Lose Weight - Do You Really Need To?
by: Gerald Meyer
If you are overweight, you may be more at risk of developing disease. That should be reason enough to lose weight. Weight related conditions include:
I must confess that I am a Steve Martin fan. Like me he studied philosophy in his earlier days. He plays a banjo like I wish I could. And he is funny. In 1987 he was in a movie entitled “Roxanne”. He played a small town fire chief with an enormous nose who fell in love with a beautiful astronomer played by Daryl Hannah. The only problem was she had an eye for a younger fireman with a relatively normal nose. C.D. Bales (Steve Martin), having a poetic command of the English language, agreed to coach the younger and much more awkward man in his pursuit of the educated astronomer. It is a hilarious twist on an old story. In one of the more sober scenes C.D.’s friend Trixie encourages him to pursue the young maiden for himself since he was obviously in love with her. She makes her point by saying the truth “is as plain as the nose on your face.” Well said.
Many people today are concerned about their triglyceride levels. And rightly so. High triglycerides have been marked as an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). But in all the scramble to reduce our triglycerides many doctors have been trying to tell us that the truth is as plain as the nose on our collective face.
Triglycerides are a form of fat. In fact they are the most prevalent form of fat in our bodies. Our bodies make triglycerides and we consume them in our diets. Even though we live in culture where ‘thin is in’, fat is a good thing. Triglycerides in particular are good because they are the form of fat our bodies use for energy. But like many things more is not necessarily better. Triglycerides truly represent an example of the maxim, ‘too much of a good thing’. In this case too much can contribute to serious health side effects especially in relation to heart health. So if your triglycerides are too high get them down.
But how? How do we get them down? To answer this question it is first helpful to understand what causes our triglycerides to rise. There are several causes which we will only mention in passing because they do not compose the main subject of this essay. There are certain medical conditions that elevate triglyceride levels such as hypothyroidism, kidney disease, liver disease, familial hypertriglyceridemia and pregnancy. And of course medical conditions are often accompanied by medications that negatively impact triglycerides. Among these are oral contraceptives, estrogen replacement therapy, certain steroids, diuretics, beta-blockers, newer classes of antipsychotic medications, cyclosporine, glucocorticoids, progesterone, retinoids and tamoxifen to mention a handful.
The above mentioned factors can contribute to a rise in serum triglycerides. But they are by no means the most common. For most of us our problems lie elsewhere. Diabetes is a common cause of high triglycerides. Unfortunately diabetes is a two-pronged fork. Not only does it affect triglyceride levels but diabetics are more susceptible to the damage that results from factors such as high triglycerides.
Obesity, whatever the reason, causes higher levels of triglycerides to hang around in the blood. As our nation gets progressively heavier higher cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as the heart damage that accompanies them, will become more common.
Now for the rest of us. For most of us our triglycerides are high for one reason. The truth is as plain as the nose on C.D.’s face. We are what we eat. Doctors, though themselves seldom the epitome of health, have been telling us for years to watch what we eat. With all the medical advances over the past several decades diet and exercise are still the primary and most effective methods for promoting heart health, especially in relation to cholesterol and triglycerides and the damage they can cause.
I have only this to say about exercise. Get some! But concerning diet we need a bit more detail. Let’s begin where it hurts the most. Alcohol, though good for your heart in many ways, is easily converted to triglycerides. If yours are too high stay away from alcohol.
Next in line, and this hurts me even more, is sugar. Simple, and especially highly processed carbohydrates, cause triglycerides to rise perhaps even more than alcohol. The American diet is no stranger to sugar and highly processed foods. Such foods are doing more than making us fat. They are causing the incidence of heart disease to escalate with amazing speed. When it comes to high triglycerides, sugar is your worst enemy.
Fruits are questionable. Eliminating fruits is not the place to start. Whole fruits, and the sugars they contain, do not convert to triglycerides as readily as their processed cousins. However, if you have done all you can in other areas of your diet you might consider reducing fruit intake. But before you do this make sure you have eliminated the juices that are more sugar and juice than they are fruit. And avoid canned fruits that are packed in syrup.
Since triglycerides are fat it makes sense to avoid fatty foods. I have in mind especially saturated animal fats. Foods such as bacon, sausage, fatty fowl like duck or goose and fatty beef should be restricted in your diet. Hotdogs and hamburgers? I realize they are the core of the American diet. But do I really need to comment on these?
Now for the surprise. Some fatty foods actually cause triglycerides to fall. Can you believe it? There is a silver lining behind every dark cloud. Cold water fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna, not the canned varieties, are high in omega-3 fatty acids which are well documented to reduce triglycerides. When is the last time you heard about an Eskimo having bypass surgery? Perhaps that is because Eskimos know that the American Heart Association has recommended two to four grams of omega-3 fatty acids from marine sources for people with high triglycerides. That is a lot of omega-3 but such quantities are well proven to lower triglycerides as well as offer a whole list of heart health benefits. Though it is difficult to eat that much fish and there is the risk of mercury poisoning, there is a safe way to get enough omega-3 to effectively lower triglycerides. You can take fish oils supplements. Please purchase them from a trusted source.
So, as you can see, the epidemic of rising triglycerides is an unnecessary danger. For most of us the solution rests in the things we eat and the exercise we need to get. It sounds all too simple. But I am a simple guy. I think it is nice to know that the solution to rising triglycerides is as plain as the nose on C.D.’s face.
For more information on causes of high triglycerides and triglyceride lower diets please use the links below.
http://www.optimal-heart-health.com/causesofhightriglycerides.html
http://www.optimal-heart-health.com/foodtolowertriglyceride.html
All of our behavior results from the thoughts that preceded it, so the thing to work on is not your behavior, but the thing that caused your behavior, your thoughts.
- Dr. Wayne Dyer
Let me preface this article with the notion that I truly, indeed detest the word diet, but for simplicities sake… I’ll use it!
The stark reality is that sometimes eating too little can be a literal roadblock in attaining a lean fit and healthy body.
Eating less in daily calories (food/nutrients), than your minimum metabolic needs causes your body to burn muscle and store fat.
This is what is called the 'Starvation Metabolism' response, where the body, when deprived of adequate calories, will adapt to need fewer calories to function. As a result, dieters often regain the weight they lose almost immediately because they have starved their body into becoming a "fat-storing machine." Sadly the truth!
For most of its history, the human race was subject lock, stock and smoking barrel to the whims and fancies of dear old Mother Nature, especially where our nutritional needs were concerned. When the conditions were right, food was plentiful; when they were not, the populace starved. As a result, evolution shaped our progenerators bodies in such a way that during times of plenty, they were able to pack on layers of fat to provide them with the sustenance they needed to get through the lean times…not the ‘fit’ times, the ‘LEAN’ times!
And as evolution would have it, humans became adept at mastering their environment, nevertheless, famines grew rare, and the built-up fat reserves often went unused; our ability to manipulate the environment had exceeded nature's slow practice of adaptation.
At present, obesity is pervasive in wealthy nations like the U.S. So what in the heck happened to moderation and balance? Particularly impacted are those of us of European and Eastern African origin, whose forbearers needed bodies that could efficiently manufacture fat reserves to outlast the periodic famines. As a direct result, many of us have become corpulent, mostly because it's hard for us to fight the natural tendencies of our bodies to accumulate fat. Currently, some 64% of Americans are overweight and more than one third are obese.
With that being said, as contemporary living human beings, we don't have to allow nature to get the leg up on us (nature nurture then nurture nature). Being overweight and more specifically, over-fat isn't healthy, especially for those of us who suffer from conditions like hypertension, diabetes, heart conditions and other insufficiencies of adequate, abundant health.
But what's the best way to lose weight (fat)and to regain a healthy state of body composition?
As you might have guessed, there are to be nearly accurate, thousands of specialized or Doctor/Guru-ized diets, procedures, dieting devices, miracle pills, powders and the like out there, all of which promise you they'll help you get lean and sleek. Some of them actually work, but how can you tell which ones? How do you thread your way through the plethora of dieting on your way to a healthier, slimmer you, without setting off self-destructive behaviors that can incapacitate your dieting efforts?
The answer to that question is this: Very Vigilantly.
While persuasive and a little facetious, it's nonetheless true. Some things are palpably false, fraudulent, misleading or simply prey on our innermost desires; for example, there's no magic pill (never will be), grapefruit or otherwise, that can in an isolated form cause you to shed the pounds. New-fangled fad diets don't work, and neither do most of the "scientific" ones that are so fervently promoted. Despite this, Americans are willing to spend more than $50 billion a year on fad diets and gimmicks, when in fact the most effective dieting advice comes down to this: Expend more calories than you consume! What I refer to as the two (2) E’s, Exercise and Eat Right! Get it! To Ease!!! To ease all that ails us.
This, we know is true; it's just difficult to assemble the willpower necessary to… belly-up to such an audaciously unpleasant proclamation.
If you're adamant about your health and well-being and want to attain ‘real-results’, keep this truth in mind… “You can lose weight and keep it off”. Peranent weight loss can happen. The intention of this article is to help you along the way as you edify and develop the management skills necessary to achieve success by identifying the most common weight-loss myths that can perplex you during your expedition. We've left out the miracle claims and preposterous matter in favor of presenting more reasonable-sounding myths that an intelligent person might be beguiled and enticed by. Let's start with the most omnipresent myth.
#1
THE MYTH: Avoiding meals can assist you in losing weight faster.
THE TRUTH: Erroneous, Incorrect and Blatantly WRONG! This is Taking The Low Road!
It seems logical, just like its consequence ("the fewer calories you eat, the more weight you'll lose"), but it's not true. The effect is the opposite of what you expect. Dieting is based on the fact that if you burn more calories in a day than you take in, your body will begin burning fat. While this is true, if you expect to lose weight effectively, you need to maintain eating regular meals, especially breakfast.
Depriving your body of its necessary fuel and nutrients causes it to go into starvation mode; when this happens, your metabolism slows down so that you can get by on little to no food. Once your metabolism slows, it can be quite difficult to bring it back up to momentum, and until it regains its pace, normal eating will just cause you to gain more weight.
It can be a vicious cycle that's excruciatingly difficult to break. In addition, bypassing meals can make you feel lightheaded and weak, can have venomous effects on your cholesterol levels, and can be extremely perilous for diabetics.
In a nutshell, fasting and crash diets are forms of self-sabotage best avoided. What's more, eating frequently (and moderately) will leave you less hungry throughout the day and cause a satiated effect, so you're less likely to have or give in to your food cravings.
#2
THE MYTH: Starches are Fattening.
THE TRUTH: False and Unsafe.
For one thing, it's difficult to completely avoid starches, since they're a major component of staples like bread, pasta, grains, fruits, potatoes, corn, and rice. Even if it were possible to cut out all starches, if you did so you'd be starving your body of the fuel it unconditionally needs in order to maintain proper body-system function. Food consists of only three basic substances or macro-nutrients: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Starches are carbohydrates; and carbohydrates, along with their metabolic products and core nutrients are your body's basic fuel.
Fortunately, nuts, beans, and a few other vegetable products are ready sources of protein. If you go vegetarian, you'll also need to be sure you get daily doses of Vitamin B12 and Zinc, supplements often missing in vegetarian diets.
Most people can continue to exist as vegetarians if they're extremely careful, but it's a continuous mêlée, and guess what? You can be just as healthy and out-of-shape on a vegetarian diet as you can on a regular diet, especially if you don't exercise regularly.
