A Guide To Diet and Nutrition for Runners

Following a good diet is essential for any athlete. But, the definition of a “good diet” differs based on what activity you choose and how often you do it. Running is no exception to this.

There are several schools of thought as to which diet is best for runners. The diet you choose will have a lot to do with your goals, too. Long distance runners such as those who run marathons and ultra marathons have a need for a higher amount of carbohydrates than a runner who only goes short distances.

So when deciding on what type of diet you should eat, you need to keep in mind your level of activity and your overall goals. Failure to eat enough calories can actually result in injury and cause you to not perform your best. Here are some guidelines.

The Importance of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are very important for runners, especially for those who regularly run long distances. The body converts carbohydrates into glycogen which is stored in the muscles and used for fuel during activity. But after a while, those glycogen stores get depleted.

That is why it is important for runners to eat a good amount of carbohydrates. When running long distances, it is also a good idea to take along something that is high in simple carbohydrates, such as sports drinks and gels. Once the glycogen in your body is depleted, you will need to replace it with extra carbs.

Maintaining Electrolyte Balance

Runners sweat a lot. When this happens, valuable minerals are lost, namely potassium. The term “electrolytes” refers to the balance in your body between sodium and potassium. A deficiency in potassium can result in problems such as muscle cramping, which can affect your running.

It is important to replace these electrolytes while running. Sports drink is an essential product to have on hand. Drink a bottle about an hour before each run and try to sip on it while running. It also makes a great after run drink. The sooner you replace lost carbohydrates and electrolytes, the easier it will be for your body to recover quickly from your run. Sports gels are also a good alternative to sports drink, just make sure you drink water with it.

Adequate Fluid Intake

Dehydration can be a big problem for runners, especially when running in hotter temperatures. Not drinking enough water throughout the day and during a long run can be dangerous. Dehydration is a serious condition and one that can land you in the hospital. To prevent it, drink water throughout the day and before and during your runs. You may also want to consume some sports drink to help replace electrolytes.

Find What Works

After you run for a while, you will start to understand what works for you. People develop their own pre run and post run rituals. They also find that they crave certain foods that they need, such as bread and pasta.

The important thing to do is listen to your body. Follow these guidelines but also remember to adapt them to your own needs and lifestyle. When you do this, you will find that you feel much stronger and have a lot more energy.

Gray Rollins is a writer for TheRunnersGuide.com - a great resource for distance runners. Be sure to visit us to learn about diets for runners and also for a marathon training guide.

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A Low Cholesterol Low Fat Diet: Healthful Eating Does Not Mean Compromising On Flavor

A low cholesterol low fat diet is a heart-friendly eating plan that does not necessarily translate into boring, low-taste meals. With a little imagination, you can enjoy wholesome and satisfying foods.

Using creative substitution, you can prepare meals that do not compromise health. A low sodium low cholesterol diet is possible. How?

Many recipes call for more salt than is needed and a first step is cutting down and eliminating unnecessary amounts of it. Do you sprinkle salt into water before dropping in pasta or vegetables? Stop.

When you do eat fats, use unsaturated fats because unsaturated fats help to lower cholesterol levels. Instead of dropping in butter on pasta, substitute olive oil. Use sesame oil for a stir-fry.
A low cholesterol low fat diet can be achieved by incorporating nuts and seeds into dishes instead of using cholesterol-laden meat. You can make a rich and satisfying spaghetti sauce using garlic, onions, fresh basil and oregano, and chopped toasted unsalted sunflower seeds in place of hamburger.

Marinating salmon in lemon juice, fresh basil, and garlic, then broiling instead of frying it, is another idea when embarking on a low sodium low cholesterol diet. Substances contained in fish are believed beneficial to the heart and eating fatty fish twice a week is a good protective measure.

Firm tofu can be marinated in a mixture of wine vinegar, herbs, and garlic, then cut into strips and included in a stir-fry. Alternatively, you can coat strips with honey bar-be-que sauce and bake in the oven, as a low cholesterol low fat diet choice.

Do you love lasagna? This family favorite can still be enjoyed when you use low-fat cheeses and texturized vegetable protein (instead of hamburger), incorporating spinach and lots of garlic and herbs.

Using salt-free spice blends for flavoring foods and eating more fruits and vegetables can go a long way when undertaking a low sodium low cholesterol diet. Avoid processed foods because they contain high levels of salt and saturated fats.

If you love pancakes, why not substitute freshly ground Kamut or whole grains for white flour, use canola oil and egg white (to cut out the undesirable fat and cholesterol), add in chopped cinnamon, walnuts, oats, and fresh fruit (blueberries or raspberries). You can make a homemade syrup of fruit sauce. Pancakes can be a delicious part of a low cholesterol low fat diet.

Quick List Of Cholesterol Lowering Foods

HoneyBlueberriesCinnamonApplesCarrotsGarlicGreen teaSoyAlmondsWalnutsOatsBarleyFlaxseedOlive, canola, soybean, flaxseed oilFish (salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines)

Omega-3 fatty acids are known to increase HDL (good cholesterol), decrease triglycerides, prevent irregular heartbeats, and prevent blood clot formation. Walnuts, butternuts, flaxseed, soybeans, and fatty fish all contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and can be excellent choices as part of a low sodium low cholesterol diet.

Adding a supplement containing clinically tested plant compounds can also help in lowering and balancing cholesterol levels. Natural substances are safer than statin drugs and, for people who are on a low cholesterol low fat diet, can make a significant difference to cholesterol levels.

What Substances Do Supplements Contain?

Policosanol: This substance has been shown to have a significant impact by decreasing total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
Oryzanol Rice Bran Oil: Substances in this oil reduce total cholesterol and triglycerides.
D-Limonene: A compound in orange peel oil that reduces cholesterol and dissolves gallstones.
Selenium: This mineral is used in a preventive manner for atherosclerosis and stroke.
Green Tea Extract: This extract helps in processes that lower high concentrations of LDL.
Other ingredients may include: vitamin E oil, lecithin oil, chromium, inositol, beta-sitosterol, and pumpkin seed oil.

If you are undertaking a low sodium low cholesterol diet, speaking with a registered dietician or nutritionist will prove helpful in meal-planning strategies.

You can master the task of eating better. Equipped with the right knowledge, adopting a low cholesterol low fat diet is not only workable but possible.

Athlyn Green is an avid health enthusiast with an interest in natural remedies for treatment of health disorders. She has contributed to Low Sodium Low Cholesterol Diet, a section of http://www.healthy-cholesterol-guide.com dedicated to natural treatments for high cholesterol and heart disease prevention.
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Diet Tips to Add More Fruit Into Your Daily Life

You’ve been told your whole life to eat your fruits. Everyone from your mother to your doctor has preached to you the benefits of adding fruit to your diet. You’ll grow up to be strong and healthy by eating your fruits. Don’t you want to be strong and healthy like a grown up?

Now that you’re all grown up, you realize that all those people were right about fruit. It does have its benefits. Fruit is packed with vitamins and fiber much like vegetables, but comes in a wide variety of sweeter, tastier flavors.

Adding fruit to your diet is an excellent thing to do, but it isn’t always the easiest thing to do with our busy lives. Who has the time anymore? Here are tips to help you add some fruit into your diet and improve your overall health with fruit.

Quick Tips for Buying, Preparing Fruit

• Store a bowl of fresh fruit on the table, counter, or in the refrigerator.
• Cut-up some pieces of fruit and refrigerate it for later.
• Buy fresh fruits in season when they are at their peak in flavor and less expensive.
• Purchase fresh fruits and ones that are dried, frozen, or canned in water or juice, so that you always have it available in your home.

Picking the Best Fruit

• Stick with whole or cut-up fruit rather than juice for a source of fiber.
• Select fruits with more potassium. Bananas, prunes and prune juice, dried peaches and apricots, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and orange juice are all wonderful sources of potassium.
• When buying canned fruits, make sure it is canned in 100% fruit juice or water rather then syrup.
• Vary your which fruit you pick so that you get a wide variety of nutrients.

Try these tips out if you don’t like fruit plain

• A lot of fruits taste good with a dip or dressing added. Use a low-fat yogurt or pudding as a dip for strawberries or melons.
• Create a fruit smoothie by blending fat-free or low-fat milk or yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit. Bananas, peaches, strawberries, or other berries are popular choices.
• Use applesauce as a fat-free substitute instead of oil when baking cakes.
• Mix up different textures of fruits. Apples are crunchy, bananas are smooth and creamy, and oranges are juicy. You don’t need to stick with one kind of fruit.
• For a fresh fruit salad, mix up apples, bananas, or pears with acidic fruits like oranges, pineapple, or lemon juice.

