Posts Tagged ‘Carbohydrates’

How Healthy Diet Can Help You Burn Fat

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

Healthy diet is one of the initial steps you must look in to when you begin thinking about how to increase your metabolism. You can find theories about loosing weight with diet anywhere you look.

One of the most popular such theories is a diet based on increasing protein and lowering carbohydrates in your meals (Atkins diet). Many of doctors use it themselves and highly recommend it. However, by now I hope you know the basis of a long term HEALTHY weight loss is in increasing metabolism.

Because all of us want to loose weight, preferably if we can without giving up on our favorite food sometimes we look for short cuts.

Because of reduced calorie intake, you should be very careful what food you eat during your low calorie diet. Make sure to eat 5 6 smaller meals, but reduced in volume and calories. If you reduce daily calories in your meals without supplementing it with low calorie foods, yes it is very possible that your metabolism will slow down. Besides calorie intake, there are other factors that influence metabolism speed, such as daily activities and genetics.

High protein diets produce results, and they produce it fast, no doubt about it. If you are looking for a fast, short-term weight loss then yes you should consider it. However, you are your weight loss plan should be based on a long term, healthy approach to loosing weight.

Lots of diet experts in the recent years are focusing their attention to low carb foods that can if taken correctly help people with their weight loss efforts. Recently available foods low in carbohydrates are very different then those before. They taste great, are very low cost and can if taken with persistence help you with fast weight loss.

Based on this information the best type of a diet is healthy diet. It will provide your body with all the nutrients it needs in order to stay healthy or to improve your health. This will be accomplished with reduction in calories and not in the amount of the meals per day. As a matter of fact youll probably have to eat more often then before.

Healthy diet is a slightly changed version of a health diet pyramid. It contains various food groups in specific amounts. It will require you to make a change in your eating habits but it will result in long term, healthy weight loss. In other words, your weight will not jump right back at you as soon as you stop with your high protein diet.

Every diet including the healthy diet can be adjusted to your individual needs and preferences, as long as you stick with general principle of it. In the beginning, it will be much easier to stick with your healthy diet if you include foods you prefer. For example, if you like apples and are not all that fond of oranges, eat apples. Nevertheless, keep in mind the overall principle and do not substitute oranges with burgers. ;)

Keep up with this basic healthy diet principles and you will soon see the difference it makes. In addition, for the end, when loosing weight do not count pounds lost, count inches.

Discover truth behind diet myths, visit www.Complete-Diet.net and learn how to increase metabolism and burn fat.

Article Source: http://www.thecontentcorner.com

Do Low Carb Diets Work?

Friday, August 21st, 2009

They do work, but from my experience and from the experience of every person I know who has gone on a low carb diet and successfully lost weight, that weight doesn’t stay off unless all but a tiny amount of carbs are always avoided.

A few years ago when low carb diets were incredibly popular, I went on one just like millions of other people. I lost 40 pounds in a little over four months. But as soon as I started eating a normal amount of carbs again I gained the weight back very quickly. Every person I know that did a low carb diet had the same experience; successful weight loss but weight gain as soon as they resumed normal consumption of carbohydrates.

I’m sure there are people who have gone on a low carb diet, lost the weight, and kept it off. I just don’t happen to know any of them so I can’t personally recommend a low carb diet as a way to lose weight and keep it off for good.

But, low carb dieting did have its pluses for me:
I didn’t have to count calories, just carbs, which was much easier.

I never had to be hungry. On my low carb diet, there was always something I could eat. It might not have been something I was particularly hungry for, but I never had to deal with it being 5 pm and not having any more calories left for the day and having to be hungry the rest of the evening. Even if I had eaten my allotment of carbs for the day, there were always no carb foods like some cheeses and some raw vegetables that I could have.

I lost weight fairly quickly and steadily.
I was able to break myself of my perpetual cravings for high carb junk foods like potato chips.

But, there were cons too:
The biggest con is that I was unable to keep the weight off.

Carbs, even healthy ones like fruit and whole grains, were very limited on my low carb diet so I didn’t feel like I was eating a healthy balance of foods every day.

My low carb diet didn’t limit the types of protein I could have so I was able to eat way too much high saturated fat foods like bacon, especially during the first two weeks of the diet. I know that wasn’t healthy.

