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Nutrition tip
Looking for a healthier replacement for those greasy, high starch chips? Try raw green beans. Seriously. Raw green beans have the perfect crunch and taste great with your favorite dips. Plus their skinny shapes keep you from scooping up too much dip. Green beans are a great source of fiber and vitamins and very low in calories.
Low Carb Diets
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Weigth Loss - Helpping Diet Sites
eDiets
Many people need personal support when trying to achieve their weight loss goals, so I've gathered the best programs here for you to consider.
EDiets was the first of the online diet support centers and features ALL the popular diet plans.
Jenny Craig
The Jenny Craig program started in Australia and is popular all over the world. Again, another program that has both prepared food products and a plan for eating "real food."
Nutrisystem
This is a new program featuring prepared foods that follow the glycemic index. An average week's food costs around $85 per person. If you can't cook, it's a definite option.
South Beach Diet
Now you can get online support in following the South Beach Diet plan.
Weight Watchers
The original and still the most popular program. Features a point system, mutual support and more. Features how to eat with either prepared or home cooked meals.
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New York diet series
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Take a look and get inspired on this people
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from http://www.nydailynews.com/ |
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After almost a month, we are happy to report that New York is filled with happy losers - people who have taken up the Daily News' challenge for city dwellers to shed a million collective pounds.
Take readers like Dennis Alestra, who joined Weight Watchers on Jan. 8, the day after he read the inspiring story of Vernice Tolliver-Benvenutti and Carlos Benvenutti in the Daily News. He has lost 7 pounds in his first two weeks on the plan. And Lydia Williams and her husband wrote that they have together lost 20 pounds since Jan. 3.
We checked in with the people who joined the campaign on Jan. 11 to see how they are doing:
Mark Grossman, Queens: "I lost 6 pounds in the past two weeks, but I'm shooting for more this week. I'm doing Weight Watchers, but I want to read the South Beach book."
Brian Delgado, Staten Island: "I lost 18 pounds in two weeks! I was 280 but I went to the doctor because I have the flu, and he said I weighed 262. I'm going to try the South Beach Diet. It looks the most realistic. My mom is going to try it, too, so it's becoming a family effort."
Russel Weigner, Long Island: "Hey, it's only been a few weeks! But I lost 3 pounds. I might try the South Beach Diet, but so far, my own plan has been working. You just gotta work hard at it."
Brenda and George Boyce, Manhattan: "I lost 1 pound [on Weight Watchers] and George has been sick and he didn't get to the gym, so he didn't lose anything. But we're working on getting back on track."
Latanya Blue, Brooklyn: "I've compared them all but I'm still deciding which one to pick. Meanwhile, I've tried to minimize my portions, include fresh fruit and vegetables in my diet and exercise. I'm trying hard to stick to it! I dropped 2 pounds, but I'm not weighing myself again before Feb. 5. I'm going more on how my clothes are fitting."
Helen Bessette, Manhattan: "I'm still deciding which diet to go on, but meanwhile I've been trying to watch what I eat and how much. I'm not below 330 yet, but my jeans are looser, so I'm happy with that, and going in the right direction."
Sally Pabon, Queens: "I finally decided I'm going to start the Atkins Diet."
Michelle Megna |
Who has done the Atkins Diet!!!
Atkins Do's
Beef, lamb, pork, poultry, most seafood, cheese, eggs and olives. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day to avoid constipation.
Atkins Don'ts
Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, starchy vegetables, beer, sugar, flour, fruit, juice, ketchup and anything labeled "low-fat."
AVERAGE WEIGHT LOSS: Results are immediate. Some people lose up to 16 pounds in the first two weeks.
What you should know about Atkins