Snack Time

• Fruit that is cut-up makes a wonderful snack. You can cut them yourself or buy pre-cut packages of fruit pieces. Try buying whole fresh berries or grapes.
• Dried fruits can make a healthy yet tasty snack. They are easy store for extended periods of time and fit well in your purse or backpack.
• Peanut butter spread out on apple slices makes a good mid-afternoon snack. You could also top frozen yogurt with some berries or slices of kiwi fruit, too.
• 100% frozen juice bars make healthy alternatives to high-fat snacks or ice cream.

The Fruit Company offers handpicked and pre-sorted fruit harvested right from the orchards, reserving only the largest, freshest, and unblemished fruit for your gifts. The Fruit Company offers a selection of products consists of Fruit Baskets, Gift Towers, Fresh Fruit, Premium Fruit Gifts, Cheesecake, and our Monthly Fruit Clubs.

Visit them at www.fruitcompany.com.

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Low Fat High Flavor Diet Tips

So, you've decided you want to lower the fat in your meals, for better health, but you don't want to eat cardboard? If you like to cook flavorful foods, this article will give you some healthy tips on lowering fat and keeping the flavor. If you don't know where your stove is, I'll be writing articles on low-fat prepared foods and eating out in a couple weeks. You don't have to give up tasty food to be healthy. Most families only need to make minor adjustments to make great tasting foods far more healthy.

Adjust Meal Recipes: If you have favorite recipes passed down from past generations, chances are, the methods grandma used will please your palate just before they cause a stroke. I prepared my grandmother's apple dumpling recipe for Christmas last year. Being diabetic, I shouldn't have been in the same house while it was cooking. It was loaded with butter and sugar. By using light margarine, sweet apples and 1/3 the sugar, the recipe keeps the flavor but becomes something far less harmful. This is the kind of thing we can do with most recipes. Replace butter with a butter-tasting healthy spread. In some pastries (like cake) oil can be replaced with an equal amount of applesauce to retain the moisture and enhance the flavor. You could go through all your recipes and just replace all cooking oils with canola oil to dramatically change the health value.

More Cluck And Less Moo In Menu: While you're paging through the recipe book, look for menu items that call for ground beef or pork and replace them with ground chicken or turkey breast. Tonight, I'm making chili with shredded chicken breast instead of beef. It's just as flavorful and much better for us. Italian marinara sauces for spaghetti and lasagna are very good with chicken breast instead of beef. Ever had turkey enchiladas? Yum! For stew, hamburgers and meatloaf, you can add a little Kitchen Bouquet to get a more beefy color and flavor out of chicken. If you must have pizza (as I must), make it out of sour dough French bread and use vegetable or chicken marinara, low fat mozzarella cheese and low fat salami. It's very tasty, with 1/3 the fat of regular pizza...and kids love it. In your menu planning, add more chicken dishes and fewer beef, lamb or pork. You can still have your old favorites...just less often.

Shallow Frying Foods: Some say not to fry...I say, why not? Just don't deep-fry. With the skin on, a chicken will fry nicely without adding any more fat than a little spritz on the pan. By the way, if you're concerned about those aerosol oils, just get a vegetable spritzer in the cooking utensils area, fill it with canola oil and use it to spritz your pans. Stir-frying has become my favorite Spring-Summer-Fall cooking method (Winter is soup season). With both stir-frying and homemade soups, a tiny amount of meat goes a long way in a mountain of vegetables. This eliminates most of the fat. Add flavor by using lots of garlic, ginger, and aromatic herbs, like fennel and basil.

Oils-A Slippery Issue: If you're like me, you have trouble keeping up with which oils are good and which are bad. I've finally settled on two...Canola Oil For cooking, Omega 3 fish oils for supplementation. I haven't tried the new dressings and cooking oils with Omega 3's in them. Can't get past the price! For lower fat intake, it's easier to just reduce the amounts you use than to become an expert in fatty acids. On the subject of oils...there are so many good fat-free dressings and sauces now, there should be no sacrifice in flavor for salads and sandwiches.

Plan Snacks: What makes snacks so tempting is you can just grab them and eat. So, replace pastry snacks with fruit, replace chips with crackers, Use low fat microwave popcorn. Plan ahead and bake pita bread or tortillas with spices and flavorings to replace chips. Salsa is already low fat. Make sugar-free instant pudding or gelatin and keep it on hand instead of ice cream. A good substitute I use for dip is low fat, chunky Bleu cheese salad dressing. Mmmmm!*I hope I've given you some good ideas on how to reduce the fat in your diet without reducing the flavor. Now that I've finished this article I'm gonna go fix something to eat. Hungry?

Glen Williams is Webmaster for http://www.e-health-fitness.com, founder and CEO of EHF, Inc. He has done extensive research on personal and family health and fitness issues and has been helping and advising people on health since 1987. You can comment on his articles at Health And Fitness Forums.

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Low Fat Diet - Yup, They Work

Low fat diets have been extremely popular over the past several decades. As of late there has been a trend to reduce carbohydrate consumption and increase dietary fats and proteins. This newer diet strategy has shown to be extremely effective in improving overall health, body composition, and performance. There has been some confusion lately regarding low fat diets as research studies are still ongoing that examine the efficacy of low fat/high carbohydrate diets for weight loss. A lot of the confusion stems from the fact that low fat diets work when it comes to weight loss.

That's right. I said low fat diets work. But this shouldn't be a surprise if you think about it because throughout the 80's and 90's bodybuilders all over the world got extrememly lean using low/no fat diets. The reason low fat diets work is because anytime (there are exceptions) you decrease a person's caloric intake to a level significantly below their energy expenditure they will lose weight. It isn't rocket science just simple math.

The question should not be if low fat diets work but if they work the best? The answer to that is a resounding NO. Lowering your carbohydrate consumption and increasing your fat and protein intake yields a diet that is more effective at ripping fat off your body, preserving and building lean body mass, and improving health. Moderate Carbohydrate, protein, fat diets also increase your level of satiety (you feel full longer), increase blood sugar control (yielding better weight loss), and improved compliance. Improved compliance is arguably the most significant benefit the more you stick to your plan, the better your plan will work.

Low fat (especially very low fat) diets are extremely restrictive and thus people don't follow them. This fact was most evident in the findings from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Study. The WHI was a HUGE study that spanned almost a decade. In this study some women were put instructed to follow a low fat diet (<20%>

Are you having trouble sticking to your diet? If so is your diet on one of the extremes (high fat vs. low fat, high carb vs. low carb)? Remember the best diet is the one you can follow and people have the easiest time following a diet of moderation.

Mike Roussell is a nationally renown sports nutritionist studying to receive his doctoral in nutrition at Penn State University. Mike coaches people from a variety of background (athletes, business professionals, house wive, etc) in achieving the body of their dreams. Mike has distilled down his extremely effective approach to nutrition in the manual Your Naked Nutrition Guide. Go to http://www.NakedNutritionGuide.com to find out more.

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Low Fat Diet May Improve Survival in Breast Cancer

A fairly stringent low-fat diet in women with early-stage breast cancer resulted in a very impressive 42% risk reduction in cancer recurrence or death in women with hormone receptor-negative tumors, according to the second follow-up data analysis from the Women's Intervention Nutrition Study (WINS) presented at the December 2006 29th Annual Breast Cancer Symposium held in San Antonio.

The study was started in 1994 and is the first large scale randomized clinical trial which, so far, shows that dietary changes can strongly affect outcomes in women with breast cancer who also receive conventional treatment. The findings are very exciting, and are holding up through a second interim analysis, but plans call for three more years of follow-up to confirm the results. The next planned re-analysis of the data is scheduled towards the end of 2007. In addition, another confirmatory study is planned to start in early 2007 by the Canadian National Cancer Institute and other smaller studies are underway.

WINS was a multi-center trial involving almost 2500 women, ages 48 to 79, who were randomized either to a dietary intervention arm or a control group who ate their usual diet. The randomization was performed after patients underwent standard treatment for early-stage breast cancer. The intervention arm was closely directed by physicians and dieticians, and involved reducing fat consumption from about 57 grams per day in the regular diet control group to an average of 24 grams per day in the intervention arm. The intervention arm resulted in an average 6 pound weight loss after 5 years. Follow-up for this study is now approaching 6 years.

The recurrence and death rate amongst the entire group reached only borderline statistical significance with an approximate 15% risk reduction. However, among the 362 patients who had hormone receptor (estrogen and progesterone) negative breast cancer, the overall mortality was 6% in the intervention arm and 17% in the control group. Similarly, the combined death or recurrence rate was 9.8% in the intervention arm, compared to 24% in the control group. This represents a 42% risk reduction of recurrence or death.