If you want to try a low carb diet, do research to find one that doesn’t limit your carbs too severely. A lower carb diet that emphasizes healthy carbs and lean sources of protein is now recommended by many health professionals. And, when you have successfully lost the weight, be careful when you start introducing more carbs into your diet so that you don’t gain the weight back that you worked so hard to lose.

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Dorrie Ruplinger has written several articles about weight loss. For a free report on how to lose 10 pounds before Christmas visit LoseWeightForChristmas.com.

Enjoying Low Carb Diet Benefits

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

After awhile, we give up and collapse in total fatigue, aggravation, and dissatisfaction – - with the same weight we originally started out with. When following a low carb diet, the results will be felt within a couple of weeks if the instructions are followed as close as possible. Low carb diet benefits are the result of less hard work than other diets, yet with better results and a fuller stomach.

Without Trying, A Diet Can Be Successful

A successful diet is one that allows you to loose weight – - easily, successfully, and with the least amount of change in your present life – - which is achieved by low carb diet benefits. Every diet is an individual thing, as each person wants something different to make their diet a success. The low carb diet offers something for everyone, while allowing them to make their own decisions about their future.

Diabetics who are on a low carb diet benefit from it by keeping their insulin levels down, as well as weight and hunger pains. The daily amounts of carbohydrates that are consumed on a daily basis will affect the blood glucose levels – - having an immediate effect on the levels because they are broken down into glucose (sugar) early in the digestion process. By following the recommended amount of carb, with some protein and fat at a meal, the levels will stay down and insulin may not be needed. The body is forced to use the available glucose and fat due to the decreased consumption of carbs, resulting in weight loss.

Diet and Exercise Go Hand-in-Hand

The person who tries to lose weight without exercise will not achieve it as well, as quick, or with the same results. One of the low carb diet benefits is fitting the exercise you want into your diet regime, about half an hour for three times a week. The burning off fat and energy is just as important as the diet’s lowering of carbohydrate intake, and together they speed up the weight loss as compared to one at a time.

Tips That Are Helpful to Low Carb Dieters

Three important things need to be taken into consideration to obtain the low carb diet benefits, and should be utilized throughout your life. The first one is to choose healthy saturated fats over unhealthy fats if you need to consider the intake of fats. Plant fats are healthy fats if they have not been hydrogenated – - which is more harmful than not, but it does make the fat more solid when warm or at room temperature. Some samples of plant fats would be nuts, olives, or avocados. The types of oils that are better than animal source fats are that from olives, canola, or peanuts. Excess animal fats are unhealthy and lead to many diseases, which makes the plant fat more attractive for health reasons.

Fruits and vegetables are always good for dieters, especially adding to low carb diet benefits. Even though they may be restricting at the beginning of the low carb diet, they are always brought back in limited amounts. They are known to lower diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and obesity.

Ernest is the owner of Low Carb Diets Today , for the latest facts and information about Low Carb Diets vist www.LowCarbDietsToday.com and learn more.

Article Source: http://www.thecontentcorner.com

Dieting The Low Carb Way

Monday, August 17th, 2009

A lot of people are now searching for ways to look good and improve their health. People who are obese are now realizing that if they don’t lose weight their health will deteriorate and their life span will be shortened.

With so many diets out there based on various principles and methods, it should not be surprising to know that there has also been extensive critique about their effectiveness and long-term safety.

Low carb dieting remains one of the most popular and well-known diets. While many diet plans have been evolving nowadays, many people still prefer this diet because it provides the body with the basic nutrients it needs; does not deprive you of all the foods that you wish to eat and is based on sound medical and scientific principles.

Depending on your body weight, fitness targets and general lifestyle, low carb dieting can help you lose weight, and can also help you develop the overall health, or possibly both. Because this diet provides the body with what it needs and what is safe for the long term, some healthy people follow it to enhance and maintain their wellbeing. In addition to helping lose weight, this type of diet also helps you stay healthy and remain that way, while looking great.

Improved Health

Low carb dieting directly works on the real cause of the main health concerns and risks; namely:

* High cholesterol
* Obesity
* High blood pressure
* Diabetes

These diseases are related to being overweight; and are very fatal. Low carb dieting is effective because it generally improves one’s well-being and thus increases your body’s ability to fight diseases. It is important for those who are overweight and plagued by these main diseases to know that they need to seek safe diets that do not worsen their condition.

