You must lose weight

Fat Is Not The Villain

2013-07-08T22:30:00.000+00:00

For the last two decades we have been told that fat is what is making us fat. It is the f-word that has lead to such poor health and obesity across the globe. But in North America we have cut our fat from 40-32 percent of our daily calories, but the average North American has been putting on almost 10 pounds a year! How can this be? Haven't they been telling us for years that a diet reduced in fat is supposed to help us lose weight? Doesn't fat in our bodies mean less fat on our bodies?

I ask many of my clients to keep a food journal, at least for a few days so I can get an idea of what their diet looks like. So many of them list foods like, fat-free cookies, fat-free cakes, fat-free licorice, and non-fat yogurt/sour cream. Many people believe that if a product says fat-free that makes it a "free" food and can be eaten as often as they like, in un-limited quantities. Whether it is fat-free or not, it's junk food! The main ingredient in these so-called healthy snacks is SUGAR, and sugar my friend is the real enemy. Sugar turns into pounds on your thighs and gut. And these products shouldn't even be called food because they often have contain mainly white flour, dangerous chemicals and dyes that your body doesn't even know what to do with, and it certainly doesn't need.

Your body needs healthy fats to work at it's best. I'm not saying that you can go and gorge on it and not gain weight, but not having enough good fats in our diets is more likely to put weight on you than help you lose it. Choose lean meats, olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocados for your diet. These choices are full of good nutrients like vitamins A, D and K. Remember that the culprit in your diet is what North American's have become accustomed to "wrapping" our so-called "fatty-foods" in, breads, buns, croissants etc. And where the empty foods like buns, breads, and croissants leave you feeling hungry in an hour, the "fattier" foods will leave you feeling full and satisfied and ward of the immediate hunger cravings you have likely come to know. You still need to make sure that you don't go over board though, because too much of anything isn't good either. But you already know that.

For your FREE Guide To Beat Belly Fat visit: http://www.incrediblebodynow.com

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

Want To Know Why Diets Don't Work?

2013-07-08T17:30:00.000+00:00

You've heard it a hundred times before, and you probably even know this from your own experience that diets don't work. Most diets fail because diets are based on deprivation. And after several days or weeks of depriving yourself, you eventually give yourself a little reward. And this "little" reward usually starts you back to the path of how you ate before, and sometimes with a little extra indulgence. And during this time you typically gain the weight back, and then some. Dieting statistics are depressing. Over 96 percent of people who go on diets end up gaining back all the weight they lost.

So, what are we doing wrong? Simple, it has to do with our metabolism. And what does our metabolism do exactly: it is the rate at which our bodies burn calories to give us the energy and fuel we need to function. There are some lucky people who have naturally high metabolisms and can pretty much eat whatever they want and still stay slender, while the rest of the world can eat nothing but salads and still gain weight. Just like your Mama told you, "Life isn't always fair." But is it possible for you to change your metabolism? You bet! In fact, you likely already have, but for the worse. Going on and off of diets, aka yo-yo dieting, you are actually dangerously disrupting your body and LOWERING your metabolism.

Think back to your last diet (or the one you are on right now), where you did lose weight, well, temporarily at least. This is because the human body is so amazing. It responds to getting fewer calories by taking from your fat reserves, so you lose weight, but this only works for a short while. Then your body SLOWS DOWN your metabolism to stop you from starving yourself. It is at this point that people usually experience a plateau, even though they are sticking to their diet. And after a few days of depriving yourself and not seeing the number on the scale budge, you give up and give in. Not only does the weight come back, but now because you have lowered your metabolism, your body actually needs less calories than it did before you went on the diet. Great, so now if you eat the way you did before, with the same amounts, as before, you will gain weight even more quickly because you have changed your metabolism.

So next time you hear about the latest and greatest diet fad, ask yourself if you want to slow down your metabolism.

For your FREE Guide To Beat Belly Fat visit: http://www.incrediblebodynow.com

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Weight Loss Myth - Doing High Reps With Light Weights Will Burn More Fat and "Tone"

2013-07-08T11:12:00.001+00:00

This has been drilled into our heads for years! Just pick up any magazine and you'll see a picture of an attractive, slender, lean female, holding super light weights, suggesting that she got her body by effortlessly curling 5 pound weights 20 to 25 times each arm. Yeah right. And this is transferred into the gym, where you'll find the majority of the women lifting light weights because they have been told that is how you lose weight and "tone" up. And you will find most of the men are lifting much heavier weights for much fewer reps to build muscle. But is this really the case?

At my gym the majority of the ladies who are lifting light weights a dozens of times in a row are also the ones who are on the cardio machines a lot (and I'm not talking about intense cardio queens who run for hours), these ladies can carry on a conversation and text at the same time. But these ladies are not slender or toned, in fact, most of them are the exact opposite, overweight and soft. While the men (and a few of the women) who are lifting heavier weights for lower reps have far less body fat on them and they have muscle. Now, don't go thinking what so many women fear, "I don't want to bulk up!" Ask any bodybuilder how "easy" it is to put on muscle, it's not, and this won't happen unless are on a crazy diet (eating TONS of bodybuilding foods) and lifting like a bodybuilder. So then, what is the solution to lifting weighs, cardio and losing weight?

INTENSITY! Intensity is key to getting results. You can lift both light and heavy weights and not see any change in your body, but add intensity to your workouts and keep your rest times short, and you'll get the best results. Really focus on your workouts, leave your phone behind and get your heart rate elevated and sweat. When our workouts are intensive and include some heavier lifting it helps speed up our metabolism and helps us burn energy throughout the day, even when you are sitting on the couch watching TV.

So, whether you decide to lift light weights or heavy weights, or a combination of both, make it intense and you will drop body fat and add lean muscle, which will mean a tighter, sexier you.

For your FREE Guide To Beat Belly Fat visit: http://www.incrediblebodynow.com

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

Staying Positive on Weight Loss Journey

2013-07-05T23:00:00.000+01:00

Staying positive is a key component in accomplishing all your weight loss goals. Dieting is very hard and requires dedication and discipline; it is very easy to lose motivation after only a few weeks, as you may not be seeing the results you expected and this is when negativity and doubt can creep in. It becomes very easy to lose focus and forget what makes you special. You need to remind yourself everyday, fall in love with yourself! If you remain positive you will achieve all the goals you have set out and get the body you deserve. A crucial element for successful weight loss: Recognise any negative attitude and mental patterns. You must deal with these before you will progress with your weight loss. Let these negative thoughts go and replace them with positive thoughts and focus on what you really want. Take back control and make better choices

The mind is a powerful tool in influencing behavior, whether we persevere with an endeavor or whether we quit all comes from the mind. By allowing negativity to seep in, we limit ourselves and we will never know what we are really capable of. By staying positive we can reach our full potential, this is especially prevalent when we are dieting to lose weight. Positivity will give us drive to reach our weight loss goals by conquering the limitations we put on ourselves.

Some studies have concluded that our bodies maintain the weight that our minds have become content with. So in theory by seeing yourself as a overweight person your body will find a way of accumulating weight. This weight gain can be harder to remove unless you remove the negative thoughts from your mind and replace them with positive affirmations. If the mind can conceive it the body has to find a way to achieve it. Picturing yourself when you have met your weight loss targets or on the beach in your new bikini will push you through. Visualizing the rewards of weight loss will set in motion a rush of good feelings and you won't get discouraged. At the end, weight loss is about health, feeling good as well as looking it. You must love the skin you are in right now even if you are not at your desired weight or dress size. All bodies are beautiful. Everybody deserves to feel great and there is nothing better at achieving this than a positive mind!

Look good and feel good. Love yourself slender!

http://www.slenderlove.com

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What You Don't Want to Hear About Rapid Weight Loss Diets

2013-07-05T22:00:00.000+01:00

I understand how tempting it has been for you; you want to buy that program that promises to give you some rapid weight loss diets needed to melt your excess pounds in seconds. Of course, you want to wake up the next morning beaming with confidence - you want that perfect body.

You've heard a lot about celebrities losing considerable amount of pounds within weeks of giving birth, and you reaffirm to yourself how possible it is to lose those troubling pounds - FAST.

Effective Weight Loss Shouldn't Be Rapid

Let me bring you right back to earth; save yourself from these claims. Anything that sounds too good to be true is probably is - rapid weight loss diets inclusive.

It's no news that Americans spend $33 billion every year on weight loss products, it is also no news that weight loss supplements and fad diets want a piece of that huge cake.

So, it's alright to believe these claims, after all, all you see are advert lines like "Lose 10 pounds in 10 Days" and "Drop one Dress Size today" plastered all over the internet.

Truth is, nothing like rapid weight loss diets exist and even if they do - they are unhealthy and can be counterproductive to your health.

Now, you ask: Aren't rapid weight loss diets healthy? As far as I know, an A-listed celebrity once used it and never had problem with it, what is then the problem?

A lot is wrong with these diets, I can tell you. But to quickly satisfy your curiosity, let's dive into this together. Any diet that promises drastic weight loss falls into any of the types below.

