Dangers Of Crash Dieting

December 30, 2007

You need lose weight quickly to fit into a skimpy skirt for a date or to look stunning in an evening gown for a dance.  What do you do? Easy, go on a crash diet. This is a sure thing which most people believe. But they are WRONG.

Crash dieting can end up making you heavier and it takes a toll on your overall health. Some may shed a little weight but the results won’t last long. Such diets can be detrimental to your health and well-being. It is proven that people gain more weight after crash dieting.

When you crash diet, you leave the body hungry, depriving it from the essential nutrients needed for sustenance and overall functioning of the organs. You end up feeling weak, tired and exhausted. This bad diet depletes the body of stored nutrients and you land up with hair loss, dry and dull skin, chipped nails and stones in the gall bladder. As you continue down this crash dieting road, it depletes your calcium level and you slowly move towards osteoporosis.

“Maple Syrup Diet” became popular after singer Beyonce Knowles said that it helped her lose weight for her movie role. The ingredients of maple syrup are simply a mixture of syrup, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and water. This was taken to replace a dinner meal. No doubt it causes a calorie deficit, but does not deliver enough nutrients to the body nor does it allow the body to function naturally. Find out more information related to this topic.


Protein Supplement Versus Protein Foods

December 4, 2007

Are protein supplements really better than protein foods? Before attempting to answer this question, I should first preface it by mentioning that I do not sell supplements, nor am I associated with any supplement company, so you’re getting an honest and unbiased opinion. Don’t get me wrong; I am not anti-supplement by any means. It would simply be more accurate to say that I am “pro-food.” There are a lot of good supplements on the market, and I’ve used many of them, including a multi vitamin, creatine and essential fatty acid (EFA) supplements such as Flaxseed oil. Protein powders and meal replacements can also be indispensable if you don’t have time to eat every three hours. However, protein supplements are not the master key to your success, real food is!

Did you ever notice how articles about protein in certain bodybuilding magazines are seldom objective? Instead, they all seem to be slanted towards hyping some “revolutionary” new product. Did you ever wonder why? In my opinion, most articles on protein supplements are nothing more than thinly disguised advertisements (some very thinly). Sometimes they give you a very persuasive-sounding argument, replete with dozens of references from scientific studies (mostly done on rodents, of course). They even give you an 800 number at the end of the article to order. (How convenient!)

When protein manufacturers throw around fancy words like cross flow microfiltration, oligopeptides, ion-exchange, protein efficiency ratio, biological value, nitrogen retention and glycomacropeptides, it sure sounds convincing, especially when scores of scientific references are cited. But don’t forget that the supplement industry is big business and most magazines are the supplement industry. Lyle McDonald, author of “The Ketogenic Diet,” hit the nail on the head when he wrote “Unfortunately, the obsession that bodybuilders have with protein has made them susceptible to all kinds of marketing hype. Like most aspects of bodybuilding (and the supplement industry in general), the issue of protein is driven more by marketing hype than physiological reality and marketing types know how to push a bodybuilder’s button when it comes to protein “

Many nutrition “experts” (read: people who sell supplements), state that there are distinct advantages of protein supplements (powders and amino acid tablets) over whole foods. For example, they argue that whey, a by-product of the cheese-making process, is a higher quality protein than most whole food sources. There are many different methods of determining protein quality, including biological value (BV), protein efficiency ratio (PER), Net Protein Utilization (NPU), chemical score, and protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS). If you have ever seen advertisements for protein powders and supplements, you have undoubtedly heard of one or more of these measures of protein quality.

BV is one of the most commonly used and is arguably, the best measure of a protein’s quality. BV is based on how much of the protein consumed is actually absorbed and utilized by the body. The higher the amount of protein (nitrogen) that is actually retained, the greater the BV. If a protein has a BV of 100, it means that all of the protein absorbed has been utilized with none lost. Whole eggs score the highest of all foods with a BV of 100, while beans have a BV of only 49.

Protein quality is certainly an important issue, but it is one that has been enormously overstated and even distorted for marketing purposes. Whey protein is truly an excellent protein with a biological value at or near 100. Many advertisements list whey as having a BV between 104 and 157, but if you look in any nutrition textbook it will tell you that it is impossible to have a BV over 100. In “Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism,” BV is defined as “a measure of nitrogen retained for growth and/or maintenance that is expressed as a percentage of nitrogen absorbed.”

