According to at least one popular diet web site, millions of dieters around the world may be using the wrong oil on their salads, or taking the wrong omega-3 dietary supplement pill.

For years, millions of people have been pouring flax seed oil over their salads, adding it to recipes and menus, and taking big capsules of it on a daily basis. The idea was to get something called EPA, DHA, and GLA from the essential omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids it contains. The problem is that to get GLA, EPA and DHA from flax oil, you need a special digestive enzyme. And, guess what? The news from Level1Diet.com is that only young, healthy people make enough of the enzyme to do the conversion from flax oil into these special nutrients that people are looking for.

What are all these initials and why do people want them? EPA, DHA and GLA are called essential fatty acids because your body can't make them by itself. You must eat foods (or take supplements) from outside sources containing either Lenoleic Acid (LA) or Alpha Lenolenic Acid (LNA). Flax seed oil contains both of these.

• GLA: Gamma Linolenic Acid
• EPA: Eicosapentaenoic Acid
• DHA: Docosahexaenoic Acid

And, if you can properly digest these essential fats, then you get two wonderful health boosters for your body called EG1 and EG3 (prostaglandin series-1 and series-3). These are terrific aids in fighting inflammation. And, when you reduce inflammation, you help your body prevent major diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and many more.

What if you can't digest the flax seed oil? Well, you will end up making too much of something called EG2 (prostaglandin series-2). As you might guess, this actually INCREASES your levels of inflammation, and therefore increases your risk for all the major diseases associated with inflammation -- and that's a big list of diseases, as scientists are reporting these days. The Level1Diet.com site lists dozens of these associated diseases, adding up to possibly 73% of all the deaths each year in the U.S.

So, for years people have been buying flax oil to get these vital nutrients. And all this time they may have actually been making matters worse. Or, at least many people have not been improving their health, despite their efforts.

Here is the break down -- The issue is that the Linoleic Acid flax seed oil contains has to be converted into Gamma Linolenic Acid using Delta-6 Desaturase D6D enzyme. And D6D is made inoperative by high levels of insulin (duh), alcohol, pollutants, and high levels of Omega-6 Fatty acids from vegetable oils and fried foods, trans-fatty acids, etc. Also, D6D becomes less available anyway as we age, and there is evidently a genetic mutation that makes people into diabetics (by family groups of course) that is basically simply a mutation that makes people not as capable of making D6D as normal people. It is felt that this mutation is probably the true cause of the familial component in the genesis of type-2 diabetes, and naturally likely of most inflammatory disease and metabolic syndrome.

A simple digestive enzyme deficiency, which is possibly inherited among up to 40-50% of people or sometimes even more in some regions (apparently about 90% of the Pima Indians in Arizona, for example). Estimates vary, but the inability to use D6D is very common. So, a simple digestive enzyme can be a major cause involved in many of our worst diseases. Who'd have thought it?

OMEGA-3 Alpha-Linolenic Acid LNA (part of flax oil) + D6D -> ... -> Eicosapentaenoic Acid EPA -> Series-3 Prostaglandins [inflammation fighters

OMEGA-6 Linoleic Acid LA (in many vegetable oils, incl. flax oil) + D6D -> ... -> Gamma Lenolenic Acid GLA -> ... -> Dihomogamma Linolenic Acid DGLA -> Series-1 Prostaglandins [inflammation fighters

NOTE that D6D is required to generate both of these this way, from vegetable oils, and it is often not available for diabetes and many pre-diabetics or metabolic syndrome, insulin resistant folks.

Incidentally, if you eat the wrong stuff and D6D stops working, then you get Arachidonic Acid (AA), which leads to making Series-2 Prostaglandins... those are the bad guys involved in most inflammatory disease states.

Everybody affected by most of the major types of disease in the U.S. usually wants to boost Series-1 and 3 Prostaglandins, and lessen Series-2. We're manipulating our diet to get that to happen. That's most of our strategy. There's more, i.e. burning more with exercise, eating less etc.

SOLUTION?

The idea is to make an end run around the missing or not-working D6D issue. Fish oils give you EPA and DHA with needing to be converted by D6D. Borage oil gives you GLA with using D6D. So the answer is simply to add them into your diet.

Take Borage Oil (GLA), which gives you GLA without needing D6D (best source). Recommended daily dose is about 300mg of GLA from one 1,200mg oil capsule for most normal sized people - up to twice that for very large people.

Take Fish Oil, which gives you EPA without needing D6D (best source). Recommended dose is about 2.4 grams a day of the total EPA and DHA in the oil you are using. That usually means about 3-4 pharmaceutical grade capsules, or up to 10 normal standard health store grade capsules. Both these oils together will get you more of the anti-inflammatory prostaglandin series-1 and series-3 molecules. And you don't get as much of the pro-inflammatory series-2 prostaglandins that would come from not being able to convert flax seed's omega-6 fatty acids into DGLA and therefore ending up with too much arachidonic acid -- whenever you're insulin resistant, inflamed or for some other reason unable to produce or use enough delta-6 desaturase D6D enzyme.

Thomas Bond is the founder of the Level1Diet.com anti-inflammation health program. He is the creator of the unique Food Guide Football(tm), a replacement for the Food Guide Pyramid. The Food Guide Football features fats at one small end of the football, sugars at the other end, vegetable proteins like beans, peas and nuts in one vertical stripe around one end, and animal proteins like fish, chicken, turkey and lean beef, as the other stripe around the other end, with the large middle of the football representing fruits and vegetables. The Food Guide Football represents a low fat, low simple carbohydrate, moderate protein and high complex carbohydrate diet formula. Specific foods and supplements are recommended to achieve and maintain a low inflammatory state of health.

If all of that complex chemistry stuff is confusing, just take Level1Diet.com's word for it. A capsule or two of flax seed oil probably won't hurt you, and it may help you. However fish oil and borage oil should ABSOLUTELY HELP YOU. Take them instead.

For more information, contact:

www.Level1Diet.com
Thomas Bond
561-627-6221
ceo@level1diet.com

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Before you run out and stock up on chocolate bars, read the whole article please. Yes! Yes! Yes! There really ARE health benefits of chocolate, and it CAN be a part of a weight loss program. There are a few things to know first.

First we talk about the boring stuff...free radicals, antioxidants, and flavonoids:

Free radicals: These little rascals, I mean radicals, are unstable atoms or groups of atoms that occur in the body as a result of everyday atomic processes in reaction to such intrusive things as pollution, cigarette smoke, and sunlight. They are a natural part of the process of being alive, but they can damage cells, and research seems to implicate them, at least to some extent, in the growth of cancer, cardiovascular disease, strokes, cataracts, and other problems related to age.

Antioxidants: The free radicals are unstable because they have lost an electron, and they begin to steal electrons from other atoms and molecules within the body. This creates more free radicals and more damage, even to the DNA itself. Antioxidants have an extra electron to spare and lend it to the free radicals, thereby stopping their destructive rampage. The antioxidants will also turn the free radical into a waste product, allowing it to be flushed (no pun intended) from the body. There are many antioxidants, but some of the more common sources are vitamins C & E. They are also available in many fruits and vegetables.

Flavonoids: Android, asteroid? No relation. Flavonoids are pretty common throughout nature, and they are anti- a lot of bad health things. As you may have guessed, they are also antioxidants. They are found in all kinds of stuff, such as red wine, tea, and beer...AND...Chocolate! Oh yeah! You can also eat the fruits and veggies mentioned above and get them, but chocolate's more fun, right?

NOW THE BAD NEWS ABOUT CHOCOLATE

Not all chocolate is created equal...at least in the finished product. The more processing that is involved generally removes more of the flavonoids. Therefore, dark chocolate probably contains the most flavonoids and provides the most antioxidant qualities.

Unfortunately, chocolate by itself doesn't taste too good, so to make it palatable, fats and sugars are added. Those are the really bad things about chocolate, particularly if you are on a diet or in some other type of weight loss program

CHOCOLATE AND WEIGHT LOSS

As you can imagine, there is not a lot you can do about the ingredients added to chocolate. These ingredients are, for the most part, exactly the sort of things you need to avoid in your diet or on your weight loss program. However, regularly adding reasonable amounts of chocolate products to your diet can help you attain your weight loss goals in indirect ways.

Occasional chocolate treats are not of any great importance if you are doing everything else right. One candy bar or chocolate chip cookie is not going to destroy a week's worth of adherence to your weight loss program. In fact, knowing that you can allow yourself a treat or reward for being good can help you get over some of the tough parts. This is particularly true if you have the sort of self control to keep portion sizes reasonable and spaced at sensible intervals.

You can also be proactive and head off the carb cravings that sometimes push you over the edge by drinking some low-carb chocolate milk for example. You won't get as much of the benefits from the flavonoids, but satisfying yourself in advance with the taste and texture of the drink, or other snack, may help you retain control.

One of the major reasons diets and other weight loss programs fail is because people feel deprived. It is better to commit the occasional small dietary sin than to give up completely. Integrating chocolate and other foods you enjoy in controlled-portion servings can help you make your weight loss plan a success.

Donovan Baldwin is a Dallas area writer. A graduate of the University Of West Florida (1973) with a BA in accounting, he is a member of Mensa and has held several managerial positions. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, he became interested in internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. You can find his blog on health and fitness at http://nodiet4me.blogspot.com Find a weight loss program that lets you eat chocolate at http://diet.free-business-hosting.com

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As we all know by now, Weight Watchers is based on a points system and that point system basically runs the diet and everything in the diet is based on this point system. There are a few variations of the POINTS system but there isn?t much of a difference at all. The main differences are based on how the dieter looks at fiber and how much fiber they want to eat. If the dieter uses fiber as a ?point enhancer?(reducer) then they would substitute the 50 pt. value in the Weight Watchers Formula for a 70 pt. base value. Other variations are that the POINTSfinder manual calculator that is handed out in Weight Watcher meetings does not reach a points value of 2 until after 70 calories have been reached, rather than 50 as the formula states. This makes the point values 20 pts. higher than first thought.

