffers from severe heart disease, necessitating
angioplasty and a stent
One of the fiercest opponents of Atkins diet, the Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) President
Neal Barnard, M.D, said that the diet proponents "push dieters
to avoid healthy foods, like rice, beans, and pasta, while
ignoring the risks of high-cholesterol, high-fat meat and
cheese. The idea that cholesterol and saturated fat don't
matter is a dangerous myth."
But what does the other side say? As expected, we hear
a totally different story.
Here is Anthony Colpo's take on the CHD issue:
"A low carb diet based on paleolithic food choices, that is,
a diet based on free-range animal products and low
carbohydrate, low-glycemic plant foods, fits the bill quite
nicely. So go ahead, eat your steak and salad!"
10. Are there any other health risks?
In additon to CHD - coronary heart disease - Atkins diet has
also been blamed for a number of other "atrocities", such as:
colon cancer, impaired kidney function, osteoporosis,
complications of diabetes, and to cap it all: constipation,
headache, bad breath, muscle cramps, diarrhea, general
weakness.
A few quick answers to some of these accusations from
Anthony Colpo:
Kidney disease: "Bodybuilders and strength athletes have
been consuming high-protein diets for decades. Given the
widespread global participation in these activities, if the
claims of kidney damage were true, by now there would be
an enormous number of case studies of ex-bodybuilders
and strength athletes afflicted with kidney disease," which
is obviously not the case.
Osteoporosis: "a low-carbohydrate, high fat, high protein
diet is a far better choice for building strong bones than
a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet."
A.M.Sall invites you to cash in on his 30 years experience as a professional medical translator and say goodbye forever to all your Health, Beauty and Wellness problems!
http://www.health-beauty-wellness.com/10.htm
Dr. Atkins diet, first introduced in 1972, is strictly
focused on limiting carbohydrate consumption.
That is why it is called a low-carb, high-protein diet or
sometimes simply a low-carb diet, together with other
diets such as South Beach Diet, Power Protein Diet etc...
2. What are carbohydrates, and where can they be found?
Carbohydrates provide your body with its basic fuel, very
much like a car engine and gasoline. Glucose goes directly
into the cells, which convert it into the energy they need.
There are two types of carbohydrates:
Simple carbohydrates (also called "sugars" on food
package labels): glucose, fructose and galactose are
referred to as monosaccharides. Lactose, sucrose and
maltose are called disaccharides (they contain two
monosaccharides).
Complex carbohydrates ("starches"), made up of chains
of glucose molecules, which is simply a way plants store
glucose.
Starches can be found in great quantities in most
grains (wheat, corn, oats, rice) and things like potatoes
and plantains.
Your digestive system breaks a starch back down into
its component glucose molecules so that the glucose
can enter your bloodstream.
A complex carbohydrate is digested more slowly than
simple carbohydrates because it takes longer to break
down a starch.
Complex carbs can be either high in fiber such as
broccoli or low in fiber such as bananas or potatoes.
But carbohydrates are not the only substances the body
uses: it also needs proteins and fats.
3. What are proteins and where can they be found?
A protein is any chain of amino acids. Carbohydrates
provide cells with energy, proteins provide cells with the
building material they need to grow and maintain
their structure.
Protein can be found in both animal and vegetable foods.
Most animal sources (meat, milk, eggs) provide "complete
protein": they contain all of the essential amino acids.
Vegetable foods usually have few or none of the essential
amino acids. Example: rice is low in isoleucine and lysine.
Some vegetable sources contain quite a bit of protein --
things like nuts, beans, soybeans, etc. are all high in protein.
4. What are fats and where can they be found?
Fats are also an important part of our diet. Many foods
contain fat in different amounts. High-fat foods include
dairy products like butter and cream as well as mayonnaise
and oils.
There are two kinds of fats: saturated and unsaturated.
Saturated fats are normally solid at room temperature,
while unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature.
Vegetable oils are the best examples of unsaturated fats,
while lard and shortening (along with the animal fat you
see in raw meat) are saturated fats.
We can further distinguish the unsaturated fats between
polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Unsaturated fats
are currently thought to be more healthy than saturated fats,
and monounsaturated fats (as found in olive oil and peanut oil)
are thought to be healthier than polyunsaturated fats.
Fat is necessary because: the only way to get certain
fat-soluble vitamins is to eat fat, your body has no way to
make certain essential fats, so you must get them in your
food.
Another reason is that fat is a good source of energy,
in fact it contains twice as many calories per gram as
do carbohydrates or proteins. Your body can burn fat as
fuel when necessary
5. and how can I loose weight by reducing carbohydrate
consumption?
Atkins diet and other low-carb diets are based on the theory
that certain carbohydrates have a greater impact on blood
sugar levels than others.
So you count these carbs. They are the ones that matter.
To figure out the net carb count of a food item, you need to
identify the carbs that don't have a high impact -- those from
fiber and sugar alcohol, and subtract that total from the
overall carb count
Just regulate your blood sugar levels (from carbohydrates)
and you'll be able to better regulate your appetite... and
your weight.
Therefore, say Atkins diet proponents, the culprits are
carbohydrates and there is nothing wrong with eating as
much meat as you want!
What you should do is restrict carbohydrate consumption,
specially starchy foods such as bread, rice, corn etc...,
except for what they consider as "good carbohydrates"
such as high fiber vegetables (broccoli etc...)
