Posts Tagged ‘Fats’

How To Lose Weight From A Low Carbohydrate Diet Plan

Sunday, August 16th, 2009

With the sudden boom of dieting in the country, different diet programs have been introduced in the country. Although many experts believe that proper exercise and not only diet can lose those pounds in a healthy way, many people still believe in the power of diet programs and diet plans. One of the most controversial kinds of diet plans is the low-carbohydrate diet program, which focuses on the reduction of carbohydrate consumption in the body.

According to the theory, when carbohydrates are no longer being taken in, the body will be forced to use fats and water as alternative sources of energy; thereby helping to shed off those unwanted pounds.

Fats, unbeknownst to many, can actually be converted to energy. The body just doesn’t use it as the first priority because it is more complex in structure and therefore, harder to break down and convert into energy. Among the popular low carbohydrate diets in the country is the Atkins diet.

Despite arguments from its critics, low carbohydrate diet has proven its effectiveness in terms of losing that extra weight. To date, it counts millions of followers not only in the country but also outside America.

Actually, cutting down on carbohydrates in the diet is a practice that people have been doing for years. When people cut down on their rice or bread or do not eat rice at all, they are reducing their carbohydrate intake. Of course, because it is not an official diet plan they are not really restricting themselves completely. When you are under a diet plan, you are not allowed to eat any kind of carbohydrates.

One of the advantages of low carbohydrate diet is the fact that it can actually increase the levels of good cholesterol in the body. This is really good news to people who have a heart problem. This is perhaps the reason why Atkins diet was used for cardio patients. This diet plan can also reduce the amount of triglycerides in the body. Triglycerides can be dangerous when combined with a high level of LDL or bad cholesterol. Both can increase the risk for heart attack and heart disease.

Low carb diet plans are also found to be good in balancing mood swings. They will not be prone to extreme lows such as depression or extreme high. People who are under the program are found to have fairly stable energy levels unlike those with high carbo levels.

LOW CARB DIET 101

Indeed, a lot has been said about various diets and how these work for some people. There’ s the Atkins Diet, the South Beach, the After-Six Diet plan and so on goes on the list of diet crazes that swept the western world and even Asian regions. Among all these, one type of diet has become popular than the others it’s called the Low Carb Diet.

Basically, low carb diet actually emphasizes cutting down on from a person’s daily food intake. This diet allows the dieter to take in all foods except those that have carbohydrates. Although there are many testimonies that prove that low carb diet really works, you must be very knowledgeable first about its pros and cons before deciding to go with the hype.

People who have tried low carb diets say that its advantages include:

1. Faster and quicker weight loss compared to fasting.

2. The diet may result to higher protein intake and absorption.

3. It stabilizes blood sugar levels and is extremely beneficial to those who suffer from diabetics.

Experts say that the disadvantages of low carb diets may include:

– High cholesterol levels due to the lack of protein-rich and fatty foods that has saturated fats.
– Increased blood pressure due to elimination of whole grains products that help lower blood pressure.
– It can lead to osteoporosis because there will be no enough supply of calcium.
– In some cases, this diet can lead to diarrhea, constipation, and severe headaches.
– Low carb diets increase the possibility of lower mental acuity.
– Instead of losing weight, this diet can lead to weight gain.
If you are planning on taking low carb diet, here are some helpful tips to keep you in track:

1. Make sure to drink lots of water to avoid dehydration and constipation.

2. Consider taking in more fiber and vitamin supplements.

3. Cease from consuming products that has sugar.

4. Cut down on taking in products that contain caffeine.

5. Monitor your daily carbohydrate intake.

6. Don’t mind calories, they are allowed in this diet.

7. Acquire a carbohydrate counter to keep you updated.

8. Do regular physical activities and exercise to reach ketosis easily.

9. Brace yourself for diarrhea that may last for a couple of days.

10. If possible, avoid eating foods that have saturated fats.

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Low Jeremy maintains Diet-Plans.ArticlesForReprint.com. This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

Specialist Diets versus Healthy Eating – Which Approach is Best for Weight Management and Health Maintenance?

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

This article discusses some of the advantages and disadvantages of both specialist diets and basic healthy eating. I must emphasise that these are my own views and opinions, and I accept that not everyone shares or supports them! I have tried to offer evidence for the statements I have made throughout this article.

When I refer to specialist diets I am generally referring to diets such as the Atkins, Cabbage Soup, Drop a Jean Size, Slim-fast, low carbohydrate diets and low fat diets, to name but a few. But what do all of these diets have in common?

The majority of specialist diets aim to give people a simple to follow approach for restricting calorific intake, hence leading to weight loss. This is often dressed-up as something more than just calorie restriction, but the outcome is still the same. Usually this is achieved by limiting, or removing, one or more of the macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins or fats) from some, or all meals throughout the day. So how does this impact on the nutritional requirements of the human body?