It is widely believed that a lot of excess weight comes from the carbohydrates we eat, particularly the highly refined ones such as potatoes, baked goods, bread, pasta and other convenient foods. Cutting out the carbs is therefore an effective way of losing weight. Lack of exercise also exacerbates the weight gain.

Basic Discipline

The basic discipline behind low carb dieting is to limit the consumption of foods, which are rich in carbohydrates. There are various low carb diets; with the main ones being the Atkins, South Beach, Zone and Carbohydrate Addict Diet – and they are all based on the same principle.

If you start on this diet plan, you must substitute the carbohydrates with fats and proteins. It is recommended that the majority of your daily calorie consumption come from fat, while carbohydrates account for a very small fraction of your calorie needs.

Benefits

Many medical and scientific experts recommend the low carb dieting plan for improving:

* Overall health and vitality
* Losing weight
* Fighting disease

Proper Food Choices

The other attraction of this regimen is that you can eat as much as you want until you are full; as long as you are eating the right foods, such as meats, fish, poultry, eggs, and cheese, plus a limited amount of green veggies like asparagus, spinach, and broccoli. Hunger and strong cravings for food are some of the reasons why people quit their diets, so basically this diet enables people to stick to it, lose weight and keep it off indefinitely.

It is therefore recommended to follow this regimen by eating less of the processed carbohydrates which cause rapid changes in blood sugar, trigger hunger, thereby encouraging overeating that ultimately leads to obesity.

Low carb diets encourage us to:

* Eat well
* Be healthy
* Have a better quality of life
* Look great!

What great benefits you can gain while reaching or maintaining your weight loss goals.

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Lana Hampton is the publisher of www.177fastweightlosstips.com. Visit weightlossfantasy.com to subscribe to her free weight loss tips newsletter and also receive a copy of Lana’s “Confessions of a Weight Loss Expert” report today.

Which Low-Carb Diets Are Healthy?

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

There are many diets on the market today that call themselves low-carb diets, but which ones are healthy. That is what is important. You may lose weight on all of them, but some of these low-carb diets are also high in fat and that is not necessarily good either. The best kind of low-carb diet is one that is balanced. You are not looking to eliminate all carbs, but you want to stick mostly with the whole and unprocessed carbohydrates.

You should have about 5 servings of carbohydrates per day and if possible, you want get them from foods that are as close to natural as possible. Here are a few suggestions for making healthy choices on a low-carb diet:

1. Legumes-they are a great choice for a carbohydrate serving. Beans, peas and peanuts are all examples of legumes. Legumes are high in protein and fiber. They are also low in fat and very economically priced.
2. Select whole grain foods-this is not always easy, because so many foods today are highly processed. Look for foods that list a whole grain as the first ingredient on the ingredients list. Whole grains are usually high in fiber, low in sugar and they also keep your blood-sugar levels more even.
3. Try to eat more soy products-Unfortunately soy is not known for its taste, but soy products have a lot of nutritional value. Most low-carb diets do not allow soy products, because they do contain carbohydrates. The nutritional value of soy far outweighs any negative impact that its carbs may have. Soy is high in protein and has been known to reduce the risks of cancer and heart disease.

Here are some foods that are normally limited on most low-carb diets, but they are natural and can be eaten within reason:

1. Fruits-they are low in calories and high in vitamins and fiber making them a healthy choice. They have a natural sweetness that can be used to satisfy that craving to eat sugary foods. However, not all fruits are created equal. Some do have more sugar than should be consumed on a low-carb diet.
2. Leafy green and non-starchy vegetables-They are full of vitamins and a healthy choice at any time.

The things that you will want to limit as much as possible are refined sugars and carbohydrates. They add calories to your diet and do not have much nutritional value. These bad carbs come in the form of breads, pastas and starchy vegetables. These food products do not do anything for you nutritionally and they cause your blood sugar levels to be very inconsistent.

Low-carb diets are very healthy as long as you do not load them with high fat protein. Like any other weight loss plan, this one is all about the choices you make and how well you can make it fit into your lifestyle.

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Marjorie Salada is the owner of Weight Loss 3000, a website that contains information on weight loss, exercise, weight loss surgery and living a healthy lifestyle.