Archive for the ‘Weight Loss News’ Category
Posted by lorenz
There is a reason why a portion of the food section in your grocery is filled with different brands and varieties of yogurts. Yogurt is one of the most popular health and diet foods available, and more and more people are exchanging their calorie-rich ice cream tubs for cups of this delicious and healthy dessert.
Yogurt is made of milk or cream mixed with active live cultures, which are responsible for most of its health benefits. These live cultures are actually good bacteria which improves the way the body functions. It prevents the growth of bad bacteria and makes our body fight off diseases and infections. Good bacteria also improve digestion and boost the immune system. The yeast levels in our body can be balanced by good bacteria and can help prevent the onset of yeast infections. Yogurt can be eaten by anyone, even by those who are lactose intolerant. Regular intake of yogurt can maintain the good bacteria levels in the body.
Another health benefit of yogurt is calcium. Eating yogurt is good for the bones and teeth, especially for the prevention of osteoporosis and bone density loss. Yogurt also contains protein, which provides the body with enough energy to keep the body going. Protein is good for the muscle-building and suppresses the appetite, which can prevent one from indulging in impulsive snacking.
Yogurt can be a healthy replacement for your dessert. You can add fruits, nuts, or even chocolate to your yogurt to make it more delicious. It can be a healthy substitute for milk when cooking waffles and pancakes.
To maximize the benefits of eating yogurt, make sure to choose ones that are low-fat or no-fat varieties. You can also opt for organic yogurt, which is the most natural of the lot.
Posted by lorenz
Fixed-menu diet.
A fixed-menu diet provides a list of all the foods you will eat. This kind of diet can be easy to follow because the foods are selected for you. But, you get very few different food choices which may make the diet boring and hard to follow away from home. In addition, fixed-menu diets do not teach the food selection skills necessary for keeping weight off. If you start with a fixed-menu diet, you should switch eventually to a plan that helps you learn to make meal choices on your own, such as an exchange-type diet.
Exchange-type diet.
An exchange-type diet is a meal plan with a set number of servings from each of several food groups. Within each group, foods are about equal in calories and can be interchanged as you wish. For example, the “starch” category could include one slice of bread or 1/2 cup of oatmeal; each is about equal in nutritional value and calories. If your meal plan calls for two starch choices at breakfast, you could choose to eat two slices of bread, or one slice of bread and 1/2 cup of oatmeal. With the exchange-type diet plans, you have more day-to-day variety and you can easily follow the diet away from home. The most important advantage is that exchange-type diet plans teach the food selection skills you need to keep your weight off.
Prepackaged-meal diet.
These diets require you to buy prepackaged meals. Such meals may help you learn appropriate portion sizes. However, they can be costly. Before beginning this type of program, find out whether you will need to buy the meals and how much the meals cost. You should also find out whether the program will teach you how to select and prepare food, skills that are needed to sustain weight loss.
Formula diet.
Formula diets are weight-loss plans that replace one or more meals with a liquid formula. Most formula diets are balanced diets containing a mix of protein, carbohydrate, and usually a small amount of fat. Formula diets are usually sold as liquid or a powder to be mixed with liquid. Although formula diets are easy to use and do promote short-term weight loss, most people regain the weight as soon as they stop using the formula. In addition, formula diets do not teach you how to make healthy food choices, a necessary skill for keeping your weight off.
Questionable diets.
You should avoid any diet that suggests you eat a certain nutrient, food, or combination of foods to promote easy weight loss. Some of these diets may work in the short term because they are low in calories. However, they are often not well balanced and may cause nutrient deficiencies. In addition, they do not teach eating habits that are important for long-term weight management.
Flexible diets.
Some programs or books suggest monitoring fat only, calories only, or a combination of the two, with the individual making the choice of both the type and amount of food eaten. This flexible type of approach works well for many people, and teaches them how to control what they eat. One drawback of flexible diets is that some don’t consider the total diet. For example, programs that monitor fat only often allow people to take in unlimited amounts of excess calories from sugars, and therefore don’t lead to weight loss.
It is important to choose an eating plan that you can live with. The plan should also teach you how to select and prepare healthy foods, as well as how to maintain your new weight. Remember that many people tend to regain lost weight. Eating a healthful and nutritious diet to maintain your new weight, combined with regular physical activity, helps to prevent weight regain.
Posted by lorenz
Exercise is the number one suggestion made by doctors as the path to weight loss. For the extremely overweight, this option may be out of the question. Our world is not focused on gradual, we are focused on fast! Everything needs to be at our fingertips, and thus, the exercise world focuses on those they are most apt to control, the thin and athletic. The extremely overweight are the sector of people who need to most attention because they are the ones that can be hurt the most from improper exercise practices.