Classes of Rapid Weight Loss Diets:

Very Low-Calorie Diets (VLCDs): These are supervised low-calorie diets based on researches and studies on people that have used them and their effects on weight loss.

Starvation Diets: these diets promote detoxification through enemas or colonics. They promote a daily calorie intake of less than 1200 calories per day.

Diet Pills and Supplements: Just like the name, they are pills and supplements that promise to speed up weight loss by revving up your metabolism, burning fat in the process.

Creams and Devices: this type is the most dubious - lots of magic creams are out there that promise to replace exercise and healthy diet.

First, you need to know that marketers of these products make their claims freely - without any proof or any research to back them up.

The rapid weight loss diets worth considering is the VLCDs - the drastic reduction of calories - but even at that, it is not advised for long-lasting weight loss because one cap does not fit all.

Why You Don't Need Rapid Weight Loss Diets

The risks of drastic weight loss are enormous - apart from the huge physical demands it creates on the body, there are lots of medical issues that can be traced to it.

People who lose huge amounts of pounds in no time are susceptible to malnutrition, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and irritability. Other health issues associated with this type of weight loss are dizziness, constipation, headaches and fatigue.

In as much as you want to drop those pounds, there is need for common sense - there is no easy route to weight loss. By all means, attack your weight problem in a healthy way to put yourself on the path of success.

Effective Weight Loss Plan without Side-Effects

There are ways you can safely lose 3 pounds a week - without any rapid weight loss diets gimmicks. What you need is a healthy diet and the right amount of exercise to go along with it.

If you want to shed some pounds fast, exercise a lot more and eat less - burning close to 500 calories more than you eat everyday is enough to drop 1 to 2 pounds a week.

And if you are looking for the 3 to 5 pounds a week option, take 1100 to 1200 calories everyday and exercise for up to an hour. Don't cut the calories any further as this could be dangerous to your health.
Learn ways to minimise added sugars, starches, animal fats from meats and dairy foods. Focus on veggies, fruits, soy products, egg whites, fish, skinless poultry breasts, non-fat dairy foods, shellfish and lean meat.

DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST! Also, make a habit of eating from a plate on your dining table - not in front of the fridge as this triggers bingeing.

Vegetables and fruits are filling; they keep you full without extra calories. This same thing goes with water; take lots of water to keep hunger pangs at bay. And more importantly, keep yourself busy - being bored lures you to snack.

Always Keep a Food Journal

Write down the things you eat on a daily basis, this will help you curb unnecessary indulgence and bingeing. Aside this, It also keeps you on track and focus on important things.

Along with what you eat, write down how your feelings were before eating - were you angry or bored?

Did you get home from work feeling happy or exhausted? Were you with friends? Writing down these things makes it easy for you to attack the problem of bingeing and emotional eating.

Keeping a food journal means you are helping yourself take the right steps - doing the things that'll help you to a healthy weight in the long run.

Move That Butt Around

It is a known fact that 30 minutes of moderate exercise is needed daily to lose weight. You just must stop living a sedentary lifestyle and move yourself around. There is no two ways about it, you must exercise.

NOTE: If you are critically obese and haven't lifted a muscle in years, it'll be a nice idea to check with your doctor or health care provider before engaging in any type of physical activity. He/she will guide you on what will be convenient for you to do.

Remember: you don't have to run to compete for world finals; all you need is the right amount of exercise that'll make you lose weight. Then you can work your way up little by little till your body starts to take notice of your commitment.

Once you can be able to pull this off effectively , you'll realize you don't need those rapid weight loss diets before getting your body where it needed to be
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Effectively Lose Weight With A Paleo Diet Grocery List

2013-07-05T16:24:00.000+01:00

In today's sugar and carbohydrate addicted world a lot of people experience excessive weight. Sugar and carbohydrates are in fact the number one cause of excess weight. These types of nutrients trigger a whole variety of issues for humans, beginning with insulin spikes that cause low energy levels all the way to chronic ailments that can devastate a healthy living. The paleo diet is one of the only diets available today that almost totally cuts sugar and processed carbohydrates from nutrition and thereby eliminates a host of problems that would otherwise persist or even increase. One of the first things anybody will notice when looking at their paleo diet grocery list is that it contains zero processed or refined foods, meaning all of the foods on there are either organically grown vegetables or fruit or meat that comes directly from the farmer, butcher or the seas. An optimized paleo diet grocery list ideally only contains vegetables and fruit with low carbohydrate and very low starch content or a healthy type of natural sugar that does not do harm to your body.

The next great advantage of the paleo diet is that it can contain as much or as little protein as you like to have, and that due to the nutrients you take in on a daily basis, your protein synthesis will become optimized over time. One of the first things that is going to be recommended to you whenever you join a gym to lose weight is to amplify your protein intake. What ordinary gym instructors do not tell you is that in order to maximize protein synthesis you should almost completely cut sugar from your diet. The only time any sugar should be required is right after a good muscle workout or during long endurance cardiovascular related exercises. The logical thing to do is to replace your usual sugary soft or energy drinks with fresh fruit from your paleo diet grocery list. A fruit smoothie or a vegetable and fruit smoothie mix right after training or even during training can quickly be absorbed and is totally natural. In addition to the healthy sugar you will get from this type of drink it also contains plenty of minerals and vitamins that are much more easily absorbed by your body than are synthetic, factory produced supplements. It is therefore quite difficult to understand why only a small percentage of people even today choose synthetic supplements over natural ones. The main explanation I could find for that phenomenon is that natural foods are more widely available and do not receive the same kind of marketing back up that other nutritional supplements within the fitness industry find. Natural foods already sell well and do not necessarily have to be advertised, even though they should be!

Getting back to the topic of protein, you will find that your paleo diet grocery list is a food list filled with protein. The first thing any bodybuilder or athlete that wants to focus on building muscle and losing weight needs in his diet is protein. The reason is simple; protein is what builds muscle cells and therefore protein is what builds the non-fat components in your body after your workouts. This means the more muscle you build by feeding protein to your body, the less place there will be for fat and your body composition will eventually change to being predominantly muscle. Protein in fact burns fat and the higher the muscle or protein content of your body, the lower is your body fat percentage. This means that if you use your paleo diet food list for a long enough duration you will experience a decrease in body fat percentage, an increase in vitamin and mineral absorption as well as muscle growth. Furthermore it needs to be mentioned that consistent use of a paleo diet food list will mean that your body's hormone levels will return to normal. This can mean a variety of things starting with automated fat loss, healthy appetite without cravings, healthy and regular sleep at night, steady energy levels without insulin spikes and an overall increase in wellbeing combined with a drastic reduction of physical ailments.

Take action today and get hold of my paleo diet food list at http://www.apaleodietfoodlist.blogspot.com

I also recommend you get my $27 Paleo Recipe Book for a list of 300 delicious and fat melting recipes that will help to normalize your body's hormone levels and enable you to lose excess fat fast while becoming a healthier person!

Visit http://www.paleodietmenu.info today!

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

Release Weight and Rejuvenate

2013-07-05T10:14:00.003+01:00

Imagine the shock of a weight loss expert gaining weight. It can happen to anyone and the answer is always getting to the root cause and recommiting. Don't judge, berate or punish yourself with negative self talk. It only serves to hurt and not help. Let your vision of vibrant health, being slim and looking great in a fabulous outfit draw you closer to your goal. You owe it to yourself to care for your body like a precious classic of immeasurable value. So when you need to lose weight, be conscientious, commit and create an environment that supports you.

It's not just calories that count

I am happy to see that there are a lot of new books, some on the NY Times Bestseller list touting what I have been advising and practicing for years. We gain weight and age because of inflammation, glycation (sugar binding to protein) and oxidation as well as hormone imbalances. Food is the culprit or cure for all of these reactions that if left unchecked can create havoc with your hormones and incite illness.

It's not just the quantity or the calorie count of foods that makes weight loss difficult; it's the type and quality of the food that can cause reactions in your body that cause weight gain, inflammation and illness. Food intolerances cause inflammation and glycation. Both of these accelerate oxidation as well as raise cortisol and insulin, hormones that make you pack on the pounds. Many weight loss doctors or programs utilize what I call fake food: processed soy protein with additives, preservatives, artificial flavors and sweeteners in small portions. You can lose weight but be left metabolically worse off and lose muscle mass causing a rebound gain in weight.

Food that makes you fat and ill

A medically supervised weight loss program can help you get to the root cause of why you are gaining weight and examine your genetics and the biomarkers in blood, saliva, urine or cheek swabs. These tell you how your body is reacting metabolically and how it is programmed. Medical weight loss physicians are able to tailor diet and supplement plans to bypass or eliminate metabolic blocks that are hampering your weight loss efforts.

However, there are many things you can do on your own. Eliminating some common foods that cause you to become a metabolic mess can transform your health. Toxic buildup over time, reliance on processed foods with additives and preservatives, aging and loss of enzymes as well as food engineering takes it toll on your metabolism. You can reverse this and renew by eliminating the major pound packers that also cause many other symptoms such as:

Additives
Alcohol
Artificial sweeteners
Caffeine
Corn
Dairy
Eggs
Fruit juice
Gluten
Grains
Peanuts
Preservatives
Soy
Sugar
Wheat

The symptoms they cause

Abdominal pain
Bloating
Breakouts
Constipation
Diarrhea
Fatigue
Gas
Headaches
Joint aches
Mental Fog
Mucous
Nasal congestion
Skin reactions
And more...

