The Low Carb Diet Prevails!

Low-carb diet beats other diets in study.

In one of the longest and largest studies conducted, the low carb and the Mediterranean style eating habits resulted in more people losing more weight than the more traditional ‘low fat’ diets.

Like a lot of people, I was surprised to see the result that the low-carb diet even actually improved the cholesterol more so than the other two types of diet… big surprise there.

I think it should also be noted that all three of the eating style approaches (low carb, Mediterranean, low fat) all achieved weight loss along with improving the cholesterol numbers.

This study is unlike most in two areas… in the fact that it has lasted about two years… which is much longer than most studies… and that an impressive 85% of the participants stuck with the diets.

The actual research for this study was done was done in Israel with 322 participants. The participants got their primary meal for lunch at a centralized cafeteria. At the cafeteria, the three eating styles’ food was identified by colored dots.

When it came to the breakfast and the dinner meals each of the participants were coached on how to stick to their particular eating plans and were asked to keep records of what they ate.

The low-fat diet consisted of no more than 30 percent of calories from fat. It restricted calories and cholesterol and focused on low-fat grains, vegetables and fruits as options. The Mediterranean diet had similar calorie, fat and cholesterol restrictions, with emphasis poultry, fish, olive oil and nuts.

The low-carb diet on the other hand, set the limits for carbohydrates, but did not for calories or fat. It urged the dieters to choose vegetarian sources of fat and protiens.

Although most of the participants were men, both genders got about the same amounts of exercise.

Let’s look at some of the numbers:

Average weight loss after two years:

Low-Carb = 10.3
Mediterranean = 10.0
Low Fat = 6.5

Still, even to me is the surprising measures of their cholesterol. If you’ve done any type of dieting research over the past couple of years, you would know that the critics haven’t been overly kind to the low-carb Atkins style diet concerning the impact of the diet on one’s cholestrol levels… this study would seem to disprove those fears.

In fact, within this study the low-carb approach appeared to facilitate the most improvement in multiple cholesterol measures, including the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL, the “good” cholesterol. For example, someone with total cholesterol of 200 and an HDL of 50 would have a ratio of 4 to 1. The optimum ratio is 3.5 to 1, according to the American Heart Association.

Although the heart association does not recommend the low-carb Atkins diet, Dr. Robert Eckel, the association’s past president who is a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado-Denver indicates a low-carb approach is consistent with heart association guidelines so long as there are limitations on the kinds of saturated fats often consumed by people on the Atkins diet.

And the last part of that statement is really a key factor to keep this in perspective. One of pitfalls for people on a low-carb eating regime is the saturated fats that are consumed. But all in all many experts agree that this study (which will be published in the New England Journal of Medicine) was highly credible.

Healthy Heart Diet

What you eat and keeping yourself on a healthy heart diet is always important. However, if you’ve had a heart attack… important is a large understatement.

So what are the guidelines for a healthy heart diet?

• Eat your veggies! Work those vegetables into every meal and don’t forget your fruit either.
• Whole grain breads… easy on the whites.
• Work on eating more cereals and other grains and legumes such as beans and peas.
• Change what you base your meals around. For example, instead of making a meat the main part of the meal with rice and beans… reverse the portions… rice and beans with just a small side of the meat.
• Speaking of meat… lean and skinless.
• Dairy products - make them low-fat
• Greatly reduce or all but eliminate fast foods, desserts, soft drinks and all those high in fat and sugary decisions.
• Small amounts of margarine and vegetable oils… olive oil is better.
• Any cooking process other than frying (grilling, steaming, baking, or even microwaving.)
• Cut back on the salt.
• Change your grocery shopping habits to the perimeter aisles and stay away from those middle aisles and re-discover cooking at home with your new healthy heart diet.

When it comes to a heart healthy diet, reducing the amount of fat you consume is a must. This is particularly true if you are already overweight or have high blood cholesterol levels. So, get with your doctor and talk about an appropriate, long term, and graduated form of exercise and physical activity to help hasten the loss of that excess fat.

Alcoholic beverages should only be consumed in moderation… not more than a few drinks at any one time and during any given week.

What about smoking?

What about NOT!

Smoking is the number one risk factor contributing to heart disease. And by the way… it’s NEVER too late to quit. If you try to quit and fail… then try again… and again… and again… no matter how many times you have to quit… quit you must.

What role does high blood pressure play?