According to them, the energy we need should be taken
from proteins, and sometimes fat, but as few carbohydrates
as possible, hence the name: low carbohydrate diet..
6 . What else does the human body need?
Mainly vitamins and minerals. These can be found in various
foods, fruits, etc..It seems the "Standard Western Diet" is
deficient in vitamins and minerals. This has led to the
creation of vitamin and mineral supplements.
7. Is Atkins diet efficient?
Anybody can note the simple fact that cutting back on
carbohydrates works, at least for a quick drop in body fat
and body water.
However, for most dieters the problem is the long-term
effects on the body due to such a drastic reduction in
carbohydrates.
Whatever Atkins diet proponents have said, this remains a
real problem and people like those at South Beach Diet have
tried to solve it by introducing carbohyfrates after the 14 days
initial phase.
8. What about the "fat makes you fat" theory?
According to Anthony Colpo, one of the most articulate of the
Atkins diet defenders:
"Some folks have been so inculcated with the simplistic
"fat makes you fat" theory that they just cannot believe
a diet high in fat can lead to a loss of bodyfat.
The fact is, high fat diets can result in spectacular fat loss
- as long as carbohydrate intake is kept low. Eat a diet that
is high in both fat and carbohydrate and your bodyfat
percentages will head north real quick! "
9. Does Atkins diet cause coronary heart disease (CHD)?
On May 26, 2004 A Florida businessman filed suit against
the makers of Atkins diet.
The man claimed as a consequence of following the low-carb
diet, he suffers from severe heart disease, necessitating
angioplasty and a stent
One of the fiercest opponents of Atkins diet, the Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) President
Neal Barnard, M.D, said that the diet proponents "push dieters
to avoid healthy foods, like rice, beans, and pasta, while
ignoring the risks of high-cholesterol, high-fat meat and
cheese. The idea that cholesterol and saturated fat don't
matter is a dangerous myth."
But what does the other side say? As expected, we hear
a totally different story.
Here is Anthony Colpo's take on the CHD issue:
"A low carb diet based on paleolithic food choices, that is,
a diet based on free-range animal products and low
carbohydrate, low-glycemic plant foods, fits the bill quite
nicely. So go ahead, eat your steak and salad!"
10. Are there any other health risks?
In additon to CHD - coronary heart disease - Atkins diet has
also been blamed for a number of other "atrocities", such as:
colon cancer, impaired kidney function, osteoporosis,
complications of diabetes, and to cap it all: constipation,
headache, bad breath, muscle cramps, diarrhea, general
weakness.
A few quick answers to some of these accusations from
Anthony Colpo:
Kidney disease: "Bodybuilders and strength athletes have
been consuming high-protein diets for decades. Given the
widespread global participation in these activities, if the
claims of kidney damage were true, by now there would be
an enormous number of case studies of ex-bodybuilders
and strength athletes afflicted with kidney disease," which
is obviously not the case.
Osteoporosis: "a low-carbohydrate, high fat, high protein
diet is a far better choice for building strong bones than
a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet."
A.M.Sall invites you to cash in on his 30 years experience as a professional medical translator and say goodbye forever to all your Health, Beauty and Wellness problems!
http://www.health-beauty-wellness.com/10.htm
1. What is my BMI and how do I calculate it?
BMI means Body Mass Index.
The value is associated with body fat and health risks.
Healthy weight is defined as a BMI equal to or greater
than 19 and less than 25 among all people aged 20
or over. Between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight;
more than 30 is considered obese.
To determine body mass index:
[Weight in pounds ч Height in inches ч Height in inches] x 703.
Fractions and ounces must be entered as decimal values.
The metric formula is: BMI= Body Weight(kg)/height(m)2.
Remember that: 2.2 lbs.=1 kg and 39.4 ins.=1m.
For example, if you are 1.75 M tall and weigh 80 kg. , your
BMI will be = 80/1.75X1.75 = 26.122, i.e. slightly overweight
(Always keep in mind that "obesity" is defined as a BMI greater
than 30)
2. What are carbs, proteins, fats?
Carbohydrates provide your body with its basic fuel, very
much like a car engine and gasoline. Glucose goes directly
into the cells, which convert it into the energy they need.
There are two types of carbohydrates:
Simple carbohydrates (also called "sugars" on food
package labels): glucose etc.
Complex carbohydrates ("starches"), made up of chains
of glucose molecules, which is simply a way plants store
glucose.
Starches can be found in great quantities in most
grains (wheat, corn, oats, rice) and things like potatoes
and plantains.
Your digestive system breaks a starch back down into
its component glucose molecules so that the glucose
can enter your bloodstream.
Carbohydrates provide cells with energy, proteins
provide cells with the building material they need to
grow and maintain their structure.
Protein can be found in both animal and vegetable foods.
Most animal sources (meat, milk, eggs) provide "complete
protein": they contain all of the essential amino acids.
Fats are also an important part of our diet. Many foods
contain fat in different amounts. High-fat foods include
dairy products like butter and cream as well as mayonnaise
and oils.
There are two kinds of fats: saturated and unsaturated.
Fat is necessary because: the only way to get certain
fat-soluble vitamins is to eat fat, your body has no way to
make certain essential fats, so you must get them in your
food.