If you have any of these symptoms, they can be relieved by an elimination diet known by many other names such as detoxification, cleanse or whatever the jargon is at the time. Don't worry, you won't get diarrhea, it's not that kind of cleanse. The trick is that you have to eliminate ALL of the possibilities COMPLETELY for at least two weeks, then reintroduce them systematically in large quantities and note if any symptoms return. Many people can return to eating these foods infrequently in small quantities after a period of abstinence.

Benefits

The best part is that you not only heal a lot of what ails you, weight is released and energy and vitality are unleashed. It helps to get support so as not to become overwhelmed. There are a lot of versions of this type of diet. Choose a practitioner or source you can trust. It helps to combine this with detoxifying supplements and herbs as toxins released from fat can cause reactions. Having a medical weight loss physician who can measure your biomarkers and personalize your diet and supplements to address the root cause of weight gain can help you take it off and keep it off for good. Start on your own and if you need support, find a doctor well versed in metabolic medicine.

Lorraine Maita, MD is an award winning physician, speaker and author of "Vibrance for Life: How to Live Younger and Healthier" and can make you slim, sharp, sexy and supercharged. She is an expert in anti aging medicine, bioidentical hormone replacement, and weight loss, nutrition, supplements and executive health. Dr. Maita has a private practice in Anti Aging Medicine www.howtoliveyounger.com in Short Hills, NJ and educates virtually at www.vibranceforlife.com.

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

Ways to Increase Weight Loss When Diet and Exercise Aren't Enough

2013-06-28T15:50:00.000+01:00

Everyone knows how difficult it can be to get rid of the thirty pounds gained after college or the five gained over the holidays. To combat this, we are introduced to the basic concepts of eating right and exercising. Many say this is exactly what should put us back on track. However, all of our bodies are different, and sometimes this simply isn't enough. There are numerous factors that go into this, ranging from hormones to metabolic rates. We don't always consider this, so when the basic routine doesn't appear to be working, many become discouraged and lose their motivation. Yet, there are several other options to add to diet and exercise that can help increase weight loss.

One option that many do not always consider is a cleanser. Let's say that you've been on track for months, but that last five or ten pounds just refuses to come off, no matter what you do. This is a reality for many. A cleanser can help boost weight loss by getting rid of the extra gunk that is stuck in our bodies. Everyone's intestines have little hairs called cilia that stick out in many different directions. As food travels through the intestines during the digestive process, these little hairs trap many food particles. Over the course of someone's lifetime, he or she can accumulate several pounds of leftover, trapped food. Yuck! Cleansers with natural ingredients help push this food out. The result of this is a decrease in belly mass and the disappearance of a few pounds. This may be exactly what some people need to finish off the dieting process and begin their new, healthy lifestyle.

The second option is drinking more water. It is commonly known that H2O is the most common compound found in the human body. It is at the root of every living being's existence. It has many benefits in our bodies like keeping everything moving smoothly inside of it and keeping everything moisturized outside of it. However, not everyone knows that drinking water naturally speeds up a person's metabolism. After drinking 16 ounces of water, it has been shown that a person's metabolism receives a kick-start and burns 24 extra calories over the next hour. Drinking the recommended amount of water a day is a natural way to help boost weight loss.

Embarking on a weight loss journey is an exciting time. It can be filled with ups and downs. Yet, just because we experience these down times, it does not mean that we should surrender our battle. There are several ways to help increase the number of pounds we lose. Trying a couple different options can be exactly what someone may need to find out what will work best for his or her body. If trial and error is not appealing, consulting a physician on this type of journey is also beneficial. A physician can read a body inside and out. He or she can work with you in helping to determine which option will work best for you.

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

Help With Weight Loss - Diet and Exercise

2013-06-28T12:17:00.001+01:00

Some people think that a lot of these diseases are hereditary and because their dad, granddad etcetera, etcetera, had them they are going to get them, now some diseases are passed down generation to generation, but by changing your lifestyle, by eating a better balanced diet and by exercising regularly you can change the course of your destiny.

Did you know that most overweight people are prone to throat cancer, this is due to the excessive over eating which creates extra stomach acid which keeps rising up to the throat area which in turn can cause throat cancer.

The secret to success is having the courage to start in the first place, then what you need to keep in mind is how you will look in 6 - 12 weeks.

You Can't Out Train a Bad Diet

It doesn't matter how hard you train, you are what you eat. If you live on a diet of rubbish, that's how you will look and feel, that's why any good weight loss program will combine nutrition with exercise.

The Start - Banned foods

The first 2 weeks of your program should be focused on ridding your body of toxins and losing stubborn fat, so these foods should be banned for the first 14 days:-

All alcohol.
Caffeine - coffee and fizzy drinks.
Wheat and gluten - pasta, bread, cakes, biscuits and most sauces which contain gluten to thicken them up.
Processed foods - anything containing e-numbers or pre-packed like microwave and readymeals.
Sugar.
Cream, low-fat spreadable margarine/butter and cheese.

Do's

Drink water, when your body is dehydrated it stops burning fat, you should consume at least 2 litres a day, if you find it to bland add some cordial
Drink green tea it helps boost your metabolism
Cook with extra virgin coconut oil, it taste great, helps with fat loss, olive oil is good for your salads but when heated up it turns those good fats into bad fats
Keep a food diary, good and bad, it helps show what works and what causes your energy slump
Exercise - healthy eating and working out go hand in hand on a weight loss journey, so double your chances and do both

What can I eat in the first 14 days

Lettuce leaves and rabbit food, OK just kidding, check out the following list to create delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. This is no carb free diet, although your bread intake is restricted in the first 14 days, wholemeal foods are a necessary part of your balanced diet so Don't ditch the carbs.

Meat
Beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit
Drinks
Water, green tea, herbal tea, rice milk, almond milk, soy milk
Vegetables
Lettuce, carrot, rocket, spinach, sprouts, water cress, leek, peas, peppers, mushrooms
Fish
Mackerel, salmon, tuna, sardines, cod, prawns, crab, trout, squid
Fruit
Berries, apple, mango, coconut, grapefruit, melon, pineapple
Dairy
Eggs, feta cheese, goats cheese, cottage cheese, natural yoghurt
Nuts/seeds
Almonds, Brazils, Cashews, Macadamias, Pine nuts, Poppy seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Flax seeds, Walnuts
Oils/fats
Sesame, almond, coconut(cook with this one), Fish oil, olive oil, hummus
Grains
Wild rice, brown rice, pulses, lentils, basmati rice, rice cakes, oats, couscous
Snacks
Carrots and hummus, fruit, hand full of nuts, rice cakes, natural yoghurt, meal replacement shake
Example meal plan
07.30 Breakfast
Porridge made with water, add a few raisins, berries or seeds
10.30 Snack 1
Strawberries or Blueberries with low-fat Greek yoghurt, or a meal replacement shake
13.00 Lunch
Feta cheese salad with peppers (if you like the heat, chilli peppers are great for weight loss) and a handful of whole grain rice
15.30 Snack 2
Humous and carrot sticks. (Warning - Humous can be very more-ish) or meal replacement shake
18.00 Tea
Stir fry with prawns
20.00 Snack 3
Small handful of Almonds or cashew nuts

Good Fat Bad Fat

Here's the thing, you need fat to live but too much fat will cut your life short, so you need to cut down on saturated fat and eat more unsaturated fat.

Saturated fat can cause a build up of cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease. On average we eat 20% more saturated fat than recommended that's 20g for men and 30g for women.

Unsaturated fats are the good guys and can lower blood pressure.

Saturated fats - fatty cuts of meat, Butter and Lard, Cheese especially hard cheese, Cream and Ice Cream, Cakes, Pastries and Biscuits

Unsaturated fats - Oily Fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel), Avocado, Nuts, Seeds, Sunflower and Olive Oils

Low Fat

Low fat doesn't necessarily mean it's the healthier option, for example a low-fat mayonnaise is still high in fat, just not as high as the standard one, and with most foods when they reduce the fat it is usually replaced with sugar ( weight watchers meals are a typical example, which is why weight watchers is not recommended for people suffering from diabetes ) which means the product is actually higher in calories than it was originally.

Protein

Protein is an important part of your weight loss program, protein is needed to repair and build muscle after your workout, if you are low on protein the only place your body can get it from is your muscle tissue, which will stop your muscles from growing, you will still lose weight but you will just be a thinner version of yourself with no toned or defined muscle.

How much protein do we need?

In order to lose weight successfully through diet and exercise you need 1 gram of protein for every pound you weigh a day, from either animal or plants, highly recommended is natural food form protein supplements like hemp or pea protein as a boost, these can be drunk as a shake or sprinkled over salads, in stews or soups even mixed with peanut butter to make it SUPER peanut butter.

