How Diets

How Diets Can Be Enjoyable

2010-03-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

Just because you're giving up on those bacon strips and fried eggs does not mean you have to turn yourself into a rabbit munching on carrots and lettuce 24/7. It is a common misconception that healthy foods must be bland. If you're eating "healthy" and it tastes like cardboard, here are some tips you can use to spice up your meal plan.

Use herbs freely. While you should cut back on your use of slats and spices, herbs such as Italian seasoning, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, chicken style seasoning, paprika and oregano are just some of the examples of herbs you could be using to add that extra oomph to your meals.
Learn from the pros. If you're just getting started on this healthy diet thing, don't be afraid to ask for help. 9 out of 10 cases you know someone who has been a vegetarian or vegan for longer than you have, and I'm pretty sure they will be willing to give you a few tips on how you can spice up your healthy meals.
Attend cooking schools. You can learn a lot from experts (duh, that's why they are called experts). However, many people fail to realize that many health classes as well as cooking schools are offered in or near their area. Do some searching and you just might come across something?
Check the web. Google is your friend and there are thousands of websites that have plenty of healthy recipes for you to use. Best of all they are copyright free so you can change them as much as you want and experiment. Rome wasn't built in a day and starting on a healthy diet will involve trial and error. However, it's not hopeless, all great chiefs made and still do make mistakes.

How Low-Carb Diets Work

2010-02-24T13:20:00.000-08:00

Do low carb diets work? There is no doubt that they do, however, before you run with this information, the same can be said of anorexia. It does help weight loss, ingesting worms help as well. Does that mean these are healthy ways to lose weight? Absolutely not, in fact that are life threatening, and while a low carb diet may not be as radical as anorexic diets and worm ingestion, it does carry some of the same principles.

The idea of a low carb diet is to consume fewer calories than the body requires. This forces the body to eat away at fat in order to lose weight. However, the body does not always eat away at fat. Sometimes it attacks muscles especially hen enough fat is not present to burn.

More importantly, low carb diets generally require increased protein consumption. This puts undue stress on the liver and after months or years of this, it can cause the liver to malfunction and even lead to cancer.

Last but not least, most low carb diets fail to stress or dismiss the important of exercise. Exercise is key to proper weight loss, without it you are losing weight unhealthily.

So yes you can lose weight on a low carb diet, however it is not the best way to lose weight as it is dangerous. A better way is to eat a balanced diet filled with COMPLEX carbohydrates, proper exercise and plenty of water instead of soft drinks. That is the proper way to lose weight.

How diets affect sleep

2010-02-13T13:11:00.000-08:00

Believe it…or not, over 50 million American’s suffer from sleeping problems (including disorders and insomnia). More than likely, either you or someone else has experienced spending hours in bed trying to fall asleep, to no avail. More than a few causes exist for sleeping disorders, many of which include medical, emotional, prescription drugs, dietary and lifestyle.

If you have checked out a physician concerning sleeping problems, you can start looking into lifestyle or dietary problems as well as prescription drugs. Many prescription drugs carry side effects which include the inability to sleep. If drugs are not a problem, then check out some of the possible causes below.

Alcohol is a no no. Alcohol does not help you sleep, quite the contrary. If you are trying to sleep, lay off the Bacardi will ya?
Nicotine (cigars, cigarettes), do no help in getting sleep. They paralyze the brain and inhibit sleep. If you smoke (which you shouldn’t be doing in the first place), make sure you do not smoke at least an hour or more before bedtime.
Caffeine: This goes without saying. Want your sleep? Lay off cappuccino, latte, and all other caffeine related products such as Coke, Pepsi and Mountain Dew.
If you have to wake up in the night to urinate, make sure you limit liquids drank before bedtime to at least 90 minutes before you sleep since it takes about that time for liquids to be processed by the body.
A cup of chamomile or catnip tea can aid in sleep. Make sure to keep away from green and white teas as they do not help.

How diet can affect fertility

2010-02-13T13:09:00.000-08:00

For years, it was thought that diet had nothing to do with conception and fertility. After all, for years, doctors and other health professionals have said that what a woman eats does not affect how fertile she will be. The same has been said about men, however, new studios are suggesting otherwise.

