Secrets Of Effective Diets

Japanese Diet

2011-02-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Japanese are have the longest life in the world, which many attribute to the Japanese diet. But what is less well known is that Japanese women have the lowest rates of obesity (only 2.9 per cent) in modern world.

In Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat the author shares with readers the basic elements of the Japanese approach to eating stating that her book is “not a diet plan but a whole new way of falling in love with food”.

The Japanese Diet Basics

The expressiveness is on small portions of fresh seasonal food. Dieters are advised to value quality over quantity and to eat slowly so as to appreciate the taste of the food and reach a feeling of satisfaction with less food.

A major factor of the Japanese way of eating is to eat until 80 per cent full. In addition a great deal of expressiveness is placed on presentation and making the food look beautiful and appealing to the eye.

Dairy and bread are not part of the diet and when beef and chicken are included in meals they are regarded more as condiments rather than the main focus of the meal. Fresh fruit is the preferred dessert however if a richer dessert is eaten it is in very small amount.

In Japan breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day and is often the largest.The Japanese power breakfast, consists of miso soup, rice, egg or fish, vegetables, fruit and green tea.

Recommended Foods:

Fish such as salmon and mackerel.
Rice (preferably brown).
Vegetables including daikon radish and sea vegetables.
Noodles (soba, udon, ramen, somen).
Soy (tofu, miso, soy sauce, endamame).
Tea preferably green.
Fruit such as Fuji apples, tangerines, and persimmons.

Sample Diet Plan:

Breakfast
Miso Soup
1 cup white rice
1 egg
Nori seaweed strips
Green tea

Lunch
Teriyaki fish
Rice
Asian greens
Green tea

Snack
Fuji Apple

Dinner
Chicken
Rice
Miso soup
Sea vegetables with tofu

Evening Snack
Tangerine

Exercise Recommendations

It is not enough to eat like a Japanese woman but it is necessary to adopt similar lifestyle habits. The Japanese achieve a lot of physical activity by simple actions such as walking, climbing stairs and using a bicycle to run errands rather than relying on taxi.

Summary:
No calorie counting.
Encourages freshly prepared meals based on whole foods.
Provides clear instructions on how to prepare the Japanese foods that are the foundation of the diet.
Encourages a balanced breakfast every day, which will reduce the likelihood of cravings or overeating later in the day.
Good for dieters who like to experiment with different flavors and cuisines.

Disadvantages
Very restrictive. Some dieters may be intimidated by the prospect of such a dramatic change in dietary style compared to a Western diet.
Will require more time to be spent on meal preparation.
May be difficult to get all the recommended ingredients.
Lacking specific guidelines for meal planning. Need to watch portion sizes.
Some dieters may not do well with the high amounts of carbohydrates from rice and noodles that are mostly based on refined wheat flour.
Difficult to follow for those who are on a sodium restricted diet.
Largely addressed towards women even though the plan is suitable for men as well.
Conclusions

This is a healthy and balanced approach to eating particularly if brown rice is selected as the major source of complex carbohydrates in the diet and if generous portions of vegetables and fruit are included in the daily diet.

However, it is important to be aware that there is no magic to Japanese foods and if dieters are to be successful it will be necessary to pay attention to portion sizes and limit calorie rich foods in the diet.

How To Lose Weight Easily

2009-04-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

Finding out how to lose weight is not an easy task for many of us, particularly thinking about that the shortest path to weight loss is different for everyone. Sure, the common denominator is always proper diet and exercise, which not only help in weight loss, but also keep a body healthy. No doubt you have heard it before — the challenge is to follow through. Others have lost weight by following these simple guidelines. So can you.

How to lose weight. Follow these 6 simple rules in your fighting for a perfect body:

What You Will Need:

* Food and exercise journals
* Healthy foods
* Health cookbooks

1. Set small, sober aims. If you have a lot of excess weight, try for five pounds, relax a bit and then go for five more.
2. Start a regular exercise program and stick with it. Then, if doesn't work, sneak in additional exercise (plus to your regular program). For example you can park at the far end of the parking lot and walk a bit; walk up the stairs instead of the elevator.
3. Don't forget that healthy foods are an important thing in losing weight. Eat healthy fats from nuts, seeds and olive oil, and high-fiber foods: vegetable salads and whole-grain pastas.
4. Choose foods that you love. Learn to cook healthy food, low-calorie foods that taste good by checking healthy cook books or web sites for new recipes. Eating well doesn't have to mean eating bad. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. This way, your organism starts to increase its metabolism so that calories are burned faster. Also, mini-meals can prevent overeating.
5. Plan ahead. Keep your refrigerator stocked with healthful food and you'll be less likely to run out for high-calorie, high-fat junk food.
6. Determine your favorite snack time and be sure to have plenty of healthful options available when you get hungry. But don't eat cookies and sweeties for snack as many people like to do :) Keep a food diary. It will help you pinpoint where you can improve your diet.