As time has progressed, so has the Weight Watchers diet. Recently the diet has started to take into consideration how much people want to exercise and how that affects the point system in a whole new way. Certain exercises are given certain negative point values to offset eating some foods that might not have been allowed in earlier variations of the diet.

The Core Plan

When the Atkins Diet and the South Beach diet became more and more popular, Weight Watchers had to come up with a different variation to compete with these diets to be able to keep their dieters happy and feeling like they were still using a diet that was modern and up to day. So, the Core Plan was invented to mirror the Atkins and South Beach diets respectively. In essence, the Core Plan eliminates certain foods all together and focuses on ?core? foods that they should eat until satisfied but not full. These core foods are basically deemed healthy foods from all food groups. Still staying with the points system, dieters are allowed 35 pts. a week to eat non-core foods.

The Flex Plan

This is yet another variation that was touched on above that includes exercise into the Weight Watchers equation. A set number of points are given for a given day based on the dieters current weight. Then, the number of points could be increased when the dieter would exercise. This is a reference to the clever title ?flex? which allows the dieter more points that are not based on their weight that they could use each week, but are not required to use.

TurnAround

This program was adopted in late 2004 and incorporates all the above plans into one big plan, and was created to help a person maintain a healthy lifestyle beyond just eating foods with points assessed to them. The program includes healthy foods of course, but also 8 Good Healthy Guidelines, activities, and support of other Weight Watcher members. This well balanced plan is supposed to help a dieter maintain their weight through a lifetime maintenance plan.

Weight Watchers is a diet that is tried and proven by millions of people around the world. Find more info and blog entries about this time-tested diet and other great diets here at http://www.eweightlossblog.com, or you can find great health tips and diet tips here at http://www.ihealthblog.com

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A detox diet plan is not aimed at weight loss. It aims to cleanse and revitalize the body by combining natural organic foods, herbs and simple exercises to purge the body of accumulated toxins. Over time, consumption of processed foods, non-vegetarian foods, and sugars leads to clogging of the inner walls of the colon with waste matter. This results in overloading of internal cleansing organs like liver and kidneys. They become sluggish, allowing the toxins and bacteria to re-enter the circulatory system instead of total elimination through feces, urine or sweat. These toxins result in fatigue, infections of skin and other organs, migraines, flatulence, heartburns, constipation and many other serious diseases. A regular detox diet plan can rid the body of the accumulated toxins and lead to an active disease-free life.

General Detox Diet
This diet is not for diabetics, low blood pressure patients, anorexic people or teenagers, as it does not provide sufficient fuel for their physical activities. It can be a weeklong diet of liquids, organic raw fruits and vegetables to cleanse the system. Gradually re-introduce other foods but refrain from consuming non-vegetarian and processed foods. Certain natural herbs too can be used.

24-Hour Detox Diet Plan
This is a simple and quick way to revitalize your system, after a binge or over indulgence.

Morning
One glass of pomegranate juice (most powerful natural anti-oxidant) with a few almonds (source of oil and proteins)

Mid Morning Snack
One bowl of brown rice (source of vitamins and minerals in carbohydrate and some tofu (protein).

Lunch
One glass pomegranate juice and big helping of mixed green salad (provides bulk and essential nutrients) drizzled with a tsp of olive oil or vinegar.

Mid-day Snack
One-glass of pomegranate juice and a handful of almonds.

Dinner
One glass of pomegranate juice and a large bowl of brown rice.

Drink at least 8 ? 10 glasses of water daily. This detox diet will provide 1200 calories and wholesome nutrition to rid your body of toxins within 24 hours. It may help in losing about 600 grams of body weight and, if followed regularly once a week, will keep your body healthy and active.

Jason writes about various topics, health and fitness being one of his main focuses. Detox diets are all the rage these days, so Jason spends much of his time writing about various detox diet plans.

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There are lots of dieters, trying every sort of plan to lose weight and get healthier. But, rather than examine diet plans or the details of how and why low-carb diets work, here are some useful tips that can be used in any diet plan -- and, really, in any sensible approach to eating.

Tip 1: Drink 8 to 10 Glasses of Water Every Day

You've heard this one over and over. But, it isn't easy and too few people actually do it. Your body needs water to keep your system clean, to process food, to keep your skin in good shape and more. Sure, it'll use any liquid, but pure water works best. But - there's no taste, at least with pure water. This can be difficult since we're conditioned to want sweetness and flavors. But, it gets easier the more you do it. It's a matter of re-conditioning your taste buds, and yourself. Once started, you'll begin to crave water.

Drink a glass, or even two, as soon as you wake up. Especially in the beginning, those are the easy two. And they'll help you remember.

If you can't stand the taste of water, try a purifying pitcher or filter, or add a few drops of lemon or lime to your water - but no sugar or sweetener. Check out the flavored waters, too. Just keep an eye out for additives.

Tip 2: Eat Breakfast

Don't skip breakfast. If you need to go to bed earlier so that you can get up 20 minutes earlier each morning - do it! Breakfast is vitally important to good health and weight control. According to Dr. Barbara Rolls a professor of nutrition at Penn State University, Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn't rev back up until you eat again.

Eating breakfast is good for overall weight loss and it helps you stay on track with your diet the rest of the day. Skip breakfast and you're more likely to binge.

Short on time? Keep hard-boiled eggs and high-fiber, low starch fruit in the fridge. If you plan to eat fruit during the day, breakfast is a perfect time to do it.

Tip 3: Eat 3 Meals and 2 Snacks Every Day

This could be a hard adjustment to make. Hey, you're busy! You already have a full-plate. When are you going to eat more?

But, exactly like eating breakfast will increase your metabolism, so will eating more often. This also helps you curb bad-carb intake by making sure that your snacks are planned and occur regularly throughout the day.

Tips 4: Avoid White Foods

This is an easy way to remember what not to eat. If it's made from sugar, flour, potatoes, rice or corn - just say no. Yes, those rice cakes are actually an unhealthy high-carb snack.

Look for color. Buy broccoli, lettuce, bell peppers, green beans and peas, brown rice (in moderation), leafy greens like kale and spinach, apples, melons, oranges and grapes.

Not only colorful, they're also high in fiber, nutrients and important antioxidants. Eating colorful fruits and vegetables will give your diet variety as well as give you added health benefits. Eat your veggies.

Tip 5: Prepare Your Own Food

While more restaurants offer so-called low-carb menu items, many of them are not ideal low-carb fare. There are many recipes for quick and easy meals that you can prepare yourself at home. Do this as often as possible.

Cooking your own foods, you know exactly what the contents are and you'll be able to better control hidden sugar and other processed junk.

This tip saves you money too. Even if you end up going to the grocery store more often, you'll save versus eating out.

Tip 6: Eat Some Protein At Every Meal And With The Snacks

In addition to everything that's been discussed before, eating protein helps you burn more calories. Jeff Hample, Ph.D., R.D., a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association says that, Protein is made up mainly of amino acids, which are harder for your body to breakdown, so you burn more calories getting rid of them.

Beautiful - eat a protein rich snack and lose weight. How about a few slices of turkey or ham or some string cheese?

Eating protein also helps you feel full so you're less likely to crave unhealthy snacks.

Tip 7: Invest In Good Cookbooks

Can?t figure out what to eat? Need variety? Get a cookbook. Granted, not all recipes in a cookbook are low-carb, but you'll be surprised at the number of low-carb and low-carb friendly recipes you can find in your standard Betty Crocker Cookbook.

Cookbooks are great reference tools that contain handy tips on purchasing cuts of meat and preparing meats, fruits and vegetables in new and exciting ways.

Plus, new low-carb cookbooks are hitting the shelves all the time. So be sure to take advantage of these resources to try something new, different and delicious.

So that's the seven tips, but here's an extra. Stay out of the center of the supermarket. It'll be easier to stick with your low-carb lifestyle if you learn this common thread in most grocery store designs: the healthy foods are on the perimeter aisles.

Think about it, when you go into the grocery all the healthy stuff, fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products, tend to be around the stores walls. You only rarely need to enter the center aisle areas if it's a store that keeps butter and cheese in the center near the frozen foods. Usually all of the foods that you need for your low carb diet can be found on the perimeter of the grocery store.

Train yourself to start on one end of the outer aisle and work your way around. It will be much easier to avoid carb cravings and fill your basket with healthy items if you do so.

Just these few tips can make a significant difference in how successful you can be with your diet. Use them as part of your approach to dieting and a healthier lifestyle. You'll love your new self.

Copyright 2005 Richard Keir

Richard writes on a variety of health and e-business subjects. http://www.Carb.Werkz.org has recipes, articles, news and diet resources. For more tips, low-carb diet information, and books and manuals vist http://www.Carb.Werkz.org

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Although no one is sure what causes it, there are possible risk factors for irritable bowel syndrome. Most of them are unavoidable. Women are more likely to develop IBS than men and symptoms seem to show up more often in people between the ages of 16 and 40 than at other times. But, anyone can get IBS and a lot of people do. It is a very common syndrome.

You may be able to avoid some of the possible risk factors for irritable bowel syndrome. Diet plans that include more fiber and less fat may prevent flare ups. Keeping a food and symptoms diary can help you identify food sensitivities. Milk and dairy products are a problem for many people, but not for all. It is important when using irritable bowel syndrome diet plans to include a multi-vitamin, a calcium supplement and any other nutrients that may be excluded by following a strict diet. Water is important to everyone, but those who suffer from IBS should be sure to get at least 64 ounces or eight 8 ounce glasses per day of plain water. Those who have IBS with diarrhea need the water to replace lost fluids and avoid dehydration. IBS with constipation may be relieved by increasing water intake.

Other possible risk factors of irritable bowel syndrome include stress and emotional issues. While stress and anxiety may not cause IBS, most people who suffer from IBS have stress management problems. Leading a fast paced lifestyle, eating fast food, eating on the run, etc...All can lead to stomach upset. Learning stress management techniques is often recommended for those who suffer from IBS. Those who follow diet plans for irritable bowel syndrome should remember to eat slowly, chew thoroughly and eat in a relaxed environment, not at the desk.