One example is the Atkins diet, which aims to alter the way the body produces energy by virtually removing carbohydrates from every meal. In Dr Atkins’ book he refer to a state called Ketosis, where fats are converted directly to energy when carbohydrates are not present. This diet has been seen to be very successful at achieving weight loss in a number of studies. But how can a diet be good for you if it alters your body’s natural energy production mechanisms? Ketosis only takes place when the body is starved of carbohydrates, but the central nervous system relies solely on carbohydrates for energy. How can this promote good health?

Another example of these types of diets is low fat diets, which acknowledge that fat accounts for a greater number of calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates. Hence they aim to minimise fat intake to reduce calorie intake. Although saturated fat can be harmful to the human body in large quantities, essential fatty acids play many important roles such as temperature regulation, hormone synthesis and most importantly, the absorption of many vitamins and antioxidants. Restricting fat in your diet can therefore lead to vitamin deficiencies, which can have a dramatic effect on a person’s overall health.

I am sure by now you are feeling confused about what diet you should follow in order to manage your weight and to maintain your health. My advice would be to aim to follow a general healthy eating plan, whilst trying to evaluate and approximate your calorie intake. For many of you this will not be information that you haven’t heard before, but you may have found it difficult to develop a healthy eating plan for yourself. On my website I have tried to provide the information that you will need to construct this plan. Take a look at the section on ‘Balancing Calories’ and the ‘Healthy Eating Guide’ (both in the Nutritional Information section of my site) and use the information to modify or overhaul your existing diet or eating habits.

So what are the disadvantages of following a healthy eating plan? The only thing that can be construed as a disadvantage (and wrongly so!) is that you will not see the miracle weight losses you see when you start a specialist diet. To address this point, (and to promote healthy eating) more often than not the vast quantity of weight lost in the first week of a specialist diet is due to water losses. When you hear of people losing 3 or 4 kilos in one week of dieting you may be amazed, but let me try to quantify this for you. To lose 1 kg of fat you must burn 7000 calories more than you consume and to lose 4 kg of fat would require a calorie deficit of 28,000 calories, but on average most people’s bodies burn around 2500 calories per day (17,500 per week). So as you can see it is almost physically impossible to lose 4kg of fat in 1 week. If you follow a healthy eating plan, taking in 500 calories less than you burn each day, you will lose 0.5 kg per week, every single week and your body will still receive the nutrients it requires maintaining a good level of health. You will also be developing an understanding of healthy eating, which you can employ for the rest of your somewhat longer life!!!

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Getting rid of lower stomach fat

Sunday, July 26th, 2009

Before you proceed to reading this editorial, recollect all the things that you know about burning fat and reducing weight. This is because whatever you are going to read in this chapter will be quite new to your knowledge. And these facts are supported by the periphery of research and scientific analysis of midsection fat.

Lower stomach fat may present you with a wide range of problems. It is associated with metabolic disorder, risk of diabetes and heart diseases. There is however a fine basis of predicting all three of these. Lower stomach fat is the first sign of damage in the metabolic system.

We have to sort out of what is actually going on when you have lower stomach fat and why it presents us with unique problems.

The hypothesis based on research and scientific analysis about lower stomach fat is that the more you know about it, the more you shed those fats in the belly. A condition of hypoxia starts to take place. Fundamentally, the fat cells are deprived of sufficient oxygen especially those at the external border of the midsection because of improper circulation of blood. So ultimately these cells are permanently damaged. What then happens is that the energy metabolism in these cells gets broken. In uncomplicated language, fat cells in those areas discontinue use of glucose or fat properly and are highly likely to store these fats. Your midsection happens to be like the hull of a boat with a crack. The boat will constantly bring water in the segment that is broken. This is in exactly similar to what is going on with fat in the stomach. We will now see ways to treat these damaged midsection fat cells.

Primarily, you could do with the necessary diet requirements and exercise essentials. We begin by assuming that you are vigorously involved in any type of good cardio exercises.

In the per cardio method take a dry brush and gently brush your belly for a duration of three or five minutes. Though it may sound silly if you look carefully your belly will be quite red with blood circulation.

Dedicate at least five minutes on a few exercises for your abs. You have to acquire a remarkable drive in the abdominal area. For the second time, we are training to get more circulation.

Ideally, brushing and exercises for the abs are done one after the other. If you are going to the gym, brushing should be performed just before you leave for the gym. At least forty-five minutes of cardio exercises is compulsory. When you have completed with cardio exercises, brush and exercise again. Then, wait for at least half an hour before you start eating. By following the above steps, we are simultaneously aiming at increasing the circulation of blood in the midsection as well as burning fat and the net result will be that of damaged cells getting activated. It is very helpful when you do brushing before going to bed since circulation is regulated while you are asleep.

Gary Grewal is a founder of site 101WeightLoss.com; a site featuring many articles on losing weight. Make sure you stop by his website to learn more about how to get rid of lower stomach fat.

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