#4
THE MYTH: Sweating facilitates weight loss.
THE TRUTH: Absolutely… If the sweat is exercise induced!
Otherwise, all you're doing is losing water weight. Sweating is astonishingly effective at doing what it was meant to do: cooling the body by glazing the skin with evaporative fluids.
It was never meant to act as a weight loss system. Lose enough water, and you're toying with dehydration. Dehydration or progressive dehydration can occur if you fail to rehydrate yourself sufficiently after every workout. If you get sufficiently dehydrated, your electrolyte balance will get out of whack, your cells will be starved of the fluids they need, and you could die. Not a happy prospect, so avoid it.
For this reason, the old sweatbox and sauna are of no use for losing real weight. Neither are their modern "high-tech" equivalents, such as body wraps and plastic sweat suits, no matter how many people swear by them. All they do is dehydrate you. Yes, you lose weight: two pounds per quart sweated away. But that's weight, not fat. And the moment you drink enough water, you'll gain all that weight back. Like I have said… “Weight Loss is a LIE!”
#5
THE MYTH: Fat Free is… Calorie Free!
THE TRUTH: YEAH… RIGHT!!!
All "fat-free" means is that a particular food has no detectable fat content. Sadly, however, is that fat and its related compounds that give most foods their flavor. Ice cream, butter, cheese, and a whole host of non-dairy products, including chocolate, are little more than specially prepared, congealed fat. When manufacturers design many fat-free products, such as bread, cookies, ice cream, and the like, they know these products will be mostly dry and flavorless without fat.
Some fat substitutes are available, but they can cause gastrointestinal upset, and most are expensive. This leaves one common ingredient that manufacturers can use to make their products taste better: sugar. And they use it liberally; so many fat-free products are high in calories.
Furthermore, plenty of foods like breads and pasta are low in fat, but rich in carbohydrates and we already know what that means. Carbohydrates break down easily into our friend glucose, which can result in increased fat when consumed in excess.
You always have to consider calorie and portion size; you're fooling yourself if you do otherwise. Moderation is the key to dieting success… Any …long-term success for that matter.
#6
The Myth: You Either Diet Or Exercise, You Can’t Do Both Simultaneously!
The Truth: Don’t Get Me Started!!!
Yes…you can do both together and you should, it is referred to as Synergy; the coordination of two effective components working concurrently to derive a greater benefit than if isolated.
The dieting myths and misconceptions explored in this article represent just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There are thousands of them out there: some are ridiculous and barely worthy of notice-like the suggestion that eating standing up helps you lose weight, or that you can base a diet on your blood type or color of hair-while others are less obvious, like those discussed here.
Dieting isn't easy and, while it's human nature to look for a simple solution to a problem, that strategy just won't work in this case. So heed these hints, and take it easy. Don't skip meals, keep your diet properly balanced, and exercise regularly. Avoid all fads, pills, and extravagant claims, because if it sounds too good to be true...well, you know the rest.
It doesn’t take more than losing a few pounds before you'll notice a difference in the way you look and feel. And, if you lose only a few pounds at first, even if you've been at it for a while, so what? Pick up a five or ten pound bag of flour and carry it around for a day, and you'll see how quickly you'll get tired of lugging that excess weight around.
Application of sound methodology is always the most effective means to achieve any objective, with that said, if you want to truly shed those extra kilos of fat, then do yourself a favor and draw up a plan, combine all the necessary elements of success and execute that plan…
About the author:
Kurt Lee Hurley's clients refer to him as the "Secret Weapon" and after over 3,000 weight loss successes, his Provo, Utah Wellness Facility has become known as a "Results Factory" a "Living Laboratory" of Achievement, Enhanced Human Performance and a place to congregate for Empowerment and of course, the Success of attaining Weight Loss RESULTS!
The glycemic index (GI) is a scale that measures how quickly carbohydrate foods are broken down into glucose. The original purpose for the glycemic index was to help diabetics keep their blood sugar under control. The glycemic index has recently attracted a lot of attention in the bodybuilding, fitness and weight loss world and has even become the central theme in numerous best-selling diet books as a method to choose the foods that are best for losing weight.
According to advocates of the glycemic index system, foods that are high on the GI scale such as rice cakes, carrots, potatoes, or grape juice are "unfavorable" and should be avoided because high GI foods are absorbed quickly, raise blood sugar rapidly and are therefore more likely to convert to fat or cause health problems.
Instead, we are urged to consume carbohydrates that are low on the GI scale such as black eye peas, old fashioned oatmeal, peanuts, apples and beans because they do not raise blood sugar as rapidly.
While the GI does have some useful applications, such as the use of high GI foods or drinks for post workout nutrition and the strong emphasis on low GI foods for those with blood sugar regulation problems, there are flaws in strictly using the glycemic index as your only criteria to choose carbs on a weight loss program.
For example, the glycemic index is based on eating carbohydrates by themselves in a fasted state. If you are following effective principles of fat-burning and muscle building nutrition, you should be eating small, frequent meals to increase your energy, maintain lean body mass and optimize metabolism for fat loss. However, since the glycemic index of various foods was developed based on eating each food in the fasted state, the glycemic index loses some of its significance.
In addition, when you are on a diet program aimed at improving body composition (losing fat or gaining muscle), you will usually be combining carbs and protein together with each meal for the purposes of improving your fat to muscle ratio. When carbs are eaten in mixed meals that contain protein and some fat, the glycemic index loses even more of its significance because the protein and fat slows the absorption of the carbohydrates (as does fiber).
Mashed potatoes have a glycemic index near that of pure glucose, but combine the potatoes with a chicken breast and broccoli and the glycemic index of the entire meal is lower than the potatoes by itself.
Rice cakes have a very high glycemic index, but if you were to put a couple tablespoons of peanut butter on them, the fat would slow the absorption of the carbs, thereby lowering the glycemic index of the combination.
A far more important and relevant criteria for selecting carbs - as well as all your other foods, proteins and fats included - is whether they are natural or processed. To say that a healthy person with no metabolic disorders should completely avoid natural, unprocessed foods like carrots or potatoes simply because they are high on the glycemic index is ridiculous.
I know many bodybuilders (myself included) who eat high glycemic index foods such as white potatoes every day right up until the day of a competition and they reach single digit body fat. How do they do it if high GI foods “make you fat?” It’s simple – high GI foods DON’T necessarily make you fat – choosing natural foods and burning more calories than you consume are far more important factors. Although it’s not correct to say that all calories are created equal, a calorie deficit is the most important factor of all when fat loss is your goal.
The glycemic index is clearly not a "gimmick" and should not be completely disregarded, as it is a definitely a legitimate nutritional tool. Is it a good idea to eat low GI foods in general? Sure. Is eating high GI foods after your workouts a good idea? Absolutely. But diet programs which hang their hats on glycemic index alone as the “miracle solution” are just another example of how one single aspect of nutrition can be used as a "hook" in marketing and said to be the "end all be all" of fat loss, when it's really only one small piece of the puzzle.
Eating Low glycemic index foods alone does NOT guarantee you will lose fat. You have to take in the bigger picture, which includes calories/energy balance, meal timing and frequency, macronutrient composition, choice of processed versus refined foods as well as how all these nutritional factors interact with your exercise program.
About the author:
Copyright 2005 Tom Venuto
Tom Venuto is a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder and author of the ##1 best selling diet e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle. You can get info on Tom's e-book at http://www.burnthefat.com. To get Tom's free monthly e-zine, visit http://www.fitren.com
The field of nutrition is awash with charts, tables, diagrams, models, acronyms, and abbreviations; more than the average person can memorize. As such, one often comes across someone who has simply burnt out trying to keep track of how much to eat, when to eat it, how to find the calories from fat, the RDI, the DV, and so on. There is an overkill of useful information within the nutrition field, and it can ironically provoke one to grow weary and exhausted, tune out, and go grab a fast food burger.
Yet every once in a while, a concept within the nutrition field emerges that truly demands attention. Over a decade ago, the USDA’s “Food Pyramid” was one such concept because it helped eaters discover how many gaps existed in their typical daily diet. Now, as the Food Pyramid begins to take a new shape, and as the nutrition field works to establishes itself as the most important branch of health care in the 21st century, an invention called the Glycemic Index is taking center stage.
The Glycemic Index (GI) is not new; it has been around for more than 2 decades. Yet until recently, its exposure beyond the world of diabetes has been limited [i].
The Glycemic Index indicates how “high” or “low” blood sugar levels change in response to carbohydrate intake. A “high” Glycemic Index indicates carbohydrates with a swift breakdown, whereas a “low” Glycemic Index indicates carbohydrates with slow, gradual breakdown. Both terms are of equal importance to diabetics, because there are times with high Glycemic Index foods are required, and times where low Glycemic Index foods are required.
Indeed, the Glycemic Index itself is not new, but its application far beyond the borders of a diabetic dialogue is notable; especially for dieters.
People striving to lose weight often face a nemesis much tougher than establishing an exercise regimen or introducing healthier foods into their diet. The problem is one of energy. Many dieters are surprised – and disturbed – to learn that their diet program is causing them to lose more than inches and pounds: they are losing energy.
This is often expressed as a complaint, as in “I’m feeling weak”, or even “I can’t stay awake”. Many dieters and those advising them have erroneously chalked this up to a matter of attitude, or will power, or some non-biological cause.
The plain truth is that many dieters have been oblivious to the Glycemic Index, and hence, to the fact that many of the diet foods they have eaten – or are eating right now – score very high Glycemic Index levels. As such, these foods are providing a quick boost to blood sugar levels, and then setting up the dieter for the inevitable fall. This is because high GI foods typically increase blood sugar values, which in turn trigger the hormone insulin to clear sugar from the blood. Since blood sugar (a.k.a. glucose) largely dictates the body’s energy levels, it stands to reason that this process manifests as an initial boost in energy, and then as a depletion of energy. This rise and fall of blood sugar – and energy – is often described by dieters using a “roller-coaster” analogy: one minute they feel confident and strong, and the next, they are about to pass out and require some kind of stimulant in order to make it through the day.
Regrettably for many dieters, that stimulant is usually more high Glycemic Index foods, such as sugary snacks or soft drinks. It is easy to see how this experience can lead an individual to stop dieting. After all, before the diet, the individual was merely gaining weight. On the diet, the individual is gaining weight and is exhausted for most of the day. It is better to quit the diet.
The above scenario only takes place, however, when a dieter unwittingly eats high Glycemic Index foods. Research has shown that low Glycemic Index foods, which raise blood sugar levels much more gradually than high Glycemic Index foods, are very helpful for dieters [ii]. This is because a dieter will experience less of a “roller-coaster” ride while on the diet, and furthermore, will be less inclined to snack because energy in the form of blood glucose is being released slowly and gradually. Low Glycemic Index foods are much more efficient sources of energy than high Glycemic Index foods, because the body needs less insulin to convert food into energy [iii].
Despite the growing awareness that low Glycemic Index foods are beneficial, the world of diet foods has not kept pace. This is because many manufacturers are searching frantically to find low Glycemic Index carbohydrates sources for their products, and overlooking a basic, simple fact: the lowest possibly Glycemic Index is no carbohydrates at all.
These zero-carbohydrate/zero sugar nutritional supplements – which are quite rare in the market – do not deliver any sugar to the bloodstream. As a result, dieters do not have to worry about riding the “roller coaster” of energy spikes and pitfalls.