Eating large meals is another of the possible risk factors for irritable bowel syndrome. Diet plans should be tailored to several small meals per day, rather than two or three large meals per day. Eating every couple of hours, rather than letting six or seven hours pass between meals is healthy for many reasons and may help relieve or prevent symptoms of IBS.

Taking certain medications may be possible risk factors for irritable bowel syndrome. Antibiotics and drugs containing sorbitol, a sugar substitute, have been linked to IBS in scientific studies. Anti-depressants, which are sometimes used to treat IBS, have been linked to the syndrome, as well. There are many anti-depressants on the market and some are more likely to trigger symptoms than others. It is important to tell your doctor what medications you are taking, even if they seem unrelated to your symptoms.

When designing unique irritable bowel syndrome diet plans, you may want to remember that farm animals (cows, pigs and chickens) are typically fed antibiotics. Too much meat in the diet could cause problems. Fish is a better choice than beef or pork. Beans and other legumes are also excellent sources of protein and a serving of spinach supplies as much iron as a steak. While you may be unable to avoid all of the possible risk factors for irritable bowel syndrome, diet plans that follow these suggestions will certainly reduce your chances of developing IBS or reduce your symptoms if you already have it.

For more information about irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive problems, visit www.digestive-disorders-guide.com

Patsy Hamilton has more than twenty years experience as a healthcare professional and currently writes informational articles for the Digestive Disorders Guide. Read more at http://www.digestive-disorders-guide.com

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Overweight can cause a lot of troubles to one personally alongside other health related issues. Studies have shown that overweight invariably leads to health issues such as hypertension, cardiac troubles, sleep apnea and diabetes. Further, being obese could hamper one?s freedom to move, run, or sit comfortably in a standard chair. The only way out of this mess is to shed those extra pounds around your waist by embracing some healthy weight loss diet plan and follow it religiously. In the following paragraphs, you?ll see few important tips that could help one effectively reduce his/her weight to healthier proportions.

Every healthy weight loss diet plan proposed by dieticians and nutritionists starts with a simple suggestion - reduce the food intake to the optimum amount. But it is the most difficult of the things to implement and it will take a lot of mental effort from your side to tune your mind to say NO to victuals.

Reducing the food all in a sudden could adversely affect one?s health. Hence reduction in food intake also means adopting a healthier and balanced diet schedule. As a rule of thumb, embrace a healthy weight loss diet plan that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products and whole grains, alongside drinking lots of water, at least 8-10 glasses a day. It would be prudent to chart a healthy weight loss diet plan for oneself than following text book quick weight loss programs such as Mediterranean Diet, Hollywood diet, lemonade diet or slim fast diet.

And finally, backup your efforts with a strict fitness regime to burn away those extra calories from the body. Make it a practice to spend 30 min in the gym daily. A short stroll in the garden or in the street in the evening is also is advisable.

To conclude, whichever healthy weight loss diet plan you choose, it will be hard work overall ? both physical and mental ? to shed those extra kilos you have gained over the years by hard eating. But the end result is worth all the efforts put in. And that will be a test of your mental resolve as well.

We have made the most comprehensive research on diets. Find the results only on the Quick weight loss programs guide. Find all about diets on http://www.911dietplans.com

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A judicious blend of healthy eating, balanced nutrition and regular exercise is the key to most successful weight-loss plans. To make your long-term weight loss plan a success, you should follow a healthy lifestyle by eating nutritious foods and engaging in physical activity, alter the way you think about food, and pay attention to reasons why you eat.

You must cut down your calorie intake to lose weight. This is possible without having to eat less. Just substitute the high-calorie ingredients with low-calorie versions of your favorite dishes. The water and fiber present in low-fat fruits and vegetables will add volume to your dishes, so you end up eating the same quantity of food with fewer calories. Try sensible portion sizes and low-fat dairy and meat products.

Apart from helping you lose weight, these products can help to control high blood pressure. Any type of physical activity will boost your physical and mental health and help to keep the extra pounds off. And make it a point to plan your meals and snacks ahead of time.

You will find a number of popular diets which claim great success in helping you lose weight. The Zone Diet highlights lean proteins along with vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats. Starchy carbohydrates are not totally ruled out.

The Pritikin Diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, pasta, oatmeal, soups, salads, and low-fat dairy; limited amounts of low-fat poultry, seafood, and meat; few fatty foods and a limited amount of dry foods. Dr. Ornish's Eat More, Weigh Less says if you eat fat-free, healthy foods, you can feel full and still lose weight.

The Atkins diet prescribes that you take in 50-55% of your total calories from fat, 30-40% from protein, and 5-15% from carbohydrates. It puts no restrictions on meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, cheese, butter, cream, oil, nuts, some non-starchy vegetables, and artificial sweeteners. The South Beach Diet lays emphasis on a balanced eating plan of ?good' carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and ?good' unsaturated fats.

Diet Plans provides detailed information on Diet Plans, Free Diet Plans, Weight Loss Diet Plans, Diabetic Diet Plans and more. Diet Plans is affiliated with Online Diet Programs.

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The Atkins diet plan has made an impact in the market for many years. No other diet plan has become as successful as this low carb diet plan. The Atkins diet has helped many people to reduce the weight and minimize the health related problems associated with obesity. It has assisted many people to regain the strength and shape up the body. It has gained popularity with people from all walks of life. However there are some not so good things to consider before going for it.

Some Facts About The Atkins Diet:

Atkins diet plan has gained this popularity mainly because you get the desired results without starving, you can eat significant quantities of the right foods. This diet plan suggests low carbs and high protein diet. Also many think that it is useful for mainly non-vegetarian people as it directs the use of animal proteins. But with some modifications and care, the vegetarian people can also use this diet and get the desired results.

Though this plan has caused the biggest weight loss, there are controversies involved also. To some people, it has worked like magic and is the most useful diet plan. But some people think it to be too good to real diet plan. They think of it as impractical and dangerous diet plan.

As this diet relies on a high protein diet, it is claimed that the high intake of protein can seriously harms the kidney function. But it can not be proved through well documented studies that effects such as these have been noted. Also, long term caloric limitations can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Even Dr Atkins ended up developing a whole line of supplements to balance the nutrition of long term dieters. This is the one of the bad points of this diet plan. But if you carefully follow the Akins diet plan, you will get to know that intake of carbohydrates are restricted only in the first phase and then gradually the carbs intake increases. Also it is highly recommended to take vitamin and mineral supplements with this diet plan.

Some also states that high fat intake may lead to heart attack. But as the carbohydrate intake is limited, the main energy source of body becomes fats so fat intake will not harm as you are balancing it with carbohydrate intake.

Also some wonders that though it is a weight reducing diet plan, how it allows to it almost everything. The main reason of it is, Atkins diet plan insist the wholesome food. As reducing weight by starving is a wrong approach, it will not starve you but make you eat balanced food.

It provides many recipe books which has some really delicious and easy to prepare recipes which will capture your taste buds and heart too. Though many people are following this diet plan, there are some good as well as bad points of it.

There are some very good points about this diet and some bad points but you can get around those points with some care. When all is said and done remember this diet has worked for millions of people, Now you have to think and take right decision.

The author, Bill Urell, reviews only the best diet and fitness plans, tips, and articles that promote healthier lifestyles. Visit us and claim your FREE ebook, 101 Romantic Ideas as a welcome gift ==>http://www.online-weight-loss-resources.com

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Welcome to Weight-Loss Secrets. This article series is going to consist of common sense conclusions that can be derived from current research and generally accepted facts.

I won't waste your time like the scientists that took 2 years to determine that eating fast food makes you fat (duuuh). At times you may find a lot of these topics VERY theoretical but since I dont have millions to dump into proving the obvious we'll just have to act ahead of science and wait for the studies to catch up to common sense 20 years from now.

Want a sample of these common sense health conclusions?

Sure you do......

COMMON-SENSE CONCLUSION: Eat 3 Meals get Fat FAST!

3 meals sounds logical. You've heard it all your life. Hell, you've eaten 3 square meals all your life. But Why!?

Bet you've never really given it any thought have you? Whats more natural than bacon, eggs and sausage with some flapjacks in the morning? A hamburger for lunch and a nice steak for dinner?

That doesnt sound sooooo... bad does it?

Except for the fact that it's the exact opposite of YOUR nature!!

Think about it. Humans have been around for millions of years (or 6,000 depending on your religious beliefs) and for the majority of that existence it required you to catch your own dinner or you wouldn't eat.

Think about that for 1 second and the natural eating plan starts to become clear. If you were a caveman you would get up in the morning and prepare to hunt for todays dinner. Meat was planned to be that evenings feast.

Meat wasnt there for breakfast or lunch and dinner was a real maybe. Until the lucky hunter caught meat he ate things that were a lot easier to catch - fruits and vegetables!

So a typical day would have the hunter rising and eating nuts, berries, veggies or fruit (slow-release carbs that provide continuous energy for the hunt).

During the day the hunter could turn to these same items to stave off hunger and keep him fueled for the fight without making him sleepy.

An end of day successful hunt would provide meat and a feast!

And so it basically went for millions of years....

Can you imagine teleporting a caveman raised like that to present day America and letting him eat at your table? What do you think would happen to him when fed your diet of non-stop meat and between meal snacks? Of course he'd get fat as a pig!

We'll the jokes on you. You are that caveman. Your genes and his share over 99% of the same DNA. You body reacts just like his would in todays toxic environment.

If I was a caveman you'd better believe that I wouldn't be getting up 3 times a day and chasing down some animal just because its time to eat. My family line probably discovered that plants were edible.

I know I would have. When cavewife tried to get me up for the breakfast hunt I'd have snatched the nearest plant ate it, took a couple chews, taste it. Ummmmm, tastes good. I'm not sick. Here baby, eat this and give some to the kids. Wake me up for the next hunt....

See? It doesnt make sense. It really seems natural that we would only have to hunt and eat meat once a day and really the body is probably adapted to comfortably going without meat for days at a time.

Evolution hasnt adapted us to live in todays food world and probably wont for another couple million years.

