Dieting - Share Your Experience

Barney Garcia asked:


If you have been looking around for the information about detoxing, you might have found these words many a places that “detox begins with the healthy bowels”.

Having a regular and healthy bowel movement is the precondition for a problem free life. It is the bowels that are the most potent source of toxins in the body. So at any cost, we should keep the bowels clean, otherwise the whole body will be toxified once again.

Now in the extreme cases of toxicity, tools like enemas or colonic irrigations are used to displace the long impacted fecal matters from the walls of colon and intestine.

But without going through these procedures, you can get the same result through diet. Only it may take a bit longer to produce the same effect as an enema or colonic. Following a detox diet, the normal flora in the intestines may be completely washed out. You should be extremely patient in helping the bowel regenerate them with the help of probiotics to restore that balance.

Constipation and irregular or slow bowel movements are the result of unthinking loading of wrong foods and sedentary lifestyle. If the wastes are not eliminated adequately, the toxins remain in the body and are reabsorbed by the liver for recycling and elimination. This increased toxic level does not only raise the cholesterol level, it also leads to the growth of pathogenic microorganisms which soon outnumber the natural bowel floras.

But once the bowels starts to move properly again, everything else will fall into other things are taken care of.

The simplest way to induce the bowels moving once again is by consuming a high fiber diet. High fiber diet typically consists of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you want to increase the fiber content of your diet, you can have psyllium husk powder by mixing it in one glass of water. The additional fiber contents in the food add volume to the stool on the one hand and on the other hand it helps to reduce the time of bowel movement. This results in better and more toxin elimination. As more amount of toxins start to be flushed out from the system, the overall health improves.

The herbals provide the best solution for improving the bowel functions. There are many types of herbal bowel cleansers. Some of them work as bowel stimulants. Others work as laxatives.

As for example, the slippery elm is a good laxative, while the herbs like cascara sagrada or aloes and senna act as the bowel stimulant.

Herbal bowel combination formulas are considered to be the ideal solution for bowel cleansing, for these products not only encourage the bowels to move, but nourish the natural floras so that bowels resume their normal movement on their own.



Sebastian

Joseph Reimu asked:


Staying thin and healthy is a difficult challenge for most people. Unfortunately the majority of the world’s population suffers from being overweight at some level and it is important to find a way to get to a healthy weight otherwise you place yourself at risk of developing many health problems and not to mention the lack of confidence and energy associated with being overweight.

Diet is a critical component to maintaining a healthy weight. Most people actually get close to enough exercise in their life however they do eat the wrong kinds of foods and the wrong amounts and so end up accumulating too much fat. Here are some diet tips that can help you to lose weight:

Tip 1: Eat the right kind of foods

Certain foods can cause your metabolism to increase and promotes good health. Most processed and fast foods contain too many additives and chemicals and contribute to poor health and gaining extra weight. This does not mean you should eliminate junk foods especially if you like them a lot however do try to control the amounts you eat as much as possible.

Try to eat more fruits and vegetables that are freshly cooked and avoid the canned products as they do not offer nearly the same nutritional value as whole fresh fruits and vegetables. Organic foods are ideal however many people complain that they are too expensive however keep in mind that most organic foods have much greater nutritional value so you do not need to buy as much and can save money by purchasing less.

Tip 2: Eat frequently

This may sound odd that you should eat more in order to lose weight however if you understand how our bodies metabolic rates work then it makes a lot of sense. This does not mean you should stuff yourself at every opportunity however if you are hungry be sure to eat something. Starvation diets rarely work and can actually be dangerous for your health so make sure to never starve yourself. If you eat frequently your metabolism will remain at a high level since your body knows it is receiving calories regularly and does not need to slow its metabolism.

Diet is definitely a big part of staying at a healthy weight however it is still important to mention the importance of physical activity. Many people work at jobs that require a fair amount of labor so for these people they usually do not need to add much physical exercise in order to stay thin. However if you work a desk job then you will definitely want to get more active. Try to make it fun like taking up a new sport like golf or tennis or go for a walk in the park for an hour if the weather permits. Also do not ignore weight training as it can add and maintain muscle mass which burns calories continuously and is critical in order to stay strong and slow down the aging process. Consider some of these tips to help you lose weight and stay thin.



Jocelyn

Syed Rishad Mustafa asked:


Here we are going to introduce you to few healthy weight loss dieting tips. If you are on look out not for just weight loss but rather healthy weight loss then you are on the right track – this tips should really help you.

