Category Archives: Weight Loss

Keys To A Healthy Diet

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These days, there seems to be as many “healthy diets” as there are experts. Whilst our specific dietary needs may vary according to our individual body types, metabolisms, and genetics, there are also some basic guidelines that can be useful in determining which foods are nutritious and which aren’t.

1. Try to emphasize fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants–nutrients which help neutralize toxins in the body. In general, brightly coloured fruits and vegetables contain the highest levels of antioxidants: for example, yellow, orange, and dark green vegetables; citrus fruits; and cruciferous vegetables (those in the cabbage family, such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage). Whilst taking antioxidants in supplement form can be beneficial, those found in foods are a lot more powerful.

Fruits and vegetables are also high in other sorts of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C, which is supportive of the immune system, is abundant in strawberries, oranges, and bell peppers. Carrots, sweet potatoes, and winter squash are a powerful source of beta-carotene, which is important for vision. Green leafy vegetables support the health of our bones and teeth, amongst other things, with high levels of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K.

Some helpful guidelines for you to follow: Eat two to four pieces of fresh fruit every day, and fill half of your plate with vegetables at any meal.

2. Eat the amount and combination of whole foods that make you feel your best. There are so many different approaches to healthy eating. If you feel good when eating a high-protein diet with lots of non-starchy vegetables and few carbohydrates, it may be the best diet for you. However, if you feel your best when eating a diet high in grains, vegetables, and beans, then that may be the best diet for you.

Animals that are grass-fed and/or grown on organic foods (and all the products those animals produce) seem to have superior nutritional profiles. Additionally, studies have shown that children who grow up eating organic foods have lower levels of toxic chemicals in their bodies than those raised eating conventional foods.

 

John Rifkind is a contributing editor at FitnessHealthArticles.com. This article may be reproduced provided that its complete content, links and author byline are kept intact and unchanged. No additional links permitted. Hyperlinks and/or URLs must remain both human clickable and search engine spiderable.

The Raw Food Diet

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The raw diet, is based on consuming unprocessed, preferably organic, whole plant-based foods, at least 75 per cent of which should be uncooked. Raw and living foods are believed to contain essential food enzymes. It is based on raw nuts, fruits, and various varieties of beans.

People who follow the raw diet for losing weight employ particular techniques for preparing their food. They include sprouting seeds, grains and beans; soaking nuts and dried fruits; and juicing fruits and vegetables. The only cooking that is accepted is via a dehydrator. This equipment blows hot air through the food but never reaches a temperature higher than 116°F. Other techniques required to prepare raw food are blending, juicing and chopping.

What You Need To Go On The Raw Diet

1. Meal plans. Following a raw food diet means that you will have to carefully plan your meals to make sure you do not fall short of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

In some instances it might also be appropriate to consider taking dietary supplements.

2. Equipment. You will need to invest in some appliances so that you’re able to prepare the food.

o A durable juice extractor for your fruit and vegetables
o A blender or a wooden spoon and sieve to crush and blend ingredients
o A food processor or chopper to save you time and effort
o Large containers to soak and sprout grains, seeds and beans
o Glass jars or Tupperware for storing your sprouts

Promoters of the raw diet believe that enzymes are the life force of a food and that every food contains its own perfect mix of them. These enzymes help us digest the food completely, without relying on our body to produce its own cocktail of digestive enzymes.

It’s also thought that the cooking process destroys vitamins and minerals and that cooked foods not only take longer to digest, but they also allow partially digested fats, proteins and carbohydrates to clog up our guts and arteries.

Followers of a raw diet mention numerous health benefits, including increased energy levels, improved appearance of skin, improved digestion, and weight loss. Clearly the raw food diet has many benefits.

John Rifkind is a contributing editor at FitnessHealthArticles.com. This article may be reproduced provided that its complete content, links and author byline are kept intact and unchanged. No additional links permitted. Hyperlinks and/or URLs must remain both human clickable and search engine spiderable.

Discovering The Zone Diet

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Celebrities such as Madonna, Demi Moore and Jennifer Aniston swear by the results of the Zone Diet created by Barry Sears, PhD. The Zone Diet contains 40% protein, 30% carbohydrate and 30% fat and is also known as the 40-30-30 plan. The Zone Diet works on the basic idea that 100,000 years ago, we were essentially meat eaters and our bodies was designed to handle the demands of a meat-based diet.

As we have evolved, more carbohydrates have been introduced into our daily diets, causing an imbalance. The reason for weight gain could therefore be attributed to the many grains and starches in our diet (pasta, rice, breads, and potatoes). The Zone Diet’s strategy calls for a return to the diets of our ancestors where meat, fruits and vegetables were the main dietary items.

How Does The Zone Diet Function?

The Zone Diet functions by working the right ratio of carbohydrates to proteins and fats in order to control the insulin in the bloodstream. Excess of that hormone (insulin) can increase fat storage and inflammation in the body (conditions that are associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease). Sears asserts that through using the Zone Diet, you will be actually optimising the body’s metabolic function. Through the regulation of blood sugar, you will allow your body to burn excess body fat.

The Zone Diet doesn’t actually prohibit you from any particular food group. However, food with high fat and carbohydrates such as grains, starches, and pastas must be avoided. Fruits and vegetables are the preferred source of carbohydrate and monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil, almonds, avocados) are the ideal choice of fat. The Zone Diet claims to use food as a medicine for overall good health, weight loss and prevention or management of heart disease and diabetes.

Sears says that you can test to see whether you are ‘hormonally’ correct by testing the Zone diet and see how you feel four hours later. To simplify the Zone Diet, you may fill one-third of a plate with low-fat protein, and then two-thirds with fruits and vegetables.

Promoters of the Zone Diet

Promoters of the Zone Diet include certain celebrities and also some health experts who say that the Zone’s recommendations don’t stray far from the USDA’s (United States Dietary Association) dietary guidelines. Critics have nevertheless argued that the Zone Diet has flawed ratios but Sears argues that the Zone diet is really a low glycemic-load diet that has adequate protein. Sears also defends the criticism that the Zone Diet is complicated. He believes this is a misconception. The reason for it was that his first book on the Zone Diet was targeted to cardiologists who were more scientifically-oriented.

Criticizing The Zone Diet

The AHA (American Heart Association) classifies the Zone Diet as too high in protein and does not recommend the Zone Diet for losing weight. They assert that the Zone Diet hasn’t been proven effective in the long term for weight loss. They even issued an official recommendation warning against diets such as the Zone Diet.
They believe that the Zone Diet is hazardous because it restricts the intake of essential vitamins and minerals present in certain foods.

They are concerned that the protein ratio in the Zone diet is too high even if the minimal fat ratio is alright. Robert H. Ecker M.D of the A.H.A., finds the Zone Diet’s theory on insulin flawed and argues that there is no scientific proof that the hormone insulin plays a big role in the regulation of weight.

John Rifkind is a contributing editor at FitnessHealthArticles.com. This article may be reproduced provided that its complete content, links and author byline are kept intact and unchanged. No additional links permitted. Hyperlinks and/or URLs must remain both human clickable and search engine spiderable.