Although the mechanism by which this occurs is not clear, the most likely reason is an effect on insulin, insulin-like growth factors and moderation of the inflammatory cascade. In other words, it is likely related to how sugars are processed and inflammation is handled by your body.

At this time, although confirmation of these results is pending, a motivated woman could consider following the WINS diet as published in J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 2004;104:551. It is not clear if partial benefit is derived from a low fat diet that is not quite as stringent as the one tested. Therefore, in order to approach the reported results, one has to be very committed to a very significant dietary modification.

If these results are confirmed in breast cancer, it is very tempting to speculate that this effect may be true in other cancers as well, especially hormonally related or mediated cancers like endometrial and ovarian cancer.

Steven A. Vasilev MD,MBA,FACOG,FACS is a fellowship trained and board certified gynecologic oncologist, which means he is specially trained and certified to take care of women with gynecologic cancers using a broad spectrum of skills. He has practiced at academic as well as private centers, has been on the faculty of three universities and continues to be involved in research and education. You can visit http://www.gyncancerdoctor.com to learn more about screening, prevention and treatment of gynecologic cancers. You can also visit a one-of-a-kind site devoted to life, love and intimacy after cancer http://www.cancervival.com

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No Need For A Low Fiber Diet - The Health Risks

A low fiber diet is generally viewed as being bad for you. It can upset your digestive system to the point that you actually become ill. Following a low fiber diet can really put your general health at risk, and not just the health of your digestive system. It can actually affect your whole body and cause you years of pain – all through neglecting your diet for a period of time!
It is easy to slip into the habit of easting a low fiber diet these days with the amount of junk and convenience food available out there. Too many of us live life at such speeds that it is impossible to eat healthily and remain moving at the pace we are. However, you would be surprised how easy it is to fit fruit and whole grains into your diet. Until people actually realise that and do it on a regular basis, their low fiber diets are putting their health at risk.

You should renounce a low fiber diet as soon as possible and begin incorporating high fiber foods into your diet as soon as possible. High fiber foods are easy to come by, with fruit and vegetables available at a number of places, including fast food places now. Even McDonalds serve fruit portions as an alternative to their more unhealthy food. There are also fruits at sandwich places, which also serve whole grain bread now so that you have a healthier option. As a result, there is no excuse for not putting an end to your low fiber diet.

A low fiber diet is unhealthy for a number of reasons. Firstly, it can cause severe problems within the digestive system that can cause long-term illness and disease as well as discomfort in the nearer future. Constipation, diarrhea and gas are all symptomatic of a low fiber diet that can be solved with an increased fiber consumption within just a few weeks. If that does not work, medication of ten will but you only have a low fiber diet to blame if this happens to you.

Some illnesses and diseases that occur as a result of a low fiber diet can be a lot more severe than a little constipation and gas. Some can actually even be life threatening. Diverticulosis and colon cancer are just two of the illnesses that require quite serious treatment in order to get your health back on the right track. Whilst a high fiber diet may not prevent either occurring completely, a low fiber diet will almost certainly encourage them. You may actually have to undergo treatment as a result of your poor diet. Putting an end to your low fiber diet now can prevent that pain and suffering.

You can also find more info on Highest Fiber Foods and Low Fat High Fiber Diet. i-highfiberdiet.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Fiber Foods and Vegetable Diets.
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Atkins Diet Tips - 6 Powerful Atkins Diet Tips

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

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

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


Atkins diet tip 2 # Drink water.

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


Atkins diet tip 3 # Take a picture

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

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

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

Atkins diet tip 5 # Make your diet public

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

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

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

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


The medical industry is scamming you.
A weight loss expert is revealing it all in his free report. Visit my blog to get your instant copy of it, hurry up while it is still free.
If you want to learn much much more about weight loss visit my
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Quick Guide to Diet Pills Facts

It seems like there are a variety of diet pills on the market today, but in reality many of these pills have similar ingredients with one or two changes. The medical community has chosen to categorize diet pills as simply prescription pills and nonprescription pills. Non prescription pills are over-the-counter and usually contain herbal supplements to help suppress the appetite, increase the metabolism or keep the body from absorbing carbs and starches amongst other qualities.

In general it's thought that nonprescription pills are less effective than prescription pills but that may simply be because there are far fewer clinical studies performed on weight loss supplements than on prescription pills created by large drug companies. It is important to review each and every ingredient in the diet pills you purchase because some of them may simply be 'snake oil' as they say.

Some ingredients that are typically shown or suggested to have an effectiveness are Guaruana extract; also called guaranine (a form of caffeine) Gotu Kola Nut which also contains caffeine, Bitter orange which stimulates the body's metabolism, Ma Huang contains ephedrine which also stimulates the metabolism and Hoodia Gordinii. Hoodia Gordinii is a cactus found in South Africa and is showing a lot of potential as an appetite suppressant. Early trials suggest is can reduce the appetite by as much as fifty percent. A couple of large drug companies are trying to synthesize the chemical in Gordinii to create a copyrighted prescription form of this supplement.

There are other herbal supplements used in diet pills for their effectiveness, but again it is best to look up each listed and make sure there aren't any warnings associated with it. The FDA doesn't currently regulate the making and selling of dietary supplements so it's easy for a slick marketer to set up a company.

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Diet Is A Four-Letter Word

In reality diet is defined as the act of restricting your food intake (or your intake of particular foods) or to eat sparingly, for health reasons or to lose weight. However, the word "diet" conjures up all sorts of things; deprivation, hunger and restrictions being just a few.

More often then not, when one discusses going on a diet, one becomes resigned to the fact that life will become unpleasant; meals will become bland and boring and eating won't be any fun. The word "diet", just like all those other four-letter words, is whispered in a kind of hush. It slips off one's tongue reluctantly. It stirs up feelings of dread and doom and makes one feel defeated even before one starts. What a shame; it doesn't have to carry so much weight or have so much power. We, the people, need to take the reins and steer the course we intend on taking.

And while I believe that diet is a 4 letter word, I also think that the word "exercise" is just as daunting. Personally I hate to exercise. I know I need to move and to be active and I know that the more active I am, the more calories I will burn. But tell me I have to exercise and I will swiftly head off in the other direction. I don't want to diet and I really don't want to exercise.

That's okay, because I know how to move and I know how to eat. Therein lies the secret of success.

Because I have such an aversion to diet and exercise, when it came time for me to lose those unwanted pounds that had slowly crept on (seemingly from nowhere), I had to create a plan of my own. My plan involves eating foods that are healthy for you and adding movement to everything you do. The best part of my plan, though, is that it allows me to eat my very favorite foods. I don't have to stop putting cream in my coffee, eating my favorite chocolate or having dessert.

When I finally gave in to the fact that I don't like to go to a gym, follow an exercise video or use some expensive fancy equipment, I was able to devise a personal plan that worked for me. I strongly believe that it will work for everyone. It is simple, user friendly and doesn't cost a thing! The basis of the plan is easy; move more today than you did yesterday and give some attention to the foods you eat. And eat in smaller portions; use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate, a dessert bowl instead of a soup bowl and eat one bite of that something you love instead of ten. Make a conscious effort and you will see results.

First of all, any movement that you make, that is more than you made the day before, will contribute to the burning of calories. Step it up a notch; move more and burn more. You can exaggerate your movements as you go through your normal daily activites. Whether it is doing household chores, going to get your mail from the box or watching T.V., there is a way to incorporate more movement. And while you might start off slowly, the more you move, the easier it becomes. And the easier it becomes, the more you move. It becomes a visious cycle, but one that is healthy for you and ends with the most positive of results.

When it comes to food, the first and most important necessity is to STOP EATING FAST FOODS and stop drinking sodas (drink lots of water instead)! You can eat well, you can eat healthy and you can eat the things you love...in moderation. I lost 45 pounds without starving myself or giving up any of the foods I find so appealing. I was honest enough with myself to know that there were certain foods I didn't want to do without. If it meant I had to move a little bit more, than so be it.

Now, while I found a way to incorporate more movement into everything I do, one secret to my success is dancing. And I was doing it way before Kirstie Alley and Janet Jackson testified that they used dance to shed the pounds. The secret is to put on music that you love and then dance your heart out. When I'm home alone and there's no one there to see me make a fool out of myself, I rock the music and dance around the house like a crazy person. It's fun and it works!

So, in closing I'd just like to say, if you banish that four-letter word (diet) from your vocabulary, eat well, but in moderation, drink lots of water and step up your movements, you can be successful at losing those unwanted pounds.

Good luck!

