There are diets that work for certain people, there are diets that do not work for certain people and then there are diets that never really work for anybody at all. Dieting is the most popular past time in the Western world and, makes no mistake that this is not a women-only issue. If you are a man and want a lot of women around you, then you have to stay fit.
Pessimists would say that a diet is a bunch of foods we don't like, in too tiny portions for our appetites and we must eat all that at specific times of the day. As nobody really eats this way, nobody can successfully diet and change their life style. I would say that dieting is, more than anything else, finding a structure.
It's been said that people cannot eat healthy with so many temptations around them and this is why diets don't really work, but the truth is that way too few diets offer a healthy structure that is both easy to follow and tasty. We cannot eat bland food all our lives and we can only drink this much grapefruit juice before we decide enough it's enough.
Add to that all the scientific discoveries that stress out the importance of our genes to our overall body type and the naysayer do seem to make a valid point when they argue that diets never work. The fact is that, as one medical study showed, 80% of the children who have two obese parents are at risk of growing into obese adults themselves and only 15% of the children who have two normal-weight parents are at risk of growing into obese adults.
So genes do play an important role, but so do your environment and your life style. It doesn't matter how skinny your mother and father are if you drink a gallon of high sugar fizzy drinks a day and eat only the greasiest burgers with XXL portions of fries.
We are all at risk of being involved in a car accident, whether we drive or not, but very few of us would ever have a car accident and even fewer will cause one to happen. Not drinking alcohol prior to driving and not being too tired to stay focused really does help.
And the same case can be made for dieting. Dieting is more than something you try for a couple of weeks every now and then. Dieting is changing the perspective you have on food. For example there is no such a thing as good foods and bad foods, but there is something that is called moderation. And it means that if you know you should cut out sugar and fat, and then avoid eating huge portions of anything that contains a lot of refined sugar and a high amount of fat.
It won't get you very far to start on a frustration diet that demonizes chocolate and burgers! You should be able to adjust to a healthier burger, though. Like not buying a burger, but trying to make your own, buying a lean cut of beef and having the butcher grinding it for you. Dieting and healthy life style is not as much about giving up on foods we love, but on making choices that are sustainable for long term – for a life time actually!
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Are There Some Diets that Will Never Work?
Eating a Healthy Diet
One of the important things you can do for your overall health is to eat a healthy diet. Your diet affects your weight and increases your risks of health diseases. Deciding a healthy diet is easier to say than to do because it is tempting to eat less healthy foods. Different people decide different healthy diet because you might eat this kind of diet while others just cannot stand the food you eat and find its alternative. That’s what health experts are here for, to let us know which food are healthier than others.
What are the principles of healthy eating?
Know What Healthy Food Is and How You Should Eat
When pursuing a healthy eating plan, you should remember the following:
1. Try and Eat a Variety of Different Colored Food - You should remember that different foods have different nutritional values. Food can be rich in antioxidants or Vitamin C. So, when you go to do your regular weekly shop, try and see what different colored foods you can pick up.
Down the fruit and vegetable aisle you should see greens, yellows, oranges and reds. You should have as much of a color variety in your trolley as you can. For example, when picking out fruit pick up strawberries, oranges, pineapple, apples, blueberries and bananas and you will notice what a large color selection you actually have. The same goes for vegetables. Basically, more color means that it is better and healthier for you.
2. Eat Foods from All Food Groups - The problem with many diets these days is the fact that they tell you to cut certain foods from certain food groups, out of the diet altogether. This means that you lose important nutrition and don’t eat as healthy as you could be. So, the answer to a healthy diet is to eat a variety of different foods.
Generally, fruit and vegetables should make up the main portion of your diet but you still need carbohydrates such as potatoes, meat or fish and a little bit of fatty foods like flaxseed oil which many experts recommend as part of a good fat diet. Overall, a diverse mixture of all food groups is needed for a healthy diet!
3. When You Need to Eat Snack, Do It on Healthy Foods – It doesn’t mean that just because you want to lose weight, you’ll have to skip your snack. In fact, snacking can actually be quite good for you just as long as you are eating the right foods.
Generally, when we want to eat snack, we reach for a biscuit or a packet of crisps. However, if you want to eat a healthy snack, then you will have to swap those for nuts, seeds or fruit and vegetables. That way you will get energy, you will also be full until your next meal time and it will be completely healthy.
Since you know what foods you like and what you don’t, you really have to decide for your own healthy eating plan. However, the said tips above can help you to choose the best healthy eating plan for you.
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Practicing a sensible weight loss is not just taking a diet pill - you should live for a long-lasting healthy lifestyle.