When a protein supplement is listed as having a BV over 100, the company has intentionally manipulated the number for marketing purposes or unintentionally confused BV with another method of rating protein quality. Certain whey proponents claim that whey is “superior to whole egg” so the percentage sign on BV had to be dropped and the scale extended beyond 100. It was noted by bodybuilding writer Jerry Branium in IRONMAN magazine that in a study where the BV of whey was reported to be 157, the author confused BV with chemical score. Chemical score is a comparison of the amino acid pattern in an ideal reference protein to a test protein and therefore the number can exceed 100. 157 was actually the chemical score and not the BV. More


Optinum Way Of Balancing Your Intake

November 25, 2007

If we have been ideally good, as well as wish to have certain we stay that approach, have certain you’re removing all a nutrients we need to keep physique as well as essence together.

  • Prevent anaemia, that causes tired as well as worry concentrating. This usual condition is customarily caused by miss of iron, that is found in beef, immature veg( such as peas as well as spinach), pulses, as well as eggs.
  • Deficiency of B vitamins can lead to miss of appetite as well as basin. Have certain you’re removing sufficient by eating shaggy immature veg, beef, fortified breakfast cereal, marmite, as well as wholemeal bread.
  • Essential greasy acids have been indispensable for a brain as well as haughtiness cells to work scrupulously. Eat greasy fish( e. g. mackerel, tuna, sardines, or salmon) twice a week, as well as supplement a couple of seeds to your diet as well.
  • Avoid caffeine in a evenings as this can disaster up your nap patterns. Steer transparent of coffee, tea, as well as colas.
  • Watch your ethanol money coming in, as complicated drinkers can humour from the antidepressant goods.

Good Food Sets The Right Mood

November 23, 2007

A full of health, offset diet is a single of a simple foundations of ubiquitous good being, as well as should strengthen we from nutritive deficiencies which can leave we feeling irked, cleared out, or unequivocally down.

If you’re already feeling a bit indisposed or unwell, try your hardest to eat full of health, unchanging dishes. Keeping your red blood sugar levels solid creates we some-more enterprising as well as reduction dull, as well as might even progress serotonin levels in a brain. This is most appropriate way is by eating starchy dishes( bread, pasta, rice, potatoes), rsther than than vast quantities of honeyed things, since a simply engrossed sugarine gives we an primary pour out though is followed by a drop in levels. Eat something for breakfast, as well as do not jump over dishes.

Keep junk food to a smallest, since rarely processed dishes have been mostly low in necessary vitamins as well as minerals, which have been indispensable to keep we as well as your shaken complement in tip-top condition. That’s not to contend which a occasional provide is banned, so do not kick yourself up if we have a occasional image of chips or club of chocolate.


Avoid Junk Food

November 21, 2007

It is crucial that junk food should be avoided. They provide empty calories and devoid of nutrients. But we still continue to relish them as often as possible. But to sustain and maintain a good life we need to eat balanced meals.

Here is a list of foods that don’t fall under the balanced meal programme:

  1. Burgers
  2. Fries
  3. Pizza
  4. Doughnuts
  5. TV Dinners
  6. Packaged Lunches
  7. Canned Soup
  8. Processed Meat
  9. Sugary Cereal
  10. Deep Fried Meat

Adding Calcuim To The Diet

November 19, 2007

1. Nonfat milk: One cup of nonfat (skim milk or fat-free) milk provides 306mg of calcium, is low in calories and loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, which boosts the absorption of calcium. Instead of reaching for can of sugar-laden soda, try an ice-cold glass of chocolate-flavored milk.

2. Ricotta Cheese: One cup of part-skim ricotta cheese delivers 669mg of calcium, more than either cottage cheese or milk. At 336 calories per cup, it’s still a great calcium choice. This fresh, soft, snowy-white cheese has a mild, slightly sweet flavor and is low in fat and sodium. Make lasagna, cheesecake and other desserts with it. It also makes a good substitute for cottage cheese, which has only 156mg of calcium per cup.

3. Yogurt: Plain yogurt made with skim milk has 488mg of calcium and 137 calories per eight-ounce serving. Top with fresh fruit, sweeten with a little honey and you’ve got a perfect afternoon snack.

4. Calcium-Fortified Soymilk: One eight-ounce glass of calcium-fortified soymilk contains approximately 300mg of calcium and has 130 calories per cup, which is comparable to dairy milk. It’s also low in fat and is dairy, lactose- and cholesterol-free. Pour soymilk on your breakfast cereal, make creamy soups with it, or enjoy a soothing cup of warm vanilla soymilk before bedtime

5. Tofu: Easy to digest and high in protein, a one-half cup of firm tofu prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari) provides 253mg of calcium and only 88 calories. Tofu contains little fat and sodium and no cholesterol. Add it to stir-fries, soup, noodle dishes, and salads. Tofu has a bland flavor, but it absorbs flavors from other ingredients.

