The Essential Facts to Keeping Healthy

By Jason Sands

Current health studies show that our population is growing bigger and getting fatter each year. More than 50% is overweight! Obesity has now reached pandemic proportions and has become a serious problem to our personal health, making it a burden on our health system.

There are many health problems and diseases associated with being overweight and obese, for example: skeletal problems, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and sleep apnea to name a few. Studies have also shown that a relationship exists between excessive bodyweight and increased mortality. Increasing one’s body weight by 10kg will directly affect their lifespan by decreasing their living years. Obesity is a serious problem, however it can be fought and its effects reversed.

There are a variety of ways of combating obesity and preventing / reversing the health complications that arise from it. Obesity prevention can occur through a number of factors including

1. Dieting
2. Lowering Fat and Cholesterol
3. Exercise

1. Diet

Dieting can be extremely difficult, as a matter of fact, in the long term, more diets fail than succeed. So what is the secret to a sustainable and successful diet plan? The answer is lifestyle change. Change the way you eat and change the way you live. If you are seriously thinking of dieting, then think about the foods you eat on a daily basis and substitute them with healthier alternatives. Substitute the fast foods you would normally eat with fresh meats, cereals, fruits and vegetables. Keep score of your daily calorie intake and remember to exercise for at least 30 minutes per day.

2. Lowering Fat and Cholesterol

Inactivity, poor diet and lack of exercise lead to an increase in body fat and a rise in cholesterol. Cholesterol is a type of fat that is essential to the human body, however an excessive buildup of cholesterol in the blood and arteries can lead to serious health complications. Cholesterol is a major contributing factor in the cause of coronary artery disease which can lead to heart attacks. There primary cure for lowering the cholesterol levels is through dieting and reducing the amount of fat in your diet. A change of lifestyle and eating habits is also needed to have an overall impact in reducing and sustaining cholesterol. Below is a list of high cholesterol producing foods that should be avoided:

*Dairy intake - Reduce you high fat dairy consumption by substituting high fat cheeses and milks with low fat ones. You will find many 99% fat free dairy products are now on offer in supermarkets.

*Avoid meats that are high in visible fats and substitute them with lean cut meats and skinless chickens.

*Use healthy cooking oils and margarines. Choose oils that are low in saturated fats such as virgin olive oils and margarines that include plant sterols which help the body absorb less cholesterol.

*Minimise your fast food intake such as pizzas, burgers, fish and chips, and deep fried foods in general.

When combating high cholesterol, changing poor eating habits is only part of the solution, you also need to reduce the amount calories you consume on a daily basis, and that can only be solved through proper dieting and exercise. If unsure about your cholesterol level, it is always advisable that you seek the medical attention from your local physician.

3. Exercise

Exercise is a vital and essential part to our wellbeing. Whether riding a bike or walking 30 minutes a day, mobility is the key to a healthy lifestyle. Regular physical exercise is essential in preventing many bodily disorders including coronary heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Exercise is also vital in the building of healthy bones, muscles and in bolstering the human immune system.

Dieting, exercise and healthy eating plans are essential factors in maintaining strong and healthy bodies. They are all however interrelated and should be practiced in conjunction with one another; reducing a high cholesterol level depends on healthy eating habits and proper dieting. A proper diet should also be supported with regular and frequent exercise in order to achieve weight loss and an overall healthy lifestyle.

Jason Sands currently works for SEO Sydney and has done extensive research on finding a low cholesterol diet plan and cholesterol lowering food.

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THE HART SERIES: PRE-flection

My wife was watching me take pictures of my salad last night .. with the ingredients and the final product. She first asked me WHY I was taking pictures of my dinner, and I told her my reasons. She then asked me if I planned to take pictures of my dinner every night?

Hmmm … That’s a good idea!

Really, I am documenting what I eat everyday … following the weight watcher diet (counting points) … to help myself and discipline to keep it up,. Hopefully .. readers who are also looking to lose a few pounds can see that it’s really not WHAT you eat . its your eating habits. My plan is to eat healthy, but I know there will be times that I will not always be eating healthy (unless you call a Double Mozza Burger from A&W healthy!).

* THAT’S OKAY .. as long as I count ALL of the points and DO NOT exceed my daily point count that I’ve assigned myself (32 points) plus the weekly splurge points available (35 points).

