One past time that people love to do is eating. This can happen at anytime aside from the three basic meals of the day whenever the person is craving for something.

Whenever the individual buys the snack or meal to suit that craving, little attention is paid on how much cholesterol the food has. In fact, a lot of those of the dishes made in fast food joint are unhealthy which has prompted McDonalds to print the calories, cholesterol and other things on each product given to the customer.

The growing number of those who are overweight and obese has caught the attention of doctors since this means there are a lot of people now who are considered to be high risk of suffering from heart disease or stroke in the United States.

Aside from advising people to visit the doctor annually, many are suggesting to make some lifestyle changes before it is too late. This usually means making some changes in the food being eaten since this is the only way to control the amount of cholesterol going in the system.

So what type of foods must be avoided to have lower levels of cholesterol in the body? The first is reducing the quantity of red meat being consumed. A good example is steak, ham and bacon that is high in fat.

Giving it up will be difficult so eating smaller portions should be done especially for those who are moderate or at a high risk of getting a heart disease or a stroke.

Fried food such as hamburgers and fries should also be avoided. The ingredients and oil used in cooking these things are also high in cholesterol that could be dangerous to ones health. This also includes pre-packaged frozen meals that a lot of people will just throw in the microwave after a long day at the office.

Dairy products such as milk, eggs and chicken should also be reduced. If the person has a hard time giving this up, this can be substituted using non-fat milk or yogurt to provide calcium that the body needs.

It is safe for kids to have junk food, candies and cake. As the individual gets older, these things have to be avoided. This is because the ingredients used in making these products are high in fat.

Now that more or less the food the person should avoid has been revealed, it is time to mention those that can be substituted to maintain a good diet.

Ideally, those who want to reduce the cholesterol intake should have a diet that contains less than 30% of fat. Those who can eat less will do better in living a healthy life.

The best products in the market to get are beans, fish oil, fruits, garlic, grains, soy, vegetables and whole grain bread. These things have vitamins and minerals as well as omega 3 acids that are known to reduce cholesterol levels in the body.

Different variations can be done daily so the person will not get tired of eating the same thing just to have a healthy diet. If planning this is difficult, a dietitian will gladly help and make changes every week so the cholesterol levels will improve when the patient pays another visit to the clinic.

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The sandwich chain ‘Subway’ has marketing itself in such a way that it is a healthy alternative to fast food. For this reason the Subway calorie counter is looked upon very highly for anyone wanting to lose weight. When you order a low fast option from Subway you have a choice between seven 6 inch subs that have 350 or fewer calories and less than 6 grams of fat.

The low calorie sub options include: turkey, ham, ham and turkey, oven roasted chicken breast, veggie delight, turkey club and roast beef. Then there is the sweet onion teriyaki chicken sub that is just over the calorie count at 370 calories but has just 5 grams of fat, so still a very good choice – and my personal favorite.

One mistake that some people make is that they think all Subway subs are low calorie and that they can order anything they like from the menu. Not all of the subs are low calorie and there are some you should avoid if you are dieting such as the 6 inch tuna sub that has 530 calories and 31 grams of fat – and that is before you add any sauces or mayonnaise.

Subway also has some hot subs that should also be avoided if you are dieting. The 6 inch toasted chicken parmesan, the toasted bacon and chicken ranch and the toasted meatball marinara all come in at 500 calories. The meatball sub has 24 grams of fat.

You also need to keep in mind the size of the sub that you order. Subway has the 6 inch subs and the foot long subs and the foot long subs are double the size and double the calories of the 6 inch subs.

Something else that you should watch out for on the Subway calorie counter is the double versions of subs. For example, the double meat turkey sub has 340 calories while the regular version has just 280 calories, so by ordering the double version you are increasing your calorie intake.

With Subway subs you also get to choose the type of bread you want for your sub and this can also make a difference to the number of calories. The white bread sub has 190 calories by itself but if you choose one of the deluxe breads – honey oat and parmesan oregano – this will increase the calories by 50 – 60 calories.

When you add cheese to the sub it also increases the calories. Cheese is a standard ingredient on the subs however it is represented separately on the Subway calorie counter and will add another 40 to 50 calories on a 6 inch sub.

Mayonnaise is another big calorie addition and it can add 110 calories for a normal serving while some condiments such as mustard has barely any calories.

If you are having Subway for breakfast you also need to choose wisely. The breakfast subs range from 270 to 510 calories and you are best to stick to the egg and cheese on a deli roll or perhaps the honey mustard and ham on a deli roll. You want to stay right away from a sub such as the chipitole steak and cheese on a 6 inch roll as that is on the higher end of the calorie scale.