The answer is to eat more like our genetic ancestors if we want improved weight control energy and health.

Heart disease is the #1 killer - 98%+ of those deaths can be attributed to plaque buildups that cause blockages leading to heart attack and stroke. - You were born with clean arteries how did they get so blocked?

Maybe it has something to do with the food we eat. Which raises another point. In the early 1900's a doctor could go his entire career and never see a heart attack.

Huh! Well, what's so different today? Could processed and fast-food have anything to do with it? Hmmm.....

America on verge of obesity epidemic - Heart blockages #1 killer

Hmmmmmmm.........

Think there's a link?

Could it be that we're eating too much meat with saturated fat that's clogging our arteries and leading to heart disease and stroke?

Especially when you consider that primitive man (you) wasn't built to processed massive amounts of meat and chemicals that dont exist in nature.

Seems logical, it just hasnt been studied and proven yet.

I have decided not to wait for the study (and the possibility of becoming a fatal statistic) and draw logical conclusions and take pro-health action.

I have seen the positive results of these steps in my own life and this blog is my way to share these findings with you.

Common sense science you can live with.

In my next article I'll show you how I easily work this tidbit of info into my daily life. Follow natures plan and you can practically eat all day to keep your energy up and avoid hunger without having to do anything weird like count calories, carbs or fat grams.

In the future I'll share other health vanity issues like how to eliminate/reduce puffy eyes, EZ exercise programs and more.

Stay-tuned...

Copyright 2005 Jarvis McCrary

Jarvis McCrary researches and writes extensively about natural weight-loss and anti-aging techniques. His latest book 'The Science Diet' and article archive is available at http://www.the-science-diet.com

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Things get so confusing when it comes to understanding what foods are high on the glycemic index scale and what effects your blood sugar production. I have focused a lot of my diet around eating lower glycemic index foods, but more importantly understanding that even when you eat high glycemic foods you can help reduce the blood sugar impact, by eating a combination of both high and low glycemic index foods together, that overall helps slow down the insulin production in your body. What I mean would be the following example :

Say you?re hungry for toast in the morning. Your first and worst option would be to grab a couple slices of plain white bread and put jelly and butter on them. You have three sets of problems with this scenario. One is the bad carbohydrates in the over processed white bread and the next is the saturated fat levels in the butter, and third is the sugar content in the jelly that factors into spiking your insulin production. So many people eat something simple like toast in the morning and this is just one example of a choice that could be improved upon. Let?s look at another way to eat more healthy:

So you?re hungry for toast in the morning. How about this option : Select whole wheat pita bread that is all natural. I get mine from Trader Joe?s!! I love this store. Next you slice the pita in half and put NO FAT or reduced fat cheese in between the pocket and toast away. Now you have incorporated a lower glycemic index carbohydrate that provides more fiber and added a protein in the NO FAT or low fat cheese, that in combination with the consumption of the good quality carbohydrate, produces a mucher lower effect on spiking your insulin production.

So Make your choices wisely when it comes to selecting the right types of foods that have an impact on raising and lowering your blood sugar levels quickly.
Remember it takes less than an hour to metabolize carbohydrates, between 2-3 hours for proteins, and over 3 hours to metabolize fat in your diet.

Ever get that hungry feeling less than an hour after chowing down on a bag of Doritos or potato chips. Ever feel hungry less than an hour after eating a plate full of oriental food that was all vegetables. It is because your body starts metabolizing almost right away, when it comes to carbohydrates. Now just imagine those carbohydrates are made up of simple carbohydrates (sugar-like in regular soda, potato chips or other over processed snack foods, or French fries- deep fried potatoes that are loaded with saturated fat and heavy on the high glycemic index scale of carbohydrates.) Also there have been some recent studies that have stated that high fructose corn syrup- found in many foods produced for children that include fruit drinks, fruit snacks, and things like ketchup, are helping enormously to contribute to the huge increases in childhood obesity.

A BAD COMBINATION THAT DOES NOT SUPPORT A HEART HEALTH LIFESTLYE

Here are some other great options : One of the keys to a lean, sexy, healthy body is controlling insulin production and blood-sugar levels. The easiest way to do that is by eating healthy low-glycemic foods -- things like vegetables, fibrous fruits, whole grains, seeds, nuts, lean proteins, etc. Generally, it's a good idea to avoid most foods that contain high-glycemic ingredients like white flour, white sugar, corn syrup, etc. These are those 'bad' foods that wreak havoc on your insulin levels and increase your body fat levels in the process. They can also damage your health over time.

However, if you can?t stand the idea of never again eating some of your favorite foods - pancakes and muffins for instance - and 100% whole grain flour just isn't an option for you, there is an easy way to lower the glycemic count of just about any food: Oat bran

Oat bran can be added to most foods to help lower their glycemic counts. It?s one of those ?magical? fiber foods that does all kinds of good things for your body. In fact, oat bran is probably one of the healthiest low-glycemic carbs you can eat.

The best part is that oat bran can be added to literally hundreds of different foods and recipes without significantly changing their taste. That?s not the case with most other brans and whole grains, which definitely alter the taste and texture of any food they?re added to. You can mix oat bran into muffins, pancakes, breads, scones, soups, stews...the list goes on! These normally high-glycemic foods all become quite a bit healthier when you add in a good amount of oat bran...and less likely to cause your body to store more fat. (Of course, using whole grain flours and whey protein powders will make them even healthier and MUCH lower on the glycemic scale!)

Pure oat bran can be purchased at many health food stores and natural grocery stores, as well as on the Internet. Always choose an ?organic? version when possible to limit your intake of harmful chemicals.

So remember choose low glycemic index foods that do not cause your blood sugar to spike and insulin production to jump. If you are eating potentially higher glycemic index foods select the best ones that provide the most in the way of nutrition and health, and always try to incorporate proteins that will help slow down the metabolizing of those higher glycemic index foods and keep your blood sugar and insulin production in check.

Robert Adams holds an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America, is a Certified Coach in Coaching for Personal Development as well Interaction Management, is a member of NESTA- National Endurance Sports Trainers Association, and lives a healthy lifestyle through his Body Perfect Fitness philosophy of healthy eating and fitness focus.

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Following the Atkins Diet rules helped me to lose 120 pounds in about eighteen months. While I am thrilled with the results, I found that when I first started the hardest part was sticking with rules until I got a real feel for what I could and couldn?t do as I went through the four phases.

It sounds funny, but the part of the diet that I actually found easiest was also the strictest ? the Atkins Diet Induction rules. I was on this phase for about two weeks, and it really kicked off my weight loss. The reason I found it so easy was because it was so strict. There was very little room for ?fudging? the diet because the guidelines were so specific.

Induction Rules

The Induction rules are very straightforward: Lots of protein and a healthy amount of fats. No refined sugar or wheat products. Lots of water and liquids that don?t contain sugar or sweeteners (except some Splenda).

Eat till Satisfied, but NOT Stuffed

I ate three meals a day without fail ? it was important to do this so that my body adjusted to burning off the fat and not going into a ?fasting? mode when I went too long without eating. I also stuck with one of the cardinal rules of the Atkins program ? I ate until I felt full and satisfied, but not stuffed. I found that over time that I had this feeling of satisfaction sooner rather than later, so I learned to really listen to my body.

Stick to the Allowed Foods on the List

I never ate margarine or hydrogenated oils or trans fats. Even a little bit of these can stall an entire day?s worth of eating properly according to the rules. Dairy products such as milk and yogurt were out, as was fruit and fruit juice. Grains were a big no-no, and I paid attention to these rules.

Eat the Proper Amounts

I also paid attention to amounts ? for instance, only three or four ounces of cheese and no more. It can be tempting to eat a lot of the things you are allowed, but you need to keep the quantities in balance. If you?re still hungry and have already eaten your allowance of cheese, for instance, eat some meat or add more salad vegetables to your diet. This is easy to do because Dr. Atkins? Induction diet rules call for up to three whole cups of salad greens every day!

Surprisingly, since I knew exactly what was permitted, it was easy for me to stick to the Atkins diet menu. I just kept a list of acceptable foods handy (a copy of the rules on my refrigerator and another in my wallet for eating out) at all times. I knew this was the strict portion of the diet rules and so I stayed within the boundaries all the time, including drinking eight glasses of water every day.

Phases II, III and IV

The other phases (Weight Loss, Pre-Maintenance and Maintenance) were a bit trickier. The Atkins Diet Rules are always pretty clear, but as you move from phase to phase you have to listen more to your body and adjust amounts and types of food accordingly. One of the things that took me a bit of time was learning just how many carbohydrates I could eat in a day without stalling my weight loss.

The Diet is Not Hard to Follow

Following Dr. Atkins? rules helped me to gauge what ?low carb? meant for my particular metabolism, but it took some fiddling around with my diet for a few days. The nice part of it was that, with new foods allowed and more leeway, I had a lot of fun learning and adjusting. It really taught me how much of a pleasure the Atkins diet can be because I could eat so many things.

The most important part of the Atkins diet rules is understanding carbohydrates and how much of them you can or can?t eat. Fortunately, the book, ?Dr. Atkins? New Diet Revolution,? clearly outlined everything for me. It contained specific lists of foods that I could eat and even broke it down into a ?ladder? so that I knew which carbs were best and which were only borderline.

For instance, according to the Atkins diet, seeds and nuts are lower carb than whole grains or starchy vegetables. The Atkins diet works for me because everything is broken down so clearly and you know exactly how to keep track of your carbs.

If you?re trying to lose weight, I encourage you to take a good look at Atkins. The Atkins diet rules make it easy because you start with a strict set of rules that will get your weight loss started ? a real motivator! After you?ve started, the rules become less strict so that you can stick with it for a long time without feeling deprived. And finally, Dr. Atkins has written so much about the program that you can find an answer to every food question you could possibly have, making it easy to follow the rules!

About the Author:

Kevin Urban is the editor at Atkins-Diet-Advisor.com, a comprehensive guide on the atkins diet food plan. Find out what's on the allowed atkins diet food list and get a free copy of the atkins diet plan.