I’m not documenting all the water I drink during the day (I have a water cooler in my home office here) .. nor will I be documenting any exercise or lack of exercise that I will be doing on a daily basis, but it’s all part of this process .. I’m not going to be a couch potato, and I will be trying to meet my water, fruit and vegetable, oil and even excercise goals each day. And, speaking of oils .. it’s important to mention that I sometimes add a cap of Olive Oil onto my salad directly to give it that extra taste, and get my daily oil as well, because the Superstore “Blue Menu” dressings that we use kind of lack the oils I should be getting.

Another thing too .. that I haven’t really been following that well this week, but conscious and trying. It’s also important to eat regularly and snack all the time. If you don’t eat regularly, your metabolism goes into sleep mode and doesn’t burn off the energy or fat it normally does when you eat. That’s the hardest thing for me to accept and my biggest challenge. Rather than eating 3 squares a day - I should be eating 3 smaller portioned meals and many snacks all day.

As for the pictures .. I think that’s a great idea to take a picture of the final product of what I’m putting into my body .. it helps keep me focused. If I do it everyday .. it would force me to do it everyday. I wouldn’t want to well .. skip a day of taking pictures the day I splurged and ate an entire Chocolate Moose Double Fudge Cake (hypothetically speaking of course) and mislead myself (and everybody else following my progress).

So .. I hope I can look back after a year and give a good “RE”flection of how my plan worked .. and can only hope that this “PRE”flection helps keep me on track.

               

Weight Loss Scams Revealed

By Gillian Tarawhiti

Wouldn’t it be nice to lose weight quickly, with minimal effort or fuss? Of cause you would! I for one would love to just sit back do nothing and the weight will just fall off.

Whether it’s a Low Carb, Low GI Diet, A choice of diet pills or “natural” weight loss pills, diet shakes, or exercise equipment, we’ve all seen the fantastic claims people including celebrities make about losing tons of weight AND how they can show you how to do the same thing.

I can tell you right now that 99% of these people are total frauds. You may have even fallen prey to one of these scam artists, selling you their latest “weight loss” program. Me too!

In the past I’ve brought so many of these programs that I can’t even recall how many. I don’t know why, but I tend to find the “good” in people, and I was “sold” by these marketing schemes time and time again, even after being scammed by another. Finally, after so many disappointments, I got FED UP. I decided to get to the bottom of this fascination we have with Weight Loss Programs and find out if there really were any LEGITIMATE programs for Weight Loss.

Legitimate as in not only dealing with LOSING WEIGHT but also what caused the Weight Gain in the first place.

The American Heart Association has several tips to that helps guide you to identify a Fad Diet or Program if it is recommended.

• Magic or miracle foods that burn fat. Foods don’t burn fat – they create fat when we eat more than we need.

• Bizarre quantities of only one food or type of food such as eating only cabbage or tomatoes. These foods are fine as part of an overall healthy diet, but eating large quantities of them could lead to unpleasant side effects.

• Rigid Menus. Many diets set out a very limited selection of foods to be eaten at a specific time and day, exactly as written. Often these limited diets don’t address the widely varied taste preferences of our diverse population.

• Specific food combinations. Some foods taste good together, like the classic “soup and sandwich,” but there’s no scientific evidence that eating foods in certain sequences or combinations has any medical benefit.

• Rapid weight loss of more than two pounds a week.

• No warning given to people with diabetes or high blood pressure to seek advice from the physician or healthcare provider. Some fad diets could raise blood pressure or blood glucose even if you loss weight.

• No increase physical activity. Simple physical activities, like walking or riding a bike, are one of the most important ways to lose weight and maintain weight loss. Yet many “fad” diets don’t emphasis these easy changes.

Now don’t be discouraged, which weight loss program is the right one for you, which one isn’t just a fad diet. In my research I have found a few programs that not only deal with losing weight but also the cause of why you got fat in the first place (which by the way, is ultimately the main reason why we end up putting the weight back on) and also adding in successful, simple strategies to increase exercising.