Although protein dense animal proteins are usually higher in saturated fats it's best to opt for lean meats like seafood, poultry, lean cuts of beef or lamb. Plant proteins include legumes, soy, nuts and seeds, and all these contain healthy unsaturated fats.

Carbohydrates

Carbs are your bodies energy source, they provide regular energy throughout the day, but too many carbs will make you feel tired and sluggish, try eating carbs before a workout and you will find it harder to perform, but we need a regular supply of carbs through out the day to supply us with the energy we need and we need our protein for muscle repair and growth plus the energy required to break down this protein uses a lot of calories which burns fat.

The Importance of Weight Training

There's more to weight training than you might think. Now everybody knows that cardio exercises like running, cycling and aerobic workouts are great for weight loss but as soon as you stop the fat burning stops.

What makes weight training so unique is that you carry on burning calories long after your training session as stopped, even while you sleep, why? Because through weight training for every pound of muscle you gain you will burn 50 more calories every day.

A thing here to bear in mind is that pound for pound muscle weighs heavier than fat, so at first you might think you are putting weight on, but what's happening as your body tones up the weight is shifting and you are starting to look slimmer. This is also the best thing for women because it's testosterone that is responsible for muscle shape and development and women only have around 5% that of men women will tone up but not bulk up, but not only that, resistance training can help prevent osteoporosis and arthritis.

The health benefits of weight training go much further, for example, just two 15-20 minute sessions a week can also help reduce the risk of injury as you will have stronger muscles, tendons and ligaments are more flexible so can cope with more stress.

Also it can have a positive effect on insulin resistance, resting metabolism, blood pressure and body fat, it will also reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Eating healthy and exercising should be part of our daily lifestyle, not waiting until we have six weeks left for our summer holiday or just for a new years resolution. There's more to exercise and a balanced than just weight loss, it's about being stronger to avoid injury, preventing illness being fit and active in old age. People who eat and train properly are as fit and active in their 70's as they were in their 40's, being 50 and 60 now is not old. For exercise and diet advice visit I need to lose weight Free fat burning recipes and exercise programs

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

Tips For Achieving Your Weight Loss Goal

2013-06-25T21:30:00.000+01:00

Weight loss is a subject that is of great interest to many people. Whenever a new diet plan or weight loss program appears, everyone wants to know about it. However, the unfortunate truth is that there is no single plan or program that can help you reach your weight loss goal without effort.

If you want to lose weight and get healthy again, you are going to have to work at it. Weight loss is not something that will just happen while you sit around following your normal routine. You are going to have to make significant changes to your lifestyle if you want to both lose weight and keep it off for the rest of your life.

However, you should not let this discourage you. Losing weight is something that anyone can do, and it is never too late to get started. You just have to be willing to put in the time and effort that is needed. If you can stay focused on your goals and dedicated to reaching them, you can start to lose weight quickly.

The first thing to understand about weight loss is that it is essentially a matter of burning more calories than you take in. Over time, if you consistently are able to use more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. Therefore, it is important to know both how many calories you are burning and how many are in the food that you eat.

The safest way to lose weight is gradually. Certain diet plans and weight loss programs make it easy to drop dozens of pounds in just a few weeks, but this is not a healthy way to go. It is quite likely that you will just end up gaining all of these pounds back within a few months. You may even end up weighing more than you did at first.

A better weight loss goal is to lose one to two pounds per week. This may not seem like much, but a slow, steady weight loss is much healthier than a rapid and dramatic loss. Gradually dropping a consistent amount of weight each week gives you a better chance of keeping the weight off.

To track your caloric intake, it can be very helpful to keep a food journal. Write down everything that you eat during the day. It does not matter how small it is; if it goes in your mouth, write it down.

Not only does keeping track of the food that you eat make it easier to know how many calories you are consuming, but it also makes it easier to control how much you eat. When you see what you are eating written down in black and white, you may be shocked. Having a food journal helps you identify things that can easily be eliminated from your diet.

Achieving your weight loss goal may not be easy, but if you are able to achieve the right frame of mind, you can do it. Remember, slow and steady is the way to go.

Congratulations! You reached to the bottom of the article! I have some goodies and rewards for a reader like you. Visit my website Weight Loss Plan!. I have a lot of free resources for you.

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

Metabolism for Your Diet

2013-06-25T08:30:00.000+01:00

You have to know that getting rid of that spare tire involves more than just the number of calories you put into your body each day. Your weight loss success is not just connected to your calorie intake, but also how often you take them in and what kinds of food they are. It's not much argument that eating 2000 calories of ice cream is far more weight gain promoting than 2000 calories of blueberries, but many dieters do not make this distinction. The same holds true eating all 2000 calories in one huge meal, or spreading it over several smaller meals. Each case is different in its ability to help you lose weight, but all of them involve 2000 calories of food.

The reason is simple. When you eat foods high in sugar, you tend to store more calories as fat. When you eat infrequently, your body tends to store the food you do eat as fat. Most folks trying to lose weight have a tendency to stay clear of sugary foods, which is great, but their failure comes when they eat the calories they do in infrequent meals (1-2, even 3 times per day). When they do this, their body enters "starvation mode" between each meal. This is a time when the body, realizing that food has been absent for 4 hours or more, sends out hormonal signals telling cells to slow down and hang on to any energy that they still have left and in order to get the necessary energy to keep us alive, we burn fat. Then, finally when the food does come, the body wants to store it all for the next bout of starvation.

The exact opposite happens when a dieter eats every 3-4 hours. Instead of triggering hormonal messages to slow down, the body send messages to speed up. This is obviously a good thing for someone trying to burn fat because the faster you burn energy, the greater potential to burn fat. We're not done there though. In order to keep these hormones sending the right message, protein in the diet must be significant and frequent. This is because we want to avoid the muscle wasting message send by our starvation hormones. Even frequent eating with low protein can cause fat storage and muscle wasting because your body needs the protein for building, repairing and regenerating tissues. If it isn't in the diet, then it has to come from somewhere.

So let's recap here. If you want to lose weight, you need to limit your calories (1200-1500 per day), but almost more importantly is to consume frequent meals (5-6 small ones per day) with plenty of protein in there. Calorie intake to lose weight is not your only concern. How those calories are used by your body is just as important.

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

Healthy Remedies For Stress, Anxiety, and Obesity

2013-06-21T23:30:00.000+01:00

Advancements in science and technology today have totally modernized how people live their lives. The improvements of the 21st century medical care science have prolonged the rate of longevity and even wiped out several incurable diseases.

These modern wonders have fallen short on eliminating two problematic issues that are affecting people nowadays: Anxiety and Stress. Regardless of the dietary supplements that you use, or the physical exercise program that you try... No one can gain immunity out of life worries.

The other health issue that creates challenges to medical science is obesity. Based on the U.S Obesity Society research, around 64% of Americans have become overweight. The unhealthy eating habit, the convenience of transportation, as well as working in a less active environment have all contributed to the growth of obesity.

Another leading issue that the media put aside is emotional stress. Emotional stress is the leading cause of obesity today. What comes to your mind whenever you attempt to tackle a deadline? It's Food. What comes to your mind whenever you become stressed? It's Food. What comes to your mind whenever you feel over-worked? It's Food. You start to crave for food to calm your senses down and divert your mind away from your troubles. You possibly can even hear it calling in your mind "Come over to me and taste me! "How tasty am I today?" Your thoughts are now filled up with the images of donuts, candies and cookies.

Eating is mostly used to ease a troubled soul. People that are stressed are much more at risk of giving in to food craving. Research have shown that an average healthy individual carries around seven pounds of toxins. Therefore, it is not difficult to think about the amount of toxin an obese individual carries around. Other scientific studies showed that ten percent of those who are obese actually started over-eating as a way to relieve themselves from anxieties. The enjoyment of eating turned out to become an effective way to block off every negative feelings.

Having a sound body with a healthy mind is something that we cannot achieve separately. In fact, our minds have a massive impact on the way our body feels. Our body is a reflection of our mental and emotional state. Obesity might be an indicator of a severe psychological and emotional issue.

Anxiety and Emotional stress, being the indirect reasons behind over-eating and obesity, need to be solved to prevent serious health issues.

Besides managing your diet, you also need to control your emotions. Everyday stress at work and home can be become excessive. The majority of the urban workers and business owners are caught up in a life of continuous rush. A very busy life can turn out to be so hectic which affect our eating habit. Just watch a regular restaurant in the center of a business area, you will probably observe people gobbling up every since food in their plate... not really savoring the meal. To make matters worse, they consume large amounts of food thinking that they need to restore their body system after a very busy day. Instead of consuming a good nutritious food, they eat foods that are high in fat and calories which are poor for one's health and wellness.

So, if you are serious about losing weight, you need to get rid of the things that cause stress in your life. It is important that you try the following health-enhancing daily activities:

1. Practice Yoga - you just need a mat and yoga videos which demonstrate the various yoga positions.

2. Laugh - Laughter is the best medicine. It is a good stress reliever.

3. Meditate - Meditation involves concentrating inwardly and shutting out every sound to restore your health and keep you calm.

