With all the adverse publicity on high protein low carb diet, how do you know what is a healthy diet to follow?

The new diet travel says that rather than just limiting the amount of carbohydrates in your diet, you should be looking to eat only those that have a low GI index. The Fighting man Index measures the impetus at which glucose is released into your blood dtreak following consumption of a specific food. If you do not use all the glucose you consume, your body converts it to fat and stores it. Not ideal when you are trying to lose weight.

So how do you know if a food is low Man-at-arms or not? Highly supermarkets have now started coding their foods so you should be able to see from the packet. The foods that you would normally avoid on a diet also tend to be high GI i. e. cakes, biscuits, white bread, white pasta etc.

The good news is that chocolate is a low GI food but this doesnt mean that you can eat loads of it! Avoid any more sugar based ingredients and opt for a plain bar of dark chocolate if you want to treat yourself.

Barley, quinoa, new potatoes and yams are all low GI foods so would be good staples for your healthy low carbohydrate diet. Apples, dried apricots, citrus fruits, plums and tomatoes are all bad low GI fruits but play past Watermelons, peaches and bananas.

You should increase the quantity of water you drink especially because most slimmers increase the amount of fiber in their diet by eating more vegetables. You should aim to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Drinking water helps to lose weight as we often misunderstand our bodys signals and eat when in fact we are thirsty.

When you are trying to follow a healthy low carb diet, it is useful to watch your portion size. As a nation, we are used to consuming large portions of everything. Reducing the size of our meals will help you to lose weight as will eating a little and often rather than isolated large chop chop a day.

Never skip breakfast as countless studies have shown that you re likely to consume more calories later in the day than you hold back by not eating this important meal. Eating change the old fashioned old softie not the instant microwaveable variety, will help to keep your energy levels stable and lead to less cravings.

Drink skimmed instead of full fat milk. Eat low fat yogurts but watch for hidden sugars and sweeteners. Keep alcohol intake to a minimum as not only does it contain empty calories but also lowers our inhibitions leading us to eat the wrong foods.

Keep yourself busy. We often eat due to boredom rather than hunger. Get powerful every day to increase the amount of energy you consume. Reducing your food consumption bit increasing your activity will help you lose weight as will following a healthy low carbohydrate diet.

24 Hour Fitness
http://www.www.24-hr-fitness.com

Tags: Carbohydrates Diet, Citrus Fruits, Countless Studies, Dark Chocolate, diet travel, energy;, Fighting Man, food consumption bit, food;, Gi Index, High Protein Low Carb Diet, Losing Weight, Low Carb Diet, Low Carbohydrate Diet, Low Gi Food, Low Gi Foods, Man At Arms, Man Index, New Potatoes, Plums, Portion Size, Protein Diet, Staples, What Is A Healthy Diet, White Bread —

Youve dieted, youve exercised, and you feel like no matter what you do you can t lose weight. Many people say that no matter what theyve tried they cant seem to drop any of their unwanted pounds. Though the problem is the same, the reasons for having so much difficulty losing weight usually vary from person to person. Just like the same way of eating might not work as well for some people as it does for others, the problems associated with weight loss are bound to be different for many different people, too.

If youve been following a diet plan and still can t lose weight, you need to look very carefully at the diet and see if its really one that can work. Youll need to look at things like how many calories you eat a day on the plan, and whether your diet seems to be heavier in things like fat or dairy products, or whether it leans the other way and focuses mostly on fruits and vegetables.

If the amount of calories youre eating every day seems reasonableenough to keep you healthy but low enough to let you burn fatyet you can t lose weight while eating this way, its likely that the type of diet just doesnt suit your metabolism. If the diet is calorie-focused and allows things like white bread, flour, potatoes, pasta and sugar, trying cutting down on those items. Maybe the diet is too high in carbohydrates for you and thats sabotaging your efforts. Experiment to see if you start losing weight.

If the diet is already low carb and you can t lose weight on it, then maybe its gone too far in the other direction. Are you eating lots of red meat, fried foods, oil and other fats like butter? Some low-carb diets claim you can eat these foods in almost unlimited amounts, but thats simply not true. All that fat adds up to hundreds of calories, and no matter how few carbs you eat, a calorie is still a calorie. It can be very easy to eat too many calories per day if youre eating fatty meats, nuts or if you have lots of oil in your diet.