Whatever you do, I wish you a healthy year for you and your’s

Author Bio: Gillian Tarawhiti BSc, Dip BM, Dip Ed, is Founder and CEO of Community Training Centre & Gain Back Your Life Centre, A registered EFT Practitioner, Member of AAMET and Online Training and Support to the new and not so new netpreneurs. Gillian is also the author of eBay Billion Dollar Goldmine, and the creator of NO DIET WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM(TM) and the Multiple Ripple Effect System © 2004. Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site so long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided to http://www.gainbackyourlife-eft.com

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Gradual Change of the Weight Watchers Diet

By Luke Sanger

As we all know by now, Weight Watchers is based on a points system and that point system basically runs the diet and everything in the diet is based on this point system. There are a few variations of the POINTS system but there isn’t much of a difference at all. The main differences are based on how the dieter looks at fiber and how much fiber they want to eat. If the dieter uses fiber as a “point enhancer”(reducer) then they would substitute the 50 pt. value in the Weight Watchers Formula for a 70 pt. base value. Other variations are that the POINTSfinder manual calculator that is handed out in Weight Watcher meetings does not reach a points value of 2 until after 70 calories have been reached, rather than 50 as the formula states. This makes the point values 20 pts. higher than first thought.

As time has progressed, so has the Weight Watchers diet. Recently the diet has started to take into consideration how much people want to exercise and how that affects the point system in a whole new way. Certain exercises are given certain negative point values to offset eating some foods that might not have been allowed in earlier variations of the diet.

The Core Plan

When the Atkins Diet and the South Beach diet became more and more popular, Weight Watchers had to come up with a different variation to compete with these diets to be able to keep their dieters happy and feeling like they were still using a diet that was modern and up to day. So, the Core Plan was invented to mirror the Atkins and South Beach diets respectively. In essence, the Core Plan eliminates certain foods all together and focuses on “core” foods that they should eat until satisfied but not full. These core foods are basically deemed healthy foods from all food groups. Still staying with the points system, dieters are allowed 35 pts. a week to eat non-core foods.

The Flex Plan

This is yet another variation that was touched on above that includes exercise into the Weight Watchers equation. A set number of points are given for a given day based on the dieters current weight. Then, the number of points could be increased when the dieter would exercise. This is a reference to the clever title “flex” which allows the dieter more points that are not based on their weight that they could use each week, but are not required to use.

TurnAround

This program was adopted in late 2004 and incorporates all the above plans into one big plan, and was created to help a person maintain a healthy lifestyle beyond just eating foods with points assessed to them. The program includes healthy foods of course, but also 8 Good Healthy Guidelines, activities, and support of other Weight Watcher members. This well balanced plan is supposed to help a dieter maintain their weight through a lifetime maintenance plan.

Weight Watchers is a diet that is tried and proven by millions of people around the world. Find more info and blog entries about this time-tested diet and other great diets here at http://www.eweightlossblog.com, or you can find great health tips and diet tips here at http://www.ihealthblog.com

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Weight Loss and the Glycemic Index

By Donovan Baldwin

Okay, the first couple of paragraphs might sound slightly complicated, but it gets easier after that. Bear with me.

By definition, the glycemic index (sometimes abbreviated GI) is a way of ranking carbohydrates based on the short-term or immediate effect they have on your blood glucose level. When carbohydrates break down rapidly they are given a higher glycemic index than those that break down more slowly. Those with a high GI are digested more rapidly and encourage a rapid increase in blood glucose while those with a low GI are digested more slowly and release glucose into the blood stream more gradually.

The glycemic index of a food is expressed as a number. This number can be arrived at a couple of different ways, but in all cases, some food, often glucose itself, is considered to be 100. In some cases, researchers may assign another food a value of 100 so that they can compare a particular diet to that particular food…perhaps a food that is a staple in the diet being examined.

WHAT THE GLYCEMIC INDEX MEANS FOR YOU

As we said, foods with a low GI take longer to digest and release glucose into the blood stream more slowly than foods with a high GI. Regular and sustained consumption of high GI foods has been linked to an increase in obesity and the development of metabolic disturbances. In fact, testing seems to show a link between weight loss, or at least weight management, and a diet which relies heavily on low GI foods. Studies also seem to show that there are other positive health effects as well in addition to the improvement in health that may occur as a result of healthy weight loss.

Eating a low GI diet over an extended time seems to result in a lower risk of Type II Diabetes and coronary heart disease. A low GI diet may also lower risk of atherosclerosis.

PROBLEMS WITH CHOOSING A LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX DIET

While a close approximation to the GI of a food can be given, actual GI of that food may depend on a range of factors, including how ripe it is, how long it has been stored, where it was grown, and the processing it has undergone. The GI of a food may actually fluctuate from individual to individual, and even within the same individual depending on factors such as time of day, blood glucose levels, and the person’s health to name a few. Additionally, since few foods are eaten alone, it is difficult to estimate the GI of a combined dish or meal.

