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Fish And Weight Loss - Does It Really Help?

Fish can help you lose weight, but it can also help you combat disease. Fish is one dietary approach that has been suggested for overweight people who have high blood pressure. Research has shown that regular consumption of fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of heart disease, lower high blood pressure, decrease “bad” fat, and increase “good” fat.
Although all fish has some fat and cholesterol, it is a good source of protein. Types of fish that are higher in fat, like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, and anchovies, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been found to reduce heart disease.. Grilled, baked, or broiled fish can be part of a healthy weight-loss plan. Avoid fried fish.
Some dieters have become concerned about eating fish because of issues with mercury and other pollutants. Here are some tips to help you keep fish as part of your weight-loss plan and avoid exposing yourself to any toxins.
 Make sure the skin is removed from the fish before you cook it.
 Never eat the fat that cooks out of the fish.
 Bake, broil or grill your fish on an open rack to allow fat to drain away from the meat.
 Don’t deep-fry fish. Not only is it less healthy for weight loss, deep frying seals contaminants in to the fish’s fatty tissue.
Does eating fish help you lose weight? If you are eating fish instead of beef or other high-fat protein, fish can help you lose weight. Fish generally has fewer calories than beef, and its health benefits outweigh those of most other protein sources, especially fish high in omega 3. Fish is also very easy to prepare. With just a little lemon juice and herbs, like dill, you can have a meal in just a few minutes.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=L._J._Murray

A Healthy Diet - The Diet Part Of Weight Loss

Since you were in grade school, the same things were drilled in to your head about the proper weight loss diet. You need to eat the proper amounts of fruits and vegetables in relation to the rest of the food you eat, and you need to get plenty of exercise each and every day for at least ten or twenty minutes. Unfortunately for most people, something about that seemingly simple message was lost in the years after you graduated from grade school. Maybe you ate too many sweets, maybe you found yourself in a job that did not give you enough time to make it to the gym, or maybe you just got lazy with your health. Whatever the reason – now is as good of a time as any to pick yourself back up and lose some weight through diet and exercise.
Remember that food pyramid that you had to learn about when you were younger? You don’t? Well then, it’s time for a bit of a refresher course because you will need to know what it recommends if you want to diet properly. What’s that? You want to try out one of those fad diets that “everyone” is doing? Be my guest. But when you are really serious about losing weight about dieting, be sure that you come back here to learn the proper way to get fit and healthy.
So where were we? Ah yes, the food pyramid. While you do not have to follow it exactly, you should keep in mind what it has to say. Basically, if you want to stay healthy and diet properly, you need to cut down on the fatty, high calorie foods that you have been consuming and switch to healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. Being able to eat the proper foods is the first step to engaging in a proper weight loss diet.
Now, at some point or another, you may have been inclined to try one of those gimmicky diet plans. Whether it was pills, a liquid diet or something else that was advertised by a low paid “celebrity”, you may have found that each and every one of these diets simply did not work as advertised. Sure, they may have taken the weight off for awhile – but what happened after that? The weight just came right back.
But why did the weight come back so quickly once you were done with your previous diet? Because that diet never actually taught you how to eat properly – and when you were at your desired weight, you simply cut out the diet and went back to your old lifestyle. Therefore, if you ever want to successfully cut the weight off of you for good with any weight loss diet, you need to be sure that you learn how to properly portion your meals and say no to foods that are high in fat, sugars and carbohydrates.
Of course losing weight is not always this easy. Have you heard of the hot new great green tea based weight loss product called Avatrim? Learn the secrets of the fat loss for idiots diet.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Nadraszky

Diet, Weightloss - Which Diet Plans Are Good for You?