Another reason is that fat is a good source of energy,
in fact it contains twice as many calories per gram as
do carbohydrates or proteins. Your body can burn fat as
fuel when necessary
3. What else does my body need?
Mainly vitamins and minerals. These can be found in various
foods, fruits, etc..It seems the "Standard Western Diet" is
deficient in vitamins and minerals. This has led to the
creation of vitamin and mineral supplements.
4. What are the dangers of being overweight (too fat)?
When it gets to a certain level, overweight becomes "obesity",
which has been described as "a serious, chronic disease
that is known to reduce life span, increase disability and
lead to many serious illnesses including diabetes, heart
disease and stroke, cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea,
gall bladder disease, gout."
5. What exactly is Atkins diet?
Dr. Atkins diet, first introduced in 1972, is strictly
focused on limiting carbohydrate consumption.
That is why it is called a low-carb, high-protein diet or
sometimes simply a low-carb diet, together with other
diets such as South Beach Diet, Protein Power Diet etc...
Please read the end of the article and get still more valuable
information (over 25,000 words) on weight loss and nutrition
at: http://www.health-beauty-wellness.com/10.htm
A.M.Sall invites you to cash in on his 30 years experience as a professional medical translator and say goodbye forever to all your Health, Beauty and Wellness problems!
http://www.health-beauty-wellness.com/10.htm
BMI means Body Mass Index.
The value is associated with body fat and health risks.
Healthy weight is defined as a BMI equal to or greater
than 19 and less than 25 among all people aged 20
or over. Between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight;
more than 30 is considered obese.
To determine body mass index:
[Weight in pounds ч Height in inches ч Height in inches] x 703.
Fractions and ounces must be entered as decimal values.
The metric formula is: BMI= Body Weight(kg)/height(m)2.
Remember that: 2.2 lbs.=1 kg and 39.4 ins.=1m.
For example, if you are 1.75 M tall and weigh 80 kg. , your
BMI will be = 80/1.75X1.75 = 26.122, i.e. slightly overweight
(Always keep in mind that "obesity" is defined as a BMI greater
than 30)
2. What are carbs, proteins, fats?
Carbohydrates provide your body with its basic fuel, very
much like a car engine and gasoline. Glucose goes directly
into the cells, which convert it into the energy they need.
There are two types of carbohydrates:
Simple carbohydrates (also called "sugars" on food
package labels): glucose etc.
Complex carbohydrates ("starches"), made up of chains
of glucose molecules, which is simply a way plants store
glucose.
Starches can be found in great quantities in most
grains (wheat, corn, oats, rice) and things like potatoes
and plantains.
Your digestive system breaks a starch back down into
its component glucose molecules so that the glucose
can enter your bloodstream.
Carbohydrates provide cells with energy, proteins
provide cells with the building material they need to
grow and maintain their structure.
Protein can be found in both animal and vegetable foods.
Most animal sources (meat, milk, eggs) provide "complete
protein": they contain all of the essential amino acids.
Fats are also an important part of our diet. Many foods
contain fat in different amounts. High-fat foods include
dairy products like butter and cream as well as mayonnaise
and oils.
There are two kinds of fats: saturated and unsaturated.
Fat is necessary because: the only way to get certain
fat-soluble vitamins is to eat fat, your body has no way to
make certain essential fats, so you must get them in your
food.
Another reason is that fat is a good source of energy,
in fact it contains twice as many calories per gram as
do carbohydrates or proteins. Your body can burn fat as
fuel when necessary
3. What else does my body need?
Mainly vitamins and minerals. These can be found in various
foods, fruits, etc..It seems the "Standard Western Diet" is
deficient in vitamins and minerals. This has led to the
creation of vitamin and mineral supplements.
4. What are the dangers of being overweight (too fat)?
When it gets to a certain level, overweight becomes "obesity",
which has been described as "a serious, chronic disease
that is known to reduce life span, increase disability and
lead to many serious illnesses including diabetes, heart
disease and stroke, cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea,
gall bladder disease, gout."
5. What exactly is Atkins diet?
Dr. Atkins diet, first introduced in 1972, is strictly
focused on limiting carbohydrate consumption.
That is why it is called a low-carb, high-protein diet or
sometimes simply a low-carb diet, together with other
diets such as South Beach Diet, Protein Power Diet etc...
Please read the end of the article and get still more valuable
information (over 25,000 words) on weight loss and nutrition
at: http://www.health-beauty-wellness.com/10.htm
A.M.Sall invites you to cash in on his 30 years experience as a professional medical translator and say goodbye forever to all your Health, Beauty and Wellness problems!
http://www.health-beauty-wellness.com/10.htm
Q: I've heard you mention that you don't need tons of cardio to burn stubborn abdominal fat. Okay, I can live with that, but you've also said that it isn't absolutely necessary to perform direct ab work either. What gives?
A: If you want to build a serious set of abdominals, routinely perform the following exercises and their variations: squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, and standing military presses. These multi-joint movements require a strong contribution from the abdominals to stabilize the core, particularly when heavy loads are used. It is not uncommon to hear clients complain of abdominal soreness a day or two after performing multiple sets with a decent weight of the chin-up or standing military press exercise - the ab prestretch will tap into fibers you never thought existed! And remember, your abdominals act as a natural girdle, or weight belt if you will, when performing all exercises, particularly squats and deadlifts. These muscles act as a bridge between your upper and lower body and are heavily recruited as stabilizers.