6. Spinach: One cup is of Popeye’s favorite cooked is only 41 calories and gives you 245mg of bone-building calcium. Spinach is great in soups, or mix it in a fresh salad for a light dinner. Other dark leafy greens such as kale, turnips, and collard greens are also high in calcium.

7. Sardines: A 3.75-ounce serving of canned sardines with bones gives you 191 calories and 351mg of calcium. This tasty, little salt-water fish is a special ingredient in tangy pasta sauces. Use it to spice up spreads, dips, and dressings. Salmon is also a good source of calcium.

8. Swiss cheese: What’s more delicious than a slice of fresh, creamy Baby Swiss cheese for a slightly nutty and sweet, melt-in-your-mouth treat? No need to feel guilty when you eat it in moderation. One ounce of Swiss cheese provides 204mg of calcium. It also contains 108 calories and 5 grams of saturated fat, so portion control is key. Mozzarella, parmesan and cheddar are also good choices. Cut calories and fat by using reduced-fat versions of your favorite cheese.

9. Legumes: Rich in protein, carbohydrates, folate and fiber, legumes, or dried beans, are also quality sources of calcium. A one cup serving of small white beans has 191mg of calcium and 307 calories. Soybeans and navy beans are other good choices.

10. Almonds: A one-ounce (23 nuts)-, 164-calorie-serving of these heart-healthy nuts provides 70mg of calcium and 50 percent of the RDA for vitamin E. Almonds are cholesterol-free, low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat, the “good” fat that can help lower your “bad” cholesterol. Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, and walnuts also provide a good dose of calcium.

Sheri Strykowski is a freelance journalist who specializes in health, fitness and lifestyle. Her articles have appeared in The Chicago Tribune, Lerner newspapers and National Safety Council publications. She is also a content expert who has built over 40 websites for a Fortune 100 company.


Vegetarian Diet-The Healthy Balanced Meal

November 10, 2007

A vegetarian diet provides a wide range of health benefits. Research shows that vegetarians suffer less from many of the diseases associated with the typical Western diet, including obesity, coronary heart disease, hypertension, type II diabetes, diet-related cancers, biventricular disease, constipation and gall stones.

Vegetarian Diets Follow Dietary Guidelines:

A typical vegetarian diet reflects most of the dietary recommendations for healthy eating, being low in saturated fat and high in fibre, complex carbohydrates, and fresh fruit and vegetables.

Vegetarian diets Lower in Fat/Lipids -Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in total fat. Taber & Cook (1980) found lacto-ovo vegetarians to consume an average of 35% of energy as fat, compared to omnivores consuming over 40% of energy as fat. A study of the diets of a group of French vegetarians found they had a daily intake of 25% less fat than non-vegetarians (Millet, 1989).

Vegetarians also tend to eat proportionally more polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat compared with non-vegetarians. Animal products are the major sources of dietary saturated fat.

U.S. Vegetarian Health: Data from the Adventist Health Study- This is the only major, ongoing study on the general health and mortality of vegetarians in the U.S. Data was collected from 1976-1988. Of the 34,192 participants, all members of the Seventh-day Adventist church:
” 29% were vegetarian. ” 7-10% of the vegetarians were vegan. Compared to the non-vegetarians the above vegetarians had about:
” 1/2 the high blood pressure and diabetes
” 1/2 the colon cancer
” 2/3 the rheumatoid arthritis and prostate cancer
” Breast, lung, & uterine cancers tended to be lower in vegetarians but could have been due to random chance.

Source


Balancing Good Health

November 2, 2007

The Balance of Good Health (BGH) is a pictorial representation of the recommended balance of foods in the diet. It shows the types of foods and the proportion in which they should be eaten to have a well balanced healthy diet.

BGH applies to most people, including children over five years of age. Young children under the age of two, have slightly different nutritional requirements for growth and development. For this reason they need the energy and vitamins that fat and fatty foods like full fat milk and dairy products provide. 

Balancing Good Health is based on five food groups. Choosing a variety of foods from the first four groups every day will provide the body with the wide range of nutrients which it needs. Foods in the fifth group – foods containing fat and foods containing sugar - are not essential to a healthy diet but add extra variety, choice and palatability to meals. This group of foods should form the smallest part of the diet. http://www.wiredforhealth.gov.uk


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.