Many of us are constantly in a battle to lose weight, and a lot of us want to discover a diet where we can lose weight and lose weight fast. Not looking at how to lose weight healthy. Dieting is a very hard thing to do. First you must commit yourself to modify the diet or current way you eat, which if not an easy task. Statistics on dieting are not good, so how can we find a diet that is easy and will lose weight and lose weight healthy.
There are many good diet plans out on the market today. The South Beach Diet is a very popular healthy diet plan, there is the Negative Calorie Diet, which in my opinion is also a healthy way of eating.
One crucial aspect of dieting is to burn fat but also feed muscle as you don’t want to lose weight and have a lot of flabby skin.
Here are some important tips on dieting:
1. Do not ever skip breakfast, your breakfast gets your metabolism going, especially after a good nights sleep. Eat a healthy diet, like whole grain cereals, protein based foods that are low in fat, lowfat yogurt, etc.
2. Drink plenty of water, for one drinking a lot of water keeps you feeling full and less hungry, drink less soda and coffee and definitely less alcohol as all of those can add significant calories to your daily intake.
3. Make sure you watch your carbohydrate and calorie intake. Make sure you keep track of your intake. Carbohydrates need to be kept low, as well as eating good carbs such as fruits and vegetables, stay away from your refined sugars, flours and processed foods.
4. Take your time, don’t try to rush losing weight, lose weight healthy means lose weight slow, plus if you do it the right way, you will keep the weight off. Many people who lose weight to rapidly, as soon as they shift their eating habits back they put the weight back on quickly and usually a lot more weight than they originally lost. What happens when you lose weight to rapidly your metabolism will slow down, it slows down the rate we burn energy to survive. A resistance is built up which is called homeostasis, for example when our body heats up, we sweat, which is the response designed to cool down, this is homeostasis. The same principle happens when you lose weight, but when you lose weight to rapidly you will lose body fluid and muscle mass instead of burning the fat.
You should also take a regimin of vitamins and minerals. This will boost your energy and your metabolism.
To lose weight healthy, you must eat good foods, not just basing them on the caloric or carbohydrate content, and you must do some sort of exercise.
If you follow most of these weight loss tips, you can lose weight, lose weight healthy as well as keep the fat off.
I lost over forty pounds by following these simple tips. Good luck and stay healthy.
For further reading, please check out these blogs.
http://diet-4-u.blogspot.comhttp://diet-weight-loss.blogspot.comhttp://negative-calorie-diet.blogspot.com
Nanette Hughston is a freelance writer from the southern United States region with a bachelors degree in Finance. Permission is granted to republish or reprint this article with author bio remaining intact.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nanette_Hughston