Sure, isolation exercises like pullovers, curls, and even triceps pressdowns also require a good degree of core stability; however, the loads used are relatively low compared to the big 4 mentioned above. In fact, according to Siff & Verkhoshansky, isolation becomes virtually impossible if large loads are used, and in many cases, the tension developed in the stabilizers will equal or even exceed that of the prime movers!* So, you see, the abdominals can be trained quite effectively as stabilizers - the physiques of top Olympic weightlifters will attest to that.
*Siff, MC, Verkhoshansky, YV. "Supertraining (4th Edition)." Denver, CO: Supertraining International, 1999. (pg. 241)
Q: I am still very much confused regarding cardio intensity. One book says keep it low intensity (i.e. 60% of MHR) and go for distance; another keep it high intensity (80% or more) and go for as long and hard as you can. The goal is to burn fat. Each book has great arguments for their approach. Which is accurate?
A: The second approach is far more effective for burning fat. Without getting into a huge discussion about this, here's how things work in a nutshell.
At a lower intensity, your body prefers fat for fuel. Yes, this is true, but two things generally happen:
1. After awhile of doing this type of activity, your body adapts by actually laying down fat (you heard me right) to become more efficient at the given task and this usually occurs in the lower body, and
2. A higher relative amount of fat is burned during low intensity cardio but a greater absolute amount is burned with higher intensity cardio and in less time.
Other things to consider are: a) the EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) is greater for a longer duration following higher intensity work; in other words, you're metabolism is much higher for a longer period of time post-workout with high intensity cardio, and b) higher lactate levels exist with high intensity cardio. So what you may ask? Well there is a direct correlation with lactate and GH (Growth Hormone) and GH is a potent fat-burner.
Bottom line: with regards to burning fat, do higher intensity work in the form of interval training and you'll get great results.
John Paul Catanzaro is a certified kinesiologist and professional fitness and lifestyle consultant with a specialized honours Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and Health Science. He owns and operates a private gym in Toronto, Ontario providing training and nutritional consulting services. For additional information, visit his website at www.BodyEssence.ca or call 416-292-4356.
A: If you want to build a serious set of abdominals, routinely perform the following exercises and their variations: squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, and standing military presses. These multi-joint movements require a strong contribution from the abdominals to stabilize the core, particularly when heavy loads are used. It is not uncommon to hear clients complain of abdominal soreness a day or two after performing multiple sets with a decent weight of the chin-up or standing military press exercise - the ab prestretch will tap into fibers you never thought existed! And remember, your abdominals act as a natural girdle, or weight belt if you will, when performing all exercises, particularly squats and deadlifts. These muscles act as a bridge between your upper and lower body and are heavily recruited as stabilizers.
Sure, isolation exercises like pullovers, curls, and even triceps pressdowns also require a good degree of core stability; however, the loads used are relatively low compared to the big 4 mentioned above. In fact, according to Siff & Verkhoshansky, isolation becomes virtually impossible if large loads are used, and in many cases, the tension developed in the stabilizers will equal or even exceed that of the prime movers!* So, you see, the abdominals can be trained quite effectively as stabilizers - the physiques of top Olympic weightlifters will attest to that.
*Siff, MC, Verkhoshansky, YV. "Supertraining (4th Edition)." Denver, CO: Supertraining International, 1999. (pg. 241)
Q: I am still very much confused regarding cardio intensity. One book says keep it low intensity (i.e. 60% of MHR) and go for distance; another keep it high intensity (80% or more) and go for as long and hard as you can. The goal is to burn fat. Each book has great arguments for their approach. Which is accurate?
A: The second approach is far more effective for burning fat. Without getting into a huge discussion about this, here's how things work in a nutshell.
At a lower intensity, your body prefers fat for fuel. Yes, this is true, but two things generally happen:
1. After awhile of doing this type of activity, your body adapts by actually laying down fat (you heard me right) to become more efficient at the given task and this usually occurs in the lower body, and
2. A higher relative amount of fat is burned during low intensity cardio but a greater absolute amount is burned with higher intensity cardio and in less time.
Other things to consider are: a) the EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) is greater for a longer duration following higher intensity work; in other words, you're metabolism is much higher for a longer period of time post-workout with high intensity cardio, and b) higher lactate levels exist with high intensity cardio. So what you may ask? Well there is a direct correlation with lactate and GH (Growth Hormone) and GH is a potent fat-burner.
Bottom line: with regards to burning fat, do higher intensity work in the form of interval training and you'll get great results.
John Paul Catanzaro is a certified kinesiologist and professional fitness and lifestyle consultant with a specialized honours Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and Health Science. He owns and operates a private gym in Toronto, Ontario providing training and nutritional consulting services. For additional information, visit his website at www.BodyEssence.ca or call 416-292-4356.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, writing about stressful life events helped reduce symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis in patients with these chronic illnesses. The effects of the writing exercise were still evident four months later and resulted in clinically meaningful improvements in patient symptoms.
Interestingly, studies showed that asthma patients who wrote about their most stressful life events showed a 19-percent improvement in lung function; similarly, rheumatoid arthritis patients had a 28-percent reduction in symptoms.
These findings add to a growing body of evidence that links mental and emotional health to physical well-being. Although researchers aren't sure exactly how expressive writing can lead to health improvements, they theorize that writing help people cope with stress, and stress-as well all know-clearly impacts health.
