Author: Margaret Paul, Ph.d.
If you are a junk food junkie or you often don’t eat well and are unconcerned with health and nutrition, why is this? Everyday we read about or see on TV how sugar, soft drinks, many kinds of fats, fried foods, factory farmed foods, devitalized, packaged and processed food, pesticide laden food, and other kinds of junk food cause illness. What causes you to ignore the research and go right on eating badly?
Continue reading ‘Feeling the Effects of Food’
The South Beach diet was developed by a practicing cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston. Dr Agatston did not initially set out to develop a weight-loss plan. He simply got frustrated when his patients, when following the standard, low-fat American Heart Association diet, failed to lose weight or improve their blood chemistry. He then developed a new diet specifically for his patients, which later became the basis for The South Beach Diet, an international best seller. The South Beach Diet was first published in April 2003 and has been on the New York Times best seller list for more than 96 consecutive weeks, with more than 8.5 million copies in print. It was #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list for 38 weeks.
The diet is formulated on the premise that many of us are addicted to carbohydrate foods. Many experts commented that the South Beach diet is really just a revised version of the Atkins Diet. Both of these diets kick off with a first stage designed to get rid of addiction to high levels of carbohydrate consumption. The South Beach diet varies from Atkins in that it consists of three instead of four phases. While the first and last phases of both diets are very similar, the middle two phases of the Atkins Diet has been replaced by a single stage in the South Beach Diet. As result of this difference the typical rate at which South Beach followers lose weight is lower than that of Atkins followers, but fans claim that the South Beach diet is easier to stick to since it offers greater variety at an earlier stage in the diet.
The South Beach Diet is introduced as a balanced weight-loss and maintenance plan that encourages people to eat a variety of foods, such as lean sources of protein, reduced fat cheeses and dairy products, legumes, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and good fats like olive and canola oil. Snacking is encouraged along with approved sweet treats and desserts on a daily basis. The glycemic index (is a ranking system for carbohydrates based on their effect on blood sugar) plays a critical role in the diet, as it forms the basis for Agatston’s advice on how to choose the best carbohydrates to accompany a meal. The concept of the glycemic index (considered with the actual glycemic load) is generally accepted as a crucial component of healthy diets nowadays.
Continue reading ‘Review of the South Beach Diet’
Brittany Sauser (for MIT Technology Review) wrote a very interesting article on what may potentially be the silver bullet we are all hoping for! This new drug, developed by Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, is referred to as SRT1720, and it delivers all the health benefits of diet and exercise without any of the effort!
European scientists, led by professor Johan Auwerx at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), in Switzerland, have found that mice fed on a high-fat, high-calorie diet and prevented from exercising regularly, can be protected against weight gain and metabolic disorders when given SRT1720. The treatment even increases the animals’ running endurance and reduced cholesterol levels.
Continue reading ‘In the near future – a real and healthy weight loss pill?!’
1. Drink plenty of water. It is very important to drink 8-10 glasses of water every day, whether you are trying to lose weight or not. Water is required by all of the systems in your body to function correctly. If you are dehydrated, your body will try to protect you in all sorts of ways, including retaining as much water as it can. Without water, therefore, your body can also not get rid of the excess fat and toxins while you are trying to lose weight. There are many more reasons for developing a love for water, which we will discuss as a topic all by itself. For know, also keep in mind that your body often confuses hunger with thirst. By making sure that you are properly hydrated, you will be in a better position to control your food portions!
2. Try new types of water. Most people don’t like the idea of drinking 8-10 glasses of plain water each day. Try different types. Maybe you like sparkling waters better. Maybe club soda or even different flavoured waters to add some variety. Just be careful to check the energy contents of the drinks.
3. Be careful of white foods. In general, white foods are best avoided when you want to lose weight. This includes white bread, white rice, white pasta, white sugar and even white fruits. Rather find healthier substitutions that contain whole grains and lots of extra vitamins and minerals. Not only will it look more appetizing, but it will also taste better.
Continue reading ‘General tips on nutrition’
1. Your goal should be to be healthy, not thin. Never get so obsessed with losing weight that it affects your health of your quality of life. Work on a sustainable plan for healthy living and start enjoying your life!
2. Balance your energy requirements and your intake. It is important for you to develop a healthy balance between the numbers of calories / kilojoules (energy) that you consume each day and the energy your body needs to sustain your current lifestyle. The better the balance, the healthier you will be. Increasing exercise and eating smaller portions of healthy food will also help your body to use up the consumed energy more effectively, and convert some of the stored fat into energy. The end result…you lose weight at a faster rate.
3. Keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat. Charts and web-sites often suggest your ideal weight based on height alone, and do not take into account muscle mass. Never risk losing muscle to attain your target weight. When you feel healthy and comfortable with yourself, stop trying to lose and switch to maintenance mode.
Continue reading ‘More general diet and weight loss tips’
Contact Us|Privacy
Terms of Use|Anti-Spam
©
All Rights Reserved
a member of The JahLli Group