Low Gi Weightloss Plan

Low Gi Diet Weightloss Plan – that can help you lose 19 pounds in 21 days
So what is Weightloss really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about this Weightloss diet plan you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.
When you're learning about something new, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.
It seems every couple of years there seems to be some new Weightloss diet plan that takes the headlines and creates a media storm. This time it's the turn of the Glycaemic Index or GI diet to jump into the spotlight.
But before dismissing it as just another 'slimming craze' there's some good news: this is a diet plan that most nutritionists and dieticians actually like.
What exactly is the Glycaemic Index?
In 1981, professor of nutrition Dr David Jenkins was looking at how different carbohydrate-rich foods affected blood sugar levels in people with diabetes and discovered that, contrary to popular belief, many starchy foods affected blood sugar levels quite dramatically, while some sugary foods had little effect. From his research, he developed a scale called the Glycaemic Index, which quite simply ranked foods based on the effect they had on weightloss and blood sugar levels.
How it works
The Glycaemic Index runs from 0 to 100 and usually uses glucose - which has a GI value of 100 - as the reference. The effect other foods have on blood sugar levels are then compared with this. In simple terms, the GI index tells us whether a food raises blood sugar levels dramatically, moderately or a little bit. Foods that have only a slow, small effect on blood sugar have a low GI value, while those causing a rapid and massive rise in blood sugar have a high GI value.
So what's the link with weight loss?
The theory behind diets based on the Glycaemic Index is that foods with a low GI value slowly release sugar into the blood, providing you with a steady supply of energy, leaving you feeling satisfied longer so that you're less likely to snack. In contrast, foods with a high GI value cause a rapid - but short-lived - rise in blood sugar. This leaves you lacking in energy and feeling hungry within a short time, with the result that you end up reaching for a snack. If this pattern is frequently repeated, you're likely to gain weight as a result of constantly overeating.
Many Low Gi Diet lists divide the foods into low, medium/moderate and high categories. Foods in the low category usually have a GI value of 55 or less; in the medium category, a GI value of 56 to 69; and in the high category, a GI of 70 or more. This Glycaemic Index Tables gives examples of the GI values of food. You might be surprised by some of the foods included in the low and high categories - for example, 'healthy' rice cakes and branflakes actually have a high GI whereas salted peanuts and milk chocolate have a low GI value!
How do GI diets work?
Diets based on GI index simply encourage you to eat plenty of foods with a low GI value and avoid those with a high GI value. This helps to prevent swings in blood sugar, helping you feel fuller for longer. However, most GI diets plans also recommend cutting down on fat, especially saturates. This means many of the foods which have a low GI value but are high in fat - whole milk, crisps and chocolate, for example - are still limited.
What affects the GI value of a food?
There are several things. Firstly, the overall nutrient content of a food will affect its GI. For example, fat and protein affect the absorption of carbohydrate. This helps to explain why chocolate, which is high in fat, has a low GI value. It also explains why high-fat crisps have a lower GI value than low-fat jacket potatoes. Whole milk also has a low GI value because it's packed with protein and fat.
How you cook a food, the degree of processing and the ripeness and variety of a fruit, for example, also affect its GI. Even the structure of the carbohydrate itself influences the GI. For example, processed instant oatmeal has a higher GI than traditional rolled oats used to make porridge. This is because, as a result of the processing, the starch in instant oats is more easily exposed to digestive enzymes, causing it to break down and enter the bloodstream more rapidly.
Meanwhile, some foods have low GI values because they are packed with fibre, which acts as a physical barrier, slowing down the absorption of carbohydrate into the blood.
So what happens when I eat a meal?
GI index charts only identify the effect different foods have on bloods sugar levels when they are eaten on their own and, consequently, many nutritionists believe this is one of the main problems with GI diets.
Basically, when eating a mixture of foods together as in a meal, the GI value of that whole meal changes. As a guideline though, the more low GI foods you include in a meal, the lower the overall GI value of that meal will be.
Consequently, it's possible to follow a GI diet that's packed with fat and lacking in many of the nutrients you need to stay healthy. However, you should follow the advice of most GI diet plans, in cutting down on the amount of fat you eat. For example some plans may recommend avoiding many of the high-fat, low GI foods. like for instance choosing skimmed milk over whole milk.
General advice
With weightloss GI diet plans you shouldn't get too hung up about avoiding all high GI foods because when foods are eaten together in a meal, that meal can have a very different GI value to the individual foods it contains.
How much weight can I expect to lose?
Most GI diets suggest you will lose around 1-2lb a week, possibly with a slightly greater weightloss in the first few weeks when your body loses water as well as fat. This follows the guidelines recommended by nutrition experts.
How does it differ from the other Diet Plans?
Unlike other diet plans which bans most carbohydrates, especially in the early stages. The GI diet plan actively encourages you to eat many carbohydrates and antioxidant-rich fruit and veg.
The diet plan is also high in fibre which means you're less likely to get constipated and, because carbohydrate isn't restricted to any great degree, you won't get the other unpleasant side effects associated with some Diets Plans, such as bad breath and headaches. GI diets also tend to follow healthy eating guidelines, and are low in fat, especially saturates. And if that's not enough, GI diets are much easier to follow if you are a vegetarian!
Health benefits of the GI diet?
Following a weightloss diet plan; that includes plenty of foods with a low GI index may have a role in helping to prevent or reduce the risk of getting Type 2 or maturity-onset diabetes, according to experts at Diabetes UK, the largest diabetes organisation in the UK. Research has also shown that lower GI diets can help improve levels of 'good' cholesterol and so may reduce the risk of heart disease.
At last, here's a weightloss diet that's popular with the media but still follows basic healthy eating guidelines. The diet generally contains plenty of fruit and veg, and recommends eating fewer refined and sugary carbohydrates. Meanwhile, if you want to give the diet a go, always remember to apply the general principles of healthy eating - a healthy diet wouldn't recommend including huge amounts of chocolate, crisps or whole milk and neither should a GI weightloss diet.
Having said this, there's little to argue about with a weightloss diet that recommends swapping baguettes and bagels for wholegrain breads, cornflakes for porridge, and white rice for wholemeal pasta.
I trust that what you've read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.
Most of this information comes straight from the weightloss pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you'll know what they know.
If you've picked some pointers about weightloss that you can put into action, then by all means, do so. You won't really be able to gain any benefits from your new knowledge if you don't use it.
It makes sense to follow a Low Gi Diet Weightloss Plan program that is easy to follow, using a simple step by step method that will ultimately help you to lose those pounds making you feel healthier and more energetic.
http://www.dietweightlossonline.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clifford_Lindsay