University of Texas at Austin psychologist and researcher James Pennebaker believes that regular journaling strengthens immune cells, called T-lymphocytes. He theorizes that writing about stressful events helps you come to terms with them, thus reducing the impact of these stressors on your physical health.
Louise Moran, a nurse coordinator, has written about a patient who, during a serious illness, sent daily e-mails to friends and family about her illness, a practice the woman believes played a pivotal role in her healing process. Moran said another patient felt that journaling helped her create a new life after breast cancer. There have even been studies suggesting that journaling in healthy people actually improves the immune system.
Patti Testerman is content manager at JournalGenie.com, the only online site that analyzes your writing and then gives you instant feedback. Want to discover self-defeating patterns, or find better ways to communicate in a relationship? Check out our site.
Interestingly, studies showed that asthma patients who wrote about their most stressful life events showed a 19-percent improvement in lung function; similarly, rheumatoid arthritis patients had a 28-percent reduction in symptoms.
These findings add to a growing body of evidence that links mental and emotional health to physical well-being. Although researchers aren't sure exactly how expressive writing can lead to health improvements, they theorize that writing help people cope with stress, and stress-as well all know-clearly impacts health.
University of Texas at Austin psychologist and researcher James Pennebaker believes that regular journaling strengthens immune cells, called T-lymphocytes. He theorizes that writing about stressful events helps you come to terms with them, thus reducing the impact of these stressors on your physical health.
Louise Moran, a nurse coordinator, has written about a patient who, during a serious illness, sent daily e-mails to friends and family about her illness, a practice the woman believes played a pivotal role in her healing process. Moran said another patient felt that journaling helped her create a new life after breast cancer. There have even been studies suggesting that journaling in healthy people actually improves the immune system.
Patti Testerman is content manager at JournalGenie.com, the only online site that analyzes your writing and then gives you instant feedback. Want to discover self-defeating patterns, or find better ways to communicate in a relationship? Check out our site.
Although every dieter knows that keeping food records is a key to permanent weight loss, few understand the importance of also keeping an "emotional journal." In fact, one dieter lost 100 pounds, thanks in part to the insights gained through daily journaling.
Dieting for weight loss can be as simple as keeping that food diary, or (the more challenging) dipping into the dark waters of the psyche. For example, which emotions motivate, sabotage, side-track, or inspire? Which people are supportive, which ones undermine your focus with snide remarks or constant invitations to ice cream? All will be revealed inside your private journal.
Of all the journal exercises for gaining insight, a favorite is the "Letter to My Body." In this exercise, the dieter actually pens a letter to self, being as honest as possible. A sample might be "Dear Fat Body, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. I hate your rolls of fat on me, I hate that my knees hurt, I hate that you'd rather have a Danish than let me feel good about myself. I hate that you've been good all day and I know that tonight you'll be a pig."
What does that type of letter accomplish? For many-instead of adding to an already huge portion of self-loathing-it provides a powerful way of recognizing and reversing trigger situations. In this example, when nighttime does come and the journaler heads for the pint of Ben and Jerry's, there's a good chance the letter will be remembered. And, an even better chance that instead of eating a pint, some or none will be chosen.
Journaling to lose weight also involves writing about how your food choices will make you feel tomorrow when you get on the scale, or when you sit down to journal again. And, as you write these letters to self, you'll quickly begin to connect the dots, and track the ways in which everyday life impacts your food choices.
Keeping a journal will also help with weight loss because it's almost impossible to get to know yourself on a deep, intimate level and then continue with self-destructive behavior. Fortunately, we're just not made that way.
So tonight, instead of settling in with a pizza and beer, take some time to write a letter to yourself and analyze what your hunger is really about. I guarantee you, it isn't food.
Patti Testerman is content manager at http://JournalGenie.com, the only online site that analyzes your writing and then gives you instant feedback. Want to discover self-defeating patterns, or find better ways to communicate in a relationship? Check out our site.
Dieting for weight loss can be as simple as keeping that food diary, or (the more challenging) dipping into the dark waters of the psyche. For example, which emotions motivate, sabotage, side-track, or inspire? Which people are supportive, which ones undermine your focus with snide remarks or constant invitations to ice cream? All will be revealed inside your private journal.
Of all the journal exercises for gaining insight, a favorite is the "Letter to My Body." In this exercise, the dieter actually pens a letter to self, being as honest as possible. A sample might be "Dear Fat Body, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. I hate your rolls of fat on me, I hate that my knees hurt, I hate that you'd rather have a Danish than let me feel good about myself. I hate that you've been good all day and I know that tonight you'll be a pig."
What does that type of letter accomplish? For many-instead of adding to an already huge portion of self-loathing-it provides a powerful way of recognizing and reversing trigger situations. In this example, when nighttime does come and the journaler heads for the pint of Ben and Jerry's, there's a good chance the letter will be remembered. And, an even better chance that instead of eating a pint, some or none will be chosen.
Journaling to lose weight also involves writing about how your food choices will make you feel tomorrow when you get on the scale, or when you sit down to journal again. And, as you write these letters to self, you'll quickly begin to connect the dots, and track the ways in which everyday life impacts your food choices.
Keeping a journal will also help with weight loss because it's almost impossible to get to know yourself on a deep, intimate level and then continue with self-destructive behavior. Fortunately, we're just not made that way.