Yet there is an even greater benefit for dieters who choose a ‘zero sugar’ nutritional supplement. If that low Glycemic Index nutritional supplement is rich in complete protein, then it will act as a sort of antidote to high GI foods by helping to combat their adverse consequences.
For example, a dieter who eats a high Glycemic Index candy car can mitigate the roller-coaster spike in blood sugar levels by eating a nutritional supplement that has very low Glycemic Index and has a rich source of complete protein. This is because the protein in the nutritional supplement mixes with the high Glycemic Index of the candy bar, and effectively lowers the overall Glycemic Index. This is welcome news to dieters who would otherwise be seeing those extra carbohydrates transformed by insulin into triglycerides, and stored in adipose tissue; also known as body fat.
Currently, only a handful of nutritional supplements are designed to offer zero carbohydrates and thus score as low as possible on the Glycemic Index. And of these zero-carbohydrate products, even fewer offer a rich source of complete protein that effectively helps counter the blood sugar spike impact of high Glycemic Index foods.
It is inspiring to note that Glycemic Index is getting some well-deserved attention from outside the diabetic community, where it has helped millions of people eat wisely. Now, dieters and obese people can enjoy the wisdom that this index promotes.
ABOUT PROTICA
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com
You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com
I have thoroughly researched this diet and am giving you every detail of south beach diet for information.
South beach diet book is founded on the premise that switching to good carbs stops insulin resistance and curbs appetite which leads to weight loss. Also, good fats protect the heart and prevent hunger.
But this is hardly true as you will learn after reading this article.
South beach diet book offers a simplistic solution to weight loss. All you need to do is eat good carbs like whole grains, vegetables and beans instead of eating bad carbs like sugar white breads and potatoes.
South beach diet says, fast sugars are worst for dieters and slow sugars are good.
And how are these foods classified as fast or slow? The Glycemic Index.
According to south beach diet, the food having a high Glycemic Index causes the blood sugar to spike (go up) immedietly after having the meal,whereas the food with a lower GI does not drastically shoot up the blood sugar levels.
But this theory is only partially true. Yes, the foods with high GI are good for diabetics in helping them to keep their blood sugar levels in check, but contrary to popular belief, the glycemic index of a certain food is not the same.i.e. it depends on how the food is processed, stored, ripened and cooked.
Further, south beach diet is formulated on the premise that good carbs like whole grains have a low glycemic index and bad carbs like sugars, white flour and refined grains have a higher GI.
BUT THE TRUTH IS....
Bread is high GI whether whole wheat or white because it is made from finely ground flour.
Pasta is low GI, whether whole or white(thin languine has a high GI as compared to the thick one)
"Instant white" rice is low GI whereas "Uncle bens converted white" rice is high GI.
Take the case of sugars...Glucose is high GI, Sucrose is medium GI and fructose is low GI
This illustrates that recommending foods based on GI is confusing as well as misleading. On top of it all, there is no research to support the claim that the rise in blood sugar by eating high GI foods leads to high blood insulin levels, and that this leads people to overeat.
To summarise...there is no evidence to suggest that eating low GI foods leads to weight loss.
Now lets have a look at the south beach diet menu.
South beach diet book claims that you won't feel hungry while on this diet. This is impossible considering the fact that some of the menus average only 1200 calories, which is too low not to feel hungry.
The diet encourages you to eat seafood, chicken breast, lean meat, vegetables,whole grains, some fruits, beans, low fat cheese, nuts, oils and whole grains. fatty meats, high fat cheese, refined grains, sweets, juice and potatoes.
The choice of foods in this diet plan are somewhat healthy compared to other leading diet plans like ATKINS but restricting the consumption of carrots, bananas, pineapple and watermelon is the worst part of south beach diet.
The meal plan consists of three phases :
Phase 1 of south beach diet :
You are allowed to eat normal size helpings of chicken, meat, turkey, fish and shellfish, vegetables, eggs, cheese and nuts. You can have three meals per day. Desserts, coffee and tea are also allowed.
But for the first 14 days you are not allowed to eat bread,rice,potatoes,pasta or baked goods and even fruits!
Phase 2 of south beach diet :
You can slowly begin to reintroduce carbs into your diet again. The diet advices you to take all the forbidden foods in phase 1 like bread, pasta, fruits etc. in moderate quantities but at the same time not as much as you were having before.
Phase 3 of south beach diet:
This part is the most relaxed. Dr.Agastson says that you can now forget that you are on a diet. He says that now onwards it is just a healthy lifestyle you are used to, and going to adhere for the rest of your life.
All in all, south beach diet is one more money spinning fad diet for the creator of this weight loss program and a phsychological prop(support) for people who are allways hopping from one diet to the other in search of a hollywood like sexy body.
The initial weight loss caused by this diet is on account of calorie restriction and not because of low Glycemic Index or an invisible switch as Dr. Agastson's marketing language wants you to believe.
Your health could be 100 times better without south beach diet weight loss program,if you choose healthy foods like green vegetables,whole grains,fiber rich foods and vegetables.
And if you are eager to lose those extra pounds,why not do it the most natural way with the weight loss principles of Ayurveda medicinal science?
This is the most effective long term,scientifically proven solution to excess fat.
You can get real cutting edge fat burning secrets of Ayurveda in my Free 5day email ecourse by subscribing to my newsletter at: www.eweightlosstips.com/weightlossltr.htm
About the author:
Rajesh Shetty
Expert in weight loss principles of Ayurveda Medical Science and Author of the Best selling book, "Proven weight loss secrets revealed". http://www.eweightlosstips.com/weightlossltr.htm
The most dreaded word in many dieter’s vocabulary is ‘fat’. It is not uncommon to hear a dieter discuss their avoidance of eating fat as if it were something thoroughly unwholesome, or even life-threatening, like an allergen, or a contagious disease.
In one way, this impassioned hatred of fat is positive. It reflects a generally understood medical truth that overindulging in fat-rich foods often causes unwanted, and unhealthy, weight gain.
However, in another way, this fat-phobia is potentially dangerous, because awareness of fat is not enough; an understanding of how fat influences weight gain and overall health is required. Unfortunately, those who dread and avoid all fat “as a rule” are overlooking an important difference between saturated fat and unsaturated fat.
Saturated fat is often the real culprit when it comes to unwanted, and potentially unhealthy, weight gain. These types of fats, which are solid at room temperature, initiate the production of LDL cholesterol, or “bad cholesterol”. In addition to weight gain, as cholesterol increases, so does the risk of heart disease. In fact, saturated fats increase LDL cholesterol disproportionately more than dietary cholesterol itself; that is how powerfully bad it is to the human body[i]. Dreading and avoiding this kind of fat is therefore quite intelligent.
Some dieters, however, are motivated less by concerns about high cholesterol and heart disease than they are about cosmetic weight gain. This is not a criticism; the adverse health effects of excess weight are well documented, as are the emotional traumas and social stigmas that tragically affect tens of millions of overweight people, especially children[ii].
Unquestionably, an excess intake of saturated fat is linked to weight gain. This is because a fat gram contains more than twice the amount of calories as a protein gram – 9 calories versus 4 calories[iii]. As a result, dieters can eat more than twice as many protein grams as fat grams to achieve the same amount of caloric intake. For dieters who are steadfastly watching every calorie, this 125% calorie difference between protein and fat can have an enormous impact.
Fat cells, once created, cannot be removed[1]; they can only be made smaller through the body’s metabolic calorie-burning process[iv]. Since an individual’s rate of metabolism is determined largely by genetics, a dieter with a slower than average metabolism will spend months, perhaps even years longer struggling to shrink fat cells then would his or her metabolically-gifted counterpart[v].
It is quite easy to understand, based on the above discussion, why the very idea of fat is dreaded by dieters; both because of the health hazards it poses, and its capacity to create excess fat cells. And it is just as easy to understand why many people are so afraid of consuming this kind of fat that they strive to remove all fat from their diet. This, however, is a large nutritional oversight.
Fat is a macronutrient that the body requires for a number of important functions. Fat is a source of energy. It helps keep the body warm, it aids in the absorption of some vitamins, and helps regulate the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system[vi]. This appears, however, to be a contradiction.
On the one hand there are health and weight gain hazards associated with fat, and on the other hand, there are proven health benefits associated with fat. How can this be? The answer is easily understood when we differentiate between the two types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. The kind of fat associated with health hazards is the former; the kind that the body needs and uses effectively is the latter.
There are two sub-types of unsaturated fat: polysaturated fat, and monosaturated fat. Popular foods that contain polysaturated fat include safflower oil and corn oil, while monosaturated fats are found in such foods as olive oil and peanut oil. These unsaturated fats are those that provide the body with the most useful and efficient sources of fat that lead to the health benefits noted above.
However, though there is a clear benefit to eating unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats, both types continue to offer eaters the standard 9 calories per gram. As such, no eater should consume an excess amount of fat.
Equipped with the awareness and understanding that avoiding saturated fat is hazardous to health, and that there is such a thing as “good” (unsaturated) fat, it would be expected that most nutritional supplements on the market have created foods that reflect this understanding. This is, regrettably, not the case.
Most nutritional supplements contain some fat content; many even contain saturated fat for some inexplicable reason[2]. Tragically – and there is no other word – many dieters are deceived into eating self-described nutritionally intelligent foods that may be “low calorie”, and may even have some vitamins and nutrients, but they but they are adding to the individual’s limited capacity to ingest fat grams. Many people who seek to lose weight by eating nutritional supplements often gain weight. They erroneously believe it is the result of a slow metabolism, when the culprit is the amount of fat grams ingested.
The obvious benefit is that a dieter does not have to count fat calories when eating these nutritional supplements; they are 100% fat free, and do not add to their daily fat-intake limit.
Less obviously, however, is that a zero-fat nutritional supplement that contains protein can stimulate the digestive system and minimize fat storage. This is because the protein content can help regulate the body’s ability to effectively absorb the calories that it derives from carbohydrates and fats. For example, a dieter who eats a sugary, fat-filled cupcake can mitigate fat storage and increase nutrient utilization by eating it with a protein-rich nutritional supplement.
The world of nutrition has long since known the link between dietary fat and weight gain. Unsaturated fat can be a trusted ally in the fight against weight loss. Understanding how it differs from saturated fat helps demystify the stigma of unsaturated fats – a stigma that should be reserved for its unhealthy cousin, saturated fats.
ABOUT PROTICA
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com
You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com
Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com
(ARA) - Low fat, no fat and now they say to eat more fat?
Over the years, Americans have been fed different stories about choosing the right foods for optimum health. When researchers warned that too much fat in your diet leads to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and a host of other health problems, Americans jumped on the low fat, no fat bandwagon with little success.
New studies reveal that we must have some fat in our diet for good health and reduction of disease. The omega-3 fatty acids are said to be “essential” because they can not be produced by the body and must be obtained through our food sources..
*What are omega-3s?
Omega-3 essential fatty acids can come from either plant or marine sources. They can be found in fish and fish oil, unrefined vegetable oils, raw nuts, seeds and beans. Linolenic acid, the marine source, can be found in certain fatty fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon. These fish and fish oil supplements contain bioavailable docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acid, the two kinds of omega-3 essential fatty acids crucial to good health.
