Summer Diet Plan » Weight Loss

Detox Diet Ideas

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:05:23 +0000

There are several types of detox diets. There are those in which you can only eat fruits and vegetables, those in which you can only eat “clean” foods, those in which you can only drink fruit and vegetable juice, and the most extreme type where you can only drink water. You can also do specialized cleanses designed specifically for certain area of the body, for instance the liver, kidneys, blood or lungs. However, most detox diets just involve cleansing the entire body. Below, there is a sample of a seven day detox diet that you can try.

First of all, it is important that you have regular bowel movements during a detox because this will lessen the likelihood of toxins being reabsorbed by the body. A good way to make sure you will eliminate regularly is to take 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds in lemon water in the morning, and drink lemon water throughout the day. Flax seeds provide the body with fiber and lemon water has a slightly laxative effect.

It is also important to drink enough fluids on a cleanse. You should try to include at least 8 glasses of water daily to ensure that you are allowing toxins to be flushed out.

A sample menu of a detox diet follows below. This is a diet that allows some food, since this tends to be easier for beginners. Remember, you can modify this to fit your needs and preferences.

UPON RISING

·1/2 lemon squeezed into a glass of warm water

·1 tablespoon of bentonite clay and 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a glass of water

BREAKFAST

·breakfast smoothie made with pear, rice milk and rice protein powder

·supplements: vitamin C

SNACKS

·apple juice diluted with water

·water

·vegetable broth

·supplements: milk thistle

·celery sticks and hummus

LUNCH

·chunky vegetable soup made with vegetable stock and your choice of vegetables

·steamed broccoli with sesame seeds and beets sprinkled with lemon juice on brown rice

·apple sauce

·supplements: multivitamin

SNACKS

·dandelion root tea

·carrot sticks with hummus dip

·water

·supplements: milk thistle

DINNER

·curried lentils on quinoa

·salad with mixed greens, red peppers, artichokes and sprouts drizzled with salad dressing of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil

·vegetable broth

BEFORE BED

·1 tablespoon of bentonite clay and 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a glass of water

This can be followed for up to seven days. Have fun, and remember to be careful, because while you should expect to feel sluggish and slightly ill, if you are feeling very ill or fatigued, contact your doctor.

Diabetic Diets

admin — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:24:51 +0000

After being diagnosed with diabetes, one has to come to terms with it and make a few changes to their lifestyle. At the most, they will be put on a new diet plan. One does not have to skip meals or avoid eating food that one has always loved completely in order to follow a diet plan. In fact, skipping meals only increases the sugar levels in one’s body.

For instance, fried, pureed or oily items can increase one’s blood sugar levels. Choose foods items that can act as a healthy substitute to these such as low fat dairy, meat substitutes, green vegetables and fruits.

A diabetic diet is a balanced diet featuring fresh fruits, vegetables, fats, proteins and most dairy products. Although diabetes cannot always be completely cured, it can be brought under control. It is essential to moderate one’s food intake and do regular exercise in order to maintain a healthy diet.

Eating fibrous food items can also reduce one’s weight considerably. These also help reduce the sugar levels in turn. Some instances of fibrous foods are oat bran, beans, rice bran, and cereals and so on. Garlic helps keep diabetes at bay. It is rich in potassium, zinc and sulphur and helps reduce blood-sugar levels.

Avoid salty foods, as they can increase sugar levels. Since one might already get enough salt from vegetables or other natural foods, they should reduce its intake.

Last but not least one should be constantly in touch with a physician who can help them to not only prepare an effective diet, to also take steps to keep their diabetes under control.

Best Diets to Lose Weight

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:10:46 +0000

Some thing tasty and yummy and yet you lose weight……

All the best diet plans are based on restrictions on carbohydrates, fats and high calorie products. During diet plans you can take fruits, green leafy vegetables, roughages and foodstuffs having less calories.

Top Diet Plans:

The Cabbage Soup diet has been used by dieters for years. This diet includes many versions but the simple one is that if you eat cabbage soup when you are hungry it will fill you up and will help you stay on low calorie diet. While you are on cabbage soup diet you must not take oily, fatty foodstuffs. This diet has very low calories. Therefore cabbage diet is among the best diets to lose weight.