TIP #1

First thing you should do is to drink lot of water while you are on dieting. The reason for this is that while you are on quick weight loss diet you lose lot of water instead of fat. This is an ideal weight loss technique. You aim is to lose body fat and not water. Drinking lot of water would give you an idea of what actually you are losing is body fat or water.

There are other benefits of drinking water too. Increase in intake of drinking water increases one’s metabolic rate. The rate at which body burns calories is what known as metabolism. Thus drinking lot of water helps you reduce weight through your metabolism rate. If you digestion is proper then you have less chances of gaining fat.

Some people’s obesity might be due to more retentiveness of water in their bodies. The more water you drink the lesser your body retains. Our body has the mechanism of retaining water in the body when we drink less and it expels out when we drink more.

Tip #2:

Moderate levels of exercise combined along with diet plan is a secret of good health. Hence it is not very easy to keep off the weight just by sticking to a starvation diet. You need to make sure that your daily routine has a sufficient physical activity so that you can remain fit and lean in the long term.

Walking, jogging, swimming, gardening etc are some pleasant activities which are not very tiresome and also could help you provide the amount of physical activity required for you body. These activities helps in building up the tone of your muscles and thereof minimizing the accumulation of fat in the body.

Perform any of the above mentioned activities moderately without giving much strain to your body, especially in the beginning. Keeping oneself physically active not only keeps one’s body but also mind fit. It keeps you away from diabetic and other bone related problems such as arthritis as well.

Tip #3:

The last but not least diet tip I would like to give you is to eat lot of raw fruits and vegetables which indirectly acts as source of water in your body. The good thing about them is that they have very less fat. While dieting you might be depriving your body from essential nutrients thus by increasing the intake of lot of raw fruits and vegetables you could minimize this problem to a certain extent.

Serving yourself with fresh vegetables and fruits before every meal can fill your belly that you can eat much less. The fiber present in vegetables and fruits is very good for digestion. For example when you feeling like having snacks you can munch on carrot , apple or fig instead of items which adds to your body fat without supplying any potential nutrient.

Conclusion:

Additional to the above diet tips you should remember to keep yourself away from diet pills and keep yourself away from embarking on difficult diet programs which demands you to starve yourself. They can be very bad for health because in reality most of them which show up a quick weight loss is only temporary. That is in reality only water is lost and not the real fat which your body holds. So stick to above mentioned weight loss advice.

The above 3 mentioned diet tips seem to be very simple and easy but they are very effective when it comes to lose weight in a very healthy manner and on long term basis. This tips can prevent you from any type of deficiency which you might face otherwise while taking up a difficult diet plan. It also prevents your body from losing unreasonable amount of water. Therefore it is a permanent solution and not temporary for weight loss.

Here is a very useful link for those who are looking forward for a healthy weight loss plan :

www.healthy-weight-loss-plan.info



Robert

Oliver Turner asked:


Dr.Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Miami Medical School, created South Beach Diet. It was charted mainly to work with your body safely and efficiently. This system helps you to rely on right carbohydrates and fats. Thus the consumption of bad carbohydrates and fats are completely avoided. Following this diet, one could reduce his/her weight up to 8 to 13 pounds in mere 2 weeks.

The South Beach Diet consists of 3 phases:

Phase 1

The duration of first phase lasts for fourteen days. In this phase, the south beach diet recipes include normal meals consisting of chicken, fish, beef, shellfish, turkey, eggs, lots of vegetables, nuts, cheese, and garden salads using original olive oil for salad dressing. That is, every day for two weeks the dieter consumes 3 well-balanced meals. Besides this, the dieter can also have snacks between his/her breakfast and lunch. During this phase the dieter is recommended to take lots of drinking water.

However, there are several things the dieter has to avoid during the first phase of the South Beach Diet. The south beach diet recipes which are avoided in phase 1 include rice, bread, baked foods, pasta, fruits, ice cream, cookies, sugar, and cake. There is nothing to worry about eliminating all these foods as all these foods will be included into your diet in the second phase. Even though you will find it difficult to adjust o the diet, on seeing the results, you will be extremely happy that you won’t give up.

Phase 2

Phase 2 is quite different from that of Phase 1. The dieter needs to continue with the second phase until he/she has lost the desired weight. Hence, the duration of this phase will vary from one individual to the other. The length of this phase purely depends upon the individual, how he/she follow the diet program, and how his/her body reacts to the program.