Weight Loss Diet Tips

If you are trying to achieve significant weight loss, diet tips to help you maximize your chances are a useful resource. If you are seriously overweight, the first tip is a trip to the doctor’s office, which will help establish the extent of the problem and the general state of your health, which are important considerations when making decisions about the type of treatment, diet and exercise regime you should follow.
Diet tips should include making a sensible plan, which will involve choosing which diet to follow or which foods to exclude and strategies you will use to deal with cravings and setbacks.
Will you follow a specific diet or just opt for healthy food in quantities which will facilitate weight loss? This will depend very much on your schedule – do you have time to cook and shop for yourself? Your temperament – do you need the occasional comfort food and have you got the discipline to make sure it is only occasional? And of course, your health is another important issue. Generally speaking, your weight loss diet should not be too low in calories or fat and should enable you to shed about two pounds a week.
And what will your exercise programme consist of? If you haven’t exercised for a long time, you’ll need to break yourself in gently. Your doctor will be able to advise you on this and you should also seek the advice of a trainer if you plan to workout or start any rigorous routine.
Get as much support as you can, both from friends and family and who can motivate and encourage you. If you don’t have a local group, you can join an online group.
Choose low fat ways of cooking your food, such as baking, boiling or steaming instead of frying.
Eat little and often. By eating more meals in smaller quantities five or six times a day you will cut out the hunger pangs and so will be less tempted to break your weightloss diet.
Drink plenty of water – it will also help curb your hunger, especially if you have a glass before each meal.
Don’t ever skip meals, because starving yourself will cause problems with your metabolism and will have the opposite effect in the long run.
Perhaps the most important of all the weight loss diet tips is persistence. Weight loss doesn’t always involve steady progress – there will be ups and downs even if you stick to your weight loss diet, but if you keep going, you’ll succeed in the end.
© Waller Jamison 2007
Kick start your weight loss diet with a New Weight Loss Strategy every week No time for exercise? Here are some Fat Burning Moves You Can Do at Your Desk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Waller_Jamison

How to Achieve the Weight You Want and Stay That Way!