The Sonoma diet was first prepared by Dr. Connie Gutterson. This diet includes antioxidant vegetables, juicy fruits like blueberries, spinach, whole grains and little almond oil. You can even add a glass of red wine. Sonoma diet is also approved as one of the best diets to lose weight.

Slim Fast diet is very helpful in controlling hunger for more than four hours. Slim fast diet is balanced, nutritional and rich in calcium and proteins. The Slim-Fast Diet plan is planned for dieter to take six times in day. You can add fruits, yogurt and cottage cheese. Fresh vegetables, meats and nuts are also a part of slim fast diet. It is not only diet cautious but also gives you a good flavor and taste. It can be considered as the best diet plan to lose weight especially for teenagers.

Negative calorie diet is less of a diet and more like diet helper. It consists of a list of foodstuffs whose net calorie account is less than total calories taken to digest them. These include high roughages, low fats, fruits and vegetables. Roughage is key content of negative calorie diet. The calorie output here is negative thus it will help losing weight.

Test Drive your Diet Plan Over the Holidays

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:07:09 +0000

You wouldn’t buy a new car without taking it for a test drive. Then why commit to a diet plan without testing it first?

Think about it.

You test-drive a car to make sure you’ll enjoy a smooth, comfortable ride. And most importantly, you want to know the car will take you to your destination.

If it doesn’t, you won’t buy that car. Or if you’ve been duped and got stuck with a “lemon,” you’ll trade the car for one that works.

Then why don’t we hold our diet plans to the same standards?

We’ve been so conditioned to suffer when we lose weight that we’ve come to expect – and accept – a bumpy ride in the form of hunger, deprivation and unappetizing food.

And how many times has your diet plan or weight loss program failed to get you to your destination, otherwise known as your target weight?

You deserve to know if your weight loss program will work in any situation at any time of the year.

So take your diet plan for a test drive. And if it doesn’t work, don’t make excuses for it… don’t beat yourself up like it’s your fault… just dump it.

The hardest tests for any diet plan happen during the holidays because they’re a source of endless temptation.

Many of these holiday tests occur in social situations. Which makes sense because other people often put intense pressure on us to cheat on our diets.

So unless you intend to become a hermit or a martyr, make sure your diet plan gives you a smooth, comfortable ride past these 7 holiday tests:

1. Holiday Dinners.

The biggest one in the U.S. is Thanksgiving. But each holiday presents its own eating challenges.

Are you going to miss all the pleasures of holiday dinners – including the social aspects of sharing traditional foods – just because you need to lose weight?

There will always be special occasions like holiday dinners, birthdays and weddings that won’t fit into a stringent diet.

So choose a weight loss program that can handle these special occasions realistically and let you enjoy life.

2. The Big Game.

In the U.S., it’s the Super Bowl.

But there are many sporting events throughout the year where food plays a big role. Are you really going to nibble celery and carrot sticks when everyone else is enjoying pizza and beer?

Or will you simply skip any event that threatens your weight loss success?

That’s no way to live.

You don’t have to eat everything in sight. But you should find a diet plan that will let you socialize at sporting events without feeling like an outcast.

3. Holiday Parties.

One of the biggest social tests for any diet plan is a holiday party. But parties can occur throughout the year.

Whether it’s with a group of friends or professional colleagues, there’s a lot of pressure to join in the fun – and that includes eating and drinking.

Make sure your diet plan provides effective strategies for dealing with drinks and party snacks.

4. Restaurants and Dining Out.

This test can happen throughout the year, but never more intensely than during the holiday season.

Can your weight loss program handle it or will it be a diet killer?

5. The Office.

Your office can cause any number of diet disasters.

Candy jars, morning doughnut surprises, birthday parties, retirement parties, client lunches, client dinners, and of course, holiday office parties.

With candy jars, you can graciously decline to snack. It’s just a matter of willpower.

But with client dinners and holiday office parties, you’d better show up or it could cost you your job. So if you want to lose weight, you have to be able to work these situations into your diet plan.

More eating temptations occur at the office during the holidays than at any other time. So if your diet plan works then, you should be safe throughout the year.

6. Holiday Desserts.

Sweet temptations abound over the holidays – whether you’re at social gatherings or home alone trying to resist leftover desserts. Can you work these sweets into your diet from time to time?

If you can, you should be able to successfully handle any cravings for sweets during the rest of the year.

7. No Time To Exercise.

Even though exercise is good for your health, exercise programs often become the first casualty of the busy holiday season.