So tonight, instead of settling in with a pizza and beer, take some time to write a letter to yourself and analyze what your hunger is really about. I guarantee you, it isn't food.
Patti Testerman is content manager at http://JournalGenie.com, the only online site that analyzes your writing and then gives you instant feedback. Want to discover self-defeating patterns, or find better ways to communicate in a relationship? Check out our site.
Wanna know the truth? If you're going to be slim, you're going to have to swim against the current. You're going to have to take charge of your body and make your own decisions?cause if you go with the flow today, I guarantee that you're going to be fat.
Here are 3 reasons why:
#1) Rampant Portion Sizes
'Supersize it', 'Biggie Fries', 'Value Meal', 'Super Big Gulp' - phrases that we use so commonly, it's hard to believe that we'd have to explain what they mean to someone from another era.
Restaurants have blown their portion sizes so big in the name of providing 'value' that one meal could feed a small soccer team.
Considering that your stomach is roughly the size of your fist (but thank goodness it stretches!), the portion sizes you get today in the average restaurant could probably fill 5 or more stomachs.
But we're told to get our money's worth right? So go ahead and eat up. That way you can spend your money going to the doctor for obesity related health problems later. That's truly getting your money's worth!
#2) Diet as Religion
Diets boast a stellar 2-5% success rate (that's a 98% FAILURE rate by the way). And yet if an alien landed in North America, he (or she) would be convinced that our society must be built on the value of dieting.
Billboards, magazines, books, television shows, ads, even restaurant menus?everywhere you look you're inundated with the latest diet, diet food or diet plan. Diets are touted as the ONLY solution to weight loss.
We have more diets on the market now than ever before. We have more people on a diet now than ever before - and yet we continue to get fatter?is there ANY POSSIBLE connection here?
#3) Escalator Generation
Go with the flow and you'll enjoy a multitude of worldly conveniences. You can microwave your dinner in 5 minutes, load your dishwasher in 2 and pay the dog walker in 1. You don't have to walk to the store - just hop in the car. Your kids don't have to go swimming - they've got a new Xbox game. Don't bother taking the stairs because there's an elevator.
Here are 3 reasons why:
#1) Rampant Portion Sizes
'Supersize it', 'Biggie Fries', 'Value Meal', 'Super Big Gulp' - phrases that we use so commonly, it's hard to believe that we'd have to explain what they mean to someone from another era.
Restaurants have blown their portion sizes so big in the name of providing 'value' that one meal could feed a small soccer team.
Considering that your stomach is roughly the size of your fist (but thank goodness it stretches!), the portion sizes you get today in the average restaurant could probably fill 5 or more stomachs.
But we're told to get our money's worth right? So go ahead and eat up. That way you can spend your money going to the doctor for obesity related health problems later. That's truly getting your money's worth!
#2) Diet as Religion
Diets boast a stellar 2-5% success rate (that's a 98% FAILURE rate by the way). And yet if an alien landed in North America, he (or she) would be convinced that our society must be built on the value of dieting.
Billboards, magazines, books, television shows, ads, even restaurant menus?everywhere you look you're inundated with the latest diet, diet food or diet plan. Diets are touted as the ONLY solution to weight loss.
We have more diets on the market now than ever before. We have more people on a diet now than ever before - and yet we continue to get fatter?is there ANY POSSIBLE connection here?
#3) Escalator Generation
Go with the flow and you'll enjoy a multitude of worldly conveniences. You can microwave your dinner in 5 minutes, load your dishwasher in 2 and pay the dog walker in 1. You don't have to walk to the store - just hop in the car. Your kids don't have to go swimming - they've got a new Xbox game. Don't bother taking the stairs because there's an elevator.
There are a lot of "crash" diets out there that promise that you'll drop a considerable amount of weight in days or a week.
I have tried a few of these, and in my experience the weight always comes back on, just as quickly since the weight loss tips given are not something that will work with your body.
One thing you don't want to do if you are actually serious about losing weight is to follow these fad diets and their ridiculous weight loss tips.
After their ineffectiveness has been proven time and again, people will start to wise up to that particular diet, and will head off in search of a new craze.
Lets be honest, people are always searching for new weight loss tips because they want to lose pounds and they want immediate results, but this is just wishful thinking.
To lose weight permanently and effectively it will be a rather slow progress, all depending on your metabolic rate and how much you need to lose.
There are however some proven tried and true weight loss tips for aiding in the weight loss process, and I can make you familiar with them.
Weight Loss Tip 1
Don't skip breakfast. Whatever you do follow this advice, because otherwise you are much more likely in fact prone to binge later in the day.
Weight Loss Tip 2
Don't eat anything for at least an hour before going to bed.
Weight Loss Tip 3
Don't snack while watching TV. It's acceptable to eat a meal while watching television, but never is snacking at this time acceptable.
Weight Loss Tip 4
Substitute fruits like; bananas, watermelon, plums, peaches, and oranges for sugary treats like; cookies and candy.
Weight Loss Tip 5
Substitute honey for sugar, and carob powder for chocolate in all recipes. These taste just as good if not better when used properly.
Weight Loss Tip 6
Eat more vegetables. This can even be enjoyable if you have a good cookbook like Good housekeeping's latest edition.
Weight Loss Tip 7
Avoid unnecessary high calorie foods. Instead of a high calorie salad dressing for instance try cottage cheese or yogurt to improve the salads taste and peel of the pounds.
