Wanting to eat better is a goal that is shared by millions and millions of people around the globe. Their reasons range from “just wanting to” to trying to treat a deadly disease, from moral reasons to wanting to lose weight. Regardless of the reason, you should research health and nutrition before deciding on a healthy eating program that is best for you. Doing the proper research will not only point you in the right direction for foods you should eat, but it will also steer you away from the foods you should avoid.

One thing you need to watch out for is a lack of balance. For example, the market is filled with diet plans that eliminate whole categories of food. While it makes sense to reduce the level of saturated fat you consume, getting rid of carbohydrates is a questionable practice at best. It is okay to eat fat, carbohydrates and protein; in fact, you should be wary of any so-called healthy eating program that claims otherwise.

When it comes to fat, you will want to limit saturated fats, and try to eliminate man-made trans fats completely. (There are naturally occurring trans fats, and these aren’t nearly as bad as their hydrogenated counterparts.) Your best bet is to have polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, though you don’t want to go overboard on them, either.

Carbohydrates have received a lot of attention in recent years. This is due, largely, to some popular diets that avoided them. Yes, it is possible to lose weight on a low-carb diet, but there may be risks involved. Also, such a diet wouldn’t really be considered a long-term healthy eating program because of the lack of balance. However, not all carbohydrates are created equally. You should limit the simple carbs found in white bread, white rice, and sugar; and replace them with the complex carbs found in whole grains, vegetables and some fruit.

Protein can be tricky because a lot of sources are high in saturated fat. Beef, for example, is high in protein, but a lot of cuts are high in saturated fat. Chicken, on the other hand, has some cuts that are higher in fat than others, so choose white meat to stay on the safe side. Perhaps the best of source of protein is beans (pinto, black, garbanzo, navy, and so on). The are high in protein and fiber, and are also very low in fat.

A healthy eating program doesn’t mean you can never enjoy your favorite foods again, far from it. First, there are plenty of healthy alternatives for most foods. Second, the key is to enjoy such foods in moderation, as an occasional treat. If you eat less of the unhealthy foods, and more of the healthy foods, then you will be headed in the right direction. But if you can’t have the foods you enjoy, then there is too great of a risk that you will simply go back to an unhealthy diet, and that wouldn’t do you much good at all.

Tags: Atkins, Best Bet, Carbohydrates, Complex Carbs, Counterparts, Deadly Disease, Diet Plans, Eating Habits, Fruits And Vegetables, Health And Nutrition, Healthy Diet, Healthy Eating, Losing Weight, Low Carb Diet, Monounsaturated Fats, Moral Reasons, Questionable Practice, Research Health, Right Direction, Saturated Fat, Saturated Fats, Trans Fats, White Bread, White Rice, Whole Grains —

If you are tired of all the yo-yo dieting and want to lose weight fast, then you need a good weight loss dietary supplement. The one I have chosen to use is the Acai Berry. This supplement is so powerful that you can lose up to 25 pounds in 4 weeks. You do not have to worry about malnutrition when using this supplement because it comes from nature and has plenty of vitamins and minerals to keep your body happy while you lose the weight.

The Acai berry comes from the Acai palm tree and is hand picked by Amazonians in the Brazilian rain forest. The Acai berry has been a staple of the Amazonian diet for hundreds of years and has only recently gained positive attention as a powerful weight loss dietary supplement. You probably have seen reports on TV about the Acai berry and the incredible health improving qualities it contains like antioxidants which help prevent certain types of cancer.

Acai berries have an awesome combination of antioxidants, fiber, and are a wonderful source of the “good” monounsaturated fats like Omega-3. Along with being a powerful weight loss supplement, Acai berries decrease the aging process by aiding in cell recovery and keeping the skin looking young and vibrant. No one will be able to guess your age after a few months of using Acai.

Weight loss happens because the Acai berry has properties that increase your metabolism, which leads to faster fat loss and combats fatigue. When you order the Acai berry supplement you have the power to realize your weight loss goals quickly and effortlessly. Include an exercise routine and maybe some strength training along the way and you will no doubt have the body you have always wanted.

For Acai to be effective the dosage must be at least 1,000 mg/day. Some people take double that and have had great success at losing the weight they need to lose. With the other health benefits they feel better than they have in years, their skin looks younger and they have more energy than they did when they were in their twenties.

When ordering your Acai berry supplement beware of scams and make sure you get what you pay for. I ordered mine from a reputable source that offered a 60 day free trial for only the price of shipping. I have yet to receive it and really can’t wait. I recently quit smoking and have put on an extra 15 pounds which has contributed to another medical problem that we do not have to get into.

If you can find a free trial offer then go for it. Otherwise plan to spend around $50 per bottle. Capsules of freeze dried berries, including the skin and pulp, are the best. Extracts may be less effective and blended with fillers and other things to keep costs down but just keep in mind if you see the word extract you may not be getting the most effective weight loss dietary supplement.