But problems with exercise can occur at any time during the year. Suppose you’re injured in an accident. Or work or family problems take up so much time, you can’t exercise.

It’s best to choose a diet plan that will work with or without regular exercise. The weight loss benefits of exercise should be a bonus, not a necessity.

*****

These are the 7 hardest holiday tests. But there’s another reason to make sure your diet plan will survive the holidays: they come around every year.

You don’t want to reach your target weight during the off-season only to regain your extra pounds over the holidays.

So test-drive your diet plan this holiday season.

If you can enjoy a smooth, comfortable ride and reach your destination (or at least come closer to it), then you can be reasonably confident that your weight loss program will work throughout the year.

Important Disclaimer: This information is presented for educational purposes only. This isn’t medical advice and it’s not a substitute for any advice or treatment from your physician. You should always see your doctor before starting any new diet.

Diet Pills – a Real Life Account

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:40:51 +0000

Following is a real life account of an obese person who was about to die due to his overweight and related diseases. The story is how he got rid of the problem of obesity. We are bringing the story here with the hope that definitely the story will encourage people to lose extra weight and become disease free. Let us read the story in his own words.

Hello! I am an ordinary citizen and actually no story is generally written by any one about an ordinary person like me. However still I am writing my experience with the hope that this may encourage others to fight the curse of obesity.

Even a few years back, I was an obese person. Actually my obesity started from my child hood. It is true that 40 percent of teen age boys and girls in America are overweight and obese. I was also among one of them during my childhood.

My body weight continued to increase abnormally compared to my age and height as I grew older. At my age below 25, my body weight increased to an alarming level. This overweight made me slow, not so smart and lazy. I felt always difficulty in breathing. My blood pressure increased unnecessarily. Also there were some symptoms of type-2 diabetes in my system. Really I was scared and could not find any way to get rid of my problem of overweight.

Also my sexual power was reducing day by day and I felt ashamed to my beautiful wife for not being able to satisfy her sexual desire.

I was thinking to adopt some weight loss programs with regular exercise by visiting Gym and take a session under the instruction of an experienced person.

However, I saw the program was too rigorous to adopt. So I did not join and this made me very much upset and I thought that there was no respite from my excess weight which would ultimately kill me in my immature age.

I heard the name of Phentermine diet pills. But I was not sure about their effectiveness as there were floods of advertisements in TV and Internet about cheap Phentermine diet pills and I thought all bogus.

But when I felt that my body weight would kill me one day and seeing no other way, I took the advice of a doctor who prescribed me to buy Phentermine diet pills.

He assured me that everything was not bogus. Actually phentermine

diet pills are prescription drugs and should be taken through a prescription of an experienced doctor. There are some suitability criteria for Phentermine diet pills and there are some side effects of it which should be closely monitored by a doctor.

The doctor also advised me to take controlled amount of balanced diet with some light exercise during morning and evening which were suitable for me.

Seeing no other way, I followed the doctor’s advice and started my weight loss program with Phentermine diet pills, balanced diet and regular exercise. After a few weeks I felt the real miracle. My body weight started to reduce.

My joy knew no bounds. I was so excited and thrilled to see my body weight reduction! This encouraged me to adopt a bit more rigorous exercise with the advice of my doctor and my body weight gradually came to the accepted level without disturbing other functions of my body.

At present my body is perfectly fit. All my symptoms of weight related disease disappeared as soon as my body weight came down.

I want to warn people that you may get spam mails from internet stores regarding Phentermine online. You should not be enticed to buy Phentermine online although they appear to be cheap. I have found other diet pills that are just as good and infact sometimes beter and have listed them all on my web page!

The Zone Diet – What is it and Can it Help Me

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:34:38 +0000

The Zone Diet works on the principle that 100,000 years ago, we were meat eaters, and our metabolism is designed to handle the demands of a meat-based diet.

Madonna, Demi Moore, and Jennifer Aniston swear by the results of the Zone Diet, which was created by Barry Sears, PhD. The Zone Diet contains 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat and is known as the 40-30-30 plan.

As the food industry evolved, more carbohydrates have been introduced into our daily diet, thus causing an imbalance in our metabolism to burn fat. The reason for our extra weight can also be attributed to the many grains and starches in our diet (pasta, rice, breads, and potatoes). The Zone Diet’s approach calls for a return to the diets of our ancestors where meat, fruits, and vegetables are the main dietary foods.

