Archive for the ‘Weight Loss Diets’ Category

Mediterranean diet – heart-healthy eating plan

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

If you’re looking for a heart-healthy eating plan, the Mediterranean diet might be right for you. The Mediterranean diet incorporates the basics of healthy eating — plus a splash of flavorful olive oil and perhaps a glass of red wine — among other components characterizing the traditional cooking style of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

Most healthy diets include fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains, and limit unhealthy fats. While these parts of a healthy diet remain tried-and-true, subtle variations or differences in proportions of certain foods may make a difference in your risk of heart disease. (more…)

Popularity: 83%

Effectiveness of Atkins Diet

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

The Atkins diet is probably one of the most famous diets in the Western world. I bet that you must have heard about it before. According to a survey in the United Kingdom, more than three million people in the country have been trying the dieting plan in 2003!
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Popularity: 100%

Diabetes diet – healthy-eating plan

Monday, April 14th, 2008

Your diabetes diet is simply a healthy-eating plan that will help you control your blood sugar.
Contrary to popular belief, having diabetes doesn’t mean that you have to start eating special foods or follow a complicated diabetes diet plan. For most people, having diabetes simply translates into eating a variety of foods in moderate amounts and sticking to regular mealtimes.
This means choosing a diet that emphasizes vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Rather than a restrictive diabetes diet, it’s a healthy-eating plan that’s naturally rich in nutrients and low in fat and calories. In fact, it’s the best eating plan for everyone.
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Popularity: 58%

The Trap Of Weight Loss Supplements

Friday, April 4th, 2008

In the hope of speeding up their metabolism, more and more people spend hundred and even thousands of dollars yearly on weight loss supplements. Often the main drive is to be attractive and accepted. Unfortunately this goal is becoming more and more difficult to achieve.

Sadly in America, more than sixty per cent of adults are overweight and thirty per cent are considered obese. This is inspite of a fitness industry which is booming and all the exercises and dieting efforts.

Many are still unable to cut that body fat, this is because: one, a lot of weight loss products promise unrealistic goals; two, some dietary supplement manufacturers rely on the overweight person’s failure to survive; and three, the information about the supplements in the market are just written by the manufacturers to make a sell.

The Food and Drug Administration has been able to successfully ban some illegal weight loss supplement marketers, unfortunately though, some of illegal products are still in the market. Some even claim to be caffeine or ephedra free. What the customers do not know is that some of these supplements contain other ingredients that may pose the same health risks, if not worse. These health risks include heart and digestive problems, headaches, insomnia, and even psychological side effects.

For most weight loss ingredients, the jury is still out. Their effectiveness in resulting to weight loss however little is still contentious. Some examples include EGCG which is a phytochemical ingredient found in green tea. This component is claimed to speed up metabolism. It has also shown the likely hood of reducing the risk of cancer.

Some studies denote that EGCG could slightly increase the potential to burn calories and now can be found in many weight loss supplements. Even though weight loss benefit could only sum up to 60 to 70 calories a day, if true, this might just help prevent excessive weight gain.

A few other significant effects of weight loss supplements is that they may contain ingredients that makers claim will prevent the absorption of carbohydrates. One good example is Chitosan, which appeared most promising, has some studies that show no positive result in fat absorption. And where it showed some result, it could even take up to seven months for men to lose just a pound of body fat; and for women, there is no fat loss at all.

Others like thyroid supplements act as thyroid replacements helping to regulate and optimize the thyroid at a higher level. This they say makes the body counter act sluggishness and lack of energy.

Since the number one reason why people eat is because they feel hungry, there is another type of ingredient that manufacturers made which increases the feeling of being full and decreases appetite, Guar Gum. However, some studies show that it has no meaningful benefit at all to weight loss.

It is ironic that some manufacturers mix Psyllium that has the reputation of reducing eating and aiding weight loss. But still initial studies so far do not support this claim although it helps control blood cholesterol and sugar.

One of the latest innovations in the fat loss industry is by way of skin absorption or transdermal delivery. There’s a gel, which is an epidril product by far the best selling in fat loss creams technology. Rub it where you want the fats cut.

For now, it will seem safer to advise the age old remedies to excessive weight gain and that is to invest on walking shoes instead of most weight loss diet supplements. Go to the park and do brisk walking, go to the gym, and have a well balanced diet instead.

Popularity: 24%