Are Meal Replacements The Best Way To Lose Weight ?

2009-01-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

Many of us think that meal replacements are the best way to lose weight because they help shrink your stomach.

Meal replacements, like Slimfast or other similar very low calorie diets, usually come in the form of a high-protein, low-fat drink. Meal replacement plans are designed to be followed for a short period of time – weeks or sometimes even days – and they encourage fast weight loss. These plans, which usually provide around 600 calories per day, replace normal foods and are intended to kickstart your diet by providing concentrated nutrients in one low-calorie ‘meal’.

The plans may be used in different ways. Some use the meal replacements for up to a week without any food, whilst others use them for several weeks replacing 1 or 2 meals a day and eating a normal meal in the evening. Whilst they may be useful to those who are clinically obese or who can’t lose weight on conventional diets, it is important that these plans are never used for longer than 4 weeks. They are designed to help kickstart your diet only and don’t provide enough calories for long-term nutrition.

The Department of Health has expressed concern over the safety of these diets for people with heart and kidney disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes and gout. They also advise against use for pregnant or breastfeeding women, children, infants adolescents or elderly people.

CAN I HAVE SUGAR, FAT OR ALCOHOL ON A DIET?

2008-11-07T04:31:00.000-08:00

Many well-known facts about how we should behave ourselves on a diet are far from fact. There are many delusions that people believe in but they are not true - sit down while you eat, cut out the carbs, sugar is the enemy - and many other stories.

The main aim of a diet is to eat fewer calories than you need to maintain your current weight. For most of us who want to lose weight permanently, we should go on a diet or eating plan that is nutritionally sound, tasty and not based on a single or limited range of foods.

A realistic diet will not restrict certain foods or ingredients (especially our favourite ones) like fat, sugar and alcohol across the board, as this will only make you feel deprived. For many people, an eating plan that does not allow the occasional treat is a short-lived one. Besides, if you severely restrict your calories while dieting, then once you stop the diet and begin to eat these foods again (and it is inevitable), you will likely gain the weight back. This is because your metabolism slowed during the diet and you won’t be able to efficiently burn the amount of calories you’re now consuming.

Because many people find they can stick to a long-term diet if they are allowed the odd sugary ‘treats’, many successful weight loss programmes, such as Weight Watchers, allow sweets. If you have a sweet tooth or drink alcohol regularly, the most effective way to reduce your intake is to phase out these items gradually. This might mean cutting down on ‘visible sugar,’ such as the pure kind you put in tea or coffee. For alcohol, it might mean alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones.

How to Lose Weight Drinking Juices

2008-10-02T04:08:00.001-07:00

Juicing is when you combine foods in a juicing machine to extract their juices for drinking. A simple example would be to purchase oranges and use a juicer to produce orange juice.

Juicing can help you lose weight in a very nutritious and effective way. The best of all is that… juicing allows you to shed some extra pounds while getting rid of toxins. If you want to lose weight with juices and want to maximize the results use the following metods.

1. You have to buy a juicing machine.
2. Using dark greens, like spinach, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, asparagus, celery, and cucumber, you can create combinations to increase your vitamin intake. They are great for any weight loss regimen and to detoxify - internal cleansing. The last three vegs are diuretics as well, if you need to lose water weight.
3. Before each meal drink a glass of vegetable juice. This helps to cut back your appetite.
4. You might want to try to go veggie! Try not to substitute meat with high-fat, or high calorie foods. Remember that fresh foods have a lot less salt and preservatives, and more vitamins, than canned or even frozen foods.
5. Add ground hot spices that may help stimulate your metabolism to the juice- cayenne, pepper, allspice, and cinnamon can be great additions. You could also make the juice beforehand and infuse it with whole spices. Be sure to strain it, though, unless you like swallowing peppercorns or the like.
6. Veg Subway Sandwiches on whole grain bread are good for take out if you are away from home at mealtimes.

* Keep away from coriander and basil, which are herbs that can stimulate your appetite.
* Avoid bottled fruit juices (ex: Tropicana, Minute Maid, etc.); they are high in sugar content.
* Do not drink more than two oz. of undiluted green vegetable juice at a time or you will have nasty digestive symptoms.