The Zone Diet suggests that you need the right ratio of carbohydrates to proteins and fats in order to control the insulin in the bloodstream. Too much of the 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 by using the Zone Diet, you are actually optimizing the body’s metabolic function. Through the regulation of blood sugar, you allow your body to burn excess body fat.

Although you are not prohibited from any particular food group, it is best to avoid food with high fat and carbohydrates such as grains, starches, and pastas. The ideal sources of carbs are fruits and vegetables and for monounsaturated fats olive oil, almonds, and avocados are recommended. The Zone Diet claims to use food as a drug 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 eating following the Zone diet and see how you feel four hours later. To simplify the Zone Diet, fill one-third of a plate with low-fat protein, and then two-thirds with fruits and vegetables.

Celebrities and some health experts say that the Zone’s recommendations do not stray far from the USDA’s (United States Dietary Association) dietary guidelines and therefore are advocates of the Zone Diet. Others argue that the Zone Diet has flawed ratios but Sears argues that the Zone diet is a low-glycemic-load diet that has adequate protein. .

A critic of the Zone diet such as the AHA (American Heart Association) classifies the Zone Diet as high protein and does not recommend the Zone Diet for weight loss. They contend that the Zone Diet has not been proven effective in the long term for weight loss. The AHA issued an official recommendation warning against diets like the Zone Diet. They believe that the Zone Diet is hazardous as it restricts the intake of essential vitamins and minerals present in certain foods. The AHA also contends that the protein ratio in the Zone diet is too high even if the minimal fat ratio is good. 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 weight regulation.

Diet Pills – a Real Life Account

admin — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:14:50 +0000

6 Important Factors for Diet Plan Success

admin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:36:46 +0000

As the weight loss industry becomes increasingly prosperous more and more diet plans have become available. The problem is that a lot of these diet plans are complete nonsense and do not work at all. Sure, some diet plans are effective but do you really want to waste your time and money trying to find the right one? No, me neither! That is why in this article I have done the hard work for you and listed 6 criteria that should be part of any successful diet plan.

1) Honesty:- Many diet plans are full of outrageous claims such as “rub this gel on your stomach and watch the fat melt away”. However, can you really trust a diet plan which makes such unrealistic claims? Losing weight is not easy and any diet plan which argues otherwise is likely to be fraudulent and ineffective. Try to look for diet plans which make more honest claims such as “lose 10 pounds in one month” as these are likely to be the ones that really work.

2) Evidence:- If a diet plan really is effective then there should be some clinical evidence which says so. Although clinical trials are not 100% foolproof (they may be sponsored by the diet plan company or the results may have been presented selectively to make the diet plan look more favourable) they are a good indicator of a diet plan’s effectiveness. By looking for diet plans which have been scientifically tested you are more likely to find one that works for you.

3) No Forbidden Foods:- When a food is forbidden it becomes all the more tempting. This usually leads to you craving the food to such an extent that you binge eat. For example, lets say your favourite food is cookies but your diet plan has banned them. You manage to resist for two weeks but then you give in and eat a full pack. The end result is that you consume too many calories and sabotage all your good efforts on the diet plan. To avoid this you should look for diet plans which restrict the foods you eat but still let you treat yourself from time to time.

4) No Side Effects:- Even if a diet plan helps you lose weight in a way that works for you, you do not want to be subjected to any unpleasant side effects. For example, going on the Atkins diet has been associated with bad breath, constipation and nausea. Some health professionals even believe the diet can cause more serious health risks such as heart disease and osteoporosis. Therefore, make sure you research any diet plan you choose to ensure that there are no unpleasant side effects associated with it.

5) No Calorie Counting:- Any good diet plan will require you to have a general understanding of calories and the amount you should be consuming each day. However, if you have to count every single calorie that you take in every single day you will quickly become discouraged. The most successful diet plans will teach you to eat healthily and in time you will learn to reduce your daily caloric intake without counting every individual calorie.

6) Affordability:- Even if a diet plan fulfills all the above criteria it will not be a success unless you can afford it. Some diet plans require you to purchase special meals to participate. However, these meals are usually expensive and can quickly burn a hole in your wallet. I recommend that you choose a diet plan which does not require you to buy any special foods and is therefore affordable on almost any budget.