First of all, it should be noted that health is sustained by three major things, diet, lifestyle and exercise. Our whole bodies operate because certain forces are in place. A person can have a healthy diet, exercise regularly and drink plenty of water, and yet they come down with cancer because of either stress or pollution. Same thing can apply to asthma or high blood pressure. So if these factors can affect our health, then they can sure affect the fertility of men and women.

The SAD (Standard American Diet) has been known for years to be the underlining problem with most health conditions. But can it affect infertility? You betcha! For example, recent studios from the Nurses’ Health Study indicate that by just eating more protein from plant instead of animal sources can increase ovulatory fertility. The study found that infertility was 39% higher among women who had the highest intake of animal protein versus women who had the lowest.

Another study has suggested that too much weight can interrupt normal menstrual cycles and either throw off or stop altogether the ovulation process. It shouldn’t come as a surprise seeing that the BMI (body mass index) is one of the keys to most health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure. One study from the Nurses’ Health Study reported that women with the lowest and highest BMI were more likely to experience infertility. However, women with BMI between 20 and 24 were much better off with the ideal around 21.

These are just a few examples, but it does shed some light on the whole issue. Maybe cigarettes, caffeine and alcohol aren’t the only things women who are either getting pregnant or trying to get pregnant have to worry about.

How Diets Deplete Muscle

2010-01-20T14:24:00.000-08:00

Many diets can be dangerous to the health as well as the body mass. Believe it or not, most low-carb diets can deplete muscle mass and this can be dangerous. Many have said that the only way you can truly lose weight is by consuming fewer calories than your body needs. However this is false. The key to weight loss is consuming the correct amount of nutrients the body needs. Nutritionally deprived food is not good for weight loss because it becomes junk in the body and is stored as fat.

For every calorie that you deprive your body of, your body goes into survival mode and eats away at muscle fiber. That is why a person can go for weeks without eating before they die because the body starts to eat away at itself. Contrary to popular belief, fat is not the only thing that is used by the body when we do not eat the correct amount of food. It also goes to work on other things.

Ask any body building trainer and they will tell you that muscle is one of the best forms of stored energy for the body to use when nutrients are not present. Here are some facts to consider.

3,500 Calories stored in one pound of FAT.
35 Calories burned daily by one pound of active MUSCLE.
2 Calories burned daily by one pound of FAT.
1/2–1 lb. MUSCLE LOST each year after age 35 for men who don’t train.
1 1/2 lbs. FAT GAINED each year after age 35 for sedentary men.
So remember, muscle is just as much fair game as fat is when you deprive your body of nutrients.

How Diets Affect Blood Pressure

2010-01-11T14:25:00.000-08:00

Blood pressure is a term we hear regularly. It refers the force of the blood in your body as it is pushed along the walls of blood vessels. When the pressure is higher then normal, it puts pressure on blood vessels, arteries and the heart. Few are aware they have blood pressure problems, and still fewer are unaware of hot to treat it.

Salt is one of the main causative factors in high blood pressure as it can cause retention of water as well as hardening of the artery wall. This causes more pressure to be used by the heart to pump the blood through the body and thus increases blood pressure.

Weight is another factor in high blood pressure. While it doesn't affect the blood pressure directly, it indirectly affects it and studies have proven that losing just 10 pounds can significantly decrease the blood pressure of those who are hypertensive.

Cholesterol is another big culprit and probably the biggest. When we consume more cholesterol then our bodies need, the body is forced to dump this cholesterol along the walls of the arteries. This of course causes the space to get smaller and thus the heart has to use more effort to get the blood to where it needs to be.

There are many other foods the affect blood pressure. Alcohol, foods empty in calories and greasy foods are just a few examples. Soft drinks and caffeine are also things those who are watching their blood pressure levels should be aware of.

How Detox Diets Work

2009-12-29T07:06:00.001-08:00

4 Week Detox Plan. This four week detox diet is designed to be more intense then most others offered on the market and is designed to clean all the organs in a systematic way. This is one of the best programs for a thorough cleansing of the body.