Traditional exercise machines are not able to hold the weight of an extremely overweight person. While treadmills offer pre programmed exercise cycles that are based upon a 150 pound user. These are the troubles that face the extremely overweight, but, exercising is a reality for weight loss. And, exercising is what must be done. Here are a few tips for the extremely overweight involving exercise.
Tip 1: Increasing the Heart Rate
The main idea of exercise is to increase the heart rate for an extended period of time. For an extremely obese person, an inflated heart rate is not that hard to achieve. The added weight makes traditional cardio difficult, but there are ways to integrate exercise without causing injury.
Swimming, walking, biking and dancing are fantastic ways to raise the heart rate and they tend to be fun. Fun and exercise need to be the best of friends for anyone to stay on track. If you are having difficulties walking for long periods of time, try sitting in a chair with a straight back and lifting your arms over your head then back to your sides. Repeat this motion and your heart rate will increase.
Tip 2: No Pain, No Gain
Yes, there will be pain associated with your workout regime. This is more so the case for people who are unable to stretch after a workout. Stretching loosens the muscles and frees the pent up lactic acid that cause pain in the muscle. The inability to stretch will leave many extremely obese people hurting badly enough that exercise is given up after just a few days.
The key to keeping your exercise pain free is two fold. You can either stretch your heart out after you finish your exercise routine, or you can start your routine very slowly. Many people find the slow approach to be the easiest one to stick with. Starting slowly means just that, progressing at a snails pace. You will want to exercise for 10 minutes, twice a day to start. Continue this program for two weeks than increase by five minutes. Again, wait two week and add another five minutes. This gradual increase in exercise will fit perfectly with your weight loss.
Tip 3: Stay Away From the Gym
I know, this tip seems like an absurd one, but there is good reason. Gyms are made, as I stated in the beginning paragraphs, for thin and athletic people. Ab machines usually have a maximum weight of 250 pounds. Treadmills are created for people who are of “average” weight and weight benches are too narrow for an extremely overweight body. But, just because I say to stay away from the gym does not mean you can stay away from exercise. If you wish for the gym like experience, try visiting a women’s only gym. There are many circuit based routines perfect for extremely obese person.
Being overweight is nothing to be embarrassed about. Life as an overweight person is a difficult struggle that should include exercise whenever possible. Exercise is the key to weight loss and for the obese person, that exercise can be the most difficult part. Using these tips, try that exercise program again. You will be happy you did!
Posted by lorenz
Yoga as is said to be not only based completely based on exercise but it is also supported by various other components as the Diet. As also in Ayurveda it is said that if a person consumes the right diet as per season, its properties, its nutrients and also its amount it will provide its consumer the most fruitful benefits. As also the main source of energy to our body is Diet that we consume everyday. So this diet not only nourishes our body but it also nourishes our mind too with all the nutrients and properties that are made up in it.
The right type of yogic exercises should also be complemented with the right diet to produce the maximum effect and benefit. This diet helps to nourish the mind and body to keep an individual alert and energized through the day and so that we can handle everyday stress. Food or diet that we take is the center to achieve good health as it enacts as the medicine that we take everyday the helps us to build up the immune system and resist various diseases. But also this diet helps to repair the various wear and tears inside the body. There are also certain reasons in Yoga saying that occasional fasting should be practiced as it provides the digestive system rest. At first this might seem to be hard to follow as the toxins that are present in your body will be replenished. But after this phase the body shall regain its energy and vitality. As also in terms of modern science terminology a balanced or proper diet is a diet that provides all the proper nutrients that are required by the body to live for a healthy living.
But it is not just to get a diet that gives all the nutrients but what also matters is that it should be consumed in the right amount and also in the right condition and environment. As we humans our diet is also divided into three Gunas:
* Sattvic (Purity)
* Rajasa (activity)
* Tamasa (darkness or inertia)
This division of diet is due to the energy qualities that are found to be existing in equilibrium. Also as said that fasting has a great importance in yoga. As fasting provides the body discipline, control on self and determination. Also it is the belief of the yogi’s that abstinence helps to clean and rejuvenate the body. The Yoga diet is also one of the Five Principles of Yoga since eating healthy not only does provides good health but it also helps to stay fit. Thus ‘Yogic Diet’ is a perfect complementary to ‘Yogic Kariyas’. And also in this diet it is not that a person must be vegetarian only but he can be both ways.
Thus out of these three guna’s if one of them is dominant than the other two the individual or substance will acquire its features. As this can be explained in form as if an apple that is ripe it is profound to be with the Sattvic Guna; whereas if only some amount of ripening is resulted it is profound to be with Rajasic Guna and if it is overripe it is profound to be having the Tamasic Guna. Thus in common terms a food that is pure is Sattvic, food that is stimulating is Rajasic and food that is rotting, leftovers, diseased and decaying is Tamasic.