The plant based omega-3 essential fatty acid is alpha linolenic acid (alpha meaning plant) and can be found in omega-3 rich oils such as flaxseed, canola, soybean and walnut oils. These plant sourced omega-3 EFAs don’t metabolize in the body like fish oil. They need to be broken down by the body’s enzymatic system into DHA and EPA before the body can reap its powerful benefits. Flaxseed oil, the plant source highest in omega-3s, is a great alternative for vegetarians and those who can’t tolerate fish or fish oil capsules.
In Dr. Walter Willett’s book, “Eat, Drink & Be Healthy,” he writes: “Given the wide ranging importance and benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, everyone should try to eat at least one good source of them a day.”
The omega-3 essential fatty acid is a key component of cell membranes throughout the body, especially the eye, brain and central nervous system. This important fat is the building block of hormones, including those that regulate blood clotting, artery walls and inflammation. A recent study indicated that the omega-3 EFA from fish reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and can reduce the risk of stroke as well.
Fish oil has been found to increase circulation and reduce insulin sensitivity; but most importantly, diabetics who ate more fish had a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease and total death than those who didn’t eat fish. Fish oils have proven beneficial for people suffering many disorders including depression, cystic fibrosis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes and lupus. It also helps keep hair, skin and nails healthy.
On a grand scale, omega-3s play a vital role in health. Doctors and researchers have been studying the benefits for years. Now the government and the important organizations are also emphasizing the need for good fats in the diet.
Last November, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued a release stating, “omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart health of healthy people, people at high risk of cardiovascular disease and patients with cardiovascular disease.” The organization recommends that Americans eat fatty fish, such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon, at least twice a week. Regular consumption of omega-3 fatty acids from plant sources such as flaxseed, canola, soybean and walnut oils is also highly recommended.
Recently, the White House Executive Office sent a letter to the Department of Health & Human Services and the USDA requesting the departments promote the consumption of omega-3 essential fatty acids. The request has been made to add omega-3 essential fatty acids to the new dietary guidelines for Americans, scheduled to be released in 2005. The Executive Office has also asked that omega-3s be incorporated on the soon to be updated 1992 USDA Food Guide Pyramid.
The American Heart Association urges Americans to eat fatty fish to get an adequate intake of omega-3s into their diet. Take caution when choosing these fatty fish, as sometimes they are laden with contaminants such as mercury, PCBs and lead. Supplements can be taken if omega-3 rich fish or plants sources aren’t readily available. Before purchasing fish oil supplements it is important to look at the label to make sure it is PCB, mercury and lead free.
“Product quality and consumer health are number one for Spectrum. Every lot of fish oil we encapsulate is tested to be free of PCBs, mercury, lead and dioxins,” says Neil Blomquist , CEO of Spectrum Organic Products, Incorporated. “It would be absurd for us to supply consumers with heart healthy fish oil that contained deadly toxins.”
Flaxseed, canola, walnut and soybean oils can be incorporated into salad dressings for their omega-3 benefits.
Incorporating omega-3 essential fatty acids into your diet, whether by marine or plant source is a good start to a healthier way of eating and living. Reducing your intake of saturated fat and trans fats, exercising and eliminating stress are just as important.
Spectrum Organic Products carries a natural and healthy line of trans fat free shortening, margarine, spreads, culinary oils and essential fatty acid nutritional supplement line including PCB mercury free fish oil and organic flaxseed oil. You can find their products in natural food stores and select chain stores across the United States. For more information log onto www.spectrumnaturals.com or call (800) 995-2705.
Courtesy of ARA Content
About the author:
Courtesy of ARA Content
Everyone at one point in his or her life needs or wants to loose weight. Whether it is for health reason, or just to feel better about you, deciding on a weight loss plan is not as easy as it sounds.
There are literally thousands of plans and products on the market today designed to help the overweight shed unwanted pounds.
One such plan is the low carb diet plan. On this plan, carbohydrate intake is limited to a few grams per day. By limiting breads and pastas, the body uses the fat that stored and there by the dieter starts to loose weight within weeks. Some of the foods that should be avoided when on a low carb diet are; Candy, Donuts, Cakes and Pastries. Anything containing white flour such as bread, rolls, bagels, pasta and white rice should also be avoided.
Although this may seem like a lot of choices to give up, all of these foods are very high in carbohydrates. This is particularly dangerous for those suffering from diabetes. Health expert theorize that a high carbohydrate diet could raise their blood sugar levels to life threatening levels.
There are good carbohydrate choices. Meat is naturally low in carbohydrates. Liver is the exception to this rule. Egg’s, poultry, fish, shellfish are good menu choices. They are easy to prepare and are full of vitamins. Green vegetables that are low starch include broccoli, asparagus, spinach, salad vegetables; cauliflower, green beans, Brussels sprouts and celery are also good choice foods that compliment any meal.
There are so many good choice foods to choose from, and so many ways to prepare them that the bad choice foods will not be missed when on a low carb diet.
Fiber is another essential part of dieting. Fiber helps the body in many different ways. When you do not get enough fiber it defeats the purpose of a diet.
Some of the health benefits that come from a low carb diet are; Lower insulin levels and stabilized blood sugar, which is a great health benefit to diabetics. Lower blood pressure, Lower Cholesterol, more energy, and perhaps the most important reason for dieting, keeping the weight off.
Unlike other diets, the low carb diet is safe for everyone. There are no side effects from being on this diet as there are not any food limit restrictions for a low carb dieter.
There are so many menu choices that a different meal can be prepared every day and the dieter would not have the same meal twice. For someone who has made a serious commitment to loose weight, a low carb lifestyle should be seriously considered.
Holiday meals can be prepared following low carb diet recipes that are easy, elegant, and very tasty. With all of the sites on the Internet dedicated to low carb cooking, there is no reason to fear dieting any longer.
Gone are the days when dieters had to starve themselves and suffer the pains of hunger all for the sake of loosing weight. The low carb offer a healthy alternative to dieting.
About the author:
IIS is a team of researchers and writers dedicated to providing valuable, fitness information and research. Please visit http://www.info-research-online.comfor more information on this subject.
Let me ask you a personal question. As you read these words, right now-- are you burning fat?
If you don't know the answer, you need to know about a simple, inexpensive way to make sure. Every time. Every day. And I'll show you why and how this simple, doctor-proven technique can be your most powerful weapon in your fight against fat.
No matter what weight loss program you are currently on, wouldn't you like to know whether your plan is producing results? Most of us step on the scale, or wait until our clothes fit more loosely, before we really know whether our latest miracle diet pill or plan is working. And as a veteran dieter, you know that can take many days or weeks.
But there is a way to know for certain-- within hours-- whether or not you're burning fat. To see if the food, or the pills, or the exercise is really returning benefits. Immediate benefits.
Are you starving?
There are really only two ways your body loses weight (by non-surgical means). You are either burning fat, or "burning" muscle. If you are burning muscle, watch out! You have actually begun to starve. For safe, healthy weight loss, you must preserve your muscle tissue (including heart muscle) and burn fat instead.
Here are the medical facts: any time your body burns fat, chemicals called ketones are produced. Ketones are byproducts of burning fat. Robert C. Atkins, M.D., the famous low-carb diet expert, states it clearly. "When your body releases ketones," says Dr. Atkins, "it is chemical proof that you're consuming your own stored fat."
And burning your own stored fat is exactly what you want to do. Dr. Atkins goes further. "If you're not in lipolysis (ketosis), you're in glucosis." It's one or the other, period. Your body is either burning sugar, from simple and complex carbohydrates you are eating, or burning your own stored fat. Both produce energy. But only one will help you lose weight!
Prove it to yourself
You may have heard about this simple method of testing for ketone release before. But have you actually used it? It really is a marvelous tool to help you see the biological proof of your diet program, quickly and easily.
Ketone test strips are available at any pharmacy. Originally developed as a testing tool for diabetics, they are sold under various brand names, including KetoStix, LipoStix, Keto-Thin, and others. They all work essentially the same way.
The test strips are simple to use. Just place the tab end of the test strip in your first morning urine stream, and note the color change. Match the color to the chart on the bottle, and know immediately whether you are burning fat-- or not.
The beauty is- it’s all about you!
Perhaps the best part of this test method, aside from the ease of use, is that you get to see what is really working for you. Everyone’s body is a little different, and now you can customize your food and supplement intake from specific results of your unique body and metabolism.
The other very important benefit of this easy test method is that it can help protect your health. As stated earlier, loss of muscle can be dangerous, and eventually even fatal. If you are dropping pounds but you are not burning fat, you are risking your health. And the ketone test strips can provide this valuable feedback.
To recap Doctors' Proven Weight Loss Secret #1: test for ketones daily. If the reading is too dark, you can increase carbohydrates to balance into the “trace” to “small” range. If you see too little or no change, decrease your carbs, increase your protein intake.
Whether you are low-carb dieting, trying a new fat loss supplement, or starting a new exercise regimen, this simple, inexpensive test method can be the most important tool you have to make sure your program is safe, effective, and actually burning fat.
About the author:
Katrina Kern is an author, women's health counselor, former nurse and Director of Medi-Bolic Weight Loss Clinic. Get more exciting health and fat-loss discoveries, and 10 more Doctors' Proven Weight Loss Secrets, in her free e-book, "How to Absolutely, Positively Know When Your Body is Burning Fat," now at http://www.applepoly.com/report.
- Premature death
- Cardiovascular disease
- High blood pressure
- High Cholesterol
- Stroke
- Gallbladder Disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Sleep apnea and breathing problems
- Some cancers
- Diabetes
Obesity can also cause irregular periods, complication with pregnancy, hirsutism (excessive body and facial hair), incontinence, depression, surgery complications and more.
If your health doesn't concern you, maybe your pocketbook does. By staying overweight, you may increase the amount of time spent visiting various healthcare professionals. Most of them don't work for free. Medications to treat these diseases can run into hundreds of dollars a month. Not to mention, you may have to take more time off work to care for your ailments. This means less income for you. And, you may notice that your health insurance premiums keep going up. It's because the amount being spent on healthcare keeps going up. A majority of which is related to treating problems that could be prevented by exercise and staying at a healthy weight. What a vicious cycle it is.
The annual cost associated with obesity and being overweight is staggering. The national cost of healthcare related to this is well over $100 Billion dollars. Diabetes and heart disease are among the fastest growing diseases that could easily be prevented in most people by staying at a healthy weight and exercising. Visit the NIDDK to get a breakdown of the costs associated with each disease that is related to being overweight.
By losing weight and starting a healthier way of life you can really save a lot of money. Eating healthier usually also means eating less. You may be able to save on the amount you spend on groceries and eating out each week too. Think of all the other things you could do with that money you'll be saving. It may require an initial investment to get the weight off but the rewards are well worth it.
About the author:
Gerald Meyer is a registered pharmacist and provides advice on the many weight loss programs available today. Many natural weight loss programs can be found at http://www.natural-weight-loss-programs.com. Also try a free sample of TsuNoni while you're there. TsuNoni is a tasty and powerful blend of green tea and Noni.
Many people today are concerned about their triglyceride levels. And rightly so. High triglycerides have been marked as an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). But in all the scramble to reduce our triglycerides many doctors have been trying to tell us that the truth is as plain as the nose on our collective face.