Weight Loss Tip 8
Exercise at least a half hour each day for five days out of the week. Biking on a stationery bike while reading is a great form of exercise to slim legs.
In conclusion there is nothing stopping you from losing weight except yourself. Get off the "I can't do anything about my weight problem" bandwagon and start dropping pounds today!
For more of Beth's expert advice visit her Website now.
I have tried a few of these, and in my experience the weight always comes back on, just as quickly since the weight loss tips given are not something that will work with your body.
One thing you don't want to do if you are actually serious about losing weight is to follow these fad diets and their ridiculous weight loss tips.
After their ineffectiveness has been proven time and again, people will start to wise up to that particular diet, and will head off in search of a new craze.
Lets be honest, people are always searching for new weight loss tips because they want to lose pounds and they want immediate results, but this is just wishful thinking.
To lose weight permanently and effectively it will be a rather slow progress, all depending on your metabolic rate and how much you need to lose.
There are however some proven tried and true weight loss tips for aiding in the weight loss process, and I can make you familiar with them.
Weight Loss Tip 1
Don't skip breakfast. Whatever you do follow this advice, because otherwise you are much more likely in fact prone to binge later in the day.
Weight Loss Tip 2
Don't eat anything for at least an hour before going to bed.
Weight Loss Tip 3
Don't snack while watching TV. It's acceptable to eat a meal while watching television, but never is snacking at this time acceptable.
Weight Loss Tip 4
Substitute fruits like; bananas, watermelon, plums, peaches, and oranges for sugary treats like; cookies and candy.
Weight Loss Tip 5
Substitute honey for sugar, and carob powder for chocolate in all recipes. These taste just as good if not better when used properly.
Weight Loss Tip 6
Eat more vegetables. This can even be enjoyable if you have a good cookbook like Good housekeeping's latest edition.
Weight Loss Tip 7
Avoid unnecessary high calorie foods. Instead of a high calorie salad dressing for instance try cottage cheese or yogurt to improve the salads taste and peel of the pounds.
Weight Loss Tip 8
Exercise at least a half hour each day for five days out of the week. Biking on a stationery bike while reading is a great form of exercise to slim legs.
In conclusion there is nothing stopping you from losing weight except yourself. Get off the "I can't do anything about my weight problem" bandwagon and start dropping pounds today!
For more of Beth's expert advice visit her Website now.
(But What You Need to Know if You Want to Get Fit!)
10) No, you won't end up looking like the latest hot young model/singer/actress!
Let's face it: your body is your body. It's the only one you've got. Can you still look great? Sure! But there are some things you can't change. You can't make your legs longer or your feet smaller. You can't grow five inches or elongate your torso. You have what you have, so work with it! Concentrate on making a healthy and fit you instead of wishing you looked like someone else. You don't have to be perfect to be attractive. A strong, fit body as well as the self-confidence it brings can make any person attractive!
9) It's better to be muscular and weigh more than to be flabby and weigh less.
I've said it so many times: I'd much rather be 135lbs and muscular than 120lbs and flabby. I've been both, and 135lbs with a lower percent of body fat was definitely better! I was smaller, stronger and had much more energy. So, don't always seek that magical number on the scale, but look at your total body composition instead.
8) You can't get fit in a week.
Okay, well, you can, but only if you're one week away from being in peak condition and you keep working out. Otherwise, forget about it! If you want to look good for that class reunion or because you'll be in a bikini soon, then get moving way before that. Or better yet, get moving for your own health and not for "things" like reunions and bikinis.
7) You need to put some effort into it.
You want to get fit? You have to work at it. You have to plan it, you have to schedule it, and, most importantly, you have to do it. No excuses. Sitting on the couch, telling yourself you should be doing something will not burn up a lot of calories. If nothing else, get out there and start walking. And while you're out there walking think about a plan of action for a healthier you and get started on it today - not tomorrow!
6) You need to exercise.
Can you lose weight just by diet alone? Sure, you can! But if you want to get fit, you need to exercise those muscles, including your heart. And that heart won't get any exercise if you're sitting on the couch, eating broccoli. Lose the weight that you need to lose and you'll just end up with a thin, but flabby, body. Get moving! Weight training is ideal, but if you're really not into weight training, find an activity you like to do that work all your major muscle groups.
5) You need to eat properly.
Putting aside any low carb/low fat/high protein controversies, the simple fact is, if you want a fit body, you need to nourish it. Protein, carbs and fat are important, but vitamins and minerals are key elements that your body needs, too. No matter what way of eating you're following make sure you're getting enough vitamins and minerals. Add a variety of fresh vegetables and fruit to your diet. The next time you go grocery shopping, linger around the produce section and not only pick out some old favorites, but experiment a little by trying something new!
4) You can't lose weight overnight.
You didn't gain it overnight -- or in two months -- and you're not going to lose it overnight -- or in two months. Think of getting fit as a train leaving the station: you start off slow, gather speed and then off you go! Patience is the key here. Look for consistent trends. If you're really not losing fat and getting stronger after a couple of months, then you need to sit down and honestly analyze what you're doing. Keep a journal to help you know how you're really eating and exercising.
3) You can't spot reduce.
Genetics will decide where the fat will come off. Doing 1000 crunches won't reduce your belly fat. Nor will 1000 leg lifts get rid of the fat on your inner thighs. Your body does not burn the fat it needs from the body part that you're exercising. Your body will burn fat much like an onion is peeled, a layer at a time, if you will. So, don't overdo it on the exercise for one specific body part and look to getting your whole body in shape.