Despite these drawbacks, the GI of a food or a meal can be estimated with some accuracy, and with proper knowledge of the GI of various foods, a diet can be constructed that will help an individual lose weight while maintaining health. There are charts, graphs, and even weight loss programs that have ranked and ordered foods and meals by their GI and can present these to the consumer as a finished package, product, or reference. Some well known weight loss programs which use the GI of foods to construct their eating plans and products are the South Beach Diet, the Atkins Diet, and the Nutrisystem Weight Loss Program.

FOODS WITH A LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX

As might be suspected, foods with lower GI’s include most common fruits and vegetables, drinks and juices made from fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, eggs, most dairy products, fish, poultry and…oh happy day…chocolate. Low GI foods are generally considered to be those with a GI of 55 or lower.

GOOD CARB VS. BAD CARB OR GLYCEMIC INDEX

Generally speaking, “bad” carbs tend to be foods with a high GI, while “good” carbs are foods with a low GI. As can be seen from the list above, choosing healthy carbohydrates, or low GI foods, does not have to be a chore. It is simpler for an individual to begin substituting healthy, low GI, foods and snacks for higher GI foods such as extra slices of cake, white bread, refined rice, foods sweetened with sugar, and potato chips, than to try to subsist on many of the eating plans offered by fad diets.

Donovan Baldwin is a Dallas area writer. A graduate of the University Of West Florida (1973) with a BA in accounting, he is a member of Mensa and has held several managerial positions. He has written poetry and essays for his own use, and instructional media in many of the positions he held. After his retirement from the U. S. Army in 1995, he began writing articles on various subjects for websites he owned as well as for use by other webmasters. He has a keen interest in health, fitness, diet, and weight loss. He has a blog on these subjects at http://www.nodiet4me.blogspot.com. You can find more information on a weight loss program using the glycemic index at http://diet.free-business-hosting.com.

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The Good and the Bad of the Atkins Diet

By Shauna Hanus

Here is a break down of the Atkins diet, via three good points to the Atkins diet and three bad points of the Atkins diet.

The Atkins diet three good points.

1. The Atkins diet burns fat. When you begin the Atkins diet your body is switching from burning carbs for energy to burning ketones which come from fat for energy. The Atkins diet is designed to do this so your body becomes a fat burning machine.

Conventional diets use the concept of eat fewer calories than you use in a day which causes your body to burn fat reserves. The Atkins diet approach burns fat quicker because you take in less carbs and your body is forced into burning ketones.

2. You are not hungry on the Atkins diet. The Atkins diet has you eating your main source of protein from meats at each meal. By utilizing meat as your main source of protein your body feels full longer. Meat takes longer to digest which keeps you feeling full longer.

3. The Atkins diet has health benefits. In studies the Atkins diet has been shown in some people to reduce cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure. Also the Atkins diet may help to relieve the symptoms of acid reflux, diabetes and sleep apnea.

The Atkins diet three bad points.

1. The Atkins diet burns fat fast. Toxins that have built up in your body and stored in fat cells may be burned off too fast when you first begin the Atkins diet.

2. You may feel tired on the Atkins diet. When your body switches its fuel source from carbs to ketones in the first few days of the Atkins diet you may feel some form of fatigue. The tired feeling should begin to settle out as your body begins to adjust to the Atkins diet.

3. You eat fewer vegetables on the Atkins diet. The Atkins diet promotes more meat and fewer vegetables. Vegetables are an important source of minerals, fiber and calcium. When your body shifts to the Atkins diet you may suffer a loss in vegetable intake.

After you read the three good points of the Atkins diet and the three bad points of the Atkins diet it is up to you and your doctor to decide if the Atkins diet is the best choice for you.

Shauna Hanus is a work at home mother that discovered after having children she had gone from a slender size 8 to a size 16. Once she decided to do something about her weight she began to tell others what she has learned. Shauna’s site http://www.buydietfood.com is dedicated to real people who want to lose weight and lead a healthy life style. Shauna offers tips on weight loss, healthy diets and guides you through selecting a diet that will work for you. Visit www.buydietfood.com to see how you can start leading a healthy active life today.

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The High Fiber Food Diet Secret

By Gary Gresham

High fiber food is not talked about much but definitely a secret to losing weight. Did you know that boosting your fiber intake actually helps you drop pounds?