4. Diet - There are some food that can trigger stress such as excess caffeine consumption. Monitoring amount of food you eat as well as knowing the essential food to eat is very important. Eating food rich in protein that is balanced with fruits and veggies will keep you healthy.

In conclusion, an effective solution to tackle stress and obesity are to lessen your busy, fast-paced lifestyle. Eliminate the things that bring chaos to your daily life.

*Visit http://www.healthfuldietandnutrition.com/ For Free Daily Health Tips!!!.

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

Effective Weight Management Goes Way Beyond Weight Loss

2013-06-21T23:00:00.000+01:00

Fixating on losing weight alone is short lived and cannot be sustained long term. It most often results in many unsuccessful attempts, usually through fad dieting, yo yo dieting, starvation, scrupulous calorie counting and obsessing with the weighing scales. You need to focus on the bigger picture... aiming for whole, long term health instead of fixating on weight loss alone. We are bombarded with promises and quick fixes every day for that perfect figure, when in reality, success can only be achieved when one understands the fundamentals of nutrition and why their current eating and lifestyle habits have led to their current weight problems. Only through re learning, a balanced, fulfilling dietary plan, a feeling of satisfaction after eating, awareness of portion control, cravings being a thing of the past, and some form of physical activity that suits the individual's fitness levels will success be attainable. A support structure and emotional awareness are also fundamental to any long term health strategy as only when all these factors combined have been acted on can permanent change be made. A long term strategy towards a healthier weight will control blood pressure and cholesterol levels, lessen your risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers as well as depression, fatigue and infertility. In a nutshell, losing weight goes way beyond weight loss and shedding those 2 to 3 lb's a week. Focus on the "bigger picture," long term health and longevity.

Benefits of exercise go way beyond weight loss

Exercising as a way of dieting or as a means to an end to shed those pounds is counter-intuitive. What should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience as well as a highly stress busting activity that is about self-care and being positive around health and fitness, instead becomes another chore. So it's no wonder the exercise plan goes off the rails so quickly at the beginning of every new weight loss attempt.

Setting yourself an achievable, realistic goal around exercise is vital. "I have to lose four stone by summer" is not a goal. "I will arrange a free fitness consultation at my local gym one day this week", on the other hand, IS a goal.

An effective weight management programme should include specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time managed goals around exercise and nutrition.

Food and emotions

Many people self medicate with food to manage their emotions when feelings of stress or depression take hold.

Food definitely makes us feel better, even if we aren't self-medicating when we eat. Food not only quells our hunger, it also makes us feel better emotionally. So what's the test for using food to self-medicate?

One benchmark of self-medicating is overindulgence, where food becomes a substitute for a more adaptive way of feeling good. We don't know how to cope when life takes over and things happen- all the D's: divorce, death, deadlines, debt, demands. Eventually eating can appear to be ones only comfort.

Emotional eating creates a cycle of feel bad, eat, feel worse, and eat more. Be mindful of the food-emotion connection.

Obstacles

Weekend Binging: All week you exercise and eat the right foods, but come the weekend you want to "let your hair down." Weekends are wonderful for relaxing, but be mindful of indulging in junk food as a way to unwind. You want to be full of motivation and feeling ready for a new week come Monday, not nursing a hangover from those empty calorie beverages.

Analysis Paralysis: With so many exercise regimes available, deciding which one will give the best results can be a bit overwhelming. There's CrossFit, Zumba, boxercise, yoga, running, weights, circuit training, DVD's, and many more. The best workout is the one you'll do consistently and meets your personal goals and enjoyment. Find what works for YOU.

Poor Planning: Healthy living requires some organization and planning. If you're hoping to squeeze in a workout and have no idea where your meals will be, you're setting yourself up for failure. Plan by scheduling workouts and food shopping in advance for the coming week. Preparation and managing time efficiently is key. Don't give up. Practice makes perfect.

Social Pressure: Although we can't blame others for our own choices, we do need to recognize when they influence our choices. Be prepared for situations where you've caved to peer pressure in the past and don't be afraid to say no. This can be a great time to have a friend who's making the same strides as you to make positive change in their life. Friends can be a great source of support and encouragement.

Do you feel any of these are getting in the way of your fitness and health goals? What other obstacles might be the reason?

Mairead is a qualified Nutritional Therapist and weight management coach based in Dun Laoghaire Dublin.

For more information or advice call Mairead on 087 9929 564 or visit http://www.harbourclinic.com

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

6 Effective Ways To Burn Off Excess Body Fat To Become Physically Fit And Energized

2013-06-20T23:30:00.000+01:00

Today many people are getting intellectual jobs rather than physical jobs. Sitting on chairs at place of

work for an extended period of time has turned out to become a standard for people. Stress, as well as rush made us to overlook healthy food routine and end up filling our stomach up with fast food such as cheeseburgers and sodas, which don't do anything good enough for your body system.

Because of these kind of insane lifestyle cycle, we hardly try to find time for physical exercises or well balanced diet. As a result of that, more than 60% of Americans are overweight. Despite all of this, you can actually correct your way of life and lose unwanted fat.

All the 6 Effective Tips that are made available below will assist you to burn extra fat, and become much more energized and healthier.

1. Drink More Water.

Your body needs plenty of water. Water gets rid of toxins from your body system and also carries numerous important nutrients into your organs, tissues and cells. Your body system also loses water through the use of it. This is why you need to replace it and stay hydrated more frequently than you used to.

Begin your day with a glass of water each morning. Drink a glass of water before every meal. Go to work with a bottle of water. Your body system really need about 3-5 liters of water throughout a day. So don't hesitate to make sure that you drink enough water whenever and wherever possible.

2. Consume Fruits and Drink Fresh Fruit Juices.

Consumption of fruits and fresh juices can help you eradicate harmful toxins from your body system. Consumption of many different fruits will also help you gain sufficient fiber, vitamins, and antioxidant. That's why you need to consume fresh fruits and drink organic fruit juices whenever possible.

Fresh fruits from retail outlets tend to be sweetened. If you are looking to drink fruit juice, make fruit juice by yourself. If you believe that it will take a lot of your time, seek out for juices with labeling that says "100% fruit juice." These are generally healthier for your body system as along as they contain beneficial nutrients.

3. Consume Veggies and Vegetable Salad.

When it comes to cutting down body fat, veggies are a fantastic option. They are all-natural and also consist of various vitamins, minerals, and plenty of various other valuable chemical substances known to supply health benefits for your body system. Veggies are very low in unwanted fat and unhealthy calories, they help to manage blood sugar levels, minimize blood cholesterol and greatly reduce the danger of colon along with other cancers. Each one of these features will actually enable you to deal with your weight without difficulty.

If you think that consuming veggies alone isn't a good option, try to make some salads. Blending veggies together will give you additional diverse nutritional and health advantages. There are varieties of delicious and healthful salad recipes via the internet. You can also apply your visualization to create some perfect salad.

4. Eat Only If You Are Hungry.

Don't eat because it was offered to you. Eat only when you wish to.

A lot of people even like snacking in the middle of eating a meal or whenever they do not have anything to do. Give up snacking. A lot of snacks consists of a large amount of unwanted fat and calories. Substitute your regular snacks with veggies or fruits. These are generally nourishing to your body system and you'll in no way grow fatter.

5. Carry Healthy Meals With You.

A lot of us work very busy jobs and don't have enough time to consume food regularly. In cases like this, bring your own made food along with you. Bring veggies salad, carrots, chicken salad (as a substitute for sandwiches with meat). Any food lower in fat will be alright. By doing this, you won't need to wait for a break at work to fill your stomach. You'll have the capability to have fixed periods when consuming foods.

Additionally, it is important to consume about 5 times daily, as opposed to 3-2 times. Eat in smaller sized quantities more frequently. This will help increase the rate of your metabolism.

6. Exercise Whenever Possible.

Exercising in a gym is not just the best way to build lean muscles, but also a good way to drop unwanted body weight. Working-out enables you to burn off calories rather than accumulating them within your body as fat. Your body system was designed to be energetic which means that doing exercise gradually help you get extra energy and eventually make you feel much better.

By the end of the week, make sure that you shake off all the stress and burn off calories in a gym or by getting some type of workout routine at home. In case you have enough time, attempt to do simple and easy exercises daily.

In conclusion, bear in mind that this guide will enable you to lose some weight, as long as you are motivated and also willing to commit a part of your time. Don't plan to slim down 4 sizes only after consuming 5 carrots and drinking fresh orange juice. Your body system, very much like a lot of other things in this world, really needs time. Therefore, wait patiently. In case you are going to seriously make use of at least a few of these tips, you will definitely transform your way of life, which in the long run could lead you to a ultimate thinner and healthier body.

*Visit http://www.healthfuldietandnutrition.com/ for Free Daily Health Tips!!!.

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

Increase Your Bottom Line By Juicing at Home

2013-06-20T23:00:00.000+01:00

Depending on your machine, you might want to think about the way you add the greens into the blender. Cutting them into small pieces works well. For leafy greens consider forming them into small round shapes. I know your thinking "I don't want to take the time to do that, hey I want it done fast". Me too that's why I invested in a power house machine, it can deal with it while giving me the results I'm looking for.