Weight loss is not easy, especially if you need to lose weight safely and quickly. Sadly, exercise and diet probably won't make you look like Arnie. A finely tuned body like that is not achieved without years of dedication and denial. And you want to achieve a body that makes you look and feel great not be a contender in the next Mr or Miss Universe.
The slimmer you is something you can and will achieve, if you follow the right route.
I know what it's like to continually fight the fat, I've seen lots of diets and been on more than I care to remember. From cabbage diets, protein diets, and a whole host of other diets. I wandered up and down the scales to a massive 16 stone to 11 stone and back to 13 stone.
The one thing that I have found with most of the diets and fads. They are designed to fatten the wallets of the person or company promoting them, more than effectively reducing my weight over a sustained period of time.
Most diets and weight loss plans, to me, are ineffective because they fail to recognize several factors in the human make up. WE do fail to live up to our own expectations. WE do like the things that make us fat, otherwise we wouldn't eat them. The dieticians, quacks and fakirs of the diet marketplace seldom seem to realize these things.
Many of their plans are inhuman, designed with rigidity, inflexibility and a total misunderstanding of what it is like to be you. Worse, many don't care about the effects of drugs, potions and their long term effect on your health, or emotional well being. You become the victim: Both financially and physically.
So, the best way to discover the lasting weight loss you crave, is to take the sensible bits out of some and substitute the bad elements, with good weight loss practices from others. I have come to the understanding that the best way to sustain my weight loss, is to change the way I feel about being me, coupled with sensible eating habits and exercise. That's why Burn the Fat is so effective, it combines these essential elements.
This is not to knock weight loss pills, diets or weight control diets. What you need are these vital factors combined in one plan, helping you to reach a healthy body mass.
Pills, such as Hoodia coupled with sensible diets can provide a short term boost to you, allowing you to make much needed quick weight reduction. But they need to be used as part of a holistic view to life.
You need is more than merely pills! We need intell on what's good and bad. What we need to do to promote rapid loss of fat without injuring ourselves.
Most of all you need people to encourage, especially in the hard times. This is not readily found in many homes, relationships or workplaces. These places are often full of temptations. So you need to provide the right attitude for yourself. You can be the slimmer you. You obviously want it, otherwise you would not be reading this article. So go on!
Dare to be you. Dare to be a slimmer, more vibrant you and Go For It!
You may freely distribute and use this article on your site. You may not in any way alter it nor delete the links:
About the Author: Charles is an enthusiastic and avid watcher of the weight loss market. He has struggled continually to maintain his own weight. To sign up for more weight loss resources and tips visit: http://squidoo.com/weightloss-tips
or e-mail: charlespoxon@midaslive.com
Remember, no decision is a decision! You need to decide to do something about your weight: Even if you've failed in the past don't give up!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Poxon

Weight Loss Dangers - Fast Food

As a child I always asked my parents if we could go to a fast food restaurant, the Quick or the MC Donalds.Now when I’m older I still go to fast food restaurants but deep down in my heart I know it’s not healthy and especially not when it comes to losing weight.But fastfood has become a way for some people, in fact I do not know a country or big city where they have no Mc Donalds restaurant. Personally I believe a lot of people enjoy the meal in these kinds of restaurants because it’s very fat, sweet and let’s face it, it gives you a feeling of being satisfied.Or perhaps you are one of the people who don’t have much time and looking for a fast and cheap meal.
But before I will sum up the unhealthy things there are some healthy resources in a sandwich from the Mc Donalds (or Quick if your prefer it). Well in fact it’s only the vegetables (mostly salad or tomatoes and I have to disappoint you but there it ends.
Perhaps you have always heard that cheese is always made of milk but this is not true. In fast food restaurants they use cheese made from oil. That is the reason why cheese in a fast food restaurant looks orange and oily.
Most clients will ask a hamburger made of cow meat but why don’t you ask a chicken burger or sandwich. In general chicken items will be much lower in fat. Of course you can use turkey as well.
I think the item with the most fat in it is the mayonnaise. Ask a burger without mayonnaise if you find out that your burger is to dry add mustard on it. It contains less fat than mayo.
I am a big fan of French fries they are easy to make and other people love them as well. But when it becomes to your weight loss battle than French fries are your enemies. Eating French fries from time of time will not hurt your body, but when it becomes a habit to eat it more than you have to do something about it.
Some other tips.
- Stay away from the sandwiches that are deep fried.- Cola or diet cola, there is not much different play safe and ask water or coffee.- If you don’t like the boring taste of water ask if you can get a lemon.- Try a meatless burger and see if you like it.
After reading this article about weight loss danger and fast food I hope you will keep this in mind next time you go to a fast food restaurant. There is nothing wrong with visiting these kinds of restaurants from time to time but just don’t overdo it.
Frederik writes about weight lossvisit his blog today to pick up a lot of intresting tips on losing weight and give your self a healthier lifestyle.Visit it by clicking here And even more you can download a free report about 12 lies from the health industry.http://weightloss-tip.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frederik_Deglande