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TO DO OR NOT TO DO? ? ABS

TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO WRITING ARTICLE:

Jeanne is a client I have worked with for a number of years, and through a couple of births with very quick recoveries. She is naturally tall and thin with wide hips and very flat abs. She has that perfect body for wearing couture as you can see from her Vogue magazine write up in October of 2003. She is the type that doesn?t want muscle showing at all, just long sleek ?feminine? lines. We have stepped up her workouts of late because she is getting stronger and we do need to keep up the challenge to maintain that high metabolic burn rate for caloric expenditure, without creating muscle definition. Jeanne doesn?t like doing cardio so that's not a solution.

Recently when beginning our workout Jeanne stops, pulls up her t-shirt and shows me her abs. Iam very pleased with what I see, which is the definition of where the lower obliques end and the rectus abdominus (your quadrants, also known as ?6 packs?) begin. There was strong deliniation indicating the muscles beneath. Jeanne points to it and says I don?t want this. In my shock the only thing I can think to say is If there were a group of women in hear watching us, they?d all groan at you.

Everyone is different and has different goals. So Jeanne now thinks that she should just not do abdominal exercises and asks Why do I need to do them, my abs are fine the way they are? Can you write about this in your next newsletter so I better understand why I need to do abs.

I then launch into an explanation of the importance of core work(abs). About how your abs stabilize you and help prevent injury by bracing and tightening. The brain sends a message to the transverse abdominus (remember that girdle muscle we all spent time on, with the breathing exercises) before it tells any other muscle to move. For example, the mind tells the knee to lift but before the quadricep muscles initiates the lifting response the transverse abdominus recieves the message to react by tightening for balance, control and strength. So essentially you brace yourself from your abs and then you initiate the movement, braced and centered. Which is why I constantly repeat pull your navel in and wrap it around your spine. The more this response is practiced, the more proficient, balanced, coordinated, centered and strong you are plus the flatter your abs are.

There is a highly credentialed school of thought that advocates: Every exercise, every movement and every activity you do is an abdominal exercise if you draw your belly button in and brace your abdominal muscles. Sit-ups and crunches waste your time and do not produce results. I personally believe that there is not one formula for all bodies. For those that have no lower back problems, ever, plus perfect balance, coordination and that conditioned response to pull the navel in to the spine, I say yes, you don?t need to do abs. But for us mere mortals who at times twist, bend and pull things (or children!)and forget to brace?well you still need to do your abs. Remember practice makes perfect and that bracing response at varying resistances and degrees is not innate but practiced. So based on this article I will let Jeanne be her own judge and in an informed way let her decide whether she needs to do her abs or not.

PS. If she decides to not do them I will monitor carefully her balance, strength , coordination and lower back response and if I do see any signs of weakness I will discuss with her the need to suffuse an ab workout intermittently.

TWO WEEKS LATER

Jeanne has since clarified that she doesn?t want the muscle definition but most of all she doesn?t want any roundness of the belly. So, we entirely ommitted crunches. By eliminating the crunches and working the abs through whole body movements and engaging the twisting and bending movements her abs have flattened out entirely again. She has not lost balance, strength or coordination and her conditioned response is now to pull navel in and brace her abs. She will not have that 6 pack definition that is so sought after, but that is her personal choice. For myself personally and all clients who choose to do so I will continue to do crunches, coming up and working only to the point where the navel can stay in towards the center of gravity(spine). If the abdominals pop out at all the belly will develop roundness, and that conditioned response to pulling in may be weakened. But isn?t it great to know that you can be working your abs all day long, in whatever you are doing, just brace them and pull in! Voila! Flat abs.

DEBORAH is a highly respected authority in personal training for overall health and fitness, with more than 22 years of experience and success. Her credentials include...

Currently licensed Registered Nurse specializing in Rehabilitative Nursing

Medical Exercise Therapist: certified by AAHFRP, an internationally recognized physical rehabilitation certification

Maternity Specialist Pre & Post Natal certified by Maternal Fitness

Personal Fitness Specialist: certified by NASM, an internationally recognized certification

Yoga Teacher

Professional Health Member, National Organization of Fitness Instructors (IDEA), a leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals Deborah Caruana RN, AAHRFP, NASM, ACE,

http://www.vitalsignsfitness.com

deb@vitalsignsfitness.com for fitness needs including personal training, books, vitamins and supplements, and information resource.

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The Zone Diet has been around since around 1995, when fatty acids research scientist Dr. Barry Sears published the New York Times bestseller The Zone. This book was aimed at other doctors but it was found rather quickly by the general public. Since that time he has authored several other books on the subject. The Zone can be summed up as a state of hormonal balance in the body which can be achieved by your diet. It is especially about keeping key hormone's in a balanced zone since the wrong amount in your body can trigger weight gain. This hormonal control is at the center of the Zone Diet. In fact, a craving for Carbohydrate's is essentially a byproduct of making bad hormonal choices at meals. But when you make Zone Diet meals, the real cause of these cravings will be largely subdued.

Dr. Sears states that current health care for most people primarily focuses on treating symptoms, as opposed to the maintenance of wellness. Results from the Zone diet tend to occur right away because your blood sugar is automatically stabilized. Thus, you feel less hungry and more energized throughout the day.

There are several fundamental principles of the Zone Diet, according to Dr. Sears.

First, be certain that every meal leads you to the Zone by eating the correct combination of low-fat protein (such as lean chicken or pork), the right type of carbohydrate such as fruits and/or vegetables (starchy carbohydrates such as breads or potatoes are not as good), and a dash of good fat (such as olive oil). He says it is a good idea to eat a Zone meal within about an hour of waking up in the morning. It is also good to eat 5 times a day.

And you should not let more than 5 hours go by without a Zone meal, even if you are not hungry. This keeps your blood sugar levels stable. Another important principle is to drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water every day (about a half gallon).

And finally, remember that if you get off of - remove track, do not worry because there is not guilt in the Zone. Just make sure that your next meal is a Zone meal to get you back where you belong.

In the Zone, no foods are completely off limits. That means you can eat anything, as long as it has the right balance of protein, carbs, and fat, says Dr. Sears. Wine is even allowable because of the substantial amount of antioxidants it contains.

You may reprint this article electronically and in print presuming the byline is included and the web address hyperlinked.

Edna Hemingway is a writer and researcher of Weight Loss Issues. For more info. go to http://www.nutritionzone.biz/

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There has been a lot of flak with how USA has been flirting with health problems because of obesity. More and more people are getting drowned in the onslaught of fast food and junk foods. Remember the movie Upsize Me? It played a parody on how Americans are stuffing themselves silly with fatty foods. Over sixty percent of American citizens are considered obese or bordering into it. Many would like to deny this, but deep down inside, most of them would like to change their eating lifestyle.

The fitness and health industry of America is a multibillion business that are resting on the obesity fears of the citizens. Many know the consequences of being fat and would like to change. From aerobics, to exercise machines, to instructional videos, food supplement, diet pills and lots more. Many have embarked on the loss-fat voyage hoping to conquer their binges but no one truly wants to work hard for it. The options provided by the industry keeps their hopes alive in looking and feeling better without breaking a sweat.

So when the emergence of diet pills in popularity came, with promises like, melt away pounds easily. Look better in not time at all. Look and Feel great without exercising, and lots more, many people were excited about that concept and jumped into the frenzy. So many questions have cropped up though, is it really that good? Would it really work? Does it have any side effects? Can they really deliver on those promises? Recent studies have shown that some do really work, the problem is, many have been documented to suffer from health setbacks. Heart related problems have arisen and many deaths have been linked to such diet pills.

So how do you know which diet pill would be good for you? Well, only a doctor can truly say. It would be best to subject yourself to a thorough physical first to see the risks that could be involved in taking diet pills.

There is a plethora of diet pills flooding in the market and these are categorized into three types. OTC's or Over the Counter, these are diet pills that can be bought in drug store without the need for doctor's prescriptions. They usually contain little chemicals that can affect the human system much. They are considered less dangerous but is also subjected to FDA testing first before sold to the market. Another form of diet pills is the Herbal supplements. They are not usually labeled as drugs and can also be bought without a prescription. They claim to be all-natural but are still subjected to FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) scrutiny. Then there are the prescription diet pills. They are only sold with doctors' prescriptions and are tightly regulated by the FDA. Doctors also conduct close monitoring on their patients who take this form of diet pills for any damage or risk to their health.

With so many forms, varieties and types, these diet pills don't usually work for everyone since they have different chemical composition as well as the patients have different reactions. Diet pills can have inadvertent effect on each individual. Common side effects are, uncomfortable cramping, gas and diarrhea. This is due to the fact that the drug is taking away important vitamin supplements to the body. That is why some people are advised to take vitamin supplements as well. Some experience a raise in heart palpitation and blood pressure, with this comes along the increase in the risk of a stroke or a heart attack.

When it comes to losing fat, nothing still beats good old hard work and discipline. Even the so called natural diet pills and herbal diet pill products have effects on some people, bad ones. Working up a sweat and following a natural balanced diet is still the best way to go. Get yourself a buddy to guide you and assist you in your weight loss program. Diet pills can be bad, don't get me wrong. You will have to exercise and watch what you eat. In no time at all you'll meet the fitter, healthier more confident you.

If you need additional information on Health Articles go to http://www.healthyarticles.com. If you want a free weight loss plan go to Weight Loss Plan.

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When I hear the word fat I usually think of a roll of it hanging over a persons belt, or that guy Milty, from the movie Van Wilder, doing a belly flop off of the top diving platform with the words, ?save the swim team?, written across his backside. Sometimes, however, the picture of a big, juicy, double quarter pounder with cheese will slip its way into my mind. Although, if I were to eat more than the one per month that I allow myself now I would probably be sick for days, thanks to the health food lifestyle I?ve become accustomed to over the past few years. For the most part, the word fat has a negative connotation.