The properties can thus be summarized as:
* Sattvic Diet: This type of food is soothing and nourishing to the body and is considered to be the best source of energy to the body. Nourishes the body and maintains a peaceful state. And produces a balanced flow of energy in the body. Such food must be chewed properly and eaten in modest amount. This comprises of fresh foods, sweets, vegetables, legumes, nuts, sprouted seeds, honey and herbal teas, uncontaminated milk or milk products, nuts and whole grains. Such food gives energy and life to the body.
* Rajasic Diet: Such type of food is very stimulating to the body and can arouse emotions; these may bring about nervousness or disease. Theses type of food damages the equilibrium of mind and body; can over stimulate body making the mind uncontrollable and restless. Even eating in a hurry or with worry will produce rajasic guna. Such type of food causes circulatory disorders as high blood pressure, hardening of arteries and uric acid diseases. Etc. Spicy, processed, hot, bitter, sour, salty foods, fish, eggs, chocolates and stimulants as tea and coffee fall in this category.
* Tamasic Diet: Any food that is overripe, decaying and dead. This state or guna diet is most toxic or poison to the body and can harm the body immediately when consumed. So this diet does not benefits the mind or the body. Such food consumes away the prana or energy destroying the resistance of body and mind is filled with dark emotions, anger and greed. Even over-eating is considered to be producing Tamasic property. Foods in this category are meat, alcohol, tobacco, fermented food as vinegar, and stale overripe food.
he Yogic Diet thus elevates an individual’s state of mind. If a person is experiencing lowered, depressed, agitating or distracted states of mind food that is consumed can immediately feel better.
Posted by lorenz
Dieting is not the answer! Aren’t you relieved? Very low calorie dieting may result in quick weight loss but it almost always results in lowering your metabolism - and this metabolism change tends to stay with you long after the diet is history. So, how do you go about making a permanent change in your weight?
Step 1 - Don’t diet.
Step 2 - Increase your fiber intake. A study published in the October 17, 1999, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), reported that one of the best ways to control your weight is to increase your dietary fiber. Fiber helps you to feel full without adding many calories. And certain kinds of fiber, such as psyllium husks, have the ability to absorb fat from the foods we eat, carrying that fat out of the body before it is absorbed. That’s how Fat Grabbers work. Additionally, fiber has been shown to help lower serum cholesterol, reduce risk for cancer, and help diabetics control their blood sugar levels better.
Step 3 - Cleanse. Bhia.org recommends that all weight reduction programs begin with a thorough cleansing program. Modern food processing has removed most of the enzymes and fiber from our foods. And the staples of our diet - meat and dairy products - contain no fiber at all. Inadequate fiber slows the movement of the intestines and encourages the build up of waste and toxins in the bowel, liver and blood. Accumulated toxins have been linked with diverse health problems including fibromyalgia, cancer, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), poor skin, headaches, high blood pressure and digestive disturbances. Everyone can benefit from a periodic cleanse to clear out these accumulations.
Step 4 - Eat well. Eat at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruit each day. They are full of vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients as well as fiber. Include lean protein, a variety of beans, whole grains, raw nuts and seeds. Minimize high fat foods - these come mostly from meat, dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.), and snack foods (potato chips, cookies, and highly processed foods).
Step 5 - Drink plenty of water. it won’t result in weight gain! “Plenty of water” is about 1/2 ounce for every 1 pound of body weight. Water helps fiber in moving out the toxins, and helps reduce feelings of hunger.
Step 6 - Exercise 30 minutes three times a week. It will stimulate your metabolism and you really will feel better, have more energy, and lose weight! Your entire family will benefit from your example.
Cleanse - choose the cleanse that most appeals to you. CleanStart is a particularly good choice for many people.Multiple vitamin and mineral supplement - Everyone, especially those who are trying to lose weight, should choose a daily vitamin and mineral supplement like Super Supplemental Vitamins and Minerals. This will insure that your body gets the basic nutrition it needs to maintain health. It will also reduce the cravings often associated with an unbalanced or incomplete diet.Fiber - Increase your fiber intake by eating more vegetables, fruits and beans. You may want to include Fat Grabbers.Metabolism - Increase your metabolism by exercise and supplementation. You may want to try Fen-Chi or MetaboMax if not contraindicated by your health. Or you may want to try Garcinia Chi or Garcinia Combination. Garcinia is safe for everyone.Add other supplements you feel meet your needs. Maybe you would like a meal replacement occasionally or maybe you need help regulating your appetite. Perhaps you would like to increase muscle mass as you decrease body fat or maybe you are struggling with cellulite.
With just a little planning, a few products and a couple of simple, but important, lifestyle changes, you are on your way to the weight you want to be!