If your diet really seems healthy, with lean meats, lots of vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables, some diary and little sugar or flour and you still can t lose weight, then you could be eating too few calories and causing your metabolism to slow. Or youre eating much more food than you think you are. Look at all the little snacks you have throughout the day, no matter how healthy they are.

Try keeping a journal and writing down everything you eat each day, including anything you drink that has calories in it like soda or coffee with cream. If you can t lose weight because youre eating more than you think, a week or so of logging the details of your diet should start to show you where those extra calories are sneaking in.

Tags: Amount Of Calories, Bread Flour, Calories, Calories Per Day, Carbohydrates, Carbs, dairy products;, Diet Plan, Eating Habits, Fat Calories, Fatty Meats, food;, Fried Foods, Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits Vegetables, Healthy Diet, How Many Calories, Losing Weight, Low Carb Diets, Metabolism Diet, oil;, Person To Person, Red Meat, Unwanted Pounds, White Bread —

How to determine if your diet is healthy enough
Zaak OConan

Everyone wants to eat a healthier diet, but it can sometimes be difficult to know if your diet is healthy enough. There are a number of factors that go into creating a healthy diet, and it’s important to evaluate the current state of your diet before embarking on a plan for healthier eating.

There are several questions you should ask yourself when evaluating the healthiness (or lack thereof) of your current eating plan. These questions include:

Do I eat a wide variety of foods?
Variety is one of the most important hallmarks of a healthy diet, since no one food contains all the nutrients needed by the human body. It is important to eat foods from all the major food groups, including grains and breads, fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products, meats, beans and nuts.

If you find yourself avoiding some food groups, such as vegetables for instance, it may be time to look for a healthier diet.

Do I recognize the importance of cereals, breads and other grain products?
Eating a wide variety of grain based products is important to a healthy diet. Grains and cereals contain a large number of important nutrients, including high levels of dietary fiber.

It is important to choose whole grain products as often as possible, since whole grain products like wheat bread contain more nutrients than more refined white bread and similar products. When eating cereal, it is a good idea to choose whole grain varieties, or those that are enriched with vitamins and minerals.

Do I eat lots of fruits and vegetables?
Many people do not eat sufficient servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Most experts recommend eating between 5 and 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, roughly equivalent to 2 cups of fruit and 2 cups of vegetables.

When shopping for vegetables and fruits, it is important to choose a good variety of dark green, dark red, orange and yellow varieties. That is because different colored fruits and vegetables contain a variety of different nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin A and beta carotene.

Do I eat a good breakfast every morning?
Breakfast, or the absence of it, is often a good indicator of the state of your diet. If you rush out of the house every morning and grab a donut at the local convenience store, chances are your diet can use some work. A healthy breakfast provides a foundation for the rest of the day, helps you avoid cravings and provides much needed nutrition.

Do I choose low fat foods over higher fat alternatives?
This is also an important question to ask yourself. Low fat alternatives are available for a variety of products, including milk, cheese, meats and more.

One part of following a healthy, low fat diet is avoiding prepared foods whenever possible, since prepared foods tend to have higher amounts of fat and sodium than fresh foods.

It is also important to control the amount of fat that is added at the table. Adding things like butter, sour cream and heavy sauces is a sure way to ruin an otherwise healthy meal. Even healthy foods like salads can be sabotaged by the addition of high fat salad dressings. Try using lower fat alternatives like flavored vinegars instead.

Do I drink plenty of water?
Drinking plenty of fresh, pure water is important to maintaining a healthy body and a healthy lifestyle. Water is important to maintaining optimal levels of health.

If you think you need more water, try substituting water for less healthy beverages like soda and coffee.

Am I able to maintain my optimal body weight?
Gaining weight without trying to is often a sign of a poor diet. Following a healthy diet, and getting plenty of regular exercise, is the only way to lose weight and keep it off.