Addie Scott is an author and a Webmistress and has published numerous online articles. She has just completed her ebook, A Smaller You, drawn from her own personal experiences. For more information on this easy-to-use weight loss plan and guide to healthy eating, go to www.asmalleryou.com While there, be sure to sign up for her FREE newsletter.

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The Zone Diet Overview

The Zone Diet is all about balance. Nothing is eliminated from the diet. Carbohydrates are enjoyed as are proteins and fats. The thing is they are the right proportion to each other and calories do matter in The Zone Diet.

The Zone Diet was invented by Dr. Sears. There is a website on The Zone Diet which explains the principles of this way of eating. They explain that The Zone Diet is not actually a diet but rather it should be a lifestyle. The key to the Zone Diet is getting the right proportions of fat, protein and carbohydrate into your diet. They promote that your diet consists of 40% carbohydrate, 30% fat and 30% protein. They do not prohibit any foods.

When you read about The Zone Diet you can not help but notice the common sense approach of this diet. When people go on low carbohydrate diets such as The Atkins Diet they often complain of fatigue. They are encouraged to eat as much fat and protein as they want to at the beginning. Dr. Atkins believed that this would undo what had been done psychologically by having constantly deprived yourself of much needed fats. He believed that fats were an important part of a diet and once people rejected the idea that fats were bad for you, they would enjoy fats again and eventually the body would take care of regulating how much you actually needed.

Well, people soon found out as they ate as much steak and chicken skin as they wanted to that they had no energy to even climb a flight of stairs let alone try to exercise. As The Atkins Diet swept the nation, many newspaper articles began to surface on how The Atkins Diet was the perfect diet for sedentary couch potatoes. But for people who wanted to begin exercising and living a healthier lifestyle, it did not appear to be a smart choice.

In contrast, people on The Zone Diet claim to have a lot of energy because they are eating in a sensible well balanced way right from the start. The Zone Diet also puts an emphasis on a sensible old fashioned concept: counting calories. Many of the new fad diets of the eighties and nineties continued along the path of Dr. Atkins and promoted forgetting all about calories. Their claim was that counting calories made people begin to obsess about food. Many diets encouraged the idea that when eating well, the body will regulate appetite and the dieter will naturally be eating the right amounts especially since the idea of deprivation has been taken away. The fact is that this approach has not worked for many people. Many people continue to overeat and simply don't lose any weight.

The Zone Diet has re-introduced common sense. Dr. Sears states that to achieve hormonal balance it is important to eat the right foods in the right proportion but also in the right quantity. His diet encourages eating snacks but the total daily caloric intake must be kept under a certain number. The Zone Diet spells out that to "stay in the zone" each meal must consist of 500 calories or less and each snack must be under 100 calories.

For people who have not had success with the latest diets and eating fads, it might be worthwhile to try a new fad which actually brings back age old tried and true concepts.

Follow the weight loss journey of the Token Fat Girl at the All Natural Weight Loss Blog where she has written her own Zone Diet Review

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

Bodybuilding Diet Guide

Are you a beginning bodybuilder but don't have a proper bodybuilding diet? This article will talk about bodybuilding diets and what you should do to use them. Below are the three steps to a good, nutritional, bodybuilding diet.

1. The first step is a pretty simple one. You need to have carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in an appropriate amount for every meal. The appropriate amount is 40% of your meal should be carbohydrates, another 40% should be protein, and the final 20% should be fats. It is important that you eat these amounts for each meal otherwise you will not get the results you want.

It is extremely important because if you only eat a certain thing a part of your body will crash. If you eat only carbohydrates your body will crash because it is storing all the carbohydrates that were not used into fat. Also, if you only eat protein your body will not have enough energy and it will not be able to turn the protein you just ate into muscle because that process requires carbohydrates.

2. The second step to a good bodybuilding diet is that you eat small portions throughout the day rather than big meals twice a day. This is important to bodybuilders for two reasons. The first reason is if you don't eat for a few hours your body begins to lose muscle and gain fat, a process in which your body turns to a catabolic state. The reasons this occurs is because your body thinks that it is starving so it begins to eat your lean muscle tissue and prepares to store calories as fat. The other reason is because if you eat several times a day your metabolism will increase which will help you keep the fat off.

Following those two reasons you should prepare to eat around five meals a day. You should space these meals so that you are eating about every 3 hours. This will change depending on the program you are working, your gender, and the goals you wish to accomplish.

3. If you are looking to build muscle mass it is important that you change up your calorie intake. I recommend that you do five days of high calorie intake and follow that with two days of low calorie intake. To figure out what amount of calories you need to take in you do the following formulas:

-Lean body mass times 15 will find the amount of calories you need to take in on a high calorie day.

-Lean body mass times 12 will find the amount of calories you need to take in on a low calorie day.

If you are looking to lose fat while you are trying to build muscle you need to tweak the above program a little bit. You should do five days of low calorie intake followed by 2 days of high calorie intake. You can still use the above formulas you just need to switch the days around.

Thats just one of the many bodybuilding diets that are out there but if you follow those three simple steps you should have a good, healthy bodybuilding diet.

Michael Parker reveals what women really want at his how to build up muscle website for ways to build muscle and attract women. Get your free copy of "How Your Physique Affects the Female Mind" right here now. http://www.musclyjerk.com

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

Diet & Nutrition

Despite the widespread use of juice and food-supplemental therapy, it is my considered opinion - based upon sound theory and long experience - that the use of fruit and vegetable juices and special foods, in addition to, or as a substitute for a fully balanced diet, is;

• unwise,

• not in accordance with the fundamental principles of natural healing and

• ultimately, counter-productive.

I strongly disapprove of this practice.

The use of ‘food supplements’ – no matter what form or nomenclature, is a desperate deviation into the realm of ‘curative dietetics.’

Any attempt to supply allegedly missing trace elements or vitamins by eating extra foods or juices will be unsuccessful, and can only lead to disappointment, frustration and sometimes, tragic results.

If you want to produce the best;

• Blood

• Cells

• Tissues

• Organs

• Systems

…then we must put into our body the best quality product.

The best food for the human organism is a combination of;

• Fruits – approx 50% of our diet.

• Raw or lightly cooked vegetables – approximately 35% of our diet.

• Starches (complex carbohydrates) – approximately 10-15 % of our diet.

• Proteins (concentrated foods) – approximately 5-10 % of our diet.

For the average person – on a daily basis - this weighs out to approximately;

• 750 gms of fruit

• 4-500 gms of vegetables

• 1-200 gms of starch

• 60-100 gms of protein

These amounts will be adjusted ‘slightly’ to accommodate the individual’s lifestyle pattern.

There is no thing – manufactured or grown - that has any more power than that which is contained in the metabolism of each and every cell that makes up your person.

You cannot add to the sum total of your vitality.

You can only conserve that which you presently possess.

A diet based on the information contained above will provide an environment conducive to the free flow of blood, lymph and nerve force.

For the betterment of your health and vitality – stick to a diet of living, live, whole foods.

Kevin

Kevin Hinton is a renowned Natural Health Educator & Advocator who has assisted a broad range of people to reinvigorate their lives through common-sense Natural Health practices. He is a trusted advisor to many in the corporate world in Australia and North America who recognize the life-improving value of Natural Health habits. His experience in the field reveals that adopting practical Natural Health habits usually helps drive success in other areas of life. Visit kevin @: http://www.thehealtheducator.com

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

Best Weight Loss Programs for Combating Fat

It's coming. The signs are already everywhere and you just know the inevitable. With the market brimming with calorie- laden processed foodstuffs combined with the sedentary lifestyle of today, more and more people are facing the problem of getting fat. Not just plain fat- obese.

Obesity can't all be that bad if it's just the mocking and the inability to do most normal things like running and climbing a long length of stairs… then again, with obesity comes high blood pressure, heart diseases, respiratory problems, diabetes and arthritis among other ailments. If you want to live long enough to enjoy your golden years, gear up for another version of the Battle of the Bulge.

Obesity does not choose its victims. It can sink in as early as the age of six and decreases life expectancy by an average of 7- 20%, not to forget that the pollution and stress will make those numbers rise even higher. Factors to obesity include age, gender, genetics, stress, lifestyle and of course, food.

Most weight loss programs target the elimination of unnecessary calories or those calories beyond a person's required basal metabolism- that's the amount of calories needed to keep a person's basic bodily functions up and running normally. However, with the fads and trends of "Kate Moss" models, some programs go as far as starvation and gastric bypasses.

These are not recommended for a lot of reasons but let's enumerate some for good measure:

1) Quick weight loss tactics only mean quick weight loss- not permanent, not long- term and not healthy.

2) Complications can and will arise from drastic measures beginning with the lack of nutrients. Besides, obese people usually don't do well under the knife unless the doctors say so.