Juice Diet Is Very Healthy. Want To Know Why?

2008-09-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

1. Carrot - is a perfect source of provitamin A. You can mix carrots with greens, beets, daikon, and celery. Occasionally people will toss in cucumbers. It is necessary to drinc carrot juice with cream. Cream helps provitamin A to be digested.

2. Beets - considered a blood builder/blood purifier. It is a powerful cleanser. Do not drink this alone. You should mix it with greens, celery, and daikon or carrots. It is important to note tat beet juice can color your bowels movement.

3. Celery - you should use this in small amounts although very tasty it is also high in sodium.

4. Zucchini Squash - you will love eating this raw and it is also tasty when it is juiced.

5. Cabbage - cabbage juice tastes good mixed with other vegetables. Cabbage juice was used by Dr. Garnett Cheney, M.D. to cure his patients of peptic ulcers. They drank it daily and were cured in half the time. The American Cancer Society has been urging people to eat more cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli) because of their protective effects against cancer.

THE TWENTY-MINUTE DIET

2008-09-25T03:57:00.000-07:00

To go far in losing weiht JUST CHANGE YOUR WAY OF THINKING and you will succeed in it.

Put your hands up who ended another hard week at work with a takeaway, or mended a broken heart with a tub of Häagen-Dazs? I think all of us do that.

We are wired to eat more through hard times, say Sandy Newbigging and Amanda Hamilton, authors of the new book, Life-Changing Weight Loss.

“Research has shown that negative thought patterns are hundred % responsible for overeating,” says Amanda.

“Simple self-analysis will free you from the thinking that is behind your expanding waistline.”

So here is a brain detox that will help you beat overeating for good.

1. TAKE THE WEIGHT OFF YOUR MIND

Can not shift the pounds, doesn't matter what you do? It could be because you are telling yourself to hold on to the weight. Loopy as it sounds, you can actually think your body fat.

“Studies have proven that your mind has the power to make your body believe what it is told,” explains Sandy. “So if you think you are doomed to be overweight always, that is exactly what you will be.”

Time to find out what you are saying to yourself – score out of ten how much you agree with the following statements:

1 I have a slow metabolism
2 I can not lose weight easily
3 It is impossible to lose weight
4 Losing weight requires hard work
5 I am this weight naturally

Now look at the statement that you scored most highly. This is the negative thought that’s stopping you losing weight.

2. BEAT THE NEED TO OVEREAT

Finding your negative thoughts is the 1st step. The 2nd is to explore the real reason you overeat. Take a few minutes to write down the 5 things that have most upset you in your life.

It does not matter what they are – be it a death in the family or being dumped when you were 13 – it is how you feel about them now that counts.

Counted?

Now, note which event coincided with you first gaining weight. Think about how you felt then create a simple sentence like: “I felt vulnerable without Grandma,” or “I felt rejected by Steve.” This is the reason why you overeat.

3. BREAK THE FLAB HABIT

Now you ave established the negative thinking that is holding you back and the events in your past that have led you to comfort eat, you are set to say overeating goodbye for good.

Why? Because by facing up to your emotions, you are halfway there. To completely escape negative memories, however, you have to try this 5-minute task.
task. Fill in the following sentence:

I am not in control of my eating habits because................................

(fill in with the negative sentence you gave the highest score to in part one, or a painful memory that you identified triggered your weight gain in part two).

Read the next sentence aloud, and score how unhappy it makes you feel every time.

I rate my unhappiness about................................ out of ten. But even though I felt like that before, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.

According to Sandy and Amanda, the more times you do it, the lower your grading will be – freeing you from the negative thoughts.

4. START TO THINK THIN

Now it is time to up the ante on positive thinking by creating the ultimate reminder of just how fantastic you really are!

The more you love your body, the more you will nourish yourself with healthy, low-fat foods. It sounds unlikely but it really is proven! Use the following suggestions to make a sentence that fits you.

I AM A... a healthy, happy, loving, beautiful, funny, kind, creative, wise... mother, lover, friend, listener, wife, teacher...

I WANT TO BE SOMEONE WHO... loves myself, gets results, laughs, motivates, lives a healthy lifestyle.

Now say it out loud, every day, and be prepared to see your happiness soar, as well as your motivation to get and stay in shape.

The Way of Getting the Most Effective Diet

2008-09-10T05:27:00.000-07:00

If diets don't work, try this one. It is proven to work. But remember, it's not a quick fix.