OK, some of us just don't like to eat vegetables. We would rather eat fruits, why, because of the sugar of course, they just taste better. But veggies have more nutrients, what is a person to do? Why not mix it up? Just work your way up by adding a few veggies in as you go. Stop the blender and try your drink. This way you will find what works for you.

You creative types can mix it up with a snap of the finger. So try different products, you will come up with drinks that are different than the typical recipes. Now there is nothing wrong with using standard recipes that have weathered the test to time.

Like anything new don't rush into it too quickly. For some it takes time to change from the dangerous eating life style we are used to in the USA, to a new health eating life style. In-time, you and your body will come to love getting the majority of your life giving nutrients from whole foods. Just remember to read you body well, it will tell you if you are moving to fast.

As the saying goes: "You get what you pay for". OK, you don't have to buy the most expensive juicer or blender on the market to get the job done. You should consider doing a bit of research before you invest in one. Do a Google search like "blenders in review", the time invested will pay off with lots of tips you should know before you buy.

So where are the best places to buy safe foods to get started making great smoothies. To start with you will have to make a paradigm shift. You might be used to buying your fruits and veggies from the run of the mill grocery market.

That should change. The best places to get great products are at your local Farmers Markets they often set up shop in a "flee market kinda way" Depending on your locations. Next look for stores that sell "organic foods".

In conclusion, I have given you several ways to save you money while improving you overall heath. But this information will not help you if you don't take action. So, start by typing in the search engine you are using for Juicers or blenders in review to help you on your way. Or just click the here http://www.blendersinreview.com

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

Still Drinking Diet Soda?

2013-06-20T22:30:00.000+01:00

Diet drinks have been consumed for years by dieters and others trying to avoid the calories and sugar associated with regular soft drinks. But is it really a healthier alternative? Here are some facts to consider before you pop open that next can.

Diet soda makes you fat. Scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio determined that the more diet soda test subjects drank the fatter they became. Those who consumed two or more diet sodas per day increased their waist size an average of 500%! It actually causes you to crave high-carbohydrate, processed foods.

It ramps up your sweet tooth. Diet sodas stimulate your sweet taste receptors and the stimulation is so strong it dulls your ability to taste the natural sweetness of fruits and vegetables.

It pulls calcium from your bones. This is an especially valid point for those already at risk for osteoporosis. Phosphoric acid, a main ingredient in diet drinks, is associated with lower bone density. The reason this is used in manufacturing diet sodas is it gives the drink a tangy taste that people love and it keeps mold and bacteria from growing in the can. Yum!

It increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Unbelievably, regular soda consumption was not associated with these risks.

Artificial sweetener is a neurotoxin. Aspartame has been known to cause irritation and over-stimulation of the nerves. Many experts believe it can cause long-term nerve and neurological damage.

It can cause skin problems. Diet sodas disrupt your pH levels, which can lead to acne and rob your skin of its radiance. We need high levels of alkalinity in order for our complexions to be healthy and glowing. The high acidic levels found in diet sodas dramatically lower your pH.

It can actually make you feel bad. The aspartame found in these drinks trigger or increase depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

It reduces kidney function. Just two diet sodas a day was shown to reduce the function of the kidneys by 30%.

Do you need any more reasons than this?

The makers of the zero calorie sodas would like you to buy into the marketing that these drinks are part of a healthy lifestyle, or at least part of a good diet plan that keeps down caloric intake. The risks and health problems associated with these products far outweigh the reduction of calories.

If you'd like to avoid the above health risks and weight gain, drink the best fluid ever created for your body. Water!

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

Natural Slimming Methods

2013-06-20T21:30:00.000+01:00

There are several methods and possibilities to get that slender body you always yearned for. The key is to choose the one that you find easiest and most effective for you. Most common slimming methods are: diets, exercises and special medicines that increase your body functionality to lose weight. Remember that staying healthy is your priority and that is why you are looking to get slender. Therefore, take note to choose the method that is not a burden for you, effective, and doesn't have any negative impact on your health. Below we explain different natural slimming methods to help you choose the one that is best for you.
The first one is to change your diet plan and revert to a healthier diet, not the high caloric ones. There are different diet plans that focus on low-calorie diets to help you maintain or lose weight. These diet plans include; what you should eat and what to avoid and when to take your food. For some people it is very difficult to change their diet because they just love eating and their meals are usually highly caloric. They are most likely to find this method very difficult to adopt.

The next method is to enroll in an exercise program at your local gym. This method is very effective for those who like to indulge into physical activities. It can be hard sometimes to exercise regularly but you can make it fun by inviting friends over and stay motivated.

Another healthy method is fitness exercises like jogging, step, or aqua aerobics. Aqua aerobics are safe and fun especially if you are fond of activities in water, example, swimming, it is ideal for you. It helps you get rid of your toxin which in turns helps you stay energetic, build muscle strength and loosen weight. Step is platform where you exercise and make different movements with the rhythm of music. Intensive movements help burn fat very fast and step is a perfect choice if you want to exercise intensely with music to keep you going. Not only does it help you burn extra fat but also increase the strength of your foot muscle and heart. Jogging is probably the easiest of all the healthy slimming methods which can be performed by anyone. Jogging help reduce weight fast and improves agility more significantly.

Whatever slimming method you choose, the important thing to realize is that it requires patience, motivation and persistence. Sometimes a combination of these methods can work very well if you want to lose weight efficiently. However, the key is to understand your capacity and keep working till you finally start to reap the fruit of all the hard work.

For more information to get slim, visit http://toreducefat.com to get your free bonus.

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

The Secret to Targeted Weight Loss

2013-06-20T12:30:00.000+01:00

Blazing across the covers of fitness and beauty magazines you'll often see article titles like "Ten Days to Thinner Thighs" or "Lose the Belly Fat with These Ab Workouts!"

It's not just magazines either; books, diet plans and workout videos all claim that by exercising a certain area of the body you can slim that area in particular.

Unfortunately, these claims simply do not live up to the actual science of weight loss.

Genetics play a large role in where and how we store body fat.

Women are more predisposed to gain weight in their hips, butt and thighs whereas men are more likely to gain weight in their stomach. Exercising these areas will help the muscles underneath grow. If you are not carrying a large layer of fat over these muscles they will become more visible with growth and may make the area look slightly tighter and more muscular than previously, but you won't actually be losing any fat in that area.

In fact, if you gain a large amount of muscle like through a strength-training or weight lifting regimen those areas will look larger than they would if you simply had a low body fat percentage.

The only reliable way to slim down your problem areas is to lose body fat overall.

Unfortunately, we can't determine which areas shed fat first. If you carry most of your weight in your stomach along with a little excess fat overall, you may notice your face, arms, legs or breasts slimming down before the weight on your stomach starts to drop. Only by continuing to drop weight will you eventually see results in you abdomen.

If doing 100 crunches a day won't help you lose your stomach pooch, what will?

Most doctors and fitness experts agree that real fat loss begins in the kitchen not in the gym.

Think of it this way, many people average about 100 calories burned when running a mile. 100 calories is roughly 2/3rds of a Twinkie. Skipping that Twinkie is often easier than making it to the gym every day. For people without certain health issues, maintaining a caloric deficit every day-eating fewer calories than you expend-will drop the weight eventually.

Many doctors and nutritionists cite 2lbs per week as a healthy weight loss goal.

While it may seem pointless to exercise there are two main reasons why it is important for people with the aesthetic goals of achieving the perfect beach body.

People who exercise along with dieting are more likely to keep the weight off than their counterparts who lose weight simply by dieting.

While this may partially have to do with the fact that exercise helps you retain lean muscle mass while dieting, which keeps your metabolism from bottoming out, it is also because working out and eating right are part of a healthy lifestyle and committing to a healthy lifestyle is easier for many people to maintain than yo-yo dieting.

The other reason exercise is important to people looking to lose weight for an aesthetic reason is because of muscle hypertrophy.

Muscle hypertrophy is where your muscle increases in size often becoming visible under the skin, think six-pack abs or bulging biceps. Simply losing weight won't make you look fit or cut, it will simply make you skinny. By pairing fat loss with periods of caloric surplus and muscle gain you can achieve the idealized fit body.

There are many health and beauty benefits to working out regularly; unfortunately, doing 30 squats a day won't give you a ballerina's long, lean legs.

Like so many other things in health and fitness, there is no shortcut to losing fat in a certain area.

Your year-round beach body can only be achieved through hard work on the right diet and exercise, and a commitment to perseverance.

Get free daily exercise tips and more weight loss secrets at http://BeachBodyTip.com

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

Get Rid of Belly Fat the Simple Way

2013-06-20T12:00:00.000+01:00

There are two main reasons why you build up excess belly fat. Eating a lot of a fat-filled diet and not exercising enough. Similarly, there are two easy ways to get rid of belly fat; eat healthy food and exercise regularly. If you can adapt to these two things, you'll soon see your unsightly belly fat turning into lean, flat and attractive midsection.

The following tips will help set your course to say bye-bye to the unsightly tummy which has been weighing you down for so many years.