Triglycerides are a form of fat. In fact they are the most prevalent form of fat in our bodies. Our bodies make triglycerides and we consume them in our diets. Even though we live in culture where ‘thin is in’, fat is a good thing. Triglycerides in particular are good because they are the form of fat our bodies use for energy. But like many things more is not necessarily better. Triglycerides truly represent an example of the maxim, ‘too much of a good thing’. In this case too much can contribute to serious health side effects especially in relation to heart health. So if your triglycerides are too high get them down.
But how? How do we get them down? To answer this question it is first helpful to understand what causes our triglycerides to rise. There are several causes which we will only mention in passing because they do not compose the main subject of this essay. There are certain medical conditions that elevate triglyceride levels such as hypothyroidism, kidney disease, liver disease, familial hypertriglyceridemia and pregnancy. And of course medical conditions are often accompanied by medications that negatively impact triglycerides. Among these are oral contraceptives, estrogen replacement therapy, certain steroids, diuretics, beta-blockers, newer classes of antipsychotic medications, cyclosporine, glucocorticoids, progesterone, retinoids and tamoxifen to mention a handful.
The above mentioned factors can contribute to a rise in serum triglycerides. But they are by no means the most common. For most of us our problems lie elsewhere. Diabetes is a common cause of high triglycerides. Unfortunately diabetes is a two-pronged fork. Not only does it affect triglyceride levels but diabetics are more susceptible to the damage that results from factors such as high triglycerides.
Obesity, whatever the reason, causes higher levels of triglycerides to hang around in the blood. As our nation gets progressively heavier higher cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as the heart damage that accompanies them, will become more common.
Now for the rest of us. For most of us our triglycerides are high for one reason. The truth is as plain as the nose on C.D.’s face. We are what we eat. Doctors, though themselves seldom the epitome of health, have been telling us for years to watch what we eat. With all the medical advances over the past several decades diet and exercise are still the primary and most effective methods for promoting heart health, especially in relation to cholesterol and triglycerides and the damage they can cause.
I have only this to say about exercise. Get some! But concerning diet we need a bit more detail. Let’s begin where it hurts the most. Alcohol, though good for your heart in many ways, is easily converted to triglycerides. If yours are too high stay away from alcohol.
Next in line, and this hurts me even more, is sugar. Simple, and especially highly processed carbohydrates, cause triglycerides to rise perhaps even more than alcohol. The American diet is no stranger to sugar and highly processed foods. Such foods are doing more than making us fat. They are causing the incidence of heart disease to escalate with amazing speed. When it comes to high triglycerides, sugar is your worst enemy.
Fruits are questionable. Eliminating fruits is not the place to start. Whole fruits, and the sugars they contain, do not convert to triglycerides as readily as their processed cousins. However, if you have done all you can in other areas of your diet you might consider reducing fruit intake. But before you do this make sure you have eliminated the juices that are more sugar and juice than they are fruit. And avoid canned fruits that are packed in syrup.
Since triglycerides are fat it makes sense to avoid fatty foods. I have in mind especially saturated animal fats. Foods such as bacon, sausage, fatty fowl like duck or goose and fatty beef should be restricted in your diet. Hotdogs and hamburgers? I realize they are the core of the American diet. But do I really need to comment on these?
Now for the surprise. Some fatty foods actually cause triglycerides to fall. Can you believe it? There is a silver lining behind every dark cloud. Cold water fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna, not the canned varieties, are high in omega-3 fatty acids which are well documented to reduce triglycerides. When is the last time you heard about an Eskimo having bypass surgery? Perhaps that is because Eskimos know that the American Heart Association has recommended two to four grams of omega-3 fatty acids from marine sources for people with high triglycerides. That is a lot of omega-3 but such quantities are well proven to lower triglycerides as well as offer a whole list of heart health benefits. Though it is difficult to eat that much fish and there is the risk of mercury poisoning, there is a safe way to get enough omega-3 to effectively lower triglycerides. You can take fish oils supplements. Please purchase them from a trusted source.
So, as you can see, the epidemic of rising triglycerides is an unnecessary danger. For most of us the solution rests in the things we eat and the exercise we need to get. It sounds all too simple. But I am a simple guy. I think it is nice to know that the solution to rising triglycerides is as plain as the nose on C.D.’s face.
For more information on causes of high triglycerides and triglyceride lower diets please use the links below.
http://www.optimal-heart-health.com/causesofhightriglycerides.html
http://www.optimal-heart-health.com/foodtolowertriglyceride.html
http://www.optimal-heart-health.com/triglycerides.html
About the author:
Greg has degrees in science, divinity and philosophy and is currently an I.T. developer.
About the author:
Greg has degrees in science, divinity and philosophy and is currently an I.T. developer.
- Dr. Wayne Dyer
Let me preface this article with the notion that I truly, indeed detest the word diet, but for simplicities sake… I’ll use it!
The stark reality is that sometimes eating too little can be a literal roadblock in attaining a lean fit and healthy body.
Eating less in daily calories (food/nutrients), than your minimum metabolic needs causes your body to burn muscle and store fat.
This is what is called the 'Starvation Metabolism' response, where the body, when deprived of adequate calories, will adapt to need fewer calories to function. As a result, dieters often regain the weight they lose almost immediately because they have starved their body into becoming a "fat-storing machine." Sadly the truth!
For most of its history, the human race was subject lock, stock and smoking barrel to the whims and fancies of dear old Mother Nature, especially where our nutritional needs were concerned. When the conditions were right, food was plentiful; when they were not, the populace starved. As a result, evolution shaped our progenerators bodies in such a way that during times of plenty, they were able to pack on layers of fat to provide them with the sustenance they needed to get through the lean times…not the ‘fit’ times, the ‘LEAN’ times!
And as evolution would have it, humans became adept at mastering their environment, nevertheless, famines grew rare, and the built-up fat reserves often went unused; our ability to manipulate the environment had exceeded nature's slow practice of adaptation.
At present, obesity is pervasive in wealthy nations like the U.S. So what in the heck happened to moderation and balance? Particularly impacted are those of us of European and Eastern African origin, whose forbearers needed bodies that could efficiently manufacture fat reserves to outlast the periodic famines. As a direct result, many of us have become corpulent, mostly because it's hard for us to fight the natural tendencies of our bodies to accumulate fat. Currently, some 64% of Americans are overweight and more than one third are obese.
With that being said, as contemporary living human beings, we don't have to allow nature to get the leg up on us (nature nurture then nurture nature). Being overweight and more specifically, over-fat isn't healthy, especially for those of us who suffer from conditions like hypertension, diabetes, heart conditions and other insufficiencies of adequate, abundant health.
But what's the best way to lose weight (fat)and to regain a healthy state of body composition?
As you might have guessed, there are to be nearly accurate, thousands of specialized or Doctor/Guru-ized diets, procedures, dieting devices, miracle pills, powders and the like out there, all of which promise you they'll help you get lean and sleek. Some of them actually work, but how can you tell which ones? How do you thread your way through the plethora of dieting on your way to a healthier, slimmer you, without setting off self-destructive behaviors that can incapacitate your dieting efforts?
The answer to that question is this: Very Vigilantly.
While persuasive and a little facetious, it's nonetheless true. Some things are palpably false, fraudulent, misleading or simply prey on our innermost desires; for example, there's no magic pill (never will be), grapefruit or otherwise, that can in an isolated form cause you to shed the pounds. New-fangled fad diets don't work, and neither do most of the "scientific" ones that are so fervently promoted. Despite this, Americans are willing to spend more than $50 billion a year on fad diets and gimmicks, when in fact the most effective dieting advice comes down to this: Expend more calories than you consume! What I refer to as the two (2) E’s, Exercise and Eat Right! Get it! To Ease!!! To ease all that ails us.
This, we know is true; it's just difficult to assemble the willpower necessary to… belly-up to such an audaciously unpleasant proclamation.
If you're adamant about your health and well-being and want to attain ‘real-results’, keep this truth in mind… “You can lose weight and keep it off”. Peranent weight loss can happen. The intention of this article is to help you along the way as you edify and develop the management skills necessary to achieve success by identifying the most common weight-loss myths that can perplex you during your expedition. We've left out the miracle claims and preposterous matter in favor of presenting more reasonable-sounding myths that an intelligent person might be beguiled and enticed by. Let's start with the most omnipresent myth.
#1
THE MYTH: Avoiding meals can assist you in losing weight faster.
THE TRUTH: Erroneous, Incorrect and Blatantly WRONG! This is Taking The Low Road!
It seems logical, just like its consequence ("the fewer calories you eat, the more weight you'll lose"), but it's not true. The effect is the opposite of what you expect. Dieting is based on the fact that if you burn more calories in a day than you take in, your body will begin burning fat. While this is true, if you expect to lose weight effectively, you need to maintain eating regular meals, especially breakfast.
Depriving your body of its necessary fuel and nutrients causes it to go into starvation mode; when this happens, your metabolism slows down so that you can get by on little to no food. Once your metabolism slows, it can be quite difficult to bring it back up to momentum, and until it regains its pace, normal eating will just cause you to gain more weight.
It can be a vicious cycle that's excruciatingly difficult to break. In addition, bypassing meals can make you feel lightheaded and weak, can have venomous effects on your cholesterol levels, and can be extremely perilous for diabetics.
In a nutshell, fasting and crash diets are forms of self-sabotage best avoided. What's more, eating frequently (and moderately) will leave you less hungry throughout the day and cause a satiated effect, so you're less likely to have or give in to your food cravings.
#2
THE MYTH: Starches are Fattening.
THE TRUTH: False and Unsafe.
For one thing, it's difficult to completely avoid starches, since they're a major component of staples like bread, pasta, grains, fruits, potatoes, corn, and rice. Even if it were possible to cut out all starches, if you did so you'd be starving your body of the fuel it unconditionally needs in order to maintain proper body-system function. Food consists of only three basic substances or macro-nutrients: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Starches are carbohydrates; and carbohydrates, along with their metabolic products and core nutrients are your body's basic fuel.
Most of the fuel your body uses comes from a carbohydrate identified as glucose. Some glucose you might consume in the form of candy or sodas; some carbohydrates in substances like alcohol, quickly break down into glucose. Glucose is absorbed by your cells and used to run your bodily processes; any excess is stored in your lover or converted into fat, where it can be called upon at need.
If your body lacks glucose, it'll eventually start using any fuel source it can find. At first these might be fat cells, but as they shrink, your body may begin attacking the protein reserves in your muscles for the fuel it needs, referred to as catabolisys. This is a "last-resort" move generally saved for famine conditions, so if it happens to you, it's bad news. The truth is that your metabolism by virtue of your circadian rhythm is better able to digest, to process and to assimilate certain food sources at certain times of the day… Translation: Some foods are more efficiently assimilated at set points of the day because of the composition or complexity of the source and as our metabolism rises and diminishes throughout the day. More complex foods such as starchy carbohydrates become increasingly more difficult to fully take through the digestive process, without a ‘diminished returns’ effect occurring and fat storage beginning.
#3
THE MYTH: Vegetarian or Vegan diets are healthier than omnivorous diets.
THE TRUTH: Not…
A diet (merely a regime of frequent consumption) consisting entirely of rice and french-fries, or of bananas and cheerios, can be considered vegetarian, but neither diet is healthy in the long run. If you're careful, you can get by just fine on a properly balanced vegan or vegetarian diet, but you'll have to manage your in-take very carefully. Vegetarian diets do tend to be high in fiber and low in fat, but the fact is that humans evolved as opportunistic omnivores. That is, our ancestors ate anything they could get their hands on: greens, tubers, bugs, and the occasional smidgen of meat and this dictated how our bodies today, still require nutrients for efficacy and fuel for performance, that’s what we do… Perform! Preferably Efficiently! Poor Physical Performance is what we simply call… SICK!!! Emotionally, Physically, Spiritually…what-have-you!