Raw Food Diet. This diet consists of eating only raw foods. Nothing eaten should be heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Clean Diet. The clean diet is a 21 day program that is designed for those with busy schedules. It was created by Dr. Alejandro Junger.

Detox for Women. As the name suggests, this detox is designed for woman and is designed to be less intrusive on the dieter's lifestyle.

Eat Stop Eat. This diet requires those to embark on it to take 24 hour fasts every couple times a week which promotes weight loss and detoxification.
Fast Track Detox Diet. This is an 11 day detoxification diet which is designed to jumpstart weight loss or break a weight loss plateau.

Fat Flush Diet. This is a popular 3 phase diet which was designed by Ann Gittleman.

Fruit Flush. As the name suggests, Fruit Flush 3 Day Detox is a detox diet which was designed by Jay Robb to flush the body for three days with the use of fruits.

Hallelujah Diet. A Bible-based diet by George Malkmus.

How to Lose Weight Forever. This diet is designed to teach how one can havea lean body builders physique as well as detoxify the body.

Jump Start Juicer. A 7 day weight loss and detox program which offers dieters a healthy and long-term weight loss plan. It involves consuming nothing but fresh fruit and vegetable juices for seven days.

Lemonade Diet. The Master Cleanser by Stanley Burroughs.

Liquid Diets. This is a liquid only diet which involves consuming only liquids for a short period of time in a way to flush toxins from the body.

Liver Cleansing Diet. A popular diet since 1997, this diet focuses on cleaning the liver as it is the place where most toxins are found. The diet was designed by Doctor Cabot.

Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet. A diet which claimsweight loss of 21 pounds in 21 days.

Mucusless Diet. Mucusless Diet Healing System was written by Arnold Ehret, who healed himself from Bright's disease with a diet based on fruits combined with fasting.

Quantum Eating. A raw foods diet that detoxifies the body and promotes youth.

Raw Food Detox Diet. This diet gradually incorporates raw food into the meal plan to promote detoxification.
Super Cleanse. Super Cleanse offers dieters a wide variety of options, ranging from gentle vegetarian programs to more extreme juice fasts which not only promote detoxification but help in weight loss as well.
Swiss Secret. A detox, weight loss and chronic health condition plan for ultimate health.
UltraSimple Diet. A 7-day health program, Dr Hyman recommends this in addition to his Ultrametabolism book and health program.

Weight Loss Cure. Based on Kevin Trudeau's book which adheres to detox as a way to weight loss.

You Are What You Eat. Gillian McKeith's plan for healthy eating with a detox component.

How Diets Work?

2009-12-22T13:31:00.000-08:00

Dieting is one of the biggest health craze in years and even though its been more then a decade since dieting has become so popular, its still at the top of many lists involving weight loss.

Basically a diet involves taking in fewer calories then the body needs in a normal day. So say your body needs 1800 calories on a regular day, a diet would suggest between 1500 and 1600. The body still needs the 1800 calories so once the person refuses to eat anymore; the body is forced to turn to stored energy which is found in the fat cells.

Exercising is another way to lose weight as dieting alone will not offer the full benefits of weight loss. It is estimated that 3500 calories have to be burned for one pound of body fat to be lost. By increasing the amount of time spent exercising more body fit can be burned and the body will come closer to using up that excess fat which is stored.

One of the main things that many people forget is that a one time diet and exercising for a few months to lose the weight and going back to the same lifestyle that got them fat will not fix the problem in the long run.

Once the weight has been lost, it is necessary to continue on a healthy diet or the body will pack on the pounds once again. So once the excess weight has been taken off continue to watch the selection of food, continue exercising and most of all do not slip back into the same habits that got you there in the first place.

How Diets Affect Mental Health

2009-12-16T13:27:00.000-08:00

For years it has been taught that diet had nothing to do with mental health. Doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists and other health professionals used to scorn the idea of linking Alzheimer's, ADHD, schizophrenia and other mental diseases to diet and lifestyle.

But recent studies are suggesting that there are direct links between physical and mental health. But we must ask the question; wouldn't common sense teach us this? It's funny how for years we have known that we can bring sickness upon ourselves by breaking down ourselves mentally, so wouldn't the opposite be true?