Do I limit the amount of salt, sugar, alcohol and caffeine in my diet?
While all of these elements are fine in moderation, excessive amounts of any of these four can indicate a serious problem with your diet. It is important to limit the amount of unhealthy elements in any diet.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

Tags: Author, Cereals, Current State, dairy products;, Dietary Fiber, Food Groups, food;, Fruits And Vegetables, grain products;, Grain Varieties, Grains, Hallmarks, Healthier Eating, Healthiness, Healthy Diet, Human Body, Low Fat Diet, Milk And Dairy Products, Nutrients, Similar Products, Vegetables And Fruits, Vitamin A, Vitamins And Minerals, Wheat Bread, White Bread, Whole Grain Products —

Determining if your diet is healthy enough
Tony Robinson

Everyone wants to eat a healthier diet, but it can sometimes be
difficult to know if your diet is healthy enough. There are a
number of factors that go into creating a healthy diet, and it
is important to evaluate the current state of your diet before
embarking on a plan for healthier eating.

There are several questions you should ask yourself when
evaluating the healthiness (or lack thereof) of your current
eating plan. These questions include:

Do I eat a wide variety of foods? Variety is one of the most
important hallmarks of a healthy diet, since no one food
contains all the nutrients needed by the human body. It is
important to eat foods from all the major food groups, including
grains and breads, fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy
products, meats, beans and nuts.

If you find yourself avoiding some food groups, such as
vegetables for instance, it may be time to look for a healthier
diet.

Do I recognize the importance of cereals, breads and other grain
products? Eating a wide variety of grain based products is
important to a healthy diet. Grains and cereals contain a large
number of important nutrients, including high levels of dietary
fiber.

It is important to choose whole grain products as often as
possible, since whole grain products like wheat bread contain
more nutrients than more refined white bread and similar
products. When eating cereal, it is a good idea to choose whole
grain varieties, or those that are enriched with vitamins and
minerals.

Do I eat lots of fruits and vegetables? Many people do not eat
sufficient servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Most
experts recommend eating between 5 and 9 servings of fruits and
vegetables every day, roughly equivalent to 2 cups of fruit and
2 cups of vegetables.

When shopping for vegetables and fruits, it is important to
choose a good variety of dark green, dark red, orange and yellow
varieties. That is because different colored fruits and
vegetables contain a variety of different nutrients, including
vitamin C, vitamin A and beta carotene.

Do I eat a good breakfast every morning? Breakfast, or the
absence of it, is often a good indicator of the state of your
diet. If you rush out of the house every morning and grab a
donut at the local convenience store, chances are your diet can
use some work. A healthy breakfast provides a foundation for the
rest of the day, helps you avoid cravings and provides much
needed nutrition.

Do I choose low fat foods over higher fat alternatives? This is
also an important question to ask yourself. Low fat alternatives
are available for a variety of products, including milk, cheese,
meats and more.

One part of following a healthy, low fat diet is avoiding
prepared foods whenever possible, since prepared foods tend to
have higher amounts of fat and sodium than fresh foods.

It is also important to control the amount of fat that is added
at the table. Adding things like butter, sour cream and heavy
sauces is a sure way to ruin an otherwise healthy meal. Even
healthy foods like salads can be sabotaged by the addition of
high fat salad dressings. Try using lower fat alternatives like
flavored vinegars instead.

Do I drink plenty of water? Drinking plenty of fresh, pure water
is important to maintaining a healthy body and a healthy
lifestyle. Water is important to maintaining optimal levels of
health.

If you think you need more water, try substituting water for
less healthy beverages like soda and coffee.

Am I able to maintain my optimal body weight? Gaining weight
without trying to is often a sign of a poor diet. Following a
healthy diet, and getting plenty of regular exercise, is the
only way to lose weight and keep it off.

Do I limit the amount of salt, sugar, alcohol and caffeine in my
diet? While all of these elements are fine in moderation,
excessive amounts of any of these four can indicate a serious
problem with your diet. It is important to limit the amount of
unhealthy elements in any diet.

About the author:

None

Tags: Author, Cereals, Current State, dairy products;, Dietary Fiber, Food Groups, food;, Fruits And Vegetables, grain products;, Grain Varieties, Grains, Hallmarks, Healthier Eating, Healthiness, Healthy Diet, Human Body, Low Fat Diet, Milk And Dairy Products, Nutrients, Similar Products, Tony Robinson, Vegetables And Fruits, Vitamin A, Vitamins And Minerals, Wheat Bread, White Bread, Whole Grain Products —