The human body developed and evolved to expect a diverse and varied diet, one that could provide all the nutrients it necessitates in a variety of forms. Meat was an important part of their diet, perhaps the most important part because it was so uncommon. Vegetarians must always be sure that they eat enough protein; protein is easily available in meat, so few omnivores have to worry about getting enough, but it's scarce in most plant foods.
If your body lacks glucose, it'll eventually start using any fuel source it can find. At first these might be fat cells, but as they shrink, your body may begin attacking the protein reserves in your muscles for the fuel it needs, referred to as catabolisys. This is a "last-resort" move generally saved for famine conditions, so if it happens to you, it's bad news. The truth is that your metabolism by virtue of your circadian rhythm is better able to digest, to process and to assimilate certain food sources at certain times of the day… Translation: Some foods are more efficiently assimilated at set points of the day because of the composition or complexity of the source and as our metabolism rises and diminishes throughout the day. More complex foods such as starchy carbohydrates become increasingly more difficult to fully take through the digestive process, without a ‘diminished returns’ effect occurring and fat storage beginning.
#3
THE MYTH: Vegetarian or Vegan diets are healthier than omnivorous diets.
THE TRUTH: Not…
A diet (merely a regime of frequent consumption) consisting entirely of rice and french-fries, or of bananas and cheerios, can be considered vegetarian, but neither diet is healthy in the long run. If you're careful, you can get by just fine on a properly balanced vegan or vegetarian diet, but you'll have to manage your in-take very carefully. Vegetarian diets do tend to be high in fiber and low in fat, but the fact is that humans evolved as opportunistic omnivores. That is, our ancestors ate anything they could get their hands on: greens, tubers, bugs, and the occasional smidgen of meat and this dictated how our bodies today, still require nutrients for efficacy and fuel for performance, that’s what we do… Perform! Preferably Efficiently! Poor Physical Performance is what we simply call… SICK!!! Emotionally, Physically, Spiritually…what-have-you!
The human body developed and evolved to expect a diverse and varied diet, one that could provide all the nutrients it necessitates in a variety of forms. Meat was an important part of their diet, perhaps the most important part because it was so uncommon. Vegetarians must always be sure that they eat enough protein; protein is easily available in meat, so few omnivores have to worry about getting enough, but it's scarce in most plant foods.
Fortunately, nuts, beans, and a few other vegetable products are ready sources of protein. If you go vegetarian, you'll also need to be sure you get daily doses of Vitamin B12 and Zinc, supplements often missing in vegetarian diets.
Most people can continue to exist as vegetarians if they're extremely careful, but it's a continuous mêlée, and guess what? You can be just as healthy and out-of-shape on a vegetarian diet as you can on a regular diet, especially if you don't exercise regularly.
#4
THE MYTH: Sweating facilitates weight loss.
THE TRUTH: Absolutely… If the sweat is exercise induced!
Otherwise, all you're doing is losing water weight. Sweating is astonishingly effective at doing what it was meant to do: cooling the body by glazing the skin with evaporative fluids.
It was never meant to act as a weight loss system. Lose enough water, and you're toying with dehydration. Dehydration or progressive dehydration can occur if you fail to rehydrate yourself sufficiently after every workout. If you get sufficiently dehydrated, your electrolyte balance will get out of whack, your cells will be starved of the fluids they need, and you could die. Not a happy prospect, so avoid it.
For this reason, the old sweatbox and sauna are of no use for losing real weight. Neither are their modern "high-tech" equivalents, such as body wraps and plastic sweat suits, no matter how many people swear by them. All they do is dehydrate you. Yes, you lose weight: two pounds per quart sweated away. But that's weight, not fat. And the moment you drink enough water, you'll gain all that weight back. Like I have said… “Weight Loss is a LIE!”
#5
THE MYTH: Fat Free is… Calorie Free!
THE TRUTH: YEAH… RIGHT!!!
All "fat-free" means is that a particular food has no detectable fat content. Sadly, however, is that fat and its related compounds that give most foods their flavor. Ice cream, butter, cheese, and a whole host of non-dairy products, including chocolate, are little more than specially prepared, congealed fat. When manufacturers design many fat-free products, such as bread, cookies, ice cream, and the like, they know these products will be mostly dry and flavorless without fat.
Some fat substitutes are available, but they can cause gastrointestinal upset, and most are expensive. This leaves one common ingredient that manufacturers can use to make their products taste better: sugar. And they use it liberally; so many fat-free products are high in calories.
Furthermore, plenty of foods like breads and pasta are low in fat, but rich in carbohydrates and we already know what that means. Carbohydrates break down easily into our friend glucose, which can result in increased fat when consumed in excess.
You always have to consider calorie and portion size; you're fooling yourself if you do otherwise. Moderation is the key to dieting success… Any …long-term success for that matter.
#6
The Myth: You Either Diet Or Exercise, You Can’t Do Both Simultaneously!
The Truth: Don’t Get Me Started!!!
Yes…you can do both together and you should, it is referred to as Synergy; the coordination of two effective components working concurrently to derive a greater benefit than if isolated.
The dieting myths and misconceptions explored in this article represent just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There are thousands of them out there: some are ridiculous and barely worthy of notice-like the suggestion that eating standing up helps you lose weight, or that you can base a diet on your blood type or color of hair-while others are less obvious, like those discussed here.
Dieting isn't easy and, while it's human nature to look for a simple solution to a problem, that strategy just won't work in this case. So heed these hints, and take it easy. Don't skip meals, keep your diet properly balanced, and exercise regularly. Avoid all fads, pills, and extravagant claims, because if it sounds too good to be true...well, you know the rest.
It doesn’t take more than losing a few pounds before you'll notice a difference in the way you look and feel. And, if you lose only a few pounds at first, even if you've been at it for a while, so what? Pick up a five or ten pound bag of flour and carry it around for a day, and you'll see how quickly you'll get tired of lugging that excess weight around.
Application of sound methodology is always the most effective means to achieve any objective, with that said, if you want to truly shed those extra kilos of fat, then do yourself a favor and draw up a plan, combine all the necessary elements of success and execute that plan…
About the author:
Kurt Lee Hurley's clients refer to him as the "Secret Weapon" and after over 3,000 weight loss successes, his Provo, Utah Wellness Facility has become known as a "Results Factory" a "Living Laboratory" of Achievement, Enhanced Human Performance and a place to congregate for Empowerment and of course, the Success of attaining Weight Loss RESULTS!
The glycemic index (GI) is a scale that measures how quickly carbohydrate foods are broken down into glucose. The original purpose for the glycemic index was to help diabetics keep their blood sugar under control. The glycemic index has recently attracted a lot of attention in the bodybuilding, fitness and weight loss world and has even become the central theme in numerous best-selling diet books as a method to choose the foods that are best for losing weight.
According to advocates of the glycemic index system, foods that are high on the GI scale such as rice cakes, carrots, potatoes, or grape juice are "unfavorable" and should be avoided because high GI foods are absorbed quickly, raise blood sugar rapidly and are therefore more likely to convert to fat or cause health problems.
Instead, we are urged to consume carbohydrates that are low on the GI scale such as black eye peas, old fashioned oatmeal, peanuts, apples and beans because they do not raise blood sugar as rapidly.
While the GI does have some useful applications, such as the use of high GI foods or drinks for post workout nutrition and the strong emphasis on low GI foods for those with blood sugar regulation problems, there are flaws in strictly using the glycemic index as your only criteria to choose carbs on a weight loss program.
For example, the glycemic index is based on eating carbohydrates by themselves in a fasted state. If you are following effective principles of fat-burning and muscle building nutrition, you should be eating small, frequent meals to increase your energy, maintain lean body mass and optimize metabolism for fat loss. However, since the glycemic index of various foods was developed based on eating each food in the fasted state, the glycemic index loses some of its significance.
In addition, when you are on a diet program aimed at improving body composition (losing fat or gaining muscle), you will usually be combining carbs and protein together with each meal for the purposes of improving your fat to muscle ratio. When carbs are eaten in mixed meals that contain protein and some fat, the glycemic index loses even more of its significance because the protein and fat slows the absorption of the carbohydrates (as does fiber).
Mashed potatoes have a glycemic index near that of pure glucose, but combine the potatoes with a chicken breast and broccoli and the glycemic index of the entire meal is lower than the potatoes by itself.
Rice cakes have a very high glycemic index, but if you were to put a couple tablespoons of peanut butter on them, the fat would slow the absorption of the carbs, thereby lowering the glycemic index of the combination.
A far more important and relevant criteria for selecting carbs - as well as all your other foods, proteins and fats included - is whether they are natural or processed. To say that a healthy person with no metabolic disorders should completely avoid natural, unprocessed foods like carrots or potatoes simply because they are high on the glycemic index is ridiculous.
I know many bodybuilders (myself included) who eat high glycemic index foods such as white potatoes every day right up until the day of a competition and they reach single digit body fat. How do they do it if high GI foods “make you fat?” It’s simple – high GI foods DON’T necessarily make you fat – choosing natural foods and burning more calories than you consume are far more important factors. Although it’s not correct to say that all calories are created equal, a calorie deficit is the most important factor of all when fat loss is your goal.
The glycemic index is clearly not a "gimmick" and should not be completely disregarded, as it is a definitely a legitimate nutritional tool. Is it a good idea to eat low GI foods in general? Sure. Is eating high GI foods after your workouts a good idea? Absolutely. But diet programs which hang their hats on glycemic index alone as the “miracle solution” are just another example of how one single aspect of nutrition can be used as a "hook" in marketing and said to be the "end all be all" of fat loss, when it's really only one small piece of the puzzle.
Eating Low glycemic index foods alone does NOT guarantee you will lose fat. You have to take in the bigger picture, which includes calories/energy balance, meal timing and frequency, macronutrient composition, choice of processed versus refined foods as well as how all these nutritional factors interact with your exercise program.
About the author:
Copyright 2005 Tom Venuto
Tom Venuto is a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder and author of the ##1 best selling diet e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle. You can get info on Tom's e-book at http://www.burnthefat.com. To get Tom's free monthly e-zine, visit http://www.fitren.com
Yet every once in a while, a concept within the nutrition field emerges that truly demands attention. Over a decade ago, the USDA’s “Food Pyramid” was one such concept because it helped eaters discover how many gaps existed in their typical daily diet. Now, as the Food Pyramid begins to take a new shape, and as the nutrition field works to establishes itself as the most important branch of health care in the 21st century, an invention called the Glycemic Index is taking center stage.
The Glycemic Index (GI) is not new; it has been around for more than 2 decades. Yet until recently, its exposure beyond the world of diabetes has been limited [i].
The Glycemic Index indicates how “high” or “low” blood sugar levels change in response to carbohydrate intake. A “high” Glycemic Index indicates carbohydrates with a swift breakdown, whereas a “low” Glycemic Index indicates carbohydrates with slow, gradual breakdown. Both terms are of equal importance to diabetics, because there are times with high Glycemic Index foods are required, and times where low Glycemic Index foods are required.