Keep Reminding Yourself of the Goal

Your goal should not be to get rid of belly fat, yes, you read that right! In fact your goal should be to pack up some lean muscle. Having the fat-loss thing in your mind will encourage you to keep sitting on a stationary cycle all day, looking at the electronics meter and counting the numbers of calories you've burnt. What you actually need to look for is, to build up lean muscle. Once you start working towards that, the excess fat in your body will start to come off itself. This happens because of the increased metabolic rate triggered by your muscle mass.

Watch Your Diet

Diet plays a significant factor when you are looking to get rid of belly fat, so always watch what you are eating and how much you are eating. Spreading your meals throughout the day and having 5-6 meals to meet the daily requirement of about 2000 calories can change your look within weeks.

Eat Protein

Remember the goal is to build lean muscle, so the diet should be chosen according to that. Protein is the key when it comes to packing healthy muscle to get rid of belly fat. Proteins are easy to digest and high thermic level helps burn fat faster.

Resistance Training

Now let's come to the second part of our belly fat loss program i.e. exercising regularly. Again the exercise is chosen keeping in view the goal. Weight training is how you start triggering your body to build muscle. Sit-ups, push-ups, squats and dead-lifts are exercises that work on the major muscles and create shocks in the body to get rid of the fat.

High Intensity Training

High intensity training includes cardio exercises which are known to be most effective against fat loss. These exercises increase metabolic rates to its peak and burn fats from your abdomen more than any other part. The intense level of movement in the legs and core area get rid of belly fat extremely fast.

Following these simple tips and by being persistent in your approach while reminding yourself the goal, you'll see the results earlier then you expect.

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

The Natural Way to Fat Burning

2013-06-20T11:20:00.000+01:00

There are many people in our society who are suffering from over-weighing. The excess fat in the body becomes the major cause of many diseases such as cholesterol, hypertension and cardiac problems. Frustrated with this problem, many obese folks are tempted towards quick fat burning methods which results in nothing but more frustration.

What you need to realize is that there is no quick way to remove the excessive fat in your body. You need to be prepared to change your diet and work out. There are natural ways to burn fat that have proved to be quite effective. The purpose of this article is to make you believe that you can lose fat and lose it without causing any harm to your body.

Natural ways of burning fat requires effort on your part. But it is not like that you have to climb a mountain, in fact, natural fat burning can be achieved by doing simple exercises and fun activities like walking, weight lifting, swimming and cardio exercises. Walking around immediately after taking food is the best way to stop building fat in your body and get rid of the excess part. During these exercises, the enzymes in the body actually speed up the fat burning process themselves. This natural way of burning fat in your body actually does not harm the body because the body learns to ride itself off the excess fat without any alterations to the natural enzymes. The pills or so-called natural supplements actually alter the functioning of the enzymes which can harm your body. These supplements usually have other counter acting agents in them which can store up in the body as sugar or fat.

One of the most simple and effective fat burning exercise is walking. Neither does it require any special equipment nor a special place. If you can make walking your habit, it will really help you to keep off of excess fat and make you feel healthier and energetic. Walking briskly can speed up the fat lose process and improves the functioning of your heart.

Along with the exercises, you also have to learn to eat smartly. Not all kind of fat is bad for you and there has always been confusion between what is good fat and bad fat. Bad fat is the saturated fat in your body while fat from foods such as omega-3 products are actually good for you. So be smart in your approach and keep your fat burning process natural.

For more info on fat burning, visit http://toreducefat.com to get your free E-Book.

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

What To Look For When Buying Garcinia Cambogia

2013-06-06T14:00:00.000+01:00

The only natural way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. So you have several options: You can eat fewer calories, exercise more, or do both. For most people, combining a healthy diet with an increase in exercise is the way to go. Garcinia Cambogia is the much touted appetite suppressant and fat buster that may help you achieve your weight loss goals with less effort.

Obesity And Health

Over 60% of Americans are overweight and according to the CDC more than 1 in 3 are obese. It's sad, but true. Unless you're one of those super lucky individuals who is blessed with a high metabolism, chances are at some point in your life, you too will want to shed a few pounds.

Having a lean and trim body doesn't just make you look better, it makes you healthier as being overweight puts you at an increased risk for many diseases.

How Does Garcinia Cambogia Work?

Garcinia Cambogia is a small fruit that grows mainly in Southeast Asia and India. The extract comes from the rind of the fruit and contains HCA, Hydroxycitric Acid. It is the HCA that is responsible for all of the supplements many health benefits such as:

Blocking The Production of Fat
Suppressing The Appetite
Supporting Healthy Cortisol Levels which Helps Prevent The Formation of Belly Fat
Increasing Serotonin Levels which Helps Control Emotional Overeating

Another great advantage is that Garcinia Cambogia with HCA can do all of this without stimulating the central nervous system so it won't leave you feeling jittery. In clinical studies there were no significant side effects meaning that it is also safe.

What To Look For

Look for a product that is Made in the U.S.A.
Look for the proper dosage. Typically, the common recommended dosage is normally 500-1000 milligrams per serving taken twice daily before meals. Lower dosages may not work as well and higher dosages may cause possible side effects.
Look for 60%HCA. Premium G.C.E. is standardized to 60% HCA. Some brands may use 50% HCA which is less potent and not provide the desired effects.
Look for the FDA symbol. This means the product is manufactured in an FDA registered facility.
Look for a product that contains no artificial ingredients, no preservatives, no binders, or no fillers. You want the purest form of Garcinia Cambogia Extract that you can buy.
Look for a product that also contains Potassium and Calcium as this helps to increase the bioavailability which further increases its effectiveness.

Where Can You Buy This Product?

Although you can now find Garcinia Cambogia in vitamin stores and department stores you probably won't want to purchase it there. You can get a much better deal when you buy Garcinia Cambogia Extract online and you will most likely get a money back guarantee.

A great place to buy Pure Garcinia Cambogia Extract is on Amazon. They offer free shipping on orders over $25 and they also have excellent customer service. Some of the brands even offer 2 bottles for a 60 day supply.

Another great benefit of purchasing through Amazon is that you can easily compare products. When you hover over the images, the images enlarge, allowing you to carefully inspect the labels. Now that you know what to look for you can select the product that meets all of your criteria.

One last benefit of buying Ultra Pure Garcinia Cambogia through Amazon is the reviews. You can read the reviews of a product to see what other people had to say about it so that you can feel confident about your purchase.

Something To Think About

The best way to lose weight and experience better health is by following a healthy diet and exercise regimen. Losing weight is never easy but thanks to Garcinia Cambogia it may have gotten just a little bit easier.

For additional information about how to use this product to maximize your weight loss please visit Pure Garcinia Cambogia. Click here to purchase the highest quality Ultra Pure Garcinia Cambogia Extract.

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

Is Garcinia Cambogia The Long Awaited Solution To Fat Loss?

2013-06-06T13:30:00.000+01:00

Losing weight can be a very difficult task. As we age it seems that dropping a few pounds is not as easy as it used to be. In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is very important to lose weight and keep it off.

The Importance of Fat Loss

There are many health conditions associated with being overweight. Obesity increases your risk for developing Joint Problems, Type 2 Diabetes, Stroke, Heart Disease, High Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels, to name just a few.

What Is Garcinia Cambogia and What Can It Do For You?

Garcinia Cambogia is a small fruit that is indigenous to Southeast Asia and India. The extract comes from the fruit rind and contains Hydroxycitric Acid, commonly known as HCA. It is the HCA that is so important as it has many health benefits and can aid in fat loss which can help to improve your overall health.

How Does Pure Garcinia Cambogia Help With Fat Loss?

There are seemingly endless diet and weight loss supplements and the question we all want answered is, "Which ones actually work?"

Studies have shown HCA to help reduce appetite, inhibit fat synthesis and decrease body weight without stimulating the central nervous system.

HCA inhibits ATP-citrate lyase which diverts carbohydrates away from fat synthesis and towards the synthesis of stored energy in the form of glycogen. Increased glycogen levels are believed to send a signal to the brain that the body is full. This helps to suppress the appetite resulting in a reduction of food intake.

Garcinia Cambogia with HCA may also be able to stimulate serotonin release and inhibit its reuptake in the body. Serotonin (5-HT), a neurotransmitter, is involved in a wide range of behavioral functions in the body, including mood and appetite control.

What To Look For When Purchasing Garcinia Cambogia with HCA

All supplements are not created equally and this is especially true of Garcinia Cambogia. For starters, you'll want to look for brand that is made in the U.S.A in an FDA registered facility. Look on the label for the GMP seal. This means they use good manufacturing practices and are concerned about consistency.

You'll also want to read the label carefully to make sure the product doesn't contain any artificial or harmful ingredients.

In addition, determine how long the supply will last by dividing the number of capsules in the bottle by the number of capsules you will need to take each day. It's imperative to read the labels to understand what you're getting and how long it will last.

For instance, consider the following:

Brand A costs $25. If Brand A has a recommended dosage of two- 400mg capsules taken twice daily and Brand A contains 1 bottle of 60 capsules, then Brand A contains a 15 day supply.