3) Do you really want liposuction? Or cutting off a part of your stomach or intestine?

Some programs focus on removing the sources of fat from a person's diet. The Eat More, Weigh Less does just that by encouraging fruits, vegetables, whole grains and little meat without any caloric restrictions whatsoever as long as the fat content falls below 10% of what you eat. The Pritkin diet also goes along these lines. But before choosing any of these diets, one must consider that fat- the unsaturated kind- is also essential to our body. Some critics have said that these diets are not for everyone, especially those who have high- fat bodies, as the diet will only lead to an inadequacy in fatty acids.

The Atkins diet promotes protein since Dr. Robert Atkins believes that carbohydrates are the main causes of obesity. The diet would allot a person meals consisting of 36% protein, 8% carbohydrates, 53% fat or for maintenance 24% protein, 40% fat, 31% carbohydrates. Another popular diet called the South Beach diet also makes meat a hero by advocating foodstuffs that are high in protein, high in fiber, low in carbohydrates and low in animal fats. Although the South Beach diet was developed for those with a high risk of getting diabetes or heart diseases, the aforementioned diet does not balance the basic food groups.

Then there's the McDougall Project for Maximum Weight Loss, which is basically a vegan diet. Think greens and yellows as these should make up 1/3 of what you eat.

Another example is the Weight Watchers Winning Points program. Based on your statistics and details, the program will allot you "points" that you can use when choosing what to eat. All you have to do is to remain within that range by taking care to select what's right. Vegetables almost have an equivalent of 0 while fruits have 1-2 points per serving. Complex carbohydrates and fats have the highest.

What you can do to get the best program for you is get to the root of the problem and attack from that point. Be idealistic when setting goals. The weight lost per week should fall in the range of ¾- 2 lbs and not exceeding 3. It will be slow at first. Weight lost during the early stages will be mostly water fat so a doctor's supervision is really needed if you plan on losing a lot of pounds.

The body will adapt quickly to the diet so prep up the arsenal with a combination of aerobic (running) and anaerobic (weight training) exercise. In order to maintain this, exercise for at least 15- 30 minutes in increasing increments per day.

The program should also include help for when hunger anxiety attacks and depression urges you to binge. Losing weight involves the mindset too.

Those are just some examples of diet programs, which promise weight loss. But here's catch, what works for others may not work for you. For example, there's such a diet that dictates what you can and can't eat based on your blood type. One can't guarantee same results on such general terms. Weight and build depends on a lot of factors and not just on a single basis as blood type. Word of advice: have a weight loss program tailored for you. Specialists can aid you on this one and with their supervision you will win this fight!

About The Author

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.reachyouridealweight.com http://www.aperfectharmony.com or http://www.a-1hypnosis.com

The Low Glycemic Index Diet And Its Benefits For Diabetics

The popular Low Glycemic Index Diet is certainly nothing new and is proven to work both as a weight loss plan and in controlling diabetes. An astounding number of Americans currently suffer from diabetes, a good majority of which experience symptoms due to improper weight management.

This Lower GI Diet is especially helpful to diabetics because it incorporates foods with a low Glycemic Index to control the amount of sugars and carbohydrates your body is forced to regulate. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or are looking to create a healthy lifestyle and manage your weight, speak with your primary physician about beginning a proper Glycemic Index Diet.

The best benefits of starting a Glycemic Index Diet for diabetics include:

The inclusion of some carbohydrates:

Individuals with diabetes are severely discouraged from beginning a diet that restricts the intake of carbohydrates. Even though your carbohydrate level should be monitored since your body turns most carbs into sugar, every adult diet should include at least 130 grams of carbohydrates each day. These carbohydrates work as fuel for the body, providing you with much needed vitamins and minerals to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The controlling of your diabetes with a Glycemic Index Diet alone:

If you have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, usually associated as a major side effect from being obese, you may be able to control your condition without medications or injections. By carefully monitoring your Glycemic Index, you can work to control what food items your body must work to process. Since this diet only includes foods that can be successfully processed by a diabetic’s body, your body will not have to try to process foods that can be potentially harmful.

The quality foods included on the Glycemic Index Diet:

The foods allowed on the Glycemic Index Diet are wholesome and healthy. Many fresh fruits and vegetables are included in the diet, as well as whole grains and lean meats. This diet will allow you to eat healthy, and therefore to lead a healthier lifestyle. Furthermore, many of your favorite foods are on the Glycemic Index Diet list, so you can still enjoy the occasional treat.

The prevention of other diseases:

The Low Glycemic Index Diet also affects the body in the prevention of other diseases besides diabetes. Many individuals at risk for heart disease should look into starting a Low Glycemic Index Diet to protect themselves against this deadly disease. Researchers have found that a Low Glycemic Index Diet works better against preventing heart disease than a traditional low fat diet, and it is much more effective than the popular low carbohydrate fad diets.

Before you begin any diet or lifestyle change, be sure to contact your primary care provider. Speaking with this professional individual will allow you to completely understand the correct way of beginning the diet and ensure the diet will work best for someone in your situation. Furthermore, you will want to address any potential medical problems that may result from beginning a Low Glycemic Index Diet to ensure that you will remain healthy while seeking to begin a better lifestyle.

Remember, the Low Glycemic Index Diet is not a typical diet. Instead it is a lifestyle change. Once you begin your trip down this road, you should strive to remain on the diet on a long term basis. If you are a diabetic, you may not be able to allow yourself binges on unhealthy foods without paying a costly penalty, so use this diet to your advantage in controlling your condition.

About The Author

Wesley Atkins is a fitness and nutrition coach. His website “The Low GI Diet Breakthrough” reveals his inside secrets, tips, and resources that allow his students to routinely lose up to 19 pounds in just 21 days. To claim your free report visit: http://www.lowgidietbreakthrough.com

Low Fat Weight Loss Diet Secrets

Although not as popular now as the more heavily publicized diets such as Atkins, South Beach and The GI diet, low fat diets still have a great deal to recommend them.

Although diets based on lowering the amounts of carbohydrates, recommend the intake of a variety of fatty foods, many dietitians have long been of the opinion that a low fat and high fiber diet is the best combination for weight loss and health.

There have been many diet books covering the low fat weight loss diet, such as the Rosemary Connelly Diet. This maintained that a very low level of fat together with an increased amount of dietary fiber, as in whole meal bread, pasta and brown rice, would aid weight loss and help you to maintain a satisfactory level.

Although a low fat weight loss diet is generally considered to be one of the more sensible diets, you should always consult your doctor before starting a new pattern of eating. One of the easiest ways to start a low fat diet is to cut down on the amount of fried foods that you eat. There are perfectly acceptable alternative ways of cooking most foods that are normally fried. An easy way to get a good start with a low fat weight loss diet is to buy a steamer. Lowering your intake of butter and margarine is another simple way to lower your intake of fat and help weight loss.

When cooking meat it is possible to remove some of the fat before you start cooking and if you also grill the meat instead of frying it, you have removed a substantial amount of fat and possibly helped towards your weight loss goals.

Cutting down on eating pastry is a good way to help weight loss. A good low fat weight loss diet can be a very healthy way to lose those extra pounds. Weight Loss Basics

Although there are an ever-growing number of diet books, plans and groups, many people just want to achieve weight loss by sensible healthy eating, rather than following a particular fad or fashion. Where do you start your weight loss program? Also, unless you are on a low carb weight loss diet, wholegrain foods such as pasta, whole grain bread and rice are usually accepted as being beneficial, both generally and for weight loss.

Lean meat and fish and also the occasional portion of oily fish such as salmon, are another group of foods that are usually thought to be beneficial to weight loss and general health.

There are, of course, many foods that are not generally recommended by dieticians as be effective for weight loss, such as refined sugar products and many fried and especially deep fried foods.

It is of course not just the food that you eat, but the way that you eat it that is thought to have an effect both on your health and your weight loss.

Download your free report entitled "Powerful Weight Loss Strategies" and discover how to lose weight naturally and easily. Also, be sure to download your bonus free report and discover how to get six pack abs quickly and easily.

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

Low Fat Diet to Strengthen Immunity

The immune system is filled with protective cells called white blood cells. There are many and all work to kill bacteria, pathogens, eat harmful cells, and neutralize toxins including metabolic waste. Some even make antibodies. Our bodies must constantly regenerate and build new white blood cells, especially when harmful toxins enter.

If we want to truly defend ourselves, there are nutrients from foods that you certainly don’t want to miss out on. Eating healthy will keep your body ready to defend itself anytime the “bad guys” come to visit.

