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Posts Tagged ‘Dieting’

It is strange how the secrets that we try so hard to find out have already been discovered ages ago and that too in the most unlikely places and by the most unlikely people. People who lived ages ago in the East have already solved many of the puzzles of the human body.
The Indian system of medicine, which is called Ayurveda, is a wonder in itself. The explanations in this stream of science at first glance may seem far-fetched but when you really sit down and think about it, you will be astounded by the knowledge and understanding that the ancient Indian sages had. I have included a littlie bit on the Indian system of medicine that is particular to the subject of our interest, that is the diet and its control.
Now let’s get onto our weight loss quiz - education and knowledge are the most important tools in your weight-loss toolbox. So let’s find out…
How Much Do You Know?
I have included a simple test to see how much you have grasped about the proper way to control you diet. Go ahead and do the test, you might find it interesting.
1) Which of the following is suitable for a between meal snack?
a) Cheese
b) Carrots
c) Yogurt
d) Coffee
e) Candy
2) How many glasses of water should a person have in a day?
a) 5-6
b) 10-20
c) 10- 12
d) 4-5
e) 15-20
3) Which of the following is bad as far as weight control is concerned?
a) snacking
b) smoking
c) coffee
d) crash diets
e) all the above
4) How many hours sleep does an adult need?
a) 7-8
b) 6-7
c) 8-9
d) 5-6
e) 9-10
5) Which is better for a person on a diet?
a) fresh fruit
b) canned fruit
c) fruit juice
d) processed fruit
e) cooked fruit
6) Which of the following should you always include in your diet?
a) nuts
b) dried fruits
c) fruit juice
d) salads
e) tea
7) Which of these two is better for your health?
a) coffee
b) tea The most important meal of the day is
a) supper
b) snacks
c) break fast
d) lunch
e) tea
9) Which of the following can you afford to cut out from your diet?
a) fats
b) carbohydrates
c) vegetables
d) proteins
e) vitamins
10) Which meat is better for health?
a) white meat
b) red meat
c) raw meat
Now here are the answers:
1. c
2. b
3. a
4. a
5. b
The Starting Point
The enormous amount of excess fat in the human body has made the keyword ‘weightloss programs’ an instant hit among the common man. No wonder, most of the search engine spiders get a lot of enquiries on this word and the related key words, day in and day out.
Let us dig out the prime reasons behind this problem. It is a matter beyond dispute that there is a direct relation between the food we eat and the weight that adds up. Hence almost all weight loss programs concentrate on making some control on the ‘quality’ and the ‘quantity’ on the food we consume.
Where should we start? Now that you have decided to lose some weight we must of course find an answer to the above question. Let me make it clear that there is no better place than our mind.
We should have a strong resolve towards our aim. Conceive this as a just war towards your good health. As in any war there will be at least one enemy. Here your main enemy would be the basic urge to stuff your self with all the wrong things
Knowing Our Stomach and Body
Will you be able to find another person exactly like you? If the answer is “No,” what made you think that every person’s stomach behaves in the same way, accepting all the inputs in the same fashion. This is a basic mistake we often make.
Believe me, your stomach may not be behaving in the same way as your friend’s stomach does to a particular food item, be it a chicken piece or a burger. We must know that a particular food, which may be good for certain people, may not be suitable for others. Haven’t you heard the proverb, what is wine for Paul may be venom for Peter.
The Indian system of Ayurveda and yoga is considered as the best way to explain the different types of body nature. The basic constituents are classified as five elements.
Five Elements:
Earth: All life forces become inert and inactive in this element and more energy is used to keep it active. People with more weight, flesh, fat etc. are good example of predominance of this earth matter in their body. They do not show any anxiety and are not eager to acquire anything, they try to keep away from conflict and their life is moving slowly. When there is a disorder of this element in the body people become selfish and get attached to selfish enjoyments. It is a neutral element.
Water: It keeps the flow of body and life. But it has a natural tendency to cool down. As there is more than 70% water in the body it plays a very important role in the maintenance of heat and circulation of blood etc. It is a negative element.
Fire: It is creating fire in the body - heats the water. It regulates sight, provides strength to the body by digesting the food, induces hunger and thirst, and also maintains suppleness of muscles and beauty of complexion. It helps thinking and facilitates the discrimination power of the brain. It helps production of antibodies.
In short it is the starter of our body-car. Defects in the same causes anemia, jaundice and other digestive problems, and also causes fainting, epilepsy, derangement of brain besides diminishing eyesight and causing growth of cataract in the eyes, it produces acidity and also creates skin problems ad depigmentation.
That is why great importance is given in eastern therapies to control and preserve the element of fire. It is a positive element.
Air: Air is life itself. It is the strength and conducts every part of our body. It regulates the function of heart, circulation of blood and maintains balance of the body.
It helps respiration and downward movement of stools and urine. It produces sound. Nourishes mental faculties and also the faculty of memory. It moves bile and phlegm, which cannot move in the body by themselves. It is a positive element.
Space: In order that air circulates in the body and maintains a proper balance, there has to be space. If such circulation is blocked, it creates pain even leading to heart attack, paralysis, fainting etc. It is a negative element.