Tags: Acai Berries, Acai Berry, Aging Process, Amazonians, Antioxidants, Brazilian Rain Forest, cancer;, Certain Types Of Cancer, Dietary Supplement, energy;, Exercise Routine, fatigue;, Health Benefits, Hundreds Of Years, Losing Weight, malnutrition;, Monounsaturated Fats, Omega 3, Palm Tree, Strength Training, Types Of Cancer, USD;, Vitamins And Minerals, Weight Loss Goals, Weight Loss Supplement —

Staying Healthy on a Low Carbohydrate Diet
Marjorie Geiser

It is estimated that about 32 million Americans are following some type of low carbohydrate diet. This is the result of fad diet authors claiming that carbohydrates are the cause for Americas rising obesity problems. The backlash against carbohydrates is a result of the low fat craze that started in the 80s.When consumers started cutting down their fat intake, manufacturers figured out that they could create low fat processed food products that the public would buy. Because these products claimed to be fat free, Americans didnt pay attention to the fact that they were not also calorie free, and as a result, the total amount of daily calories has slowly been increasing. In fact, although the total percentage of calories from fat has decreased, the actual amount of fat intake has increased by 10# per year since 1975! The increase of carbohydrate has also increased, at a rate of 20# per year, mostly as a result of highly processed foods.

It is estimated that 3800 calories are now produced for every American man, woman and child. We have evolved from a world of feast or famine, but were in a state of perpetual feast, although our bodies have not changed. We have no defenses against excess calories: Every year, 300,000 to 400,000 deaths in the US are attributed to obesity.

Meanwhile, Asian and Middle Eastern populations consume 50-75% of their calories from rice and have some of the lowest rates of obesity and heart disease in the world. People living in the Mediterranean also have fewer health conditions commonly seen in the US. This diet consists of whole grains, vegetables, legumes, nuts and fruits. Their diets are rich in fish and low in meats and poultry. Although their fat intake is about the same as in America, the type of fat is primarily monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, where Americans eat primarily saturated animal fats.

Regardless of the actual advantage or disadvange to following a low carbohydrate diet, there are three recommendations for maintaining good health while following such a diet. The first is to choose healthy fats over the unhealthy, saturated fats, when considering fat intake. Examples of healthy fats would be plant fats that have not been hydrogenated, which makes the fat more solid at room temperature. It is believed that hydrogenation is actually more harmful to health than saturated fats found naturally in animal products. Plant fats would include nuts, avocados, and olives. Oils such as olive oil, canola oil and peanut oil are better choices than fats that come from animal sources, such as butter, lard or bacon grease. Multiple studies over the years have shown that excess animal fats lead to higher risks of cancer, heart disease and other inflammatory disorders. Saturated fats have been linked to increased cholesterol, LDL (the bad) cholesterol as well as to increased LDL cholesterol oxidation. In fact, in January 2004, an Atkins representative put out a press release advising the public to decrease their amounts of steak, eggs, and saturated fast to less than 20% of their total fat intake.

The next recommendation to ensure good health is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Although fruits and most vegetables are restricted in the initial phase of some low carbohydrate diets, they are then allowed back in limited amounts. The phytonutrients that come from a diet rich in fruits and vegetables have been shown to decrease blood pressure, as well as protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. Its easy to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, once you get in the habit. Examples are; add some berries to breakfast, eat a tomato at lunch, include broccoli with dinner, drink some vegetable juice with snacks, and have a large salad with your meal.

The final tip to ensure good health is to eat a diet of whole foods, rather than fall back on the easy snack, convenience foods of today. If Americans had just cut down their amount of fat intake in the 80s, without finding new ways to snack, we may not be seeing the epidemic of obesity we see, today. When people started going on the low carbohydrate diets, they eliminated a large number of calories by eliminating snacking, especially at night, where common snacks are chips, crackers, and other high fat, high refined carbohydrate foods, such as ice cream. Today, though, much like in the 80s, manufacturers are now developing low carb and low net carb snack foods. We can now find low net carb chips, crackers, ice cream, popcorn, even low carb pizza! As Americans start to increase their intake of these foods, we will soon see a slowing of the weight loss many had seen initially. In order to call themselves a low net carb food, manufacturers subtract the fiber and sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrates in the product, rather than produce products without carbohydrate. There is no actual FDA standard for what a low net carb food is, yet, though, so right now its anything the manufacturer wants to say it is. These foods also are very high in fat and saturated fat, usually through hydrogenation. So, not only will calories be added back into the diet through resuming unhealthy snack habits, but they will be calories consisting of high amounts of the unhealthy fats.

So, while following a low carbohydrate diet, in order to ensure continued good health, follow these three recommendations: 1) Make most fats you eat the healthy, plant fats, rather than eating a diet high in animal or hydrogenated fats, 2) Eat plenty of nutrient rich fruits and vegetables, which are high in disease-fighting antioxidants, and 3) eat mostly whole, fresh foods and very little processed snack foods, even if they say low carb, in order to avoid hidden and unnecessary fat and calories.