It is to be noted that, by the time you start the second phase, you would have already reduced the weight by 8 to 13 pounds, provided you have strictly followed the South Beach Diet program.

One of the main advantages of South Beach Diet program is that, by following this diet program, you are not limiting your daily food; instead you are consuming foods that deposits less fat in your body. In Phase 2 some of foods you have avoided during Phase 1 will be added back. Though the weight loss during Phase 2 will not be dramatic, it will be constant. Generally, the weight loss in this phase will be around 1 to 2 pounds.

Phase 3

Phase 3 starts when you have reduced your weight to the desired level. By the time you have reached Phase 3, the diet will be similar like your normal eating habit and you can follow that for the rest of your life. In between, if you feel your weight is increasing, you only need to modify the food and the amounts slightly.

Besides reducing the body weight and reducing fats, the South Beach Diet helps to improve one’s cardiovascular system. This helps one to reduce the risk of heart attack to a great extend.

Keep in mind that the end result of South Beach Diet program purely depends on how well an individual follows the diet recommendations. Hence make sure that you follow it correctly.



Christian

Amy Wells asked:


The Atkins diet is a popular way to lose weight, and one of its principles is low carbohydrate consumption. Particularly in the beginning, or what is called the induction phase, you will be restricting your carbohydrates to less than 40 grams a day. This early restriction will help reduce carbohydrate cravings, and help you be more successful with your diet over the long term. After the induction phase, you can reintroduce carbohydrates back into you diet, usually in the form of healthy fruits and vegetables. While it takes a bit of planning, there are many Atkins diet food choices available to help you be successful.

The main cornerstone of the Atkins diet is protein. Its best to get protein from lower fat sources, such as chicken, beef, tofu or fish. While cheese and diary products also contain protein, they can often be too heavy, and should be eaten in moderation. Leaner choices are more versatile and won’t contain unnecessary carbohydrates.

After a few weeks, you can also start incorporating a wider amount of fruits and vegetables into your diet. After protein, your next mainstay will be vegetables. High fiber, lower glycemic vegetables like spinach, broccoli and salad greens will help you feel full and aid digestion. Fruits can also be added to your diet for a treat or desert, after you’re out of the induction phase. Grains, such as breads, rice, and pasta, should be eaten very sparingly, and do not make up the bulk of an Atkins plan diet.

A good way to stay focused on what is allowed with the Atkins plan is to carry a cheat sheet with you, so you can refer to it if you’re out for a snack or meal, or are out grocery shopping. Relying solely on food packaging will not give you all of the information you need. Sometimes, items labeled ‘low-carb’ may still not be the best choice on the Atkins diet. If you have a quick list to refer to, it makes it much easier.

Snacking regularly is also a good way to avoid hunger pangs and overeating. Atkins diet-friendly snacks include items like jerky strips, low carb soy chips, string cheese, and more. One thing to avoid is giving in to high carb temptations, like bread or potatoes. By stocking your cupboards with low carb foods, you’ll be more apt to stick to your diet.

While the Atkins diet can feel limiting, especially at the beginning, there are a wide variety of food you can eat. By keeping the bulk of your diet protein and high fiber vegetables, you’ll feel full, and lose weight. An occasional treat like nuts and fruit can help round out your diet. With a little planning, you will find a wide variety of foods to eat.



Gabrielle

Tracie Johanson asked:


Considering that about 65% of our population is either overweight or obese, it should come as no surprise that most Americans are actively seeking sound advice on how to choose a diet plan that’s right for them. Unfortunately, the sheer number of weight loss tips and diet tips available have made finding the right weight loss program confusing at best.

The Problem Is Too Many Choices:

There is a staggering number of diet products on the market today, from the Atkins Diet to the Zone Diet. Compounding the confusion is the vast array of weight loss pills, patches and creams available.

With so many diet and nutrition weight loss products on the market, consumers looking for health advice find themselves overwhelmed by too much information.

Sometimes, Expert Advice Poses An Even Bigger Problem:

In February 2006 a news story muddied the waters even more. The Women’s Health Initiative reported that low fat diets may not offer the health benefits we had previously thought. They researched the connection between a low-fat diet and a woman’s risk of heart disease and cancer.

Limited in the space and time they have to report on health tips and news, the media failed to report the full story. Unfortunately, the result was that most major media outlets reported the ‘Death Of The Low Fat Diet’. The average person, perhaps thinking they were getting a tip on losing weight or maintaining a healthy diet, was misled.