Successful diet plans should help you lose weight and make this process as easy and manageable as possible. They should be honest, unrestrictive, proven and affordable. When choosing a diet plan make sure it matches all the above criteria or else you could find yourself disappointed with the results.

Weight Loss Diet Fad’s

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:23:39 +0000

Obesity is a physical state that refers to excessive body fat. Chances are you have experienced the frustrations of dieting at least once in your life, if you have problems with your weight. Close to a hundred million Americans go on a weight loss diet in any given year and up to ninety-five percent of them regain the weight they lose within five years. Worse, a third will gain back more weight than they lost, in danger of “yo-yoing” from one popular diet to another. The conventional approach to weight problems, focusing on fad weight loss diets or weight loss drugs, may leave you with just as much weight and the additional burden of ill health.

Today, an estimated sixty-five percent of all American adults are obese or overweight. Our culture obsesses about staying thin even as we grow fatter, but this isn’t about appearances. Obesity is known to be a precursor to many debilitating health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and gallbladder disease. Obesity contributes to as many as 375,000 deaths every year. In addition, the public health costs for obesity are staggering. According to researchers at Harvard University, obesity is a factor in 19% of all cases of heart disease with annual health costs estimated at 30 billion dollars; it’s also a factor in 57% of diabetes cases, with health costs of $9 billion per year.

Set Realistic Goals:

No doubt you have fallen for one or more of the weight loss diet schemes over the years, promising quick and painless weight loss. Many of these quick weight loss diet programs undermine your health, cause physical discomfort, flatulence, and ultimately lead to disappointment when you start regaining weight, shortly after losing it. Fad or quick weight loss diet programs generally overstress one type of food. They contravene the fundamental principle of good nutrition – to remain healthy one must consume a balanced diet, which includes a variety of foods. Safe, healthy, and permanent weight reduction is what’s truly lost among the thousands of popular diet schemes.

Some of the weight loss diet schemes reign supreme briefly, only to fade out. While some wane from popularity due to being unproductive or unsafe, some simply lose the public’s curiosity. Examples of such fad diets include the South Beach Diet, Atkins diet, the Grapefruit diet, Cabbage Soup diet, the Rotation diet, Beverly Hills diet, Breatharian, Ornish Plan – the list goes on and on. These fad diets advocate a specific technique (such as eliminating a certain food, or eating only certain combinations of foods) in conjunction with the basic idea that the body makes up the difference in energy by breaking down and utilizing some part of itself, essentially converting matter into energy. This self-cannibalism, or catabolism as it is referred, typically starts with breakdown of stored body fat.

Mediterranean Diet For Weight Loss

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:39:01 +0000

Would you be surprised to learn that eating the Mediterranean diet way is not only a healthy way to eat but is an effective and natural way to lose weight as well?

For many women, dieting for weight loss can be a daunting and somewhat restricting undertaking and especially so, if you’re a vegetarian. Most weight loss diets will nearly always involve giving up or limiting your intake of some of the foods you particularly enjoy. Whether it is a low carb diet such as the atkins diet or any of the many fad diets. Either way you’ll most certainly have to deprive yourself in some way.

Any diet that involves deprivation in any way shape or form, will lessen your chances of achieving your weight loss diet goals. You’re also more likely to regain any lost weight once you’ve finished your diet and resume normal eating. This is where the Mediterranean diet approach is a god-send.

The Mediterranean diet and lifestyle is being touted as the best two-pronged approach to achieving healthy eating and weight maintenance, without the need to resort to starvation diets or, extra gruelling physical exercise.

The benefits of the Mediterranean diet doesn’t just stop there either! Recent research confirms that the Mediterranean diet – (with one of its chief ingredients being olive oil), is not only generally healthy, but can actually help lower harmful LDL cholesterol that can cause heart and other chhronic diseases, including cancer.

The Mediterranean diet approach for weight loss is based on ground-breaking scientific research by ‘The Harvard School Of Public Health’. No matter what your goals are, anyone can start using this model. You do not even have to adjust your lifestyle in any significant way to improve your health, achieve your weight loss and/or weight maintenance goals.

If you’re looking for a healthy diet that tick all the boxes – i.e. is not low carb; is not low fat; does not involve starvation; and is also ideal for vegetarians, then you can do no better than the Mediterranean diet approach.