First of all, it is a good idea to know that white, refined sugar has an adverse effect on the immune system. It can literally stop your immune system from working. Junk foods and processed foods are not much better as they contain no natural nutrients that your body can use to make the white blood cells when needed. In addition, they are full of the harmful toxins that your immune system will want to defend you against.

Fresh Whole Vegetables are full of phytonutrients that your body uses to keep your immune system strong. These phytonutrients stimulate the release of enzymes within our bodies to protect cells and rebuild damaged cells. They also fight cancer. Our bodies come into contact with carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) every day. We also constantly make cells, and some rogue cells may reproduce themselves leading to damage or cancer of an organ. In many cases our bodies’ recognize and attack these out-of-control cells. Phytonutrients help our bodies do this and can also shut down pre-cancerous cells and neutralize carcinogens.

Veggies that are the strongest for immunity include; carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus, kale, red and green peppers, broccoli and the dark leafy greens such as turnip greens, collard greens, spinach and romaine lettuce.

Fresh Whole Fruitsare also full of phytonutrients. They are immune building and natural detoxifiers of the body. Fruits are full of antioxidants and enzymes that protect our cells from damage. Many of the berries and red apples are high in flavinoids that protect us from heart disease.

Fruits for immune building include; pink and red grapefruit, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, red apples, red grapes, bananas, cranberries, tomatoes, mangoes, tangerines, nectarines, peaches, oranges and watermelon.

Omega 3’s are healthy fats that have an immune building quality. They are anti-inflammatory and help prevent auto-immune disorders. They are needed in order for the body to absorb certain vitamins.

Foods containing Omega 3’s include; ground flax seeds, walnuts, soybeans and pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, cashews, almonds, salmon, mackerel, and herring.

Good Bacteria found in the intestinal lining, keep your immune system healthy. These healthy organisms stimulate the immune system, increase antibodies, and inhibit the absorption of pathogenic organisms such as e.coli and salmonella. Be sure that you and your children consume healthy, live bacteria especially at times of illness.

Foods containing good bacteria are; yogurt (check the label for live bacteria), and fermented foods such as homemade sauerkraut, miso and kifir.

Folate is essential for preventing damage to blood vessels and brain cells and ensures DNA integrity. The dark leafy greens are high in folate and include the following; spinach, romaine lettuce, mustard, turnip and collard greens, and kale.

Cindy Papp was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 1992. She started cleansing in 1994 which lead to total recovery in 1998. She is free of the disease to date. Her experiences led her to manage a holisitic health center, become a Ceritified Nutritional Counselor, a Certified Colon Therapist and trained in massage therapy. She went on to own and operate a health center in the San Fernando Valley of California, specializing in total body cleansing, until she sold it 2004.

Cindy has put much of her expertise on cleansing on her website http://www.springclean-cleanse.com where you can learn more about the right way to cleanse, and how to choose the best cleanse for you.

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

Low Fat Diets May Not Reduce Risk of Heart Disease

For years we've heard that to protect yourself from heart disease you should follow a "low fat" diet. Even many hospitals and health professionals still stick to this rule of low fat diets at the risk of omitting heart healthy foods. New research from the Women's Health Initiative dietary modification trial published in the February 8th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reported their findings of an 8-year follow up study. One of the reports showed that postmenopausal women who followed a low fat (20% of calories from fat) diet did not have a lower risk of heart disease. This makes things confusing since we have been taught for years that low fat equals better heart health. The two go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly. Before we all ditch the low fat model and rush to eat our favorite high fat fare there are a few more pieces to this puzzle to know.

This study did have some limitations. First of all, they were depending on self-reporting from the participants for an 8 year process. This of course leads room for discrepancies since we all eat on auto pilot most of the time. It would be hard to say you followed a strict low fat diet for 8 years without writing down what you ate every day. Also they didn't take into account other lifestyle factors such as exercise or stress management. All can contribute to the risk level of heart disease. Not only that, some of the authors disclosed they had their hands in the pharmaceutical cookie jar…another article for another time.

Limitations or no limitations the study still shows that postmenopausal women who likely were following a fairly low fat diet still were shown not to improve their heart health. This actually doesn't surprise me in the least. The old general low fat diet is no longer the most effective heart healthy diet. A matter of fact, some fats are shown to protect our heart.

So let's get down to the details. There are fats that are protective and fats that are shown to increase risk. Decreasing certain fats is still a good rule of thumb. These fats are saturated fats which are found in animal products, coconut and palm kernel oil. So sticking with lean meats such as poultry and fish, and choosing low fat dairy products is still a good choice. The second fat to decrease is Trans Fats which are found in many packaged convenience foods including certain margarines, crackers, and chips. Trans Fats are now located on the nutrition label under "Fats".

Now, just because a food is high in fat or all fat doesn't mean it will put us at risk of heart disease. For example fats found in nuts, olive oil, canola oil, avocados, flax seeds, and fish oils have been found to be protective for the heart by helping to lower cholesterol and decrease inflammation. This wouldn't go along with the old rule of the low fat diet. In fact, just last year one of the hospitals in my local area was still telling people they couldn't have natural peanut butter or avocados on their heart healthy diet. It's time to update those handouts with new research. This doesn't mean more is better either. There is a proper balance of adding healthy fats to the diet, around 30% of calories from fat.

A Heart Healthy diet is not just about the fats. There are all kinds of foods that you can add that help lower cholesterol and protect your heart by providing powerful antioxidants. For example, blueberries are one power player for heart health by providing antioxidants and research supports that it can lower cholesterol. All from a tiny, little, round fruit. Simply adding oatmeal every day or adding a little honey to your tea can help lower cholesterol. There are many foods we can add for heart health and they pack a serious punch.

The last thing to note on this study is that we are looking at a very general look into low fat diets. Unfortunately, one size doesn't fit all. One person may have family history of heart disease which may put them at greater risk. Another person may want to lose some weight along with lowering cholesterol. This person may need to follow a little lower fat than the other since fat does carry a lot of calories. Everyone is different and while general health guidelines are important, if you are someone who needs more detailed information then seek some help from a professional that can give you an individualized plan.

(c) 2006 Meri Raffetto

Owner of Real Living Nutrition Services, Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness. She specializes in weight management and offers online programs to help people reach their weight loss and health goals. Sign up for her free e-newsletter at http://www.reallivingnutrition.com

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

Low Fat Diet May Improve Survival in Breast Cancer

A fairly stringent low-fat diet in women with early-stage breast cancer resulted in a very impressive 42% risk reduction in cancer recurrence or death in women with hormone receptor-negative tumors, according to the second follow-up data analysis from the Women's Intervention Nutrition Study (WINS) presented at the December 2006 29th Annual Breast Cancer Symposium held in San Antonio.

The study was started in 1994 and is the first large scale randomized clinical trial which, so far, shows that dietary changes can strongly affect outcomes in women with breast cancer who also receive conventional treatment. The findings are very exciting, and are holding up through a second interim analysis, but plans call for three more years of follow-up to confirm the results. The next planned re-analysis of the data is scheduled towards the end of 2007. In addition, another confirmatory study is planned to start in early 2007 by the Canadian National Cancer Institute and other smaller studies are underway.

WINS was a multi-center trial involving almost 2500 women, ages 48 to 79, who were randomized either to a dietary intervention arm or a control group who ate their usual diet. The randomization was performed after patients underwent standard treatment for early-stage breast cancer. The intervention arm was closely directed by physicians and dieticians, and involved reducing fat consumption from about 57 grams per day in the regular diet control group to an average of 24 grams per day in the intervention arm. The intervention arm resulted in an average 6 pound weight loss after 5 years. Follow-up for this study is now approaching 6 years.

The recurrence and death rate amongst the entire group reached only borderline statistical significance with an approximate 15% risk reduction. However, among the 362 patients who had hormone receptor (estrogen and progesterone) negative breast cancer, the overall mortality was 6% in the intervention arm and 17% in the control group. Similarly, the combined death or recurrence rate was 9.8% in the intervention arm, compared to 24% in the control group. This represents a 42% risk reduction of recurrence or death.

Although the mechanism by which this occurs is not clear, the most likely reason is an effect on insulin, insulin-like growth factors and moderation of the inflammatory cascade. In other words, it is likely related to how sugars are processed and inflammation is handled by your body.

At this time, although confirmation of these results is pending, a motivated woman could consider following the WINS diet as published in J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 2004;104:551. It is not clear if partial benefit is derived from a low fat diet that is not quite as stringent as the one tested. Therefore, in order to approach the reported results, one has to be very committed to a very significant dietary modification.

If these results are confirmed in breast cancer, it is very tempting to speculate that this effect may be true in other cancers as well, especially hormonally related or mediated cancers like endometrial and ovarian cancer.