1. Count how many fruits, veggies, carbs, proteins, dairy products and sweets you eat every day. Thereto make a food log of what you eat on an avberage day.
2. Limit your caffeine intake; it decrease your metabolism making it harder to lose weight.
3. For the first 2 weeks, stop eating all sugary foods or desserts.
4. Increase your veggie, fruit and meat intake, these are the foods that give you the most vitamins and nutrients.
5. Limit the amount of carbs you are eating. Don't cut them out completely, they are important for your health.
6. Make sure you eat at least three meals and two snacks per day.
7. Limit your calorie intake to about 1500 calories every day.
8. Attempt to do some type of cardio activity three or more times per week. Make sure to get your heart rate above 120 for a sustained time of 20 minutes or even more.

Staying Healthy Burning Fat

2008-09-05T02:48:00.000-07:00

1. Cut down on processed foods. Stick with all natural foods which have little added chemicals and preservatives. If you can not find it in nature think twice before you eat it.

2. Don't forget that fat is not as important as calories for controlling weight. Eat healthy poly-unsaturated and monounsaturated fats instead of saturated and Trans fat. The less, the better. You should not be eating more than twenty grams of saturated fat per day.

3. Eat more protein. Your body needs protein to support the muscle it has. Besides, muscle helps speed your metabolism since it requires 50 calories per day just to support a pound of muscle. Just make sure you are sticking with quality proteins such as lean fish, meats, and poultry. Whey and Soy Proteins are also good choices. Stay away from meats with high saturated fats.

4. Eat more. Yes , you cought me right. Instead of the three square meals a day, go for six micro meals to keep your metabolism geared up to burn and your insulin levels steady.

5. Control your portions by eating low energy-density foods. Foods such as fruits and vegetables have low energy density which make them less likely to be overeaten. They are also packed with nutrients such as vitamins and minerals which ensure your metabolism has the resources to do its job more efficiently.

6. Eat your protein at every meal. Spread it evenly throughout the day. This way your body is constantly using it for rebuilding all day long.

7. Limit your liquid intake. Drinks such as soda and fruit juices have tons of calories which can add up quickly without leaving you full. Switching to a diet soda can reduce the calories, but in order to become truly healthy, even these types of drinks should be avoided.

8. Do not cut out any one food group. You should be consuming protein, carbohydrates, and fat at every meal. This will keep you balanced.

9. Eat more fiber. By consuming at least thirty grams of fiber daily, you will feel fuller than you would by not eating the fiber. Fiber also helps out your health by latching on to LDL cholesterol and flushing it out of your system. Some good sources of fiber include vegetables (with the skin), fruits (with the skin), whole-grain breads, and high fiber cereals such as kashi and fiber one. One simple thing to boost fiber intake would be to eat an orange instead of drinking orange juice. It has less calories, more fiber and bound to make you feel more satisfied.

10. Drink more water. H20 is a major player in weight control. Besides being a major part of your body, water helps flush metabolic wastes keeping your metabolism charged. It also helps you feel fuller, helping you to eat less. Do not wait until you feel thirsty. Start by drinking at least a half-gallon of water per day. For active people, move up to a gallon every day.

11. Make some changes. While eating healthy is a good start, you are never going to reach your full potential for a leaner body unless you get active and start sleeping better. Aim for 7-8 hours per night more or less than that can have negative effects on your health.

12. Eat your complex grains early in the day and then stick with the water rich carbohydrates such as fruit in the evening. This has to do with the way insulin is secreted into the bloodstream.

13. Eat your meals slower. It takes about twenty minutes for your body to know when you are full. If you eat too quickly, you may have eaten too much before your body knows when the limit is reached.

14. Stay away from fast food, or at least do not eat it as often. It is a far healthier option to cook a nice meal at home.
15. Switch to lower glycemic foods.

16. Eat some fish. Fish, such as salmon, is rich in omega-3s, which is an essential fatty acid. This will help keep your heart healthy, and keep the bad fat out. Fatty fish such as salmon, halibut and shellfish help reduce the size of fat cells and help out with fat loss.

17. Exercises. This is essential if you want to burn fat!

18. Cut out all hydrogenated fats - trans fat - and high fructose corn syrup. Both are keeping you fat. They send signals to the brain telling you that you are not full even though you have eaten. This is why it is hard to drink three big glasses of water, but easy to down a two liter bottle of soda.

19. Do not starve yourself. While eating healthy is great, do not stress yourself out by not eating the foods you love some of the time. Have a piece of cake at the party. Share a beer or two at the bar. The key is moderation. Try not to overdo it and limit your cheats to once a week.

20. Be smart about what you eat.