In a world that is increasingly putting standards of beauty upon the our children, pre-teens, teenagers and even those in their twenties, our youth are at an ever increasing risk when it comes to the development of an eating disorders.
Our children, usually the young girls, but it can effect older women and even men, via the media and print advertising are in a sense “brainwashed” to believe that they must look a certain way. The celebrities in television and on the big screen as well as printed displays of stick-thin, unhealthy figures that can create a high standard of beauty that can lead to many problems with an individual’s body image and self esteem.
When coupled with the fact that an obesity epidemic is overtaking much of the modern world, it’s important to have a full understanding of the eating disorders which are prevalent in society today in order to be able to catch the warning signs when an individual you know is afflicted.
Eating disorders are a mental condition, and while many discount the problem as situational and fixable if an individual desires to be fixed, they can be very difficult to overcome. In this article, we’ll be giving a basic overview of some of the more common eating disorders that our culture faces today. One of the most commonly occurring eating disorders within our society today is anorexia nervosa.
Many are familiar with the affliction, in which one suffers from such an intense occupation with their self image that they literally starve their bodies in hopes of attaining a slimmer figure. While dieting and exercise are efficient ways of losing weight, those with anorexia resort to drastic methods for trying to attain a body figure that they will never be satisfied with. It is marked by a preoccupation with weight loss and a poor self image. In advanced cases of anorexia, women may lose the ability to have a period.
Bulimia is another eating disorder that permeates our culture today. As opposed to anorexics, which use dieting techniques and weightloss pills to a high degree, bulimics find solace in ‘purging’. Bulimic individuals usually eat a large amount of food, then retreat to a bathroom in order to regurgitate, or ‘purge’ the food from their system, causing them to lose the nutritional value and calories that the food they consume offers.
The use of laxatives may also be employed by bulimics, causing a case of diarrhea and eliminating the nutritional value that they receive. You may be able to see warning signs for bulimia if an individual binges upon foods that are high in fat and sweets, engorging as much food as possible, then retiring to the bathroom in order to purge the foods. Poor self image is also a leading reason why people may become bulimic, and it’s an important thing to note when considering the health of a friend or family member.
These are just a few of the eating disorders that can cause excessive trauma to the body and mind of an individual. If you know someone who you suspect has an eating disorder, you may want to discuss the problem with them with love and compassion, being sure to let them know that you are there for them.
In severe cases, you should speak with a doctor in order to determine the best course of action for helping an individual.

Trying to lose weight is difficult enough for the average person. On top of that seeing claims of fantastic weight loss potential from the latest fad diet can sometimes be enough to drive you crazy. Can you really lose 20 mounds in 20 days like some of these pills and diets claim?
In most cases it is impossible to lose that much weight in that short of an amount of time. However it can be something that is attainable by someone with a lot of overall weight to lose. For example someone with over 100 pounds of excess weight can workout very hard for 20 days and get close to those numbers. It is always easier to lose large amounts of weight in the beginning relative to your overall size. On top of that a lot of weight lost in the beginning of starting a new exercise program will be water weight. This can add up to some seemingly big numbers.
Although you can reach high numbers in the beginning by losing water weight it can sometimes come back to haunt you. A huge number in the beginning can get your hopes up only to be knocked down when the pounds do not fly off after the first few weeks. Consistent big numbers just are not possible. It is a far healthier idea to realistically lose weight at a consistent pace. You will be overall better off both mentally and physically.
With that said of course there is no reason you should not try and lose as much weight in the quickest time possible while maintaining this healthy pace. In order to speed the weightloss you have to make sure you have all of your bases covered. This means not only eating right but also incorporating a strict exercise program into the mix. And when speed is important then being strict should be a top priority. Slipping up and cheating is ok overall but you have to understand that this will compromise the speed.
In addition to being strict in both the nutritional side and exercise side of things you have to remain consistent in your efforts. A hard workout one day followed by a slack off day the next will only keep you on a permanent weightloss roller coaster. You will be far better off to do a steady amount of work each day than to just try and spot workout. Steady workouts will greatly increase the speed of your weight loss. Of course you also have to be careful not to over do it as well. The amount of rest you get is just as important as the amount of work you put in. The body needs time to recover from the third workout in order to remain healthy and keep the pounds coming off.
It is true that 20 pounds in 20 days is generally reserved for the overly heavy and fad diet exaggerations. But that should not keep you from putting in your best effort and doing so will increase the speed of fat burning to the point that you will laugh at people trying to reach the high speed fatloss that never happens while you enjoy real results.