Steven A. Vasilev MD,MBA,FACOG,FACS is a fellowship trained and board certified gynecologic oncologist, which means he is specially trained and certified to take care of women with gynecologic cancers using a broad spectrum of skills. He has practiced at academic as well as private centers, has been on the faculty of three universities and continues to be involved in research and education. You can visit http://www.gyncancerdoctor.com to learn more about screening, prevention and treatment of gynecologic cancers. You can also visit a one-of-a-kind site devoted to life, love and intimacy after cancer http://www.cancervival.com

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

Weight Loss and Snacking - can they go together?

Snacking in itself is not bad for you, but it’s your choice of what food you eat to tide you over until your next meal that can be the baddie.

If you snack on junk food, that is usually full of unhealthy fat, you will be more likely to have a weight gain rather than a weight loss.

Here are 7 ways you can snack and not mess up your weight loss programme:

• Healthy Snacks, give them a fair try
• Keep away from Trans Fats
• Read the small print on the labels
• Energy Bars are not all they are cracked up to be
• You don’t have to have a snack just because the clock says it’s time
• High fat snacks ….. run a mile
• Ignore the TV ads that tempt you to eat unwisely

Healthy Snacks, Give Them A Try

If you must snack, go for the healthy alternatives. In the fridge or your lunch box have some ready prepared fruit and vegetables. You could peel a carrot, slice it up into bite size pieces and chew on it slowly. You will be amazed at how quickly this will satisfy you. And as mother used to tell you, ‘Eating carrots will help you see in the dark.’

Or have a nice crispy apple. Wash it but don’t peel it. Most of the goodness is in the skin.

Low fat biscuits can also help to keep you on track.

Have foods that are baked or grilled rather than fried.

Keep Away From Trans Fats

Trans Fats (bad fats) are the fats that raise your Cholesterol.

Cholesterol is the fat that clogs up your arteries, and as the blood is unable to flow smoothly, it can have the effect of giving you high blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause heart problems or strokes.

Foods containing Trans Fats could be found in Microwave Snack foods. If you see ‘partially hydrogenated oils’ listed on the label, alarm bells should be ringing in your head.

Read The Small Print On The Labels

Get out your magnifying glass, be like Sherlock Holmes and play detective.

Study the labels on the food you buy. Forget about the adverts telling you how wonderful they are, rather check for yourself what’s in it.

What you are looking for is the Nutritional Value. The label should tell you:

• How many calories are in each portion?
• Grams of fat per portion
• Saturated Fat
• Trans Fat
• How much calcium is in each portion
• Protein
• Sugar
• Salt

Work out for yourself, how much salt you are eating each day. It has been found that we should not be eating more than 6 grams of salt each day. You may be shocked to find that you are having more than your daily recommended amount of salt in one meal, so you could be over your limit if you eat more than one meal a day.

Also if the label says it contains Trans Fat. Do yourself a big favour and put the packet/tin back on the shelf and your heart will thank you for it.

Be sure to check how the manufacturers work out what they consider a portion. Often their portions are for birds and I mean the feathered type.

Energy Bars Are Not All They Are Cracked Up To Be

Those bars that are said to be packed with energy and power, should be scrutinised for what’s in it.

It’s a common belief that sugar gives you energy. But too much sugar can mean you end up with higher blood sugar levels than your body can cope with.

Maybe the label tells you that the bar is low in Carbohydrates, that’s fine, but what it doesn’t tell you, is that it is also low in fibre and probably higher in fat.

Be afraid; be very afraid, if it tastes good … it’s likely to be loaded with sugar.

So ideally, the perfect energy bar for you should contain the following.

• At least 3 grams of Fibre
• At least 5 grams of Protein
• Lower amounts of fat
• No saturated fat
• And fewer than 20 grams of sugar.
• Low in salt

You Don’t Have To Have A Snack Just Because The Clock Says It Is Time

If you have got into the habit of having a snack at 11.00 in the morning and again at 3.00 pm, do you really need it?

Say you had a high protein breakfast or lunch you should manage to get through to your next meal without the need to snack.

Yet if you had a high carbohydrate meal (either breakfast or lunch) you probably will be peckish, so a snack will prevent you from going into starvation mode.

Why is a High Protein meal better than a High Carbohydrate one?

The High Protein meal will be digested more slowly, so filling you up gradually over several hours.

While the High Carbohydrate meal fills you up instantly, but you will be feeling hungry much sooner. As High Carbohydrates are normally full of Calories, then having a High Carbohydrate snack as well, thus taking in even more calories, that weight loss plan you have been following is now about to fly out the window.

So if the clock tells you it’s snack time, only have a snack if you are really hungry. Then have a High Protein snack, it’s much less Calories in it.

High Fat Snacks … Run A Mile

High Fat snacks can encourage you to overeat.

Pennsylvania State University Researchers did a test on some rats, they fed the rats a High Fat diet; this resulted in the rats overeating. The researchers compared these results with rats fed a Low Fat diet.

The conclusion the Researchers came to was that there is a Hormone that is secreted then sends a message to the brain saying, ‘Stop eating now, you’re full up’. But on a High Fat diet, this Hormone was suppressed, and so the rats just went on eating. .

Ignore The TV Ads That Tempt You To Eat Unwisely

While you are watching TV, especially during Prime Time, have you noticed the number of adverts for snack foods? And of course these snacks are made up of junk foods; high in fat and salt.

As we know, these advertisers are paying thousands of pounds to get their adverts put in these prime spots. So the TV viewer is suddenly convinced that they are in need of a snack. Sure enough, when next at the Supermarket, he/she will deliberately seek out that advertised product. The mentality is …… if it’s advertised on the TV it must be good.

The advertiser has won again. And you lose your weight loss goals.

About The Author

Eva Moffat has helped many people with their Weight Loss problems over the years. Now it is your turn to be helped. For more of Eva’s practical help, visit Eva’s Weight Loss Site http://eva-moffats-free-weight-loss-info.blogspot.com

The Big FAT Lie

Over two thirds of Americans are over weight, and half of them are considered obese. Most of the remaining third of Americans are concerned about becoming overweight! While we are obsessed with avoiding food that is high in fat, America has the dubious distinction of its population having the highest percentage of overweight people of any nation in the world! England is number two!

One of the most common and harmful misunderstandings is the misinformation (lie) that we are fat because we eat too much fat. Though eating excess fat can contribute, the primary culprit for excess body fat and many degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes is NOT eating foods high in fat, but eating too much carbohydrates and sugar, and especially in combination with fat, such as French Fries and corn or potato chips. People on a high carbohydrate and low fat diet tend to be more unhealthy, carry more excess body fat and don’t live as long.

Putting the Brakes to Your Metabolism!

What creates excess body fat, more than anything else, is a high RATIO of the carbohydrates to protein and fat, and especially certain types of carbohydrates that have a high conversion rate to fat. When the percentage of a meal (not just for the day) is higher in sugar or carbohydrates (a long chain of sugar molecules), much more of that food will be converted to fat instead of being burned as energy (calories). The effect of this is putting the brakes on your metabolism, which results in lower energy and greater storage of fat. Obviously, this is NOT what you want!

Plus this sets up a vicious cycle of over eating. Once the carbohydrates are converted to fat, you get a blood sugar drop, which makes you hungry for more carbohydrates. So you eat more to raise your blood sugar, and the whole vicious cycle repeats! Soon, you’ve gained weight, and feel even more like a failure.

According to the Glycemic Research Institute, many of the “fat-free” foods are much more fattening than they were before the fat was removed, because sugar has been added (and often disguised) to compensate for the low fat!

This is because carbohydrates and sugar, and especially certain carbohydrates, stimulate insulin production. Insulin directs your body to convert the food to fat and store it as fat instead of just burning it as energy. To measure this fat conversion and storage effect, foods are rated by what is called the glycemic index. The higher the index, the higher percentage of that food and the other foods eaten with it, will be converted to fat, regardless of the fat content of the food.

So for an example, eating high glycemic foods like baked potato, rice cakes, corn flakes or cooked oatmeal which are low in fat, is more fattening than eating a juicy beef steak or a bowl of ice cream!

High Fat Conversion Foods

These are some common foods with their glycemic index numbers, that are especially high on this index, and thus stimulate fat storage:

Common sugar (sucrose)—92

Macaroni and cheese—92

Potatoes (mashed—100; French fries—107; baked—121; potato chips—high)

Corn—78; pop corn—79; corn chips—105; corn flakes—119

Pizza—86

White rice—83; brown rice—79

White and wheat bread—101

Cold cereals (most). E.g. Life—94; Grapenuts—96; Cheerios—106; Total—109

Cooked cereals (e.g. Cream of Wheat—100, oatmeal—87 (steel cut is less)

Bananas—77

Most juices and all drink mixes and soft drinks (97)

Desserts (ice cream—87); donuts—108

Fat-free bottled “lite” dressings (due to added corn syrup and maltodextrins).

