Studies have shown that there are many Americans who are overweight or obese. This can be blamed on processed foods, sodas and those who cooked it but the one really responsible is the person who bought it.

Nobody went up to the individual and forced the customer to buy a Big Mac. It was a matter of choice and this will just add more calories into the persons system.

It doesnt take a doctor to tell the individual that one is overweight. This can be seen in the mirror or on the weighing scale. At one point or another, the person will realize that this has got to stop before something bad happens.

Luckily, there are many diets to choose from that can eventually make those excess pounds go away.

One good example is the South Beach Diet that was invented by a cardiologist by the name of Dr. Agastson. This works in three phases and involves a lot of discipline on the part of the person in order to lose weight.

The first two stages are done over a 2-week period respectively. This will involve refraining from eating things such as bread bread, potatoes, baked foods, fruit and any type of alcohol including beer.

In the third week which is the beginning of phase 2, some of the food that were not allowed to eaten can be returned to the normal eating habit. These will include fruits and vegetables.

The last phase is all about maintenance. This means the individual will have to maintain the progress that has been accomplished in the first month after trying this diet until this becomes normal for the subject to do.

The person should drink a lot of water and stay away from alcohol. Instead of drinking coffee, the individual can have tea, some low fat yogurt or milk and fresh juices.

Most of dietary programs suggest exercising to help in losing weight. The South Beach Diet doesnt need that since eating less will force the body to speed up the metabolism. In any case, there is nothing helping the body by sweating it out in any physical activity.

Does this require exercising to help in losing weight? People who have been interviewed have claimed that this is not needed to get rid of those extra pounds. This is because the body will be forced to burn more calories because of the limited intake.

The South Beach Diet is one of the most popular diet programs in the market. This is available in the bookstore so the person can read and learn how losing weight can become a reality.

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One of the major reasons why people get overweight or suffer from minor and major health risks is that they dont practice having a healthy diet. Healthy dietwhich include eating balanced amount of food from all food groupsalong with exercise or regular physical activity can lessen peoples inclination to health problems.

PLANNING ON A HEALTHY DIET

Experts say that though basic principle of healthy diet is simple, most people are having a hard time sticking to it. Major reasons may include a super busy lifestyle, work that causes a lot of stress or even an environment that is not conducive to having a healthy diet.

Although it is hard to start and maintain a healthy diet, nothing is impossible if you really want to achieve a healthy mind and body. For starters, it is advisable to mix up food choices from each food group. Eating a large variety of foods and veggies can also serve as a warm up in avoiding the foods that contribute to drastic weight gain. Having a balanced intake of calcium-rich foods, whole grains, and protein-rich products will also keep you in track.

To be able to maintain eating a healthy diet, you must also know your restrictions of fats, salt and sugars levels, and intakes. Lastly, you must monitor your body weight regularly for you to know if your body is absorbing all the nutrients it needs.

Here are more tips for eating well and achieving a healthy diet:

1. Meals based on starchy foods are a good start to a healthy diet. Experts agree that people should eat more starchy foods such as bread, cereals, rice, pasta, and potatoes because they are a good source of energynot to mention being the main source of a range of nutrients of a persons diet like fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamin B.

2. Load up a lot of fruits and veggies. Eating at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day is an ideal way to maintain a healthy diet. But, it is sometimes hard to achieve because people do not want to waste time peeling or chopping certain fruits and veggies. The best way to keep up with the recommended fruit and veggies intake if to eat a variety of fruits that are either fresh, frozen, canned or dried and picking out veggies that can be finger delights such as celery, broccoli, carrots, beans and peas.

3. Be more fishy. Despite of the so-called high mercury content of fish, nutrition experts say that eating more fishespecially oily fishis an important component of a healthy diet because it is a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

4. Try to cut down on saturated fats and sugars. Do not totally cut down on fats because your body needs it to stay healthy. Basically, fats are categorized into saturated and unsaturated fat. The former has high amount of cholesterol and the latter has lower amounts that lowers blood cholesterol. Cut down only on foods that are high in saturated fat such meat pies, sausages, hard cheese, butter and lard, pastry, cakes and biscuits, cream and the like. Also monitor your sugar intake because aside from causing decay, sugary foods can also be high in calories that contribute to weight gain.

5. Eat less salt. Too much salt can raise your blood pressure.

6. Drink lots and lots of water to keep your body well-hydrated.

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Various studies show that more than two-thirds of all American adults are either obese or morbidly obese. With all the hype on weight loss and weight loss products, its no wonder that more and more people who suffer from being overweight become interested into various commercial diet plans and weight loss programs that are available in the market today.