Tired of the same old do’s and don’t when it comes to dieting and weight loss? If you’re one of the many women trekking the hard path to weight loss, you’ve probably come across programs that tell you to avoid certain kinds of food. There are those that recommend vigorous exercises to rev up your metabolism but only allows you to eat a third of your usual intake. Chances are, you feel deprived. And this deprivation will probably cause you to binge later or have mood swings. It could even affect your work and family life. But did you know that you could diet and lose weight without sacrificing the things you want? This is the game plan for the slow and conscious eating diet.
Recent studies concluded that diets which are low-fat or low-calorie can only do so much to your body. Dieting and weight loss through this may not event prevent heart diseases. Moreover, another research show that our bodies utilize and absorb more nutrients from foods that we like. This means that scarfing down plate after plate of brussels sprouts or brocolli won’t do you much good than you expect if you don’t like veggies. This is because if we are presented with something that we like, say, roasted chicken with lemon butter sauce, our brain, upon recognizing the smells and sight will send signals to the stomach to release more digestive juice. The result? A better metabolized and digested protein than servings of tofu that will just go to waste simply because our brain protested against it. But don’t binge yet, certain precautions must be considered to avoid going into a pleasure eating overdrive.
First, the food must have nutritional content. This means that chips and chocolate diets are out. Vegetables, fruits, proteins, and whole grains are preferred. Smother them in sauce and prepare them the way you like. Fry, steam, grill, or bake, it’s up to you. The key to this method of dieting and weight loss is proper nutrition and yummy food. Second, assess why you need to eat. Are you really hungry? Is it just for socializing? Or is the desire to eat an emotional thing? In short, have the right attitude when it comes to food. Eat substantial portions are enough for sustenance, a small amount if you’re just in for the chat, and control your indulgence when eating for emotional needs. This brings us to our third consideration, the method of eating or your eating habits. You may have to tweak your eating habits a few times to control eating for pleasure. Make like the French and chew your food slowly. Savor every flavor and texture. It is important to prolong delight in eating your meal. Without realizing it, you’ll feel fuller and more satiated sooner with smaller portions. The result? Easy dieting and weight loss with minimal effort on your part.

Weight loss takes work. Hundreds of people every day work hard to watch their diet and perform the right amount of exercise in order to minimize weight gain and maximize weight loss. Some do it for maintenance and others do it for health, be it physical or mental. But some, frustrated with their lack of progress, will fall into the lie that so many infomercials promise: a pill can solve all their problems. They believe that popping a pill or relying on other methods of weight loss other than the proven albeit challenging method of life style change will solve their weight issues. Unfortunately, not only are they buying into a lie that will not work, but many times it will lead to death.

Prescriptions should be safe, but prescription diet pills have their own issues. These pills may suppress the user’s appetite, but they do not substitute for a nutritionist that can literally teach anyone how to eat properly. Food is fuel, and thus when a person’s appetite is suppressed, he just eats less but no necessarily right. He may choose still to snack on Doritos when he’s hungry instead of carrots. Which one do you think will give him more fuel?

Ephedra and Phentermine Fenfluramine-phentamin (fen-phen) have grown in popularity for a number of reasons. Initially the overweight community saw them as their miracle cure, a way for them to literally see pounds melt off without lifting a finger. But then the side effects started kicking in, and users began dropping like flies from heart attacks, dizziness, headaches, and high blood pressure. Like any drug, this one had side effects, and sometimes the effects rendered the user completely incapacitated.

Laxatives and diuretics have been the age old cure for weight gain. If you can just get rid of that weight somehow you might feel better, right? Well just eliminating excess waste does not equate to weight loss. It just means you have less waste in you. These pill poppers end up feeling listless, tired, and downright weak. After all, they are not filling their bodies with the necessary fuel and yet they are ridding them of necessary liquids.

Diet sodas and products became a hit within the last 25 years. We can find “lite” anything these days. But many times the artificial sweeteners that make these products sweet without the calories can cause problems. Blindness, seizures, and brain damage reportedly have stemmed form the use of aspartame, a common sweetener.

Those who shun health altogether but simply want to maintain that model figure have fallen into the trap of believing that smoking is actually good for them. While puffing on a burning piece of ash does suppress the appetite, it causes far more damage than weight gain including asthma and even lung cancer not to mention all of the other types of cancer.

So consider the consequences of weight loss before moving beyond the obvious tried and true but still challenging method of exercise, diet, and overall life style change.