High fructose corn syrup—89

Maltodextrins—150 (added to many foods, but deceptively not counted as sugar!)

Did you notice that some of these foods are worse than pure sugar? It is wise to eat these foods sparingly. And when you do eat these foods, balance the glycemic index for the whole meal by eating low index foods with them.

Fat Burning Foods

Here are some of the foods that are rated as having a low glycemic index:

Fructose—32

Trutina Dulcem (a fruit sugar fifteen times sweeter than regular sugar)

“Super sugars” (glyconutrients)

Stevia—though not “approved” by the FDA as a sweetener, it is often used as such

High protein foods (e.g. fish, meat and eggs)

Most vegetables including sweet potatoes and yams

Beans—40

Salads—low

Avocado—low

Stone ground bread and sprouted grain—low

Barley—36

Rye—48

Most pastas—varies; spaghetti—59 (but very low nutritional value)

Berries—low

Cherries—32

Apples—54

Oranges—63

Peaches—60

Pears—53

Dairy products; whole milk—39 (there are other concerns mentioned previously)

Soy milk—43

Seeds and nuts—as low as 21 (peanuts)

Butter (in moderation—far superior to margarine)

Olive oil

Soy beans—25

Celery—very very low

There is one other huge advantage to using low glycemic foods besides weight control: longevity! According a study by T. Par entitled "Insulin Exposure and Aging Theory" in the Journal of Gerontology - 1997; 43:182-200, high insulin levels, which result from consuming high glycemic foods, promotes accelerated aging. Both calorie restriction and a low glycemic index diet appear to be important for longevity, BUT a diet of low glycemic foods is even more effective than calorie restriction for longevity.

About The Author

This article is an excerpt from the book entitled, "How to Cure and Prevent Any Disease," and is posted by Lori Wilton and Ray Gebauer. Lori and Ray are business partners. Ray has written numerous books, articles, and pamphlets on health concerns, personal development, and success. Lori Wilton is an independent wellness consultant who specializes in glyconutrient education and has overcome her own health challenges through the understanding and practice of good nutritional principles. She and her husband Bill are in church ministry in Oregon. Lori is a graduate of the University of Michigan.

To get your FREE report entitled, “The Ten Deadly Health Myths of the 21st Century” click here: www.living.well.myglycostore.com.

Fat Loss Lies - The Lie Behind Low Fat Foods

Many people try low fat or even no fat food, thinking that if they cut the fat out of their diet, they will naturally lose fat and pounds. A lot of diet plans are based on that idea and while it may be good for the bank accounts of the people who market these diets, the results of many who use these diets can be discouraging.

It is so disappointing when most of these people see their weight loss prayers go unanswered, because the fat doesn't dissolve, sometimes it even increases. And then you're left puzzled and thinking: "How can this be happening?"

What the manufacturers and advertisers of low fat or zero fat food don't tell you, is that our body turns a lot of other food groups into fat. For example, everybody knows that sugar is fattening, but sugar has no fat in it! How can it be fattening? That is the big lie behind low or zero fat foods.

The truth of the matter is that if we eat too much sugar at the wrong time, our body won't know what to do with it. This isn't only true for sugar, it is true for a lot of other foods as well. If you eat too much white bread or too much pasta, your body won't know what to do with all that either.

Once the body doesn't know what to do with the food we put into it, it turns it to fat. Why? Because the body believes that fat is security. Our body remembers the time when our ancestors lived in the wild and had to struggle to get food in order to survive. The more fat the body has, the longer it can go on without food. In our modern society we have no such fears, of course, but that's how the body acts. It's nature and there's nothing we can do about it.

What we can do is stop viewing low fat foods as the answer to our weight loss problems. It is not!

What we should do is follow a diet that lets us eat the right kind of fat with the right combination of carbs, protein and sugar at the right time of day. If we follow a diet like that, the fat and pounds will come off in no time.

To read more on a diet plan that combines the right kind of fat, carbs, proteins and sugar, click here: Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review

John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life. He is an advocate of safe dieting and fitness. He writes about a diet which is based on correct eating on this dedicated webpage. Read his review at: http://squidoo.com/fatloss4idiotsdiet

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

My Diet Secret For Fat Burning

I'm not a "low-carb guy" by any means, but I have found something that works wonders for fat loss. And it does involve cutting back on whole-grains.

Back in December, I substituted more fruits and vegetables for any whole-grains in my diet, and I was as lean as I've been in years with this approach. So if you're trying to lose fat and look better than ever this summer, try this approach.

Here are some easy changes to make.

a) Instead of having toast for breakfast, have an apple.

b) Usually have a side of rice at lunch? Have 1 cup of broccoli.

c) Typically have a bowl of cereal at night? Have an orange and an ounce of pecans (or walnuts or almonds), instead.

Think I'm out to lunch?

Check this study ...

(For science nerds like me, here's the reference: Amer. J. Clin. Nutr. 85: 1465-1477, 2007.)

Woman on a low-fat diet that ate more fruits and vegetables lost more fat than another group of woman on only the low-fat diet.

After 1-year, the low-fat, fruits and vegetables group (LF-FV) lost more weight than another group of woman on the low-fat (LF) diet only.

Why?

The LF-FV group reported being less hungry, thanks to being able to eat more food than the LF group.

So you'll eat fewer calories if you are filling up on fruits and vegetables, while keeping un-necessary fat out of the diet.

And isn't the summer a great time to implement this program? With watermelon, berries, apples, and cherries all in great abundance, you can satisfy your sweet tooth naturally, while burning fat with the Turbulence Training fat loss workouts at home.

You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (HTML clickable) and references and copyright info.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training for Fat Loss have helped thousands of men and women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. Turbulence Training for Fat Loss workouts help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment.

Craig's bodyweight workouts for fat loss help you lose fat without any equipment at all.

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

Summer Diet Tips

Summertime means warm weather, outdoor barbeques and competing to wear the shortest shorts possible. Well, maybe only for the ladies. But, many body-conscious individuals find themselves dreading this season due to the fact that they gained a few pounds. While a nutritious diet and maintaining a healthy weight are year-round goals one should strive for, it’s especially important to keep yourself hydrated and in good condition during these long summer months.

Why?

Well, for the first reason, unless you live in Antarctica, it’s hot outside! Being overweight and trying to do daily tasks can be extra hard on your heart when the thermometer’s pushing 95 degrees. When your body sweats, you lose water and a lot of sodium. It’s vital to keep hydrated and drink tons of water. Keep a bottle of water on your desk or even on your kitchen counter. You’ll drink it out of habit because it’s there, I promise! It’s also light years healthier than carbonated soda, which can deplete your body of calcium and loads on the calories.

How Not to Overheat:

If you must be outside during the hottest parts of the day (around 11am-3pm) then a good idea would be to slather on the sunscreen. Drink water consistently and try to get into air-conditioning at least a few minutes every hour. Scorching temperatures can give you heat exhaustion, or worse, heat stroke. Feel dizzy or your stomach hurts? These are the warning signs of heat exhaustion. Head indoors periodically to relieve your system from the sun.

Healthy Foods to Cool You Down:

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Not only will they give you the Vitamin C you need and contribute to weight loss, they actually drop your body temperature. Lettuce, melons, celery and oranges have lots of water in them, which can pump up your hydration levels.

Reasons to Skip Fast Food:

Use this summer to really get in shape. By avoiding fried foods, did you know you can actually feel cooler than someone who downs McDonalds everyday? Grease has a heated thermal effect on your system, making you feel sluggish and groggy. Grab a salad with chicken for protein, which tricks your body into feeling fuller than if you scarfed down a mouthful of carbs.

Lose Weight:

A great hint to feeling cooler and having more energy throughout the summer is cutting the fat. Literally. Why not join a gym or even compare programs for diets? 6StarReviews.com is a source you can go to in finding an online diet suitable for your body and financial situation. They say one diet program, eDiets, gives their customers recipes formulated for specific diets, expert advice and weight loss journals. Stay healthy and don’t add to the 66.3% of Americans over the age of 20 who are currently overweight or obese. Your body will thank you.

Kelly Liyakasa is a staff writer for 6StarReviews.com. Kelly Staller is site manager at 6StarReviews.com, a site dedicated to giving YOU, the consumer, the best product and service reviews around. If you like saving time and money by having someone else review leading sites and products, then Visit our site at 6StarReviews.com

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