If high blood pressure (hypertension) isn’t controlled it can certainly add to the load of the heart and in effect accelerate you on the road to having another heart attack… or even other problems such as a stroke. And the scary part about high blood pressure is that you can’t feel it… there are no warning signs. So, if high blood pressure doesn’t sound too healthy… it’s because it isn’t… get yourself checked by your doctor.

While we’re on the subject… when it comes to controlling your blood pressure, allow me to show you a very familiar list:

• maintain a healthy weight
• get regular exercise
• follow that heart healthy diet above
• moderate your alcohol intake
• and did I mention not smoking!

Changing your lifestyle to a heart healthy diet, getting regular physical activity, and not smoking are excellent ways to reduce your risk of a heart attack… or even a second one.

When it comes to the risk of a heart attack, there are contributing factors that we can’t control… so let’s be sure you take control those risk factors that you can.

Losing Weight Without Losing Food

So you think you’d like to try a diet. You read many books and researched facts online until you think you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. You don’t. When many people try to lose weight they seek a dieting program which forces them to give up many of their favorite foods and as I’m sure many of you know (who have tried this before) it rarely works longer than a couple of weeks.

Let’s face it, the will power to deny all foods that sound good to you is more than nearly anyone can deal with. Before long, the few lost pounds sneak back and you’re as miserable as ever. Well the key to losing weight is not deprivation it’s moderation and knowing which foods to keep on hand. Easier said than done at times.

A huge problem for most dieters is snacking. Snacks are those “little” meals in between meals. The problem is that they’re not always so little. The important thing when snacking is to limit yourself to one serving size because let’s face it- that is why they have those labels on the bag. If you enjoy chips, do not eat straight out of the bag. Measure out the healthy amount in a bowl and eat only what you put into the bowl. Another tip is to limit yourself to one small bag of a salty snack per week. Salty snacks can be very bad for your health if you consume too much. If you’re a big fan of popcorn, try the air popped popcorn instead of microwavable kind. It’s a much healthier choice.

Instead of snacking on dried fruits, enjoy some nuts instead (not salted ones, though). You can also indulge in sugar-free applesauce, beef jerky or baked tortilla chips. Also remember that non-fat or low-fat choices are always healthier for you and with low-fat, sometimes you can hardly notice the difference in tastes. For those of you with a sweet tooth, do not try to deprive yourself of candy simply limit your stomach to one miniature sized version of a candy daily.

Losing weight doesn’t mean that you can never have another slice of cake again. Dieting doesn’t have to be a pain in the gut. Weight loss doesn’t have to be that agonizing resolution you make every January! With the right foods at hand and the right mindset in hand, you too can slim down!

Nutritional Needs During Pregnancy

Ensuring her growing baby is receiving the best possible healthy growing conditions, is of paramount importance for any mother to be. Topping the list is nourishment. Nutrition is the primary controllable aspect in developing a successful pregnancy. Because of this it is vital that expectant mothers are very congnizant proper nutritional levels in their body. Remember you have another body that you are feeding!

The quantity of additional calorie intake that pregnant women need may be a complete surprise. You might find it hard to believe that, the daily recommended additional calorie intake for expecting mothers is only about 300.

Now certainly, that’s some bonus calories, but it certainly isn’t the several hundred that many mothers to be think that they should be consuming each day. 300 hundred doesn’t sound like much but it is actually about an extra meal a day for a full grown adult?

Pregnancy Without Pounds

Pregnancy does not need to be an endless struggle against excessive weight gain. You don’t have to feel fat, unattractive and uncomfortable. Learn how to avoid putting on those pounds beyond those of your natural pregnancy

• Exactly which pregnancy exercises get you fit and toned
• How to have an easy labor and quick recovery
• Exactly what you need to do now to lose weight fast after delivery
• Secrets to minimize stretch marks and cellulite
• How to crackdown on food cravings (and why you’re having them)

The fact of the matter is that there’s quite a bit more than just those 300 calories that can lead to excess weight gain, which is not healthy for the expecting mother or baby. An extra tuna fish sandwich or bagel with low-fat cream cheese can do the trick. Avoid the desire to partake in cravings, as difficult as it may be. Don’t give in to the myth that a pregnant woman needs a boatload of extra calories every day…just 300 will do the trick.

Some of those calories that you need to consume during your pregnancy to carry on a healthy pregnancy should come from protein, about 60 grams total per day or about 10 grams per day more than a woman who is not pregnant. Seafood, chicken and lean meats are all good sources of protein, as are dried beans, nuts and cheese. Remember that all it takes is about 1 1/2 ounces of meat to get 10 grams of protein.