Indeed, the Glycemic Index itself is not new, but its application far beyond the borders of a diabetic dialogue is notable; especially for dieters.
People striving to lose weight often face a nemesis much tougher than establishing an exercise regimen or introducing healthier foods into their diet. The problem is one of energy. Many dieters are surprised – and disturbed – to learn that their diet program is causing them to lose more than inches and pounds: they are losing energy.
This is often expressed as a complaint, as in “I’m feeling weak”, or even “I can’t stay awake”. Many dieters and those advising them have erroneously chalked this up to a matter of attitude, or will power, or some non-biological cause.
The plain truth is that many dieters have been oblivious to the Glycemic Index, and hence, to the fact that many of the diet foods they have eaten – or are eating right now – score very high Glycemic Index levels. As such, these foods are providing a quick boost to blood sugar levels, and then setting up the dieter for the inevitable fall. This is because high GI foods typically increase blood sugar values, which in turn trigger the hormone insulin to clear sugar from the blood. Since blood sugar (a.k.a. glucose) largely dictates the body’s energy levels, it stands to reason that this process manifests as an initial boost in energy, and then as a depletion of energy. This rise and fall of blood sugar – and energy – is often described by dieters using a “roller-coaster” analogy: one minute they feel confident and strong, and the next, they are about to pass out and require some kind of stimulant in order to make it through the day.
Regrettably for many dieters, that stimulant is usually more high Glycemic Index foods, such as sugary snacks or soft drinks. It is easy to see how this experience can lead an individual to stop dieting. After all, before the diet, the individual was merely gaining weight. On the diet, the individual is gaining weight and is exhausted for most of the day. It is better to quit the diet.
The above scenario only takes place, however, when a dieter unwittingly eats high Glycemic Index foods. Research has shown that low Glycemic Index foods, which raise blood sugar levels much more gradually than high Glycemic Index foods, are very helpful for dieters [ii]. This is because a dieter will experience less of a “roller-coaster” ride while on the diet, and furthermore, will be less inclined to snack because energy in the form of blood glucose is being released slowly and gradually. Low Glycemic Index foods are much more efficient sources of energy than high Glycemic Index foods, because the body needs less insulin to convert food into energy [iii].
Despite the growing awareness that low Glycemic Index foods are beneficial, the world of diet foods has not kept pace. This is because many manufacturers are searching frantically to find low Glycemic Index carbohydrates sources for their products, and overlooking a basic, simple fact: the lowest possibly Glycemic Index is no carbohydrates at all.
These zero-carbohydrate/zero sugar nutritional supplements – which are quite rare in the market – do not deliver any sugar to the bloodstream. As a result, dieters do not have to worry about riding the “roller coaster” of energy spikes and pitfalls.
Yet there is an even greater benefit for dieters who choose a ‘zero sugar’ nutritional supplement. If that low Glycemic Index nutritional supplement is rich in complete protein, then it will act as a sort of antidote to high GI foods by helping to combat their adverse consequences.
For example, a dieter who eats a high Glycemic Index candy car can mitigate the roller-coaster spike in blood sugar levels by eating a nutritional supplement that has very low Glycemic Index and has a rich source of complete protein. This is because the protein in the nutritional supplement mixes with the high Glycemic Index of the candy bar, and effectively lowers the overall Glycemic Index. This is welcome news to dieters who would otherwise be seeing those extra carbohydrates transformed by insulin into triglycerides, and stored in adipose tissue; also known as body fat.
Currently, only a handful of nutritional supplements are designed to offer zero carbohydrates and thus score as low as possible on the Glycemic Index. And of these zero-carbohydrate products, even fewer offer a rich source of complete protein that effectively helps counter the blood sugar spike impact of high Glycemic Index foods.
It is inspiring to note that Glycemic Index is getting some well-deserved attention from outside the diabetic community, where it has helped millions of people eat wisely. Now, dieters and obese people can enjoy the wisdom that this index promotes.
ABOUT PROTICA
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com
You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com
Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com
South beach diet book is founded on the premise that switching to good carbs stops insulin resistance and curbs appetite which leads to weight loss. Also, good fats protect the heart and prevent hunger.
But this is hardly true as you will learn after reading this article.
South beach diet book offers a simplistic solution to weight loss. All you need to do is eat good carbs like whole grains, vegetables and beans instead of eating bad carbs like sugar white breads and potatoes.
South beach diet says, fast sugars are worst for dieters and slow sugars are good.
And how are these foods classified as fast or slow? The Glycemic Index.
According to south beach diet, the food having a high Glycemic Index causes the blood sugar to spike (go up) immedietly after having the meal,whereas the food with a lower GI does not drastically shoot up the blood sugar levels.
But this theory is only partially true. Yes, the foods with high GI are good for diabetics in helping them to keep their blood sugar levels in check, but contrary to popular belief, the glycemic index of a certain food is not the same.i.e. it depends on how the food is processed, stored, ripened and cooked.
Further, south beach diet is formulated on the premise that good carbs like whole grains have a low glycemic index and bad carbs like sugars, white flour and refined grains have a higher GI.
BUT THE TRUTH IS....
Bread is high GI whether whole wheat or white because it is made from finely ground flour.
Pasta is low GI, whether whole or white(thin languine has a high GI as compared to the thick one)
"Instant white" rice is low GI whereas "Uncle bens converted white" rice is high GI.
Take the case of sugars...Glucose is high GI, Sucrose is medium GI and fructose is low GI
This illustrates that recommending foods based on GI is confusing as well as misleading. On top of it all, there is no research to support the claim that the rise in blood sugar by eating high GI foods leads to high blood insulin levels, and that this leads people to overeat.
To summarise...there is no evidence to suggest that eating low GI foods leads to weight loss.
Now lets have a look at the south beach diet menu.
South beach diet book claims that you won't feel hungry while on this diet. This is impossible considering the fact that some of the menus average only 1200 calories, which is too low not to feel hungry.
The diet encourages you to eat seafood, chicken breast, lean meat, vegetables,whole grains, some fruits, beans, low fat cheese, nuts, oils and whole grains. fatty meats, high fat cheese, refined grains, sweets, juice and potatoes.
The choice of foods in this diet plan are somewhat healthy compared to other leading diet plans like ATKINS but restricting the consumption of carrots, bananas, pineapple and watermelon is the worst part of south beach diet.
The meal plan consists of three phases :
Phase 1 of south beach diet :
You are allowed to eat normal size helpings of chicken, meat, turkey, fish and shellfish, vegetables, eggs, cheese and nuts. You can have three meals per day. Desserts, coffee and tea are also allowed.
But for the first 14 days you are not allowed to eat bread,rice,potatoes,pasta or baked goods and even fruits!
Phase 2 of south beach diet :
You can slowly begin to reintroduce carbs into your diet again. The diet advices you to take all the forbidden foods in phase 1 like bread, pasta, fruits etc. in moderate quantities but at the same time not as much as you were having before.
Phase 3 of south beach diet:
This part is the most relaxed. Dr.Agastson says that you can now forget that you are on a diet. He says that now onwards it is just a healthy lifestyle you are used to, and going to adhere for the rest of your life.
All in all, south beach diet is one more money spinning fad diet for the creator of this weight loss program and a phsychological prop(support) for people who are allways hopping from one diet to the other in search of a hollywood like sexy body.
The initial weight loss caused by this diet is on account of calorie restriction and not because of low Glycemic Index or an invisible switch as Dr. Agastson's marketing language wants you to believe.
Your health could be 100 times better without south beach diet weight loss program,if you choose healthy foods like green vegetables,whole grains,fiber rich foods and vegetables.
And if you are eager to lose those extra pounds,why not do it the most natural way with the weight loss principles of Ayurveda medicinal science?
This is the most effective long term,scientifically proven solution to excess fat.
You can get real cutting edge fat burning secrets of Ayurveda in my Free 5day email ecourse by subscribing to my newsletter at: www.eweightlosstips.com/weightlossltr.htm
About the author:
Rajesh Shetty
Expert in weight loss principles of Ayurveda Medical Science and Author of the Best selling book, "Proven weight loss secrets revealed". http://www.eweightlosstips.com/weightlossltr.htm
In one way, this impassioned hatred of fat is positive. It reflects a generally understood medical truth that overindulging in fat-rich foods often causes unwanted, and unhealthy, weight gain.
However, in another way, this fat-phobia is potentially dangerous, because awareness of fat is not enough; an understanding of how fat influences weight gain and overall health is required. Unfortunately, those who dread and avoid all fat “as a rule” are overlooking an important difference between saturated fat and unsaturated fat.
Saturated fat is often the real culprit when it comes to unwanted, and potentially unhealthy, weight gain. These types of fats, which are solid at room temperature, initiate the production of LDL cholesterol, or “bad cholesterol”. In addition to weight gain, as cholesterol increases, so does the risk of heart disease. In fact, saturated fats increase LDL cholesterol disproportionately more than dietary cholesterol itself; that is how powerfully bad it is to the human body[i]. Dreading and avoiding this kind of fat is therefore quite intelligent.
Some dieters, however, are motivated less by concerns about high cholesterol and heart disease than they are about cosmetic weight gain. This is not a criticism; the adverse health effects of excess weight are well documented, as are the emotional traumas and social stigmas that tragically affect tens of millions of overweight people, especially children[ii].
Unquestionably, an excess intake of saturated fat is linked to weight gain. This is because a fat gram contains more than twice the amount of calories as a protein gram – 9 calories versus 4 calories[iii]. As a result, dieters can eat more than twice as many protein grams as fat grams to achieve the same amount of caloric intake. For dieters who are steadfastly watching every calorie, this 125% calorie difference between protein and fat can have an enormous impact.
Fat cells, once created, cannot be removed[1]; they can only be made smaller through the body’s metabolic calorie-burning process[iv]. Since an individual’s rate of metabolism is determined largely by genetics, a dieter with a slower than average metabolism will spend months, perhaps even years longer struggling to shrink fat cells then would his or her metabolically-gifted counterpart[v].
It is quite easy to understand, based on the above discussion, why the very idea of fat is dreaded by dieters; both because of the health hazards it poses, and its capacity to create excess fat cells. And it is just as easy to understand why many people are so afraid of consuming this kind of fat that they strive to remove all fat from their diet. This, however, is a large nutritional oversight.
Fat is a macronutrient that the body requires for a number of important functions. Fat is a source of energy. It helps keep the body warm, it aids in the absorption of some vitamins, and helps regulate the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system[vi]. This appears, however, to be a contradiction.
On the one hand there are health and weight gain hazards associated with fat, and on the other hand, there are proven health benefits associated with fat. How can this be? The answer is easily understood when we differentiate between the two types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. The kind of fat associated with health hazards is the former; the kind that the body needs and uses effectively is the latter.
There are two sub-types of unsaturated fat: polysaturated fat, and monosaturated fat. Popular foods that contain polysaturated fat include safflower oil and corn oil, while monosaturated fats are found in such foods as olive oil and peanut oil. These unsaturated fats are those that provide the body with the most useful and efficient sources of fat that lead to the health benefits noted above.
However, though there is a clear benefit to eating unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats, both types continue to offer eaters the standard 9 calories per gram. As such, no eater should consume an excess amount of fat.
Equipped with the awareness and understanding that avoiding saturated fat is hazardous to health, and that there is such a thing as “good” (unsaturated) fat, it would be expected that most nutritional supplements on the market have created foods that reflect this understanding. This is, regrettably, not the case.