Like a lot of people, I like to avoid fat. We?ve been warned against it for years. There?s even an entire industry that promotes the idea that fat is horrible. Just take a walk down almost any isle in a grocery store and you?ll see a parade of items labeled ?low-fat?, ?no fat?, ?reduced fat?, or ?fat-free?. Doctors, dieticians, and nutritionists have been on our cases about it for what seems like an eternity.

There are numerous studies showing that although Americans today are consuming less fat, there are more of us than ever who are becoming obese. What this should tell you is that worrying only about fat is not the answer. There are many other pieces to the puzzle. For instance, eating more carbohydrates that you use for energy throughout the day will cause the remaining carbs to be stored and therefore turned into fat. A couple other reasons are lack of exercise in our society, and the fact that we?re consuming more calories than ever. I?ve heard it called the no-fats domino theory: Less fat equals less guilt equals more eating.

The amount of fat we eat is important. Only about 25-30% of our daily calories should come from fat. But, perhaps even more important is the type of fat we eat. This is what really determines your heart attack risk. Yes there is such a thing as good fat. There names are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. You can find them in oils such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, canola oil, safflower oil, and peanut oil. Some of the healthy fat foods include natural peanut butter, almonds and other nuts, almond butter, oatmeal, and fish (salmon, orange roughy, tuna, and tilapia). That?s right these are all loaded with fat and they?re good for you. Some are even so good they?re called ?essential? fatty acids.

Brian Stewart, Independent Marketing Partner with BetaFuel, NiteTrim, and MarqiFitness, has been researching health and fitness issues since his early teens. For more information visit the websites http://www.BriansNiteTrim.com, http://www.MarqiFitness4Life.com, or http://www.BetaFuelFatBurner.com

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A typical breakfast consists of 3 or 4 strips of bacon, two or more eggs and coffee. A snack would maybe be chunks of cheese and a cup of coffee with cream. Dinner might be a huge steak fried in butter. Sounds really good right? It sounds so tempting but there is a trade-off. You will have to give up carbs such as breads, potatoes, pasta, rice, and other things like chocolate, cake, some fruits, veggies, and milk at least in the beginning.

The theory is that when you cut out carbs your body are forced into burning fat that your body has stored to give it energy. Your body burns more calories when burning fat than when it is burning carbohydrates and you will lose weight more quickly. Your blood sugars stabilize which prevents overeating.

The first phase of the Atkins Diet Plan is the Introduction Phase and must be followed for at least two weeks. You are only allowed to consume 20 grams of carbs a day. You can load up on as much red meat, chicken, fish, cheese, eggs, mayo, cream, and butter. It is during this phase that your body switches from the burning fat to burning carbs.

The second phase is the ongoing weight loss phase. During this phase you increase your carb intake by about 5 grams daily until you find your critical carbohydrate level for losing weight. The most carbs that you can eat and still lose between 1 and 3 pounds a week. Breads, pasta, potatoes, and rice are still off limits.

The third phase is the pre-maintenance phase that you enter when you have only five to ten pounds to go to meet your goal weight. Your carb intake increases by ten grams each day for a week in order to help your body adjust to the addition of carbs and the final phase of maintenance.

The fourth phase is called lifetime maintenance and intended to help you keep your motivation. Carbs are limited to less than 90 grams a day. Get used to it though because you will be on a low carb diet for the rest of your life.

There are some concerns about the long-term effects of the Atkins Diet Plan and other low carb plans. There is such a high consumption of fat, particularly saturated fats and this can cause an increase risk of heart disease.

The Atkins diet eliminates some nutrients and this could cause deficiencies and other health problems in the future. Since there is a limited intake of bone building calcium you could be at increased risk of Osteoporosis. A very limited intake of antioxidant nutrients could cause problems such as heart disease, cancer, and premature aging.

One drawback of the Atkins Diet is that it can become boring. Vegetarians have difficulty with this diet because veggies, seeds, and nuts are off limits in the first stages. The diet does present a view of healthy eater, which keeps us healthy and free from disease.

Other concerns are that the initial weight loss comes back quickly when you go off the Atkins plan and a lot of people drop out in the induction phase. The carbs are very low and ketosis can result which is dangerous for a diabetic or anyone else for that matter.

This diet is high in cholesterol and you can develop constipation and/or heart disease because of the high fat content. Since the diet is low in fruits and vegetables, it also lacks cancer-fighting antioxidants. The most serious drawbacks to the Atkins plan are that it is not intended for long term use and there are unsafe if not downright dangerous side effects.

A few positive notes about the Atkins Plan are that it works! You lose a lot of weight quickly and you can eat as much as you want of certain foods especially protein and fat.

The Atkins Diet eliminates to a great degree carbs from rice, pasta, potatoes, breads, some fruits and veggies. It also eliminates cancer-fighting antioxidants. It is a high fat and high protein diet that can increase the risk for certain diseases like high cholesterol and heart disease.

On the upside, this is one diet that actually works but it is not a diet that you can be on for an indefinite period of time. Once you go off the program and resume more ?normal? eating the initial weight loss will come back. Also, as with any diet plan check with your doctor to be sure you can safely do it.

To conclude let me give you a reminder. The Atkins diet is not for long term use and it has inherent health risks. If you need to lose weight you may already be at risk for heart disease and high cholesterol, the Atkins plan has the potential of actually increasing those risks.

(c) www.atkins-diet-plan-n-books.com

Reprint Rights feel free to publish this article on your website but you must agree to leave all active links contained within 'About The Author' intact and as is and NOT hidden behind a java or redirect script.

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice on a variety of subjects. For more information on Atkins diet plan or Low carb diet plans, drop by the website. His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

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When it comes to maintaining a healthy heart it's important to have a plan - a heart healthy diet plan that is.

Following is a list of wonderful ingredients to have on hand when you're coming up with a good heart healthy diet plan.

*brown rice
*whole wheat pasta
*bulgur
*couscous
*canned beans
*chick peas
*lentils

A heart healthy diet plan should also consist of fruit and vegetables like

*canned fruit (in light syrup or juice)
*canned vegetables to make pur?es
*frozen fruit
*frozen vegetables (frozen fruit juice concentrate is ideal for dressings and glazes).

Other things to include in your heart healthy diet are:

*low fat mayonnaise type dressings
*evaporated skim milk to substitute for cream
*oils - canola, sunflower, olive oil
*margarine that is low in saturated fat (soft and non-hydrogenated)

It's also important to keep the following heart healthy cooking tips in mind.

*Allow the fat to run off your meat by grilling and barbecuing.
*Instead of frying, steam your food.
*Use broth or tomato juice to braise your meat.
*Always skim off any fat before serving homemade soups and stews. This is done by refrigerating the soup or stew overnight and then skimming before your reheat them.
*Keep deep fried foods to a minimum.
*Use non-stick frying pans and woks to eliminate the need to add oil.
*Trim all visible fat from meats as well as the skin from poultry and fish.

Sherrie Le Masurier is a freelance writer who writes extensively on nutrition, fitness and family health. For more heart healthy diet tips visit http://www.hearthealthydietideas.blogspot.com
and http://www.healthandwellnessmatters.blogspot.com - Copyright.

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What can you do to loose weight? There are some simple ideas to help you. You know what they are but try practicing these simple and effective ideas to lose weight and stay slim.

Eat Breakfast. Skipping this meal may cause you to overeat later in the day. If you do have a piece of toast, skip the butter. You?ll be better off to have preserves on it than high fat butter or margarine.

Don?t let your caloric intake drop below 1200 calories a day. This is a minimal number your body needs to function. When you do this, your metabolism slows and so do you. Your body actually starts to shut down as it thinks you are starving. I use to do this. I was tired all the time. It wasn?t worth it.

Writing a food journal can help you establish if you are eating for hunger or to an emotional or social response. It also helps you trace back to see if any foods have made you ill or you have an adverse reaction to some foods.

High fiber foods are not only good for you, but they give you a full feeling. Try to find foods with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving. Whole grains and bread aren?t the devil. When choosing bread, a high fiber choice may keep you from overindulging.

Trans fats are bad. Check the labels. Watch out for ?partially hydrogenated oils.? This also goes for when you eat out. Ask for your salad dressingon the side. A loaded salad can easily have your entire calorie allotment for one day.

Eat Slowly. It takes your stomach 20 minutes to feel full. Don?t drink calories. Instead of soda, order water or unsweetened tea. I know, but after a while, you get used to it. Besides, it?s cheaper to drink water in most restaurants.

I hope these basic tips and ideas will get you back on the path not only to healthy eating, but possible weight loss.

Stuart Simpson
http://www.best-diet-review.com/

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My new year's resolution for the past three years has been to give up my existence on junk food and get going with a healthy, stable and safe diet. I have tried on numerous occasions during all these years to get to a plan which provided me the correct supplements to keep my body fit and healthy. I am however, going to make the same resolution next year too.

The reasons are aplenty, but in my opinion, the most important amongst them is that I have never been able to home on to one single plan which appealed to my taste and also gave me the required supplements to keep my body in shape.

The internet, the print media, the hoardings, advertisement corners, newspapers supplements etc. are all filled with numerous diet plans which will make you look like Rambo, and make your brain cell zoom into hyperactivity. They claim to be lifelong remedies for all ills. Wow! The truth, however, is far from that.

Remember the Morgan Spurlock story of eating for 30 days straight at a fast food joint and the consequent affect on his health. He filmed the state of his health during and after the 30 day saga and put that documentary as an entry to a film festival. His health got so bad that he got the best documentary award in the Sundance Film Festival for his documentary Super Size Me. He got it in the horror category. Gained 25 pounds in 30 days and got spooked or life.

The lesson is simple, No diet plan is perfect. At least, its not a one-for-all solution. A diet plan which might one day become ideal for me might turn out to be the worst thing that ever happened to you. A diet plan has to be made according to the health statistics of a person. So, what constitutes a safe health plan? Doctors and physicians around the world have grappled with this question for a number of years and almost all have converged to a common set of answers. What differentiates one plan from another is the implementation. They differ in the type, quantity and flavor of food used. The common characteristics of every plan are as follows :-

? It should be nutritious.

? It should provide an equal proportion of all natural elements to the human body.