Reading the full study, however, revealed that the researchers did not intend to steer the public away from low fat foods or low fat recipes. Indeed, entire volumes have been written about the benefits of a low fat diet, and one narrowly focused study will not change that fact. “Despite the virtues of this study — particularly its size and its design — it is a single study, and leaves some unanswered questions. Therefore, it does not constitute the final word on the subject of nutrition in older women” (Source: Harvard Health Publications; Harvard Medical School).

Sometimes even the free medical advice from our government only serves to confuse the public. For example, consider the recent news about trans fat and saturated fat regarding food labeling requirements. For the first time in our nation’s history, food labels will now have to disclose how much trans fat is contained in the product. Added to the aforementioned research on low fat diets, these two facts bewilder and baffle the average consumer who may not understand the different types of fat in foods.

Another fine example of expert advice perplexing the public can be seen by the fact that our government has periodically changed the ideal weight chart and the recommended body fat percentage for both men and women.

So How Do Choose The Best Diet Product For You?

The first step in selecting the best diet plan for you is to find free diet information and free advice about weight control. Many reputable and reliable resources are available, one of the best being health clubs. Gyms that are focused on truly helping people achieve weight loss success will feature informative and free articles on their website. The federal government also sponsors and hosts some excellent sites that are packed with free diet information.

When seeking the best diet product for you, keep in mind that every person is unique, with separate and distinct tastes and preferences. In other words, the weight loss plan that works for you may not work for me. Some people claim that the Maker’s Diet is the best weight loss diet on the market today. Others favor the diet foods offered by the South Beach Diet. Even the best weight loss program in the world is worthless if it’s not a good match for you personally. For easy weight loss to be realized, then, it’s critical to examine many different diet products to find one that fits your individual personality.

Personalize Your Diet Plan For Optimum Results:

If you absolutely love bread, then the Atkins diet recipes will not work for you. In the same way, Weight Watcher recipes won’t help you much if you’re not an active participant in the Weight Watcher Point program. Attempting to force yourself into diet program that doesn’t fit your personality or tastes will inevitably lead to failure.

A much better approach is to find a diet system that parallels your individual preferences. Whichever diet program you select, it is important that it be a diet you can stick with for life. Forcing yourself into a diet plan that’s not right for you will only make you disappointed and discouraged.

To Lose Weight Fast, Don’t Forget Weight Loss Exercise!

As we’ve seen, the experts argue about which diet is best. It seems that every weight control system has doctors and research to back up their claims. However, it cannot be disputed that the path to healthy weight loss will always include a combination of diet and exercise. It is only when you exercise to lose weight, combined with a healthy diet and sound nutritional practices, that you can achieve true fat loss and solve your weight issue once and for all. It’s not an exaggeration to say that attempting weight management without exercise is like trying to build a house without a hammer - when you’re trying to lose fat, why leave out the most effective tool?

That being said, our sound advice on how to choose a quick weight loss diet is to remember these diet tips from Pick Up The Pace: 1) If a diet has gained national exposure, it has probably worked for someone. 2) Just because a diet has worked for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you. 3) Any given diet program can probably help somebody, but no diet program will help everybody. 4) Any fast weight loss diet must include regular exercise to be effective.



Heidi

Dr. Ken Woods asked:


It is a good idea to carry out detoxification of our bodies often. This necessarily may not mean swearing off hamburgers, French fries and beer for a couple of days. Our bodies accumulate waste and toxins that in due course of time will attack our immune system and other areas of our body hampering our normal healthy body functions. Most important is the fact that when burden of these toxins increases, they begin to rampage as free radicals, attacking the immune system and leaving our bodies susceptible to a host of opportunistic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, gastrointestinal tract problems, MS and others.

Many of us assume that a few mega-vitamins and supplements will certainly take care of us and there is some truth to this assumption but, that is not all. Our bodies do need a tune-up occasionally. A detoxification cleansing is that tune-up that our bodies require at regular interval of time to allow our system to function optimally and keep it pure.

The foods to stay away from are processed foods, foods with artificial sweetener added to it, foods fried in oil, red meat, pork, chicken, and any other critters except fish. Also avoid the diet drinks, beers, whole milk, the cereal aisle at the market and stay away from munchies, for that period.

There are many detox diet recipes available. Recipe books and recipes on internet are readily available. In fact, given the right formulas, you too can use your creativity and master the art of preparing your own detox recipes and writing your own book too.