Weight Loss Support Forums - 5 Weight Loss Support Forums

Weight loss forums are a great way to stay in touch with overweight people. Registering on the forums is free and you can hear the success (or failure) stories from otherpeople as well. Setting up an account on the forums is free so you have nothing to lose to test it out. In this article I will describe 5 weight loss forums and a small description. I am in no way associated with these weight loss forums and I don’t hyperlink in the body text of my articles. If you want to visit the forums copy it in your browser and do not forget to add www before it.
Forum 1 # Annecollins.com
Anne Collins is an authority when it comes to losing weight. She is member of her forum as well and you can even ask her for personal help. Be polite and introduce yourself first. It is also possible to lose weight with another member of the forum; simply by posting your details in the buddy forum. To visit the forum go to Ann her site and click “Weight loss forum”.
Forum 2 # healthyweightforum.org
With a membership base of more than 38 thousand members it can’t be difficult to get a respond on your question. On the site you can find some useful calculators as well.
Forum 3 # weight-loss.fitness.com
This is also a great forum if you want some support. They even have a sub forum only available for women. In the “harsh thrush” forum you can get in contact with some professionals. If you like challenges this forum is something for you. Do not add www before it if you want to visit this forum.
Forum 4 # weightloss.com.au
This is the leading weight loss support forum in Australia. However all countries can join this one. There are not many posters on this forum however there are some valuable threads out there. If you are a resident from Australia you can grab some weight loss discounts. Click forum on the homepage to access this one.
Forum 5 # Yahoo answers
Look this is not really a specific weight loss support forum but there are so many peoplesubscribed to this forum that it almost impossible to avoid this forum. This forums works with points you must earn some points first before you can ask a question. You earn points by answering other people questions. Answer some topics you like it don’t have to be related with weight loss and you can start today if you want.
I’m sure you will find these weight loss support forums useful. Keep in mind that there is much more information on the internet. The members are very helpful their but keep in mind if you are in doubt about a question don’t hesitate to contact your doctor dietician.
Visit my blog today and "steal" a 97$ report Written by Tom Venuto a diet and fitness expert You can grab a lot of weight loss tips for a few minutes of your time Weight loss tips
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frederik_Deglande