? It must be timed in a manner that the person using it can adhere to it in the normal course of his activity. A diet plan which requires extreme change in living habits is bound to fail.

? It must have an equal proportion of watery and semi solid constituent.

? Avoid saerated drinks, liquor and red meat in excessive quantity while planning the diet.

? It must not be reward based ie. If you don't exceed the limit today, you can eat an extra morsel tomorrow types...

? Must have variety.

? Ingredients mentioned in the plan must be available to the person using it. A person living in the tropical region cannot have the luxury of eating the GM diet.

? It must be simple to plan and easy to execute.

This list is not exhaustive, but essentially covers the common set available in almost all diet plans.

Now that sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? All these gems of wisdom are available on almost every website which boasts of weight loss, diet control and fitness. So why is no one happy with his diet? The problem lies in the combination of all these points being available in a single diet plan. The search is on and as I said earlier, I know my next year's resolution; Find a safe diet plan.

Virginia Beauty and Fashion consultant, Svetlana Polyakova from SecretstoImpress.com specializes in teaching men and women the fine techniques of how to meet to meet that special person, dress to impress, and beauty & Fashion tips and etiquette.

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Metabolism is the process by which your body changes food into living tissue and changes living tissue into energy and waste products. Metabolic Rate is the speed at which the body uses energy (burns calories.) There are two genetically-determined types of people; those with a naturally low metabolic rate (slow fuel burners), and those with a naturally high metabolic rate (fast fuel burners). Slow fuel burners tend to have trouble keeping weight off.

Two primary concepts will help to explain how metabolic rate may be increased:

1.)Diet affects metabolic rate.

2.)Lean body mass, or muscle, is essential for fast and efficient fuel burning.

1.) Diet Affects Metabolic Rate

A balanced diet that includes complex carbohydrates, proteins, healthy types/ quantities of fats, adequate supplies of vitamins and minerals, etc. will effectively fuel your metabolism. Taking in an appropriate number of calories to meet your needs by eating regular, healthy meals and snacking on healthy low calorie foods will keep your metabolism working efficiently throughout the day.

On the other hand, if you skip meals or follow a diet that's too low in calories, you will send the message to your body that you are starving. To compensate for this perceived threat of starvation your body will lower it?s metabolic rate and you will burn fewer calories.

2.)Lean Body Mass, or muscle, is essential for fast and efficient fuel burning.

An average body burns about 2 calories per day per pound of fat and about 35 calories per day per pound of muscle. Muscles are always metabolically active, even when you are sleeping.

Weight-bearing exercise speeds up your metabolic rate quite simply because it builds muscle and for each pound of muscle gained, your body will burn about 35 more calories per day. As well, you will get the added benefit of burning off calories and fat deposits as a direct result of the energy used in doing the exercises. Exercise will help to attain a leaner, stronger, metabolically efficient body.

On the other hand, if you fail to exercise adequately while reducing your caloric intake, up to one third of the weight loss is likely to be muscle, not fat, leaving your body burning 35 fewer calories each day per pound of muscle lost. i.e. If you make your goal only a goal to 'lose 9 pounds', at the end of the diet you are likely to have lost up to 3 pounds of muscle and your body will be burning about 105 fewer calories per day. i.e. Again? your metabolic rate will have become slower, making it easy for the fat to creep back on in a short period of time.

In summary, for metabolism to function in prime form and lead to your attainment of that lean look you'd like to keep forever and learn to love, both a balanced diet and adequate exercise are required.

Visit http://www.fatfreebutdelicious.com for low fat dessert, treats and snack recipes.

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The 8-Week Campaign to Survive the Holidays

Eating preparations in the run up to Thanksgiving.

The turkey tsunami hits on the 3rd Thursday in November. It comes complete and replete with piles of potatoes, pies, sauces, stuffing, and all the rest. When you survey that mound of food, you realize that everything in there is healthy.

If you're eating all healthy foods, what?s the problem?

The problem is volume, pure and simple. Eating a trough full of anything will make you overweight and unhealthy; and the typical Thanksgiving meal is normally served with a forklift. Name one thing on this planet that you cannot overconsume, to make it become bad for you.

Short term problem

After Thanksgiving, most people have to be rolled away from the table to recover on the couch for a solid hour of college football. Obviously, if the stretch receptors in the wall of your stomach are screaming at you stop, Stop, STOP, you have added far too many calories at that meal. In addition to the terrible feeling of being completely stuffed, you have simply added to your expanding horizons.

Long term problem

You stomach is completely adaptable, and responds to what you put in it. If you put it too much food, you are simply training your stomach to receive more and more food at the next sitting. This long term problem comes back at you down the road by increasing your tendency to overeat in the future. Just as you can train yourself to eat smaller over time, you can train yourself to eat and overeat gigantic portions.

Now what do we do?

Begin preparing for T-day now. Put away your large plates and replace them with the medium sized ones. When you do this, you will put less on your plate than you normally do, and you can begin to train your body to expect less food in the long term. Make that amount last through the entire meal (about 20 - 30 minutes).

When T-day does arrive, you will eat on your smaller plate, consume less food, and be the only groan-free member of your family on the post-dinner couch!

About The Author

Dr. Will Clower is the award-winning author of The Fat Fallacy and founder of The PATH Curriculum, The PATH Online, and Newsletter.

The PATH: America?s weight solution.

Dr. Clower can be reached on his website www.fatfallacy.com; willclower@fatfallacy.com

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When studying which cardio machine is best for you, you have to do a lot of research. You don?t want to walk into a gym and use a treadmill, because it was the only exercise machine free and then buy it because you liked it. You have to study which cardio machine will benefit you better than the others.

For example if you have weak legs or weak knees, then you won?t want to excessively exercise them by using an exercise bike. Instead a treadmill might be the perfect option. Because you can start off on a lower walking speed, and then when the knee or leg starts to get stronger, then you can pick up the pace and start to gradually strengthen the area that was weak.

In this article I am going to look at cardio machines and see which one is best for home users. Also you will discover which one is perfect for you.

Cardio machines are the perfect exercise equipment to use when working out. Cardio workouts are a great way to keep your lungs and more importantly your heart in good shape. When using cardio machines you will also burn calories and fat, plus boost your energy simply by using cardio machines as part of your daily exercise. One cardio machine to use is a treadmill. We all know how expensive treadmills can be but it is a cardio machine and you know that you are going to have a healthy heart in no time.

One prime thing to remember for when you are thinking about buying cardio exercise equipment is the room required for your cardio equipment. Treadmills and exercise bikes are all well and good. But if you do not have the space for these pieces of equipment then you would have wasted a lot of money. There are other pieces of cardio equipment that are a lot smaller and still do the same work on your body.

One piece of cardio exercise equipment that doesn?t take up a lot of space is the Both Sides Up ball (BOSU.) This is a very small piece of exercise equipment and allows you to perform exercises with ease. The BOSU is also a very cheap piece of equipment usually costing around $10-$20.

A rowing machine will also not take up too much space but once again the cost can be a factor when it comes to deciding on a purchase. A rowing machine will exercise your upper body and keep you toned. If you can ignore the fact that you aren?t actually moving but staying within the same scenery then maybe a rowing machine is a good choice for you.

Overall Cardio exercises are essential to keeping a healthy heart. But it is up to you which cardio exercise equipment you choose to have in your home. You will need to weight up the advantages and disadvantages of each piece of equipment. If you see a personal trainer or even a doctor they will be able to give you the right advice on which piece of cardio exercise equipment will be best for you.

------------------------- Andy Eaton is the owner of http://www.gym.andyeats.com a site dedicated to helping people get into shape and at the same time helping them to find their perfect Gym Equipment. visit http://www.gym.andyeats.com for quality gym equipment and information on choosing the right fitness plan. -------------------------

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When it comes to weight loss creativity and innovation, body fat wonders never cease to amaze you. Consider that now, both your taste preferences and palette can delve into freshly prepared, highly effective, and even completely delicious meals delivered right to your home via weight loss diet plan health food delivery services.

Essentially, what you have here is weight loss diet plan health food delivery services for body fat reduction support. This is a creative health food delivery services solution that solves at least one of four major obstacles most dieters face in the quest for a better body.

Common weight loss diet plan obstacles include the following:

Lack of Know-How - (Solution): Professional chefs, coupled with and supported by the bona fide expertise of nutritionists, bodybuilding, weight management, and personal trainers, help make it a lot easier for you to take part in successful and effective health food diet plan achievement by eating foods that taste good, as well as supporting negative energy balance needed to lose body fat.

Lack of Money - (Solution): There is much controversy and debate over whether or not being in great shape with maximized performance ability is truly costly, or merely a basic sacrifice that one chooses to make in order to attain more self-satisfying, long-term, weight loss diet plan success. Perhaps you notice that typical junk foods don?t really cost you much. Yet, they also leave you high and dry in terms of healthy meal diet plan weight loss support. Probably, like other things worthwhile in this life we live, items that provide consistent, reliable service come with a slightly higher ticket price. Yet, weight loss diet plan food delivery services strongly appear to keep your financial outlay at reasonable minimums. Lack of cash need stop no one from attaining the level of fitness they highly desire and truly work to achieve. Less of the bad things and more of the good remains part of a smart, highly recommended, professional health food delivery strategy. Weight loss diet planning is not about money; it?s about awareness, commitment, and dedication.

Lack of Motivation - (Solution): For many, it?s hard to get started on almost any weight loss diet plan at all. Even for some, simply getting up in the morning proves a chore in itself. Yet, a good weight loss diet plan remains an essential part of the body fat reduction process. Without such advance body fat planning or strategy, you leave yourself wide open to yo-yo dieting behavior. That is, you try one weigh loss approach for a while, it fails you; then you return to where you started, feeling frustrated and doubtful about your ability to attaint consistent and lasting body fat results. Viable healthy meal food delivery services augment your drive to achieve weight loss results by providing your body with not only physical fuel in the way of food energy, but also helps you release your mental powers with added focus on losing weight. Liking gaining an extra, customized, personalized, or specialized tool to cut excess fat away from your body? diet meal plan food delivery gives you extra options and more alternatives to healthy eating behavior.