Subway also sell other foods including cookies, chips and sodas which all come high in calories so although these may be tempting you should avoid them. Subway does feature the Baked Lays brand of chips which has around 110 calories a serving so they aren’t too bad.

Subway is a great option for those who want a healthy alternative to fast food as long as you use the Subway calorie counter wisely.

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There are so many different diets out there that it’s nearly impossible to figure out which ones not only live up to their claims, but which ones would qualify as healthy eating plans. A big thing to look for is moderation. That’s because the more wild fad diets tell you to eat as much of one food as like (cabbage soup, anyone?), avoid whole groups of foods (stay away from those carbs!), or both. Therefore, a good rule of thumb for finding a good diet is to see how moderate it is; not only in the foods you can eat, but also the quantity of the food you eat.

While the idea of gorging yourself on cheeseburgers, pizza and bacon may sound like the perfect diet. Low-carb eating plans aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Sure, you may enjoy eating all of those foods, but the novelty will wear off sooner than you think. Not only that, but you will also crave carbohydrates like never before. Imagine not having ice cream, bread, certain vegetables or pasta. You might lose some weight at first, but once you can’t control your cravings, you will gain it all back (and probably more).

Even assuming you could lose weight, and keep it off by being on a diet high in protein and fat, you still need to question the long-term effects on your health. Researchers are still learning about how the food we eat impacts our health, but one thing most of them agree with is that too much saturated fat isn’t good or you. So it stands to reason that a diet that lets you eat all the saturated fat shouldn’t be counted along with other healthy eating plans.

If you stand back from it and look at it objectively, it should be easy to see that such a diet couldn’t possibly be healthy…even if you lose weight. But that’s why so many diets make amazing claims. It gets you excited about the possibilities and then your brain shuts off its ability to reason. This is not your fault! These people are professionals at convincing people to try new diets. But once you learn some of the basics and know what to really look for, you don’t have to worry about falling for the hype ever again.

As mentioned earlier, it’s all about moderation. You should, of course, eat healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and good fats. The closer foods are to their natural source, the better. But you can also enjoy the occasional treat. There is no need for you to give up your favorite foods, as long as you don’t overdo it. You can also find some very good recipes that will reduce the calories in your favorite foods. Either way, healthy eating plans don’t have to be complicated. Find a few you would like to try, then see how well they work for you.

Tags: Atkins, Bacon, Basi, Brain, Cabbage Soup, Calories, Carbs, Cravings, Diet Plans, Eating Habits, Fad Diets, Fruits And Vegetables, Health Researchers, Healthy Diet, Healthy Eating, Losing Weight, Low Carb, Moderation, Pasta, Pizza, Possibilities, Protein, Rule Of Thumb, Stress, Vegetables —

How many diets have you been on? If you are like most people who have been trying to lose weight, then it’s a safe bet that you have tried more than your fair share of diet plans. But, the fact that you are reading this points out one major fact: those other diets didn’t work as well as you had hoped. If they had, you wouldn’t be looking for information on the best diets to lose weight.

When considering various plans, remember that everybody is different. What works for others may not work for you, and vice-versa. See, if you have tried diet after diet, only to put all of the weight back on (if you even lost any), it’s not your fault. You were probably following a diet that worked, it just didn’t work for you. That doesn’t mean it was bad, it just means it wasn’t a match for you. It happens.

Don’t give up though. With the sheer number of weight loss plans out there, you can bet there is at least one that will work for you. If it helps, think of it as a game; a form of hide and seek. The right diet is hiding, and you are going to find it! Besides, having a good attitude about everything will make it that much easier for you.

Aha! That gets to the heart of the matter…how will you know when you have found one of the best diets to lose weight? That’s a great question. Again, everybody is different, but there are a few signs you should be looking for.

Is the diet balanced? Any diet that tells you to eat all the cabbage, cottage cheese or bacon that you want is a sure sign of trouble. No matter how much you love the particular food now; eating it all the time will make that enjoyment wear off. The same concept applies to diets that tell you to avoid whole groups of foods. Low-carb diets are a good example of these. Even if you see good results at first, such a diet is very hard to stick to. Sure, you can eat all the hamburgers you want (as long as you skip the bun), but the craving for carbs will end up being more than you can handle. So, be sure any diet you want to try allows you to eat a variety of foods.

The other reason a variety of foods is so important is nutrition. A lot of people think they can eat anything they like and then take a multivitamin to make everything okay. While you may want to take a vitamin supplement every day, it’s impossible for any pill to contain the full range of nutrients found in food.

Common sense is really the key to finding the best diets to lose weight. It may take a bit of time to find the right one for you, but it will be more than worth it once the weight comes off, and stays off…for good.

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