Posts Tagged ‘Health Concerns’

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.

Article Source: ADB Article Directory

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.

Healthy Diets – Is this the World’s Healthiest Diet?

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

The Japanese enjoy one of the healthiest diets on earth. Japan’s population has the lowest level of obesity in the developed world and people tend to live longer than any other country.

The Japanese diet is an easy and fun diet to follow.

Healthy Diets should be Effortless

There are major concerns over low or no carb diets, such as the Atkins diet. These diets are not natural, and aside from health concerns, many people find them difficult to follow.

The Japanese diet is natural and a sensible way to eat (similar to the Mediterranean diet) and like most healthy diets it is not difficult to follow.

The Perfect Healthy Diet for Everyone

The traditional Japanese diet is very low in cholesterol, fat, and calories and high in fiber and here are the eight secrets of its success:

1. Eat Rice

How many times in a week do you eat rice? For the Japanese it is normally daily.

Rice is rich in carbohydrates and proteins it is the basis of the Japanese diet.

2. Eat More Fish

The Japanese eat about 70kg of fish per person per year, that’s four times as much as the average for the rest of the world.

Eating fish (particularly oily fish) lowers the risk of disease and increases vitality.

3. Eat Soya

The Japanese eat 10 times more Soya produce than any other nation. Low in calories and fat and high in protein Soya is also packed with plant oestrogen.

4. Variety

A recent study showed that Japanese people eat an average of 100 different foods a week, compared to just 30 in other western countries. This well balanced diet provides all the nutrients the body needs.

A premium is also placed upon freshness and natural flavor; people like to eat ingredients at their “shun” or “now-in-season” in Japanese.

Eating the ingredients in season provides variety and a better way to get all the nutrients you need naturally; also a lot of raw foods are eaten that have a higher nutritional value than heavily cooked foods.

5. Portion Control

Portions tend to be smaller and are savored, and it is this portion control that stops binging and over eating.

Each portion is eaten slowly, so the stomach has more time to register when it is full. Eating slowly also aids digestion and absorption of the nutrients in the food.

6. Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, giving a boost of energy and preventing hunger pangs later.

A typical breakfast might include green tea, steamed rice, miso soup with tofu, spring onions and maybe omelette and grilled salmon. Sounds better than Muesli to me!

7. Cook Light

In the Japanese diet, food is usually steamed, pan-fried, simmered or stir fried over intense heat. This method of cooking helps the food retain more of the nutrients and particularly anti ageing antioxidants.

8. Enjoy Sweets

The Japanese diet has room for these treats.

They love chocolate, pastries, ice cream and cookies.

The difference is they view them as a regular treat and do not overdo the portions.

One of the Best Diets on Earth

When looking at healthy diets it is clear that the Japanese have one of the best diets on earth:

· Low in cholesterol and fat

· Well balanced

A huge variety of foods to enjoy so you will never get bored.

Article Source: ADB Article Directory

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