The Mediterranean Diet - A Package of Health, Weight Loss & Taste

1. About The Mediterranean Diet
The American Heart Association, Harvard University and many other notable health associated research institutes have gone to great pains to establish the foundation or fundamental reasons why this diet is so well recognized for healing and health properties. As the supremo natural food diet, it has had many centuries to not only establish, but to prove it’s worth. Its weight loss results are also being noticed…
Fundamentally, the Mediterranean diet evolved from the respective diets of countries surrounding the Mediterranean basin. Among the countries surrounding the basin are the south of France, southern Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus. Originally introduced by American doctor Ancel Keys, the diet failed to gain popular recognition until the 1990's. Based on scientific data, people around the Mediterranean basin had lower rates of cardiovascular disease compared to Americans who, for all intents and purposes, consumed the same relative amount of fat. One possible explanation and the one that sees most popular, is the presence of olive oil and red wine. Olive oil lowers cholesterol levels in the blood while red wine contains flavonoids. Flavonoids are anti-oxidants that also help the body when dealing with allergenic material, viruses and cancer causing agents.
Comparing the food pyramid of the United States against the Mediterranean diet food pyramid, people of the Mediterranean consumed fruits, vegetables and grain just as Americans do. The main difference lies in the fact that Americans consume much more red meat and olive oil is prominent in the Mediterranean diet region. Additionally, Americans are much more prone to eating highly processed foods on a regular basis.
Consumption of cold water fish is also prominent in the Mediterranean region. This has resulted in reduced risks of heart disease, cancer and improved immune system functions. It is indeed an enviable nutrition food pyramid by any diets’ standards. Ever growing brigades of heart healthy and weight conscious people like you are sticking a copy of the Mediterranean diet pyramid or food pyramid on their refrigerators. You would have to conclude that this is so they can glean over it at meal time while they prepare something to eat. The constant statistics indicating the increasing popularity of almost any Mediterranean cookbook is staggering. As a result, Mediterranean diet meal plans are in constant demand.
2. Fat
An interesting aspect of the Mediterranean cuisine is that fat is regarded as a healthy dietary element. Understand that it is the fat that gives food most of its flavour. However, we are not talking about fat that everyone usually talks about. Two substances, omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats, are considered to be healthy foods or elements and are not restricted in the diet. Extra virgin olive oil, canola oil and nuts are good sources of monounsaturated fat while fish, vegetables and nuts contain the healthy omega-3 acids. Saturated fats and trans fat, on the other hand are considered to be unhealthy as they are said to contribute to heart disease. Red meat, butter, cheese and milk are also sources of saturated fat while processed foods contain hydrogenated oils from which trans fat comes from.
3. Olive Oil
I should mention that the history of olive oil, olive oil uses and olive oil facts are important to this diet because of the health benefits of olive oil and its related properties. There is even talk that some shelf products in supermarkets may display a logo or mark to identify they belong to the traditional Mediterranean diet food group. Extra Virgin olive oil is regarded as the best due to it being extracted at the first crushing.
4. Disease and the Mediterranean diet
Often referred to as the heart smart diet, people have been searching for subject matter based on the Mediterranean diet and diabetes, Arthrosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Peptic Ulcers, Lower Blood Pressure and there are more breakthroughs being investigated as I write. It is already a favourite for heart disease, resistance to some Cancers and longevity. Sounds too good to be true I initially thought. Fortunately, the formally researched and verified proof coming from sources such as prominent universities and health research institutes across the globe is substantial. There is now additional research being undertaken with allergies in children related to the Mediterranean diet as a result of a recent discovery from studies of children and their low affliction to allergies in the Mediterranean region. Another area of research is focussed on reducing the risks of Dementia.
The incidence of heart disease in Mediterranean countries is lower than in the United States. Death rates are lower, too. However, there are some who feel this may not be entirely due to the diet. Lifestyle factors (ie. more physical activity and extended social family support structures) may also play a part. At this stage this is just a theory. However, the research tells all - the Mediterranean diet has existed for umpteen years.
4. Diet
For those newly acquainted with the Mediterranean diet, you should know at the outset that this is different to diets such as the Atkins diet or the South Creek diet or any other commercial diet, in that, it is not a diet that has been fabricated or designed by a person in the last 30 years. It is however, an age old diet or way of eating and cooking which has been and is enjoyed by many countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Hence it’s name. This traditional diet has been this way for centuries. This of course allows ample room for extensive research and studies to be undertaken.
5. Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid
A brief explanation of the Mediterranean diet pyramid is based on dietary information from regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The traditional recipes are often quoted from Greek Food, Italian food, Sicilian food and we have found there is often a strong focus in Cretan food from the Isle of Crete. There are many other sources of traditional Mediterranean foods but there have been questions raised as to the diets swing to processed foods n some areas of one or two of the sixteen countries involved. The diet has enjoyed the lowest recorded rates of chronic diseases and the highest recorded adult life expectancy which shows a pattern such as this one below;
- A significant amount of food from plant sources- A strong emphasis on minimal amounts of processed foods- Most food items are seasonal and locally grown- The principal fat is extra virgin olive oil which replaces other almost all other fats and oils- A daily consumption of low to moderate amounts of yogurt and cheese- Consumption of moderate amounts of poultry and fish weekly (recent research indicates that fish is favoured over poultry); around four eggs per week is average- A typical daily intake or dessert of Fresh fruit is the norm; sweets with a significant amount of sugar (most often honey)- Red meat is eaten only a few times a month and should be lean- A low consumption of wine (usually red) is also part of the diet (normally 1 glass with meals for women and 2-3 maximum for men)
There is more detail on the Mediterranean diet healthy food pyramid and a useful diagram accessible from the link below.
6. Weight Loss
The weight loss properties that surround the Mediterranean food diet are more about application than indulging in any one kind of food or indeed, food group denial. The weight loss success that is normally attributed to this diet has come about with the gradual dismissal of processed foods and the adoption of fresh fruit, vegetables and the many grains and cereal foods available. Basically, cooking regularly from a Mediterranean diet menu. The weight loss program is almost automatic. Let’s not forget the qualities that come with extra virgin olive oil for cooking instead of animal fat too. Almost all nutritionists and doctors will tell you that exercise is also extremely important in the goal of losing weight. Even walking for 40 minutes 5 days a week is quite powerful and will give excellent results as a fat burner when used along with a Mediterranean diet. You don’t have to pump weights or run like the wind for twenty blocks to burn fat from your body. In fact, if you’re not reasonably fit to start with, jumping in like that can be injurious. Much more, is explained later at the link below.
7. Mediterranean Diet Recipes
It’s very true that Mediterranean recipes are found in some cookbooks already offline and online. They are usually full of tasty healthy recipes and are often thought of as vegetarian food recipes. For the record, these gourmet cooking recipes are not just vegetarian but are quite diversified. They are generally easy healthy recipes and range from garlic recipes through to formal dinner recipes.
8. Conclusion
Is there a healthier way to lose weight than to stick with what’s researched, and is tried and true? I am not talking about the last couple of years here. I am talking about centuries. Why would you be silly enough to pursue a quick fix path when it’s your very person on the line? Your health must come first, the speed of weight loss second. If you care about your longevity, resistance to disease, a healthy life and safe weight loss, then surely learning the simple and diverse process of cooking Mediterranean style is worth your consideration. Be smart! Learn more, or better still promise yourself that you’ll try it and cook one meal that’s appealing you. Your whole life can change for the better because you did. Then laziness is the only excuse not to and I’m certain you won’t be sorry.
Here’s to your healthy and tasty future, Ray Darken.
Copyright 2007 Ray Darken - Ray has included immediate access to a more detailed selection of articles and a downloadable guide on the Mediterranean diet here. If this link is inactive, try http://safe-and-easy-weightloss.com/
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What's the Peter Jackson Weight Loss Secret? Introducing the Skull Island Diet