The basic dietary pool to choose from are unprocessed foods which are rich in fiber. This should definitely include fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, brown rice, oats, raw nuts, fresh fish, fresh fruit juices and plenty of water.

Out of all these foods that you are allowed to eat while consuming detox diet, make a list of your favorite foods, then start writing out your own recipes for each meal, so you ensure yourself delicious meals well in advance. This will help you continue with your detox diet plan more effectively and also help you to develop your taste for fiber rich nutritious food.

The Mediterraneans were always aware of healthy eating habits. Mediterranean diets are very popular because most of their meals are low in fat, low in carbohydrates. There are many Greek and Turkish recipes available online that will qualify as detox diets. Different recipes for preparation of several varieties of vegetable soup using combinations of fiber and nutrient rich ingredients can be accessed from wide choice of diet sites.

Cabbage soup is a very popular and included in detox diet . It is very satisfying and gives you a feeling of fullness. This is the best part of the fiber rich food. It is very satiating and always prevents you from over eating. So is Gazpacho. A Spanish soup prepared from tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber and fresh garlic clove.

This soup is served cold. Another great detox diet recipe is called “Dave’s Detox Surprise”. This detox soup is prepared from following ingredients. Firstly 2 quarts of water is brought to a simmer. Later add to it 2 finely chopped onions, one half of a garlic clove, finely minced, four stewed tomatoes (after removing the skin) and then diced. To this add two chopped carrots, 7 ounces of sliced mushrooms, 3/4 of a cup of brown rice and two beef bullion cubes. Let this soup simmer for about one hour on a low heat, then is best, served hot.

To add to the taste serve “Dave’s Detox Surprise” along with a boiled en tree of Red pepper, sprinkled with lemon juice and a side dish of fresh green beans with mushrooms and crushed almonds. This combination would certainly be a delicious mouth watering meal!

Your food selection for preparation of any detox diet recipes that you like will certainly test your creativity. Idea of being able to eat the food you can enjoy will motivate you to stay on track and not give up the challenge. The more variety of recipes that you can come up with, the easier your detoxification process will be. It is rightly said variety is the spices of life. There is a saying in Asian culture , “A cup of brown rice is worth a thousand recipes”. More on Detoxification Diets at http://www.mastercleanse-review.com



Lorena

Andres Munoz asked:


Keeping your diet under control is the most common method in losing weight. It is a common knowledge; however many people are not successful in losing weight because of certain practices that are actually not helping the person to reach their ideal weight.

Thus, to help a person in reaching his goals and achieve the weight that he likes, he may follow these 7 diet tips to lose weight and it won’t be long before he can have fun with a more desirable body.

The first of the seven diet tips to lose weight is to set a goal. A person should have a goal so that he will know if he is still in the right track in losing weight. With a given goal, you can monitor if all your efforts are actually having any effect. You can also benefit from this if you know that you need to achieve a certain weight and you should put the necessary efforts that you need to do before you can achieve that weight you long for. The goal should also be challenging but it should remain attainable so that an effect can still be achieved.

Secondly, you must know the right foods for you from those that may harm your body. The food that one eats should be monitored since they are the ones that can add to the actual body weight of the person.

Another tip would be to eat more fruits and vegetables. These foods are good for a person on a diet since it is high in fiber that helps a person’s metabolism. With a faster metabolism, a person can digest more foods and turn more of them into energy. Also, fats will be lessened if a person can use up all the foods into energy.

Fourth of the seven diet tips to lose weight is to keep yourself eating only small servings. This will keep you from over eating. Also, once you are already full, it is easier to stop eating since you do not have too much on your plate. Once your body grows accustomed with this type of diet, you will no longer long for more foods since your body is already full.

A person should also avoid drinking liquids high in sugar. Water will still be the best way since it has no sugar and you can drink any amount and it will further help you lose weight since when you drink, you will feel less hungry. Thus, you will not crave for more food.

Also, a person on a diet should still make room for dessert during some occasions. This will help a person not to feel too much restricted. You can also give yourself a treat if you did something good like reaching the ideal weight. As long as you know how to control yourself from over eating and you follow the diet tips to lose weight, some treat can still be a healthy choice.

Lastly, all of these diet tips to lose weight would be useless if a person does not exercise. So the last tip would be to engage in a regular exercise. A diet with regular exercise can help a person reach his goals and achieve that weight desired. These are seven easy steps that can be done for a person who wants to lose weight.



Julian