High fiber food also has many other health benefits but most people don’t know about losing weight with fiber rich food.

Here is what a recent study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association discovered.

The main difference between “normal-weight” adults and their overweight counterparts was the amount of fiber they consumed.

Both groups had similar intakes of sugar, bread, dairy products and vegetables. But the normal-weight subjects consumed 33 percent more dietary fiber and 43 percent more complex carbohydrates each day (per 1,000 calories) than those who were overweight.

So why do you suppose high fiber food plays such a big role with weight loss?

First, high fiber foods are most often low in fat and calories. Also the body can’t break down fiber, so it runs right through your digestive tract and never has a chance to turn into fat.

But the biggest advantage of high fiber food is that it swells in your stomach and actually makes you have a full feeling. When you feel full, you’re less likely to eat or snack.

High fiber food also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, preventing those peaks and valleys that can send you running to the refrigerator.

Most fiber rich foods like fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains also have a healthy dose of antioxidants that give you defenses against disease.

Millions of overweight people continually look for quick fixes and unnatural weight loss solutions. But most are usually disappointed with the roller coaster results.

That’s because many find it hard to believe that something as simple as incorporating high fiber food into your diet could actually help you lose weight.

But for those who are looking for long-term, healthy weight loss, high fiber food could be the beginning of their weight loss success story.

Copyright © 2006 Fat-Burning-Secret.com All Rights Reserved.

Gary Gresham is the author of “Fat Burning Secrets.” Discover simple yet powerful changes that can have a major effect on your weight loss results with this free report at: Free Fat Burning Report

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How To Find A Diet That Works

By Vienna Miller

Losing weight can feel like an overwhelming task. But it’s not as hard as it seems - nor as complicated. Your weight loss can be fast and simple - if you choose the right diet or weight loss plan.

The problem today is not that we don’t know how to lose weight - but that we don’t know which method to choose. There are countless diets and weight loss plans out there - and many of them do work for some people. But not every diet will work for you. You don’t want to waste valuable time and energy on a diet that doesn’t work.

So how do you find a plan that will speed you towards your dream body? In order to find a diet that works best for you, look for these 3 factors:

#1 It Has A Proven History

If it worked for other people, the diet has a high probability of working for you too. Look for realistic sounding testimonials - which means they won’t sound perfect since they are written by real people. In general, the more testimonials the better.

It’s always more reliable when people are willing to give their full name on a testimonial however many people can be shy about this so don’t expect it.

Before and after pictures are always nice to have although again, not necessary since lesser known diets that work well may not have the money to sponsor a before and after weight loss contest.

#2 It Fits Your Personal Style

While many diets may work - they may not work for you because they don’t mesh with your personal style. Every person is different and has specific preferences, needs and experiences in the weight loss arena.

For example, if you don’t like eating meat or dairy products, choosing a low carb diet plan might not be your best option. If you’re always on the go and don’t have time to prepare meals you might want a plan where the meals are prepackaged and easy to prepare. If you cannot stand to feel hungry when losing weight, you might want to a plan that lets you eat several mini-meals throughout the day.

So before making your final choice, make sure it fits best with your personal style. I’ve seen people lose weight at lightning speed (and even enjoy the process) when they choose a diet based on their personal style.

#3 It Gets You Excited

One of the most underrated keys to success in any weight loss plan is enthusiasm. Too often the thought of losing weight takes on a negative connotation in our minds. You have to get excited about the diet - you have to believe in it and be motivated to commit your time to trying it.

When you don’t believe in the diet you don’t believe that it will help you lose weight - and what you believe you will eventually manifest.

Make sure the diet plan you choose gets you excited and enthusiastic. Perhaps it introduces a totally new concept you’ve never thought of before. Perhaps you’re salivating at the ultra-fast results it produces. Or even perhaps you can relate to the written testimonials. It doesn’t matter as long as it gets you enthusiastic and excited about your weight loss.

So those are 3 key factors that will help you find a diet that works. When deciding on a weight loss plan, keep these 3 factors in mind and you’re guaranteed to choose a diet that will work best for your body and give you incredible results!

Vienna Miller is a contributing writer to Diet Reviews - a website offering the latest diet reviews and weight loss plans that actually work.

For the latest weight loss tips and free diet articles visit www.freetobethin.com

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