It is also fundamental to remember that a woman’s calcium requirement goes up during pregnancy. Even women who aren’t expecting get only about 75% of the recommended amount anyway, so increasing calcium is a good idea for all women. Milk, yogurt and cheese are familiar and healthy sources of calcium. Non-fat varieties of good calcium sources can help you lessen your caloric consumption while still providing the needed calcium amount. Green leafy vegetables are an alternative healthy way to get the calcium nutrition you and your baby need.

Helping your body to fully take in your iron supplements is vitamin D. This makes vitamin D a a working partner with your efforts to keep your iron percentage at the healthiest level. As the blood volume rises during a pregnancy, the necessity for iron becomes even more essential. In fact, the daily recommended dosage of iron for a woman who is pregnant versus a woman who is not actually pregnant increases two fold from 15mg/day to 30mg/day. Be very certain that you don’t miss a day without iron… it is a very important element in your overall health during a pregnancy. As a part of your care during your pregnancy, your physician will be monitoring your iron levels via lab work to insure that you are maintaining healthy levels.

Red meats are good sources of iron, though fish and poultry are helpful as well. Many enriched cereals supply additional iron (and other needed vitamins), as do some enriched breads. Although eggs are good for a number of reasons, but they are not the best sources for iron.

Completely vegetarian lifestyles are able to provide all your required nutrients; the trick is finding them in the correct form. Vegetarians generally must closely monitor their nutrient levels. However, for the most part this is a regular task for those who adhere to a vegetarian diet. If you are pregnant and a vegetarian just be vigilant to work closely with your physician during the course of the pregnancy to ensure you are getting all the required nutrient supplements you and your baby need.

Needless to say, any woman who is expecting should be in consultation with her physician concerning her eating habits. It’s important to stick to this because each pregnancy is varies, and as such, so too will be the body’s dietary needs. Even before the pregnancy it is just as important that the woman consciously work with her diet so she can get her pregnancy off to a good healthy start.

Work with your healthcare provider in order to provide the best care you possible can for not only yourself but for your growing child as well.

Fitness Goals for Brides

The countdown begins as soon as you decide on the date of the wedding and start planning. The ceremony is 365 days away so you think to yourself, ‘I have plenty of time to lose this weight’. It’s true! You do have plenty of time. But, if you don’t begin planning right away, you will find that each day that passes, it will be harder and harder to reach your goal. Think about it, you want to lose 20 lbs. in 365 days.

Don’t tell yourself it’s easy and that you can do in the last eight weeks before the wedding. Your procrastination might have led you to even gain a few more pounds by that point with all of the stress of the planning you’ve been doing.

Therefore, my first point is PLANNING. Set a realistic goal such as losing one pound of body fat every 1-2 weeks. This is very realistic. You can achieve this by creating a caloric deficit each day. You can do this by decreasing the number of calories taken in and by increasing the number of calories burned.

If you eat 400 calories less and burn 300 calories more per day, you have just created a 700 calorie per day deficit. Fitness Goals For Brides Over a 7 day period, that is 3500 calories which is equal to one pound of body fat. A 700 calorie per day deficit is not hard to achieve. Just have some Splenda and skim milk in your latte and that’s probably good for 250 calories right there. 30 minutes at a moderate pace on the Elliptical Crosstrainer is good for another 300+ calories.

My second point that will ensure your success is CREATING A LOG of your nutrition and exercise. This will create accountability and keep you on track. Whether you are working out with a Personal Trainer, or are taking on the fat-loss game alone, the journal is important. Not only does the journal open up your eyes to the quantities and food choices that you are making, it also makes you accountable to yourself or the Personal trainer that is helping you reach your fitness goals.

You don’t have to carry the journal under your arm all day long. What I recommend to all of my clients is to leave it on your nightstand next to your bed and spend 10 minutes recapping everything you ate that day. Once you’re finished, take a look at the day and think to yourself how you’d like to do it differently the next day. Or, what could you change to improve your comsumption the next day. This is also a good time to plan where you’re going to be and what food will be available where you are.

That will help you make smart choices that day and not get caught up starving at the McDonald’s drive-thru. Also, doing this at night before falling asleep, will actually help you relax as it will distract your mind from all other things that went on during the day. Additionally, it will put your subconscious mind to work throughout the night on how to improve your food intake the next day. Remember, start early and stick to your plan because you know those last couple of weeks prior to the wedding will be full of stress and last minute headaches that will demand your attention.