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Herbs for Obesity
Obesity is one of the major health concerns that plague America today. Approximately two-thirds of American adults are considered overweight; while one in three are seriously overweight or obese. Obesity is defined as having an abnormal amount of body fat; being 20 to 30 percent over the ideal weight for age, sex and height.Aside from being a major cosmetic concern, obesity is a great risk factor for serious medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney troubles, prostate enlargement, female infertility, uterine fibroids, pregnancy disorders, gallstones, cardiovascular diseases, stroke and cancer. Excessive body weight also puts great stress on joints increasing the chances of arthritis. Everyone's metabolism (the rate at which the body burns calories) is different and is influenced by many factors, including genetics. Regularly eating even a few more calories than your body needs can lead to weight gain. By consuming only 100 extra calories a day, for example, you'll gain a pound in approximately a month (a pound of body fat equals 3,500 calories). Some experts think a sedentary lifestyle influences weight gain even more than eating too many calories. Exercise burns calories and builds muscle. And the more muscle mass you have, the greater number of calories your body burns at rest.Aside from aggressive dieting and exercising, some herbal products may aid in raising metabolism or suppressing the appetite. But at the same time, you should also be wary of their side effects. Always check with your health care provider first. • Aloe Vera, improves digestion and cleans the digestive tract• Astralgus, increases energy and improves nutrient absorption• Bee pollen, stimulates metabolism and quickly satisfy craving for sweets• Bladderwrack, contains iodine which helps enhance thyroid function• Brewer’s yeast, reduces various cravings for food and drink• Cayenne, reduces hunger after meals and increases calorie burning by the body• Chitosan, slows the absorption of fat in the intestine• Chromium, helps the body use fat for energy and builds muscles• Dandelion, flushes out kidneys, boosts metabolism, and off-sets cravings for sweets• Ephedra, also known as ma huang, suppresses appetite• Fennel, suppresses appetite and removes mucus and fat from the intestinal tract • Garcinia cambogia, quells hunger pangs• Green tea, increases energy expenditure and enhances the ability of the body to burn fat• Guaraná, contains caffeine which curbs appetite, increases metabolic rates and has a mild diuretic effect• Guggul, lowers cholesterol and promotes weight control• Kelp, boosts metabolism• Licorice, sustains regulated blood sugar level and reduces cravings for sweets• Malabar tamarind, helps prevents the production of fat and suppresses appetite• Siberian ginseng, stabilizes blood sugar and reduces cravings for sweets• Yohimbine, raises metabolic rates, reduces appetite and increases fat burningThese herbs are not recommended to replace regular diet. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key.
How to measure BODY FAT: Your Fat Calculator
When it all comes down to losing or gaining weight, most people turn to the scales to determine how much they should lose or gain to have the weight or the shape that they desire.However, health experts said weight alone is not a clear indicator of good health because it does not distinguish between pounds that come from body fat and those that come from lean body mass or muscle. Being over fat and overweight is not the same. Overweight simply means an excess of total body weight based on population averages for heights and body frame sizes. On the other hand, obesity is defined as an excess of body fat regardless of weight. What we have to consider, experts said, in order to determine our fitness, is to know our body fat. Remember that body fat is a percentage of your total weight, so even slender people can have dangerously high levels of body fat. (See Here are three ways of measuring your body fat:1. Home Body Fat Scales-- Body fat scales claim to measure body fat quickly and conveniently. These body fat scales use the Bioelectrical Impedance method to measure your body fat percentage. A low-level electrical current is passed through your body and the "impedance", or opposition to the flow of current, is measured. 2. Skin fold Calipers-- Calipers are a tool that looks somewhat like a giant tweezers. These are used to grasp your skin folds at different points on your body and measure the thickness. These measurements are then compared to standard values for persons of your age and gender to give you your estimated body fat. 3. Hydrostatic Weighing—This is just a fancy term for underwater weighing. You sit on a scale inside a tank of water and blow out as much air as you can. You are dunked underwater, where you blow out even more air. Since fat is lighter than water, the more fat you have, the more you will float. The scale measures underwater weight to figure out body density. The margin of error is around 2-3%, but the accuracy depends on the amount of air you expel. You have to blow it ALL out or it will not be as accurate. This is a difficult way to measure body fat since it can be uncomfortable and even scary to be dunked underwater with no air in the old lungs.
'Natural' Products are Not Always Safe
Many herbs have a long history of use and of claimed health benefits. An herb, or botanical, is a plant or part of a plant that is used for its scent, flavor, and/or therapeutic properties. Although they are so-called ‘natural’, herbal products are not necessarily safe or without harmful effects. They may come from plants, but many plants are considered harmful and poisonous. Unlike prescription medicines, herbal products are not tested to certify their safety and efficacy before their marketing. Active ingredients in many herbal medicines and supplements are still unknown. Some have been found contaminated with metals, unlabeled prescription drugs, microorganisms or other substances. Since herbal products are not tested, they may cause certain health problems/complications. It may not be wise to take herbal products if you have any of these medical problems/conditions:• High blood pressure• Thyroid problems• Parkinson’s disease • Blood-clotting problems• Diabetes• Heart disease• Epilepsy• Depression or psychiatric problems• Liver problems• Enlarged prostrate gland• Glaucoma• History of stroke or organ transplant Women who are pregnant or nursing should be especially cautious about using herbal products, as well as with people who are about to have surgery. Always check with your health care provider. It is likewise important to consult with your doctor before using herbal products if you are taking any medications (whether prescription or over-the-counter). Some herbal products are known to interact with medications in ways that may pose risks to your health.