Adding science to the equation has brought some interesting links between physical and mental. Consider the fact that numerous studies these days are finding links between Alzheimer's disease and mercury and aluminum. Both substances are readily available in dental fillings, tap water, cooking pots, soft drinks and many others. New studies are suggesting that there is a great link between the two and areas where bauxite is mined (what aluminum is made from) are known to carry higher rates of Alzheimer's disease then other areas.

Many doctors are finding out that improper nutrition leads to the unbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain which leads schizophrenia. New studies are suggesting the proper nutritional habits can help correct the disease.

But out of all the mental disorders, there is no stronger evidence to suggest the correlation between diet and brain as ADHD. It is now an established fact in many among many pediatric centers that sugar, television, video games and refined foods are the biggest cause of ADHD and can cause it to progressively get worse.

Dr Andrew McCulloch from the Mental Health Foundation states that "we are only just beginning to understand how the brain as an organ is influenced by the nutrients it derives from the foods we eat and how diets have an impact on our mental health."

Following a well balanced diet with as well as certain vitamins and minerals has been shown to help in mental illness cases. Maybe we do think as we eat after all.

How Diets Work for Kids?

2009-12-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

The question makes sense and the probable answer sounds simple enough. But let's think for a moment; are low fat diets good for children and teens? Why would you want your child on a low fat diet, to keep them slim? That is the probably answer, but it's not necessarily the right one.

Children need fat in order to develop and grow and a diet lacking this will lead to malnutrition and other health problems. Now this is not to say that French fries, fried food and other saturated and trans fat food are good, quite the contrary, But drinking low fat milk, low fat yogurt and all these other low fat foods are not good either.

Instead, parents should focus on the type of fat their children are consuming. Cashews, olives, avocados etc. are all foods that contain fat, but unlike a bag of potato chips, they contain saturated fat which is the good one which is needed by the childs body for growth and development.

Consider some recent studies showing that low-fat diets are detrimental. One such study was conducted on children in a Nebraska preschool. The study found that these children were deficient in Vitamin E which is an important antioxidant. Vitamin E is fat soluble which means that fat must be present in the body for it to be used.

The study further found that many of the children in the study were deficient in Vitamin C which is a water soluble vitamin.

So to answer the question, low fat diets are not good for anyone worse children because many of the minerals and vitamins that our bodies need to function require fat in order to be absorbed. These vitamins include A, D and K.

How Diet Pills Work

2009-12-03T05:36:00.000-08:00

With over 60 percent of Americans considered overweight or obese, it is no surprise that weight loss pills are a big business as each year millions of Americans try to trim those excess pounds. While there are hundreds of products that claim to offer the cure to weight problems many of them focus on different areas, some on dieting, others on lifestyles and still others on more unconventional means.

Diet pills have been some of the most popular in these products with many of them promising the “magical” effect to losing the weight. So the question is asked, can they deliver or are they fake. It is quite true that many of these pills have been linked to serious health problems and even deaths and some of them can only be obtained through a prescription. So let’s do the numbers and see.

Prescription Drugs

Drugs like Meridia and Xenical are available by prescription only and are scrutinized and regulated by the FDA and CDER (Center for Drug Evaluation and Research). Many of these drugs carry serious side effects and because of which require close monitoring from prescribing doctors.

Over-the-counter

These drugs do not require a prescription and can be picked up at just about any drugstore or supermarket. Although they are regulated by the FDA and are considered to be “weight control” instead of “dietary supplements” (regulated by the FDA). These drugs mainly contain phenylpropanolamine (PPA). The FDA has asked drug manufacturers to reformulate PPA containing products as evidence has linked this substance to strokes. Because of this, few diet pills currently exist that contain this ingredient.

Herbal supplements

These supplements are derived from plants and do not require a prescription. Large quantities and variations of these herbal supplements exist and are freely available at supermarkets, and health stores. The FDA considers these supplements to be opposing to drugs and thus fall under the jurisdiction of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition arm.

Other drugs that are administered as a patch, powder or liquid may fall under any of the above categories and are regulated by their respective classifications