Marjorie Geiser has been teaching health, fitness and nutrition since 1982. She is a nutritionist, registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and life coach. As the owner of MEG Fitness, Marjories goal for her clients is to help them incorporate healthy eating and fitness into their busy lives. To order her 30-Day Health & Fitness Challenge e-course and learn more about Marjorie, go to her website at www.megfit.com or email her at Margie@megfit.com

Tags: America, American Man, Americas, Animal Fats, Animal Products, Atkins representative, Backlash Against, cancer;, Canola Oil, diabetes;, Dietitian, e-course, Eastern Populations, Excess Calories, Fad Diet, FDA;, Feast Or Famine, Food Products, Health Conditions, heart disease;, inflammatory disorders, Low Carbohydrate Diet, Low Carbohydrate Diets, low net carb chips, low net carb food, Man Woman And Child, Marjorie, Marjorie Geiser, Mediterranean, metabolic syndrome, Monounsaturated Fats, net carb chips, Nutritionist, Obesity And Heart Disease, obesity;, olive oil;, Peanut Oil, Perpetual Feast, personal trainer and life coach, Processed Food Products, produce products, Rising Obesity, United States;, Whole Grains, Woman And Child, www.megfit.com —

Nuts To You… Just One Way to a Healthy Heart
Dr. John Rumberger

Nuts are readily available and provide a highly nutritious food. In addition to protein, carbohydrate, and fat, nuts contain many other important nutrients: fiber, vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, and magnesium. Although on some food charts you may see nuts listed in the same food category as diary products, eggs, and red meat because of the fat content, new information calls into question this designation.
While nuts do contain a high proportion of fat, tree nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazel nuts, Brazil nuts, and macadamia are actually low in saturated fat. Most of the fat comes in the form of monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, which are considered to be acceptable forms of fat that actually “reduce” the incidence of heart and vascular disease.
Several large studies have examined the relationship between the risk of heart disease and intake of omega-3 fatty acids from plant sources. In the Seventh Day Adventist Health Study researchers found that those who reported eating nuts more than four times per week had a 50% lower risk of heart disease than those who rarely ate nuts. The Nurses’ Health Study found that heart disease risk was reduced by 35% in those who ate nuts compared with those who rarely ate nuts. An addition study found that the risk of type 2 diabetes went down by nearly 1/3 in women who consumed 1/4 cup of nuts five times per week compared to those that did not eat nuts at all.
One recent study looked at almonds in particular. They examined the effects on LDL [“bad”] cholesterol values. Each person served as his own control and they were each on three different “diets”: almonds representing about 1/4 their entire daily calorie intake, OR a “handful” of almonds per day, OR a muffin [containing about the same number of calories as a “full dose” of almonds]. The LDL cholesterol went down about 10% when the subjects took a “full dose” of almonds, went down about 5% with intake of a “handful” of almonds, and did not go down at all with eating a muffin. In those with the higher “dose” of almonds, the “ratio” of bad to good cholesterol [LDL/HDL ratio] went down by 12%.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recognizes nuts [including almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, macadamia, and pistachios] may help to lower your blood cholesterol and may be a very healthy “snack”. However, they also warn that they are a source of calories and should not be used to great excess in those with calorie restricted diets and that you should avoid nuts with added oils or added salt. The AHA recommends eating an overall balanced diet that is high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and includes low-fat [or non-fat] diary products, fish and lean meats. If you add nuts to your diet, just be sure that you don’t inadvertently add considerable total calories – despite the benefits of nuts, maintaining an ideal body weight is more important. Weight is often a simple lesson in physics – what comes in either stays [as increased pounds] or is used up for energy and metabolism [which is increased by a regular exercise program].

Disclaimer: If you are under 18, pregnant, nursing or have health problems, consult your physician before starting any weight loss plan. The information here is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning any course of treatment.

About the Author

Dr. John Rumberger’s experince in the field is extensive, and includes achieving his doctorate in 1976 (Bio-Engineering/ Fluid Dynamics/ Applied Mathematics) from Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, with a dissertation on, A Non-Linear Model of Coronary Artery Blood Flow. He has just completed his book The WAY Diet available on amazon.com or direct through the publisher at http://www.emptycanoe.com

Tags: 3 Fatty Acids, American Heart Association, Author, Bad Cholesterol, Brazil, Brazil Nuts, Cholesterol Values, Daily Calorie Intake, diabetes;, Diary Products, energy;, Fluid Dynamics, folic acid, Food Category, Food Charts, food;, Hazel Nuts, Health Study, Healthy Heart, Healthy Nuts, Heart Disease Risk, heart disease;, John Rumberger, Ldl Cholesterol, Monounsaturated Fats, Nurses Health, nutritious food;, Ohio, Ohio State University, Ohio State University Columbus, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, physician, Plant Sources, Rumberger, Tree Nuts, Type 2 Diabetes, vascular disease —