The Epidemic called OBESITY
Obesity has become a global pandemic affecting the lives and health of millions of people, according to the World Health Organization. It is an accelerating social problem in industrialized countries and is also growing in the former colonial world. Obesity is very often defined as an eating disorder. However, it is not a simple condition of eating too much. Health experts believe that obesity is a serious and chronic disease prevalent in today’s society. As the “obesity epidemic” increases, so is the number of people that suffers from it. Approximately 300,000 adult deaths in the United States alone each year are directly attributable to unhealthy dietary habits and physical inactivity or sedentary behavior or obesity. In the United States alone, nearly one third of the adult population is obese. In the Europe, they have a similar encounter of the disease. An astonishing 58 per cent of Britain’s adult population is considered overweight or obese, a report published in England said. The National Audit Office of Britain reported last year that 20 percent of British women and 17 percent of men were as much as 70 pounds heavier than the recommended weight for their size. Obesity is not just a health issue. It is also considered as a socio-economic problem that utilizes $117 billion per year in the United States alone. In Britain, obesity cost £2.6 billion in NHS bills and indirect losses to the UK economy. At least 18 million sick days a year can be attributed to obesity, it says, and the increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer and stroke reduces life expectancy by around nine years. When it comes to explaining these trends, not only media reports, but many scientific articles disparagingly refer to a combination of fast food, increasing car ownership and a sedentary lifestyle in front of television sets or computer monitors.In the first place, such generalisations are often backed by little substantiated data. Some studies have found that the prevalence of obesity among children is directly related to the hours of television viewed, for example, but other studies have failed to establish a correlation.More fundamentally, these observations ignore the economic and social driving forces behind the changes in diet and lifestyle—including the profits generated by the food and entertainment industries—and the intense pressures caused by increasing working hours and declining living standards for the majority of working people.Obesity can also lower the life expectancy of individuals. In addition to this, obese people are increasing their susceptibility and risks to a number of diseases directly related to obesity. This includes: type 2 (adult onset) diabetes; high blood pressure; stroke; heart attack; heart failure; cancer such as cancer of the colon or rectum; gallstones; gout and gouty arthritis; osteoarthritis; sleep apnea; and pickwickian syndrome.
The Many Benefits of Exercise
Health experts encourage us to include exercise as a necessary part of our daily routine to promote our general well- being. Together with healthy and balanced diet, adequate rest and relaxation, exercise is recommended to promote optimal health.People who are usually inactive can improve their health and well-being by becoming even moderately active on a regular basis. Physical activity need not be strenuous to achieve significant health benefits. Greater health benefits can be achieved by increasing the amount (duration, frequency, or intensity) of physical activity.There are many benefits of exercise, not only as an aid in effective fat/ weight loss, but also in reducing our risks of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death. Here is a general overview of what exercise can do for us.1. Exercise reduces our risks of dying prematurely.2. Exercise reduces our risks of dying from heart diseases, cancers (including uterine, colon, and breast), stroke, diabetes and arthritis. 3. Help us lose weight, especially fat weight by decreasing our Body Mass Index (BMI), reducing our total cholesterol and reducing the circulating levels of triglycerides in our blood and increasing our metabolic rate. Perhaps this is why active people can "Eat anything and not gain weight." and why other folks "Gain weight just by looking at food."! 4. Exercise improves the functioning of our Immune System as well as blood and oxygen circulation for our vital organs. 5. Exercise increases our insulin sensitivity to prevent against type 2 diabetes.6. Exercise increases our energy and endurance level.7. Exercise slows down aging by improving our physical, mental, emotional and psychological well- being. 8. Exercise reduces our risk of developing many bones and joints diseases or disorders.9. Exercise even helps in enhancing creativity and imagination. It is also linked with improved mental vigor, including reaction time, acuity, and math skills.10. Exercise helps in providing physical and mental rejuvenation, making us feel good about ourselves and thus improve our esteem and confidence. 11. Exercising improves mood and due to the chemicals it releases in the brain called endorphins, it gives you an overall feeling of well-being. This is the same chemical that being in love or eating chocolate induces!12. Exercise will help you sleep better. Just be sure not to exercise too close to your bedtime if you exercise at night, because it may keep you awake. If you need to exercise within a few hours of going to bed, make sure it's only a brisk walk. Experts say you should allow yourself about three hours between exercise and going to bed.So get off that couch and start moving. Remember, the time and effort that you put in exercising today may spell your health and well- being tomorrow.