If you’re almost at your fitness goal by that point, you’ll really want to finish losing that last pound or two instead of just giving into the stress eating and anxiety. For more details, please check out Fitness For Brides. There you will find a very detailed manual to walk you through the challenge you are about to embark on. It will give you nutritional guidance as well as workout plans and strategies. Good luck and Congratulations!

Stay Fit During Pregnancy

So you want to exercise and stay fit and toned during pregnancy? What a great idea! But before you get started it is important to speak with your healthcare provider and get the ok before you start on any program.

Before beginning a workout, warm up gently.

Perform easy stretches and be prepared to rest often for a few minutes at a time. Light cardio is the key to a healthy circulatory system which is so important during these crucial months.

Hydration is also an important thing which you must make sure you don’t let slide during pregnancy and particularly if you are exercising. You need a sufficient amount of fluid through the whole day; that means small sips over a longer time frame, rather than large intake at a given time. Eating should follow the same pattern - four to five small meals per day is preferable to three larger ones.

Pregnancy shifts your center of gravity forward, stressing the spine and back muscles. To ease that aching back, swimming is one of the best forms of exercises. It also gives a very low stress but active cardio workout. Also, some gyms offer special pregnancy swimming classes, made just for you, so go ahead… sign yourself up.

Yoga is also a favorite exercise for many pregnant women. It helps achieve peace of mind and provides gentle movements that give the needed stretching, while building good leg and arm strength. It also protects the back from too much pressure.

With a good program, you’ll reduce cramps, improve circulation and increase energy. You’ll lower your resting heart rate and keep fit.

When my best friend was pregnant, I gave her Yoga tapes for her pregnancy. Each night she would pop one in and her husband would sit down with her and together they would do yoga to relax. The calming movements didn’t stress her and it also gave the couple some time to just relax with each other, not to mention she got up feeling a whole lot better than she sat down. It really did help her to sleep better at night after spending a bit of time doing the relaxing Yoga movements.

Before beginning any exercise regimen it’s crucial that you talk with your physician regarding exercising. It’s great to get more than one opinion, but your OB/GYN (obstetrician/gynecologist) can help you devise a program that is great for you and your baby because each and every pregnancy, just like each and every woman, is different.

Happy exercising!

Exercising to Lose Weight Fast

There are so many guys and gals that believe that exercising to get in shape is incredibly dull.

Even though workout fanatics like to say that others are basically too lazy or too spoiled by the present sedentary way of life to exercise regularly, this is not always the case.

Some folks have far too busy daily schedules to press in another activity that consumes both energy and time. Not to mention that a significant number of guys and gals who find the continual repetition of the same motions incredibly boring.

The truth is that the repetition of exercising can only be labeled as joyous by those who feel affection for such things, while other people manage to focus their whole being on the consequences and pay no attention to the tedious routine. If you cannot care for or abolish the mind-numbing portion of an exercise program, then you will probably think of exercising as a thing that you would rather not do.

Regardless of how you really feel, this outlook is pretty bad for your well being. You may have employment that is high stress and high pay that takes away all your waking hours and you may feel that you can forget it until you are in your forties and can afford to lounge and lighten up. But this nice system doesn’t always shake out the way it is supposed to. As you age you have to face the fact that your body is going to age and as you age things fall to gravity.

Here’s the problem with that incredibly stupid thinking and that is by the time you find yourself getting older you may not be able to lay back and enjoy and your well being may not be in top shape exactly because of ignored exercising. Little physical activities such as 30 minutes of jogging or aerobics each day can go a long way toward getting to old age with a healthy heart and a better figure than most others.

It seems many people are terribly impressed prosperity, but wealth cannot gain your healthy youth back again, not to even talk about the fact that often times they are also without direction when it comes to true happiness. If your hectic life has brought you health challenges such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, then material goods is not going to resolve these conditions.

However even just a small amount of exercising everyday could make the difference in your old age. It could also help keep you from securing a spare tire around your waist. Let’s face it, looking soft and flabby as you age really just isn’t all that attractive, so make a decision to do something about it.

So it can be without any excitement at all and suck up loads of your day and doesn’t always cause you to take a deep breath and relex in any way, but it does help you cope with the stress and it does help your survival at all levels.

It is a known fact that many of the members of the opposite sex will also find a well toned body and one that is not overweight more attractive than someone who is a couch potato as evidenced by the condition of their body.

So stop filling up your schedule with so many things to do every single day and take a little time for planning and shopping for weight loss appropriate meals and giving yourself time to exercise and find that well toned and shapely body hiding underneath.