2) There are no quick fixes.
That's right, you heard me. There are no quick fixes. None. Put all those pills, potions, contraptions and miracle diets in the garbage where they belong. Learn the basics about how your body gains muscle and loses fat, so you won't get sucked in by another scam again.
1) Fitness is a lifelong commitment!
So, you faithfully work out and eat properly and you've reached your goals. Now what? Well, now you've got to keep doing it for the rest of your life, that's what! You can't just work your way to being fit and then stop, because you'll end up exactly like you were before. Fitness is a lifelong commitment. And, you want to know a secret? It isn't easy! And anyone who says it is easy is trying to sell you something. Make fitness a lifelong ambition and you'll reap the rewards of a long and healthy life, filled with energy, strength and an overall sense of well being.
Suzanne Hiscock has been interested in fitness and nutrition for over 16 years. She is the owner of FitWatch Inc. and developer of the FitWatch Fitness Tracker, an online food and exercise tracker. You can visit the site at http://www.fitwatch.com for a variety of fitness calculators and tools.
10) No, you won't end up looking like the latest hot young model/singer/actress!
Let's face it: your body is your body. It's the only one you've got. Can you still look great? Sure! But there are some things you can't change. You can't make your legs longer or your feet smaller. You can't grow five inches or elongate your torso. You have what you have, so work with it! Concentrate on making a healthy and fit you instead of wishing you looked like someone else. You don't have to be perfect to be attractive. A strong, fit body as well as the self-confidence it brings can make any person attractive!
9) It's better to be muscular and weigh more than to be flabby and weigh less.
I've said it so many times: I'd much rather be 135lbs and muscular than 120lbs and flabby. I've been both, and 135lbs with a lower percent of body fat was definitely better! I was smaller, stronger and had much more energy. So, don't always seek that magical number on the scale, but look at your total body composition instead.
8) You can't get fit in a week.
Okay, well, you can, but only if you're one week away from being in peak condition and you keep working out. Otherwise, forget about it! If you want to look good for that class reunion or because you'll be in a bikini soon, then get moving way before that. Or better yet, get moving for your own health and not for "things" like reunions and bikinis.
7) You need to put some effort into it.
You want to get fit? You have to work at it. You have to plan it, you have to schedule it, and, most importantly, you have to do it. No excuses. Sitting on the couch, telling yourself you should be doing something will not burn up a lot of calories. If nothing else, get out there and start walking. And while you're out there walking think about a plan of action for a healthier you and get started on it today - not tomorrow!
6) You need to exercise.
Can you lose weight just by diet alone? Sure, you can! But if you want to get fit, you need to exercise those muscles, including your heart. And that heart won't get any exercise if you're sitting on the couch, eating broccoli. Lose the weight that you need to lose and you'll just end up with a thin, but flabby, body. Get moving! Weight training is ideal, but if you're really not into weight training, find an activity you like to do that work all your major muscle groups.
5) You need to eat properly.
Putting aside any low carb/low fat/high protein controversies, the simple fact is, if you want a fit body, you need to nourish it. Protein, carbs and fat are important, but vitamins and minerals are key elements that your body needs, too. No matter what way of eating you're following make sure you're getting enough vitamins and minerals. Add a variety of fresh vegetables and fruit to your diet. The next time you go grocery shopping, linger around the produce section and not only pick out some old favorites, but experiment a little by trying something new!
4) You can't lose weight overnight.
You didn't gain it overnight -- or in two months -- and you're not going to lose it overnight -- or in two months. Think of getting fit as a train leaving the station: you start off slow, gather speed and then off you go! Patience is the key here. Look for consistent trends. If you're really not losing fat and getting stronger after a couple of months, then you need to sit down and honestly analyze what you're doing. Keep a journal to help you know how you're really eating and exercising.
3) You can't spot reduce.
Genetics will decide where the fat will come off. Doing 1000 crunches won't reduce your belly fat. Nor will 1000 leg lifts get rid of the fat on your inner thighs. Your body does not burn the fat it needs from the body part that you're exercising. Your body will burn fat much like an onion is peeled, a layer at a time, if you will. So, don't overdo it on the exercise for one specific body part and look to getting your whole body in shape.
2) There are no quick fixes.
That's right, you heard me. There are no quick fixes. None. Put all those pills, potions, contraptions and miracle diets in the garbage where they belong. Learn the basics about how your body gains muscle and loses fat, so you won't get sucked in by another scam again.
1) Fitness is a lifelong commitment!
So, you faithfully work out and eat properly and you've reached your goals. Now what? Well, now you've got to keep doing it for the rest of your life, that's what! You can't just work your way to being fit and then stop, because you'll end up exactly like you were before. Fitness is a lifelong commitment. And, you want to know a secret? It isn't easy! And anyone who says it is easy is trying to sell you something. Make fitness a lifelong ambition and you'll reap the rewards of a long and healthy life, filled with energy, strength and an overall sense of well being.
Suzanne Hiscock has been interested in fitness and nutrition for over 16 years. She is the owner of FitWatch Inc. and developer of the FitWatch Fitness Tracker, an online food and exercise tracker. You can visit the site at http://www.fitwatch.com for a variety of fitness calculators and tools.
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