What is the Peter Jackson weight loss secret? The image most of us have of the Lord of the Rings movie maker is a portly, bespectacled figure reminiscent of one of his Hobbit characters.
In a fact, film industry insiders and Jackson fans started noticing a new-look Peter Jackson nearly a year ago. But it's only now with all the publicity surrounding his soon-to-be released feature King Kong that the public at large have woken up to the slim, spectacle free version of the man and begun wondering about the Peter Jackson diet.
And it's not difficult to see why there's so much interest. The Peter Jackson weight loss has been impressive - he's shed some 70 pounds (32 kilograms).
So what's his diet secret? Was it the South Beach Diet? The Cave Man Diet? The Atkins Diet?
Obesitycures.com did some research and discovered that Jackson did not follow any of the popular fad diets. The real secret to the Peter Jackson weight loss phenomenon has been dubbed the "Skull Island Diet," after the fictional island home of King Kong.
Jackson, bemused by all the attention his new image is receiving, insists a lifestyle change, rather than a diet is responsible for his weight loss.
"I just got tired of being overweight and unfit, so I changed my diet from hamburgers to yoghurt and muesli and it seems to work," Jackson told Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper. Jackson reportedly followed no specific exercise program either, but has spoken several times of his punishing 21-hour-a-day work schedule on the King Kong set, which no doubt accounted for part of the weight loss.
Jackson said he was cutting during the day and shooting during the night for months on end, surviving on three hours' sleep. "I thought I was some kind of Superman, but it knackered me.''
And what of Jackson new-found spectacle-free status? No, unfortunately losing weight does not improve your eyesight. Jackson underwent laser eye surgery, explaining that he had grown "tired of being outside with rain and dust on the glasses".
Alan Cooper is a journalist with 20 year's experience and the publisher of ObesityCures.com, a site with the ambitious aim of being a "one-stop-shop" for impartial information on obesity and weight loss solutions - including fad diets, prescription weightloss pills and natural weightloss aids.
Click on the Peter Jackson link on the home page to view for yourself the dramatic before and after pictures of Jackson's weight loss.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Cooper