THE PROS AND CONS OF DIET AND DIETING

Of all the means of losing weight offered by various companies, weight loss diets have become one of the most popular that overweight people use. This is because these people believe that by taking in regulated amounts of food or veering away from eating foods from a specific food group, they can lose weight easily.

But, little do they know that improper diet and dieting may result to rapid weight loss and can even lead to more serious illnesses due to lack of nutrients absorbed by the body.

Food and nutrition experts say that most obese people who are into strict diet and improper dieting have developed have a long history of dieting failure because they always go back to their usual eating and lifestyle habits.

Experts also agree that although improper diet can lead to severe health cases, it can be powerful tool in losing weight if done properly and administered by authorized health care providers. This is because weight loss diets that are monitored by authorities can evoke commitment, discipline, and dedication to those who are taking the specific diet plan. And if these weight loss diets are administered properly, people who choose weight-loss program can conquer their fear of dieting failure and depression.

Indeed, it will take a huge amount of energy for an obese person to be able to stick to any weight-loss diet or program. Aside from fighting the temptation to go back to their usual way of eating, people who are overweight have large tendencies of becoming violent and defensive in their preference of diet.

Although diet can be an effective means of losing weight, experts say that not all weight loss diets and programs can be successful. This is because some diets target the dieters weakness and make them believe that they can eat certain amount of foods when in fact, these can contribute much to their weight gain.

AVOIDING FAD DIETS

To be able to lose weight safely and properly, make sure that you know when the weight loss diet is a fad. Here are some ways to help you spot a fad diet:

– Menu offers extremely limited food choices.
– Cutting out an entire food group.
– The diet asks the dieter to eliminate all fats.
– Promises of ultra-fast weight loss or rapid weight loss.
– It aims to sell a specific weight loss product such as herbal weight loss supplement or pills.
– Weight loss diet claims they are based on unproven science.
– It opposes medical opinions.

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With the fast-paced, technologically driven world people are now living, who would have the slightest idea that the most important rampart of normal living is being neglected?

Undeniably, because of the busy courses of peoples lives, people tend to forget some of the vital fragments in maintaining a healthy lifestylediet and nutrition.

THE CONVERGENCE

The terms diet and nutrition are defined into two different sentences but are greatly connected. By definition, diet refers to the food and liquid intake of a person while nutrition pertains to the science of dealing with food and nourishment. When these two are combined, an entirely new meaning can be derived. More than the issues of food and liquid intake and the science of food and nourishment, diet and nutrition can revolve around nutritional information on various dietary supplements and the benefits vitamins and minerals to a persons body.

Making yourself familiar with latest diet and nutrition topics, trends, and tips can lead you to the renewal of your health and well being commitment inside your home. You must remember that its never too late to redirect your eating habits, but before you take that drastic change, learn what are the common diet and nutrition mistakes so you can avoid them.

1. Careless assumption that the food choices you have are better than they actually are. Experts say that people who are very particular about diet and nutrition have larger tendencies of thinking and believing that their food choices are healthier than they really are. Make sure that you eat whole, fresh, and unprocessed foods whenever possible.

2. Confusion over carbohydrates. Although many people say that low carb diets are effective, experts say that there are excellent carbs that make people eat less. So before you cut down on carbs totally, make sure that you have consulted your dietician if this diet will be good for you.

3. You think youre eating too much when youre not. Experts say that one of the most common mistakes people make is that they overestimate and underestimate the amount of food their body needs. Make sure that you monitor the portion sizes of your food.

4. Not eating enough food or not eating often. Overeating and under eating may put the person at risk because it disrupts disrupting blood sugar and insulin levels. Make sure that you eat something every three hours and dont starve before eating the next meal.

5. Neglecting the value of regular exercise. Making exercise a regular part of your life can definitely contribute to great diet and nutrition.

6. Taking in a lot of dietary supplements. A vitamin or dietary pill is a supplement that is meant to complement a persons diet; therefore it should not be considered as substitutes for the foods youre supposed to be eating. Experts say that one all-purpose multivitamin a day is enough to complement the nutrients you dont get from the foods you dont eat.

7. Following nutrition and weight loss guidelines by the book. Since people are different, it is only natural for them to have individual needs. Although diet and nutrition plans work for the majority of people, not everything can help you improve you overall diet and nutrition.

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