Lack of Time - (Solution): To lose body weight effectively, it is important that you be able to concentrate and focus on the daily chores you constantly face. Time management contributes to peace of mind and reducing undue stress, which is counterproductive to weight loss achievement.

Probably the greatest fact you can take home with you, in regard to diet meal planning and health food delivery, is this: Convenience need no longer be a stumbling block to your body fat success. Imagine the power of having professional, caring, educated, and specialized experts affordably prepare your meals CORRECTLY, virtually each and every day, so that you can be as free as possible to reach body fat and weight loss goals effectively, safely, reliably, enjoyably, and in good taste, too.

Being successful at weight loss will almost always require that you do at least three things with as much accuracy and precision as possible. You must keep your health food or weight loss diet plan, plus:

1. Maintain a daily negative energy balance.

2. Monitor your input and output, carefully keeping accurate records of your progress and failures, too. (Yes, record failures too, so that you can fix them and avoid future repetition.)

3. Challenge and engage your body with gradually increasing, higher energy action of intentionally longer durations. (This is how you build and develop maximum endurance, energy, power, stamina, and strength.)

Adding weight loss diet plan food delivery services to your above action plan propels body fat reduction success rates to optimized attainment levels.

Take a good look at weight loss diet plan health food delivery services in the mindset of losing body fat with additional commitment and reachable body fat goal support. Without proper health food diet plan eating habits, even the best exerciser struggles with losing weight because it?s practically all about calories. Exercise can only increase calories out, depending upon your level of fitness and the intensity at which you can stand to operate.

Yet, with or without exercise, health food delivery diet planning virtually always scores points for you in body fat achievement because the everlasting body fat equation remains true:

ENERGY IN (that?s the food you eat), minus ENERGY-OUT (that?s the exercise you do), equals ENERGY BALANCE (that?s the amount you weigh right now). In a nutshell, if your health food weight loss diet plan remains simple, effective, and delicious, then you can stick with it and get the results and rewards you desire or attempt to reach. Easy or not, health food diet planning is necessary, and weight loss diet plan food delivery services can help you with this challenging task.

Kenneth G. Dockins, body fat specialist - Owner, Better-Body.Biz, is an ACE Certified Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant with over 17 years experience in diet, exercise, fitness, and health. See Better-Body.Biz diet food delivery services for more detail.

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Weight loss success requires staying inspired and sometimes giving your weigh loss plan a tune-up. Drinking more water and eating smaller portions are effective but boring.

Much of weight loss success really depends on your attitude. Staying positive just takes a little creativity and some diet strategy to keeping your mind and body motivated.

Here are a few calorie cutting tricks that should help you lose weight and keep the boredom away.

It takes your brain about 20 minutes to register that your stomach is full. To slow down your eating process, try eating nuts that require cracking or grapefruit that must be peeled and sectioned.

Think of your weight loss diet plan as a way of eating more veggies that can in turn create a waistline friendly result that will make you smile.

Have an appetizer before your meal. Just be sure it is low-calorie and contains a lot of water, like soup or fiber, like salad. This will help you eat less over all. Remember to choose carefully and beware of cheese and high-fat dressings.

Try something exotic once a week. Something that is not familiar to you. Maybe a guava (112 calories per cup) or jicama (49 calories per cup). People don?t tend to over eat unfamiliar foods.

As you begin, taste and savor every bite. This slower eating experience will reacquaint you with the pleasure of eating, which is important when you?re consuming less.

Downsize your plates and bowls. By eating on smaller dishes it may help you consume less food. Researchers from Cornell University served snack mix in two different size bowls. A large one and a smaller one. The study showed that subjects took 53 percent more snack mix from the larger bowl.

In a second study at the University of Illinois at Urbana, juice was served in two different size glasses. One was short and wide and the other tall and skinny. Both glasses held the same amount of juice but the subjects who drank from the tall and skinny ones (which looked larger) poured themselves less juice.

Balance every meal with a serving of vegetables. Vegetables fill you up so you don?t tend to go back for second helpings.

And last but not least, make an accomplishment list at the end of each day. It will help you track what is and isn?t working in your diet. It will also help to acknowledge each success that will eventually lead to more.

With a little planning, choosing the right foods and becoming aware of portion sizes you can obtain the weight loss success you desire. Remember anything is possible if you believe it can happen.

Copyright ? 2005 Treadmill Info.com All Rights Reserved.

This article is supplied by http://www.treadmill-info.com where you will find valuable information, ratings, reviews, articles and buying tips before you make the investment in quality fitness equipment. For more fitness related articles go to: http://www.treadmill-info.com/articles1.html

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If you?re just starting out on a diet for the first time, there are certain things you should know in order to ensure that you not only get the best results from your diet but also that you maintain your health during the process.

One of the first things you should do, ideally before you even start on a diet, is to see your family physician. This is especially true if you have not had a check-up within the last year or if you experience any type of health condition such as diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure/cholesterol. Taking the time to discuss your diet plans with your physician can help you to ensure that you stay healthy while dieting.

You should also make a point to determine your exact goals when embarking on a weight loss program. Ask yourself how much weight you want to lose and whether the time frame you have set for yourself is realistic. Remember that your diet plans won?t be very beneficial if you find that you are not able to stick with them because your goals are unrealistic. It is far better to plan to lose a smaller amount of weight within a reasonable amount of time.

In order for your diet plans to be effective, you will need to face the reality that some changes will need to be made within your life. Facing these facts upfront can help your diet be more successful and help you to feel better about yourself during the process. Make plans now to engage in a regular fitness routine at least two to three times per week and switch from high calorie foods to healthier, lower calorie low fat foods. Portion control is a great way to knock off a few pounds, but if you want to make changes that will last a lifetime; plan to change the way you eat as well as how much you eat.

Take the time to study the many different types of available and choose one that you will be able to stick with for longer than a week. Ideally, the best weight loss programs involve eating habits that you can stick with for life. Steer away from fad diets or diets that will be impossible to live with, as constant diet changes and yo-yo dieting can do far more damage than good.

Many people find that the success level of their diet directly correlates to the amount of support present within their lives. When you begin your diet, sit down with your friends and family members and explain your plans and goals to them. Explain how they can help you to reach your goals. Consider asking a friend or co-worker to serve as a weight loss buddy who can help you to stick to your goals, even when the going gets tough. This will be especially important when you run into situations in which you might be tempted to give into emotional eating, one of the number one reasons why people binge on their diets.

By taking a sensible approach to your diet plans, you can be sure to reach your weight loss goals safely and successfully.

About The Author
Joey Dweck is the Founder & CEO of http://WeightLossBuddy.com a website committed to 24/7 support, expert advice, and helping people find a buddy(s) who will support their effort to lose weight, and live a healthier lifestyle. And it's all Free. Sign up for the Free 4-Part E-Course ?Losing For Good? http://www.weightlossbuddy.com.

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Yes, there have been changes in the face of fitness. Literally? the changes are on my face!

This is yet another true confession of a lifestyle fitness coach.

During August's marginally sweltering heat, while most were off in vacation bliss and splendor, the heat of drums was heard in NYC. All who were in the know awaited the results of yours truly LIPOSUCTION! What's that? Liposuction! You say! On a trainer, no less! Well, it wasn't your usual Nicole Smith kind of slimming program. No, it was a liposuction of the eyes. Medically termed 'blepharoplasty.' It's a procedure where the physician removes a small part of the fat pad of the lower &/or upper lid, allowing for more space so the puffiness (water retention) around the eyes disappears. My swelling was worst in winter and 'they' say it's probably caused by allergies, heredity, that old culprit gravity and lets not forget age. (Exercise cures everything but eye bubbles!)

If your next question is But why did you do it, Deb? I thank you for your kindness. But my eyes were the only way I gave away my age. And I felt I needed my eyes to match the rest of me. If eyes be the window to your soul ?I'll be the first to admit that I'm an old soul. But why wear your soul on your sleeve, er face?

Oh oh, there's something else that I have to confess. You know that frown line that kept you doing everything I would tell you, and adding a few more reps than you really wanted to ?just because I looked so serious? Well, it's gone! Permanently (hopefully). Don't even think that this will make me easier on any of you. I haven't lost an ounce of seriousness only the frown and eye bubbles! So, instead of having continuous ongoing treatments of the deadly botox toxin (it's devirulized), I chose to have those muscles clipped. Based on the strength of those muscles I hope it doesn't slow down my metabolism too much.

Since I have started working as part of the team with a number of New York City's top plastic surgeons, the opportunity presented itself through Dr. Mauro Romita, in a perfect time window. Getting training results with clients and staff has its rewards!

Now, back to the age thing. July of next year I will be turning 50 (gasp!) So this is another step I needed to take to fulfill my mission. Looking upon my life and my journey, I can be proud and say I am a very real and true fitness role model. Proof of the benefits of exercise, healthy living and good nutrition. I've remained true to my fervent belief that without health?you just can't live life to its fullest! I hope to inspire and motivate all whose lives I am privileged to enter and affect. And hope to continue to do so for a very, very long time. Since we are all involved in the process of becoming our best through the health, wellness and fitness process if anyone cares to discuss the process further with me, feel free to ask for more information. This procedure is basically painless and you can go back to work and walking (with sunglasses) after 3-4 days. Exercise takes 2 weeks.

Deborah Caruana RN, MES, PT

DEBORAH is a highly respected authority in personal training for overall health and fitness, with more than 22 years of experience and success. Her credentials include...

Currently licensed Registered Nurse specializing in Rehabilitative Nursing Medical Exercise Therapist: certified by AAHFRP, an internationally recognized physical rehabilitation certification Maternity Specialist Pre & Post Natal certified by Maternal Fitness Personal Fitness Specialist: certified by NASM, an internationally recognized certification Yoga Teacher Professional Health Member, National Organization of Fitness Instructors (IDEA), a leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals Deborah Caruana RN, MES, PT

http://www.vitalsignsfitness.com

EMAIL: deb@vitalsignsfitness.com

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