Most nutritional supplements contain some fat content; many even contain saturated fat for some inexplicable reason[2]. Tragically – and there is no other word – many dieters are deceived into eating self-described nutritionally intelligent foods that may be “low calorie”, and may even have some vitamins and nutrients, but they but they are adding to the individual’s limited capacity to ingest fat grams. Many people who seek to lose weight by eating nutritional supplements often gain weight. They erroneously believe it is the result of a slow metabolism, when the culprit is the amount of fat grams ingested.
Fortunately, there are several fat-free food supplements on the market today. There are several important benefits of this strategy that benefit dieters of all sizes.
The obvious benefit is that a dieter does not have to count fat calories when eating these nutritional supplements; they are 100% fat free, and do not add to their daily fat-intake limit.
Less obviously, however, is that a zero-fat nutritional supplement that contains protein can stimulate the digestive system and minimize fat storage. This is because the protein content can help regulate the body’s ability to effectively absorb the calories that it derives from carbohydrates and fats. For example, a dieter who eats a sugary, fat-filled cupcake can mitigate fat storage and increase nutrient utilization by eating it with a protein-rich nutritional supplement.
The world of nutrition has long since known the link between dietary fat and weight gain. Unsaturated fat can be a trusted ally in the fight against weight loss. Understanding how it differs from saturated fat helps demystify the stigma of unsaturated fats – a stigma that should be reserved for its unhealthy cousin, saturated fats.
ABOUT PROTICA
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com
You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com
Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com
Over the years, Americans have been fed different stories about choosing the right foods for optimum health. When researchers warned that too much fat in your diet leads to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and a host of other health problems, Americans jumped on the low fat, no fat bandwagon with little success.
New studies reveal that we must have some fat in our diet for good health and reduction of disease. The omega-3 fatty acids are said to be “essential” because they can not be produced by the body and must be obtained through our food sources..
*What are omega-3s?
Omega-3 essential fatty acids can come from either plant or marine sources. They can be found in fish and fish oil, unrefined vegetable oils, raw nuts, seeds and beans. Linolenic acid, the marine source, can be found in certain fatty fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon. These fish and fish oil supplements contain bioavailable docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acid, the two kinds of omega-3 essential fatty acids crucial to good health.
The plant based omega-3 essential fatty acid is alpha linolenic acid (alpha meaning plant) and can be found in omega-3 rich oils such as flaxseed, canola, soybean and walnut oils. These plant sourced omega-3 EFAs don’t metabolize in the body like fish oil. They need to be broken down by the body’s enzymatic system into DHA and EPA before the body can reap its powerful benefits. Flaxseed oil, the plant source highest in omega-3s, is a great alternative for vegetarians and those who can’t tolerate fish or fish oil capsules.
In Dr. Walter Willett’s book, “Eat, Drink & Be Healthy,” he writes: “Given the wide ranging importance and benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, everyone should try to eat at least one good source of them a day.”
The omega-3 essential fatty acid is a key component of cell membranes throughout the body, especially the eye, brain and central nervous system. This important fat is the building block of hormones, including those that regulate blood clotting, artery walls and inflammation. A recent study indicated that the omega-3 EFA from fish reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and can reduce the risk of stroke as well.
Fish oil has been found to increase circulation and reduce insulin sensitivity; but most importantly, diabetics who ate more fish had a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease and total death than those who didn’t eat fish. Fish oils have proven beneficial for people suffering many disorders including depression, cystic fibrosis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes and lupus. It also helps keep hair, skin and nails healthy.
On a grand scale, omega-3s play a vital role in health. Doctors and researchers have been studying the benefits for years. Now the government and the important organizations are also emphasizing the need for good fats in the diet.
Last November, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued a release stating, “omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart health of healthy people, people at high risk of cardiovascular disease and patients with cardiovascular disease.” The organization recommends that Americans eat fatty fish, such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon, at least twice a week. Regular consumption of omega-3 fatty acids from plant sources such as flaxseed, canola, soybean and walnut oils is also highly recommended.
Recently, the White House Executive Office sent a letter to the Department of Health & Human Services and the USDA requesting the departments promote the consumption of omega-3 essential fatty acids. The request has been made to add omega-3 essential fatty acids to the new dietary guidelines for Americans, scheduled to be released in 2005. The Executive Office has also asked that omega-3s be incorporated on the soon to be updated 1992 USDA Food Guide Pyramid.
The American Heart Association urges Americans to eat fatty fish to get an adequate intake of omega-3s into their diet. Take caution when choosing these fatty fish, as sometimes they are laden with contaminants such as mercury, PCBs and lead. Supplements can be taken if omega-3 rich fish or plants sources aren’t readily available. Before purchasing fish oil supplements it is important to look at the label to make sure it is PCB, mercury and lead free.
“Product quality and consumer health are number one for Spectrum. Every lot of fish oil we encapsulate is tested to be free of PCBs, mercury, lead and dioxins,” says Neil Blomquist , CEO of Spectrum Organic Products, Incorporated. “It would be absurd for us to supply consumers with heart healthy fish oil that contained deadly toxins.”
Flaxseed, canola, walnut and soybean oils can be incorporated into salad dressings for their omega-3 benefits.
Incorporating omega-3 essential fatty acids into your diet, whether by marine or plant source is a good start to a healthier way of eating and living. Reducing your intake of saturated fat and trans fats, exercising and eliminating stress are just as important.
Spectrum Organic Products carries a natural and healthy line of trans fat free shortening, margarine, spreads, culinary oils and essential fatty acid nutritional supplement line including PCB mercury free fish oil and organic flaxseed oil. You can find their products in natural food stores and select chain stores across the United States. For more information log onto www.spectrumnaturals.com or call (800) 995-2705.
Courtesy of ARA Content
About the author:
Courtesy of ARA Content
There are literally thousands of plans and products on the market today designed to help the overweight shed unwanted pounds.
One such plan is the low carb diet plan. On this plan, carbohydrate intake is limited to a few grams per day. By limiting breads and pastas, the body uses the fat that stored and there by the dieter starts to loose weight within weeks. Some of the foods that should be avoided when on a low carb diet are; Candy, Donuts, Cakes and Pastries. Anything containing white flour such as bread, rolls, bagels, pasta and white rice should also be avoided.
Although this may seem like a lot of choices to give up, all of these foods are very high in carbohydrates. This is particularly dangerous for those suffering from diabetes. Health expert theorize that a high carbohydrate diet could raise their blood sugar levels to life threatening levels.
There are good carbohydrate choices. Meat is naturally low in carbohydrates. Liver is the exception to this rule. Egg’s, poultry, fish, shellfish are good menu choices. They are easy to prepare and are full of vitamins. Green vegetables that are low starch include broccoli, asparagus, spinach, salad vegetables; cauliflower, green beans, Brussels sprouts and celery are also good choice foods that compliment any meal.
There are so many good choice foods to choose from, and so many ways to prepare them that the bad choice foods will not be missed when on a low carb diet.
Fiber is another essential part of dieting. Fiber helps the body in many different ways. When you do not get enough fiber it defeats the purpose of a diet.
Some of the health benefits that come from a low carb diet are; Lower insulin levels and stabilized blood sugar, which is a great health benefit to diabetics. Lower blood pressure, Lower Cholesterol, more energy, and perhaps the most important reason for dieting, keeping the weight off.
Unlike other diets, the low carb diet is safe for everyone. There are no side effects from being on this diet as there are not any food limit restrictions for a low carb dieter.
There are so many menu choices that a different meal can be prepared every day and the dieter would not have the same meal twice. For someone who has made a serious commitment to loose weight, a low carb lifestyle should be seriously considered.
Holiday meals can be prepared following low carb diet recipes that are easy, elegant, and very tasty. With all of the sites on the Internet dedicated to low carb cooking, there is no reason to fear dieting any longer.
Gone are the days when dieters had to starve themselves and suffer the pains of hunger all for the sake of loosing weight. The low carb offer a healthy alternative to dieting.
About the author:
IIS is a team of researchers and writers dedicated to providing valuable, fitness information and research. Please visit http://www.info-research-online.comfor more information on this subject.
If you don't know the answer, you need to know about a simple, inexpensive way to make sure. Every time. Every day. And I'll show you why and how this simple, doctor-proven technique can be your most powerful weapon in your fight against fat.
No matter what weight loss program you are currently on, wouldn't you like to know whether your plan is producing results? Most of us step on the scale, or wait until our clothes fit more loosely, before we really know whether our latest miracle diet pill or plan is working. And as a veteran dieter, you know that can take many days or weeks.
But there is a way to know for certain-- within hours-- whether or not you're burning fat. To see if the food, or the pills, or the exercise is really returning benefits. Immediate benefits.
Are you starving?
There are really only two ways your body loses weight (by non-surgical means). You are either burning fat, or "burning" muscle. If you are burning muscle, watch out! You have actually begun to starve. For safe, healthy weight loss, you must preserve your muscle tissue (including heart muscle) and burn fat instead.
Here are the medical facts: any time your body burns fat, chemicals called ketones are produced. Ketones are byproducts of burning fat. Robert C. Atkins, M.D., the famous low-carb diet expert, states it clearly. "When your body releases ketones," says Dr. Atkins, "it is chemical proof that you're consuming your own stored fat."
And burning your own stored fat is exactly what you want to do. Dr. Atkins goes further. "If you're not in lipolysis (ketosis), you're in glucosis." It's one or the other, period. Your body is either burning sugar, from simple and complex carbohydrates you are eating, or burning your own stored fat. Both produce energy. But only one will help you lose weight!
Prove it to yourself
You may have heard about this simple method of testing for ketone release before. But have you actually used it? It really is a marvelous tool to help you see the biological proof of your diet program, quickly and easily.
Ketone test strips are available at any pharmacy. Originally developed as a testing tool for diabetics, they are sold under various brand names, including KetoStix, LipoStix, Keto-Thin, and others. They all work essentially the same way.
The test strips are simple to use. Just place the tab end of the test strip in your first morning urine stream, and note the color change. Match the color to the chart on the bottle, and know immediately whether you are burning fat-- or not.
The beauty is- it’s all about you!
Perhaps the best part of this test method, aside from the ease of use, is that you get to see what is really working for you. Everyone’s body is a little different, and now you can customize your food and supplement intake from specific results of your unique body and metabolism.
The other very important benefit of this easy test method is that it can help protect your health. As stated earlier, loss of muscle can be dangerous, and eventually even fatal. If you are dropping pounds but you are not burning fat, you are risking your health. And the ketone test strips can provide this valuable feedback.
To recap Doctors' Proven Weight Loss Secret #1: test for ketones daily. If the reading is too dark, you can increase carbohydrates to balance into the “trace” to “small” range. If you see too little or no change, decrease your carbs, increase your protein intake.
Whether you are low-carb dieting, trying a new fat loss supplement, or starting a new exercise regimen, this simple, inexpensive test method can be the most important tool you have to make sure your program is safe, effective, and actually burning fat.
About the author:
Katrina Kern is an author, women's health counselor, former nurse and Director of Medi-Bolic Weight Loss Clinic. Get more exciting health and fat-loss discoveries, and 10 more Doctors' Proven Weight Loss Secrets, in her free e-book, "How to Absolutely, Positively Know When Your Body is Burning Fat," now at http://www.applepoly.com/report.
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