Brand B costs $27. If Brand B has a recommended dosage of one- 800mg capsule taken twice daily and Brand B contains 1 bottle of 60 capsules, then Brand B contains a 30 day supply.

Brand C costs $30. If Brand C has a recommended dosage of one- 800mg capsule taken twice daily and Brand C contains 2 bottle of 60 capsules, then Brand C contains a 60 day supply.

Clearly, Brand C is the best value assuming all other things being equal and it meets all of your quality criteria.

Is This Safe For You?

In addition to being stimulant-free, no significant adverse effects were reported in studies of Garcinia Cambogia with HCA.

Pregnant or nursing mothers and individuals with a known medical condition should consult a physician before taking this or any supplement.

One Step At A Time

When first starting out on your weight loss journey, focus on one change at a time. If you try to reduce your caloric intake, increase your exercise and cut out all the junk food all in the same week, you'll end up feeling overwhelmed. Have a simple, single goal and stick with it and then add on more, as each new goal becomes a habit. Adding Garcinia Cambogia to the mix can help give you the extra support you need.

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

Tiny Tweaks Women Over 50 Can Use To Stop A Growing Belly

2013-06-06T13:00:00.000+01:00

As a woman over the age of 50 you may have noticed that your belly is growing despite the fact that you are eating and exercising the same. This is because when midlife strikes, so does the widening of the midsection and all of this change is thanks to the tiny hormones that are produced by your body.

The typical age of onset for menopause is 51. With menopause comes a drop in estrogen, which alters the body composition. This hormonal shift makes it easier for your body to store fat in your belly. While this does somewhat decrease fat storage in the legs, hips and buttock, belly fat is nothing to desire. And I am not talking only about appearance. Belly fat is a type of visceral fat. This type of fat is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even certain cancers.

If you are a woman over the age of 50 with a growing belly, then use these simple eating tweaks to stop the spread.

1. Eat "One Ingredient Foods." Foods such as nuts, vegetables, whole fruits, and fish, are filling and easy for your body to utilize for energy and repair. The easier you make if for your body to digest food, the less food will be available for fat storage.

2. Eat Carbs At Exercise Time. Carbohydrates are the "go-to" nutrient your body wants for energy. You can give your body what it needs by eating carbs a few hours before you work out as well as right after a workout. This allows you to feel energized while at the same time allowing your body to burn the carbs you ate in your muscles, instead of storing them as belly fat.

3. Avoid Packaged Foods. What you get from the convenience of boxed or bagged foods is not worth the growth you will experience around your waist. Packaged convenience foods contain a lot of partially hydrogenated oils (i.e. trans fats) and refined flour. Research shows that these foods contribute to abdominal fat.

4. Eat Fewer Carbs and More Protein. Especially after the age of 50 your body has an easier time converting carbs into fat, than protein to fat. Therefore, a simple tweak to keep the belly from growing is to swap out 200 carb calories for 200 extra protein calories each day.

5. Lift Weights. Even if you have never picked up a dumbbell in your life, you can start after the age of 50. Lifting weights helps preserve and even build muscle mass, which is a great way to combat belly fat. If weightlifting is not for you, then try bodyweight exercises, such as push-ups or lunges, or even yoga. Even one day a week will help!

You do not have to settle for a growing belly after the age of 50. Follow these tiny tweaks to keep the midsection bumps and lumps away.

You can also learn what other women over the age of 50 are doing to stay slim and read their goals.
Are you curious to see how your goals stack up to theirs? I guarantee their inspiring stories will give you the motivation to reach your goal!

PLUS... you will receive my free report "How to Keep Your Body in a Fat Burning State 24/7", where you will learn how to gain control over hormones that control weight loss. Get the Free Report and Read Goals by clicking the link.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Becky_Gillaspy

Garcinia Cambogia - Is It Really "The Holy Grail of Weight Loss"?

2013-06-06T12:30:00.000+01:00

The Obesity Epidemic

Some people may laugh at fat jokes but fat is truly no laughing matter. If it seems like people have been getting fatter in the past twenty years it's because they have!

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention 35.7% of U.S. adults were obese in 2009-2010 and since 1980 obesity rates have doubled for adults and tripled for children.

These are alarming statistics with devastating health effects.

What is Obesity Anyway?

Obesity is defined as having a BMI or Body Mass Index of 30.0 or greater. Although not as accurate as some methods of measuring body fat, BMI is a fairly reliable way to assess the amount of fat a person is carrying. The formula for BMI is to take your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared.

The Consequences of Obesity

Carrying around extra fat is not only unattractive and uncomfortable, but more importantly, it's unhealthy. The consequences of obesity are far reaching and may include the following health risks:

Coronary heart disease
Stroke
High Blood Pressure
Type 2 Diabetes
Some forms of Cancer
High Cholesterol
High Triglycerides
Liver and gallbladder disease
Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
Osteoarthritis
Infertility
Mental health conditions

Have You Heard About Garcinia Cambogia?

Garcinia Cambogia is the new kid on the fat loss block. It seems that there is a lot of buzz about this not so new diet aid with the unusual name. Its popularity has soared in recent months after being featured on a popular daytime T.V. show. It's also been receiving quite a bit of online exposure as well. So if you are curious about what it is and what it can do for you, then you're going to want to investigate further.

So What Is Garcinia Cambogia Extract and Where Does It Come From?

Garcinia Cambogia, also known as the Tamarind Fruit, is small fruit which resembles a pumpkin and grows in India and Southeast Asia. Garcinia Cambogia Extract is made from the rind of the fruit and contains Hydroxycitric Acid or HCA which is the active ingredient that has shown to have significant health and fat loss benefits.

What Are The Benefits Of Pure Garcinia Cambogia Extract?

The scientific research community has shown Garcinia Cambogia to have many health benefits including:

Works As An Appetite Suppressant
Helps To Block The Production of Fat
Stimulates Serotonin Levels Improving Mood and Sleep
Increased Seratonin Levels Also Help To Control Emotional Overeating
Supports Healthy Cortisol Levels Which Helps To Prevent Belly Fat From Forming

What About Side Effects?

A huge concern for most people is whether the supplement is safe and whether there are any adverse side effects. Studies have shown Garcinia Cambogia with HCA to have no significant side effects. One of the biggest benefits of this revolutionary dietary supplement is that is not a stimulant so it does not stimulate the central nervous system or leave you feeling jittery like so many diet pills do.

Conclusion

When taken as directed and combined with a healthy diet and moderate exercise program, Ultra Pure Garcinia Cambogia may give you the extra edge you're looking for to achieve healthy weight loss.

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

Belly Fat In Women Over 50 - Why It's There And How To Get Rid Of It

2013-06-06T12:00:00.000+01:00

By Dr. Becky Gillaspy

A common complaint among women over 50 is that it gets harder to lose weight and any weight gained tends to settle in the belly area. As you age your metabolism drops as much as 10% per decade. When you hit menopause your metabolism can take an additional 5 to 10% drop due to hormonal changes. Add to this the fact that these same hormonal changes make it easier for your body to deposit fat in the abdomen and you end up with a growing belly fat problem.

While this may make it seem as if there are a lot of hurdles to cross to get rid of belly fat, there are steps you can take to prevent or remove belly fat after the age of 50.

1. Exercise. If you never exercised in your life, now is the time to start. If you have been a regular workout enthusiast, then add a bit more to your weekly routine.

Part of the reason metabolism drops is because your body loses muscle with age. Muscle is what burns calories, even when you are at rest, and exercise is the best way to preserve muscle, and therefore your metabolism.

2. Eating. The way your body handles nutrients changes as you age. For example, carbohydrates were easily converted to energy when you were in your teens and twenties. However, now that you are in your fifties, more of the carbohydrate calories that you consume get converted to body fat.

To work around this issue you can reduce your carbohydrate intake by about 200 calories a day. To avoid hunger, you can replace those lost calories with the same amount of protein.

3. Triggers. Even though your body changes as you age, the basic mechanics still apply. In other words, if you feed your body only what it needs, then it will be able to utilize those calories for energy and general body repairs. However, if you overeat, especially if you eat too many carbohydrate calories at one time, these extra calories will "spill-over" and create belly fat.

To avoid this learn what your eating triggers are. What causes you to overeat?

Your trigger may be psychological. For instance, you may eat when you feel stressed. Or, you could be triggered to overeat by eating the wrong foods. Research shows that foods that contain fat, salt, and sugar are highly addictive. This would include a burger and fries, potato chips, and many other "trigger foods."

After the age of 50 women do have a tendency to gain belly fat. But by using the tips above to shift your eating habits, exercise routine, and identify your triggers, you can burn the belly fat and get the slim waistline you want.

Possibly the most important thing to keep in mind is that every successful fat loss story begins at the same place, with a compelling and motivating personal goal.

But as a woman over the age of 50 are you clear on what your goal should be?

Read the goals of other women over 50 and see how your goals stack up to theirs. I guarantee their inspiring stories will give you the motivation to reach your goal!

PLUS... you will receive my free report "How to Keep Your Body in a Fat Burning State 24/7", where you will learn how to gain control over hormones that control weight loss. Get the Free Report and Read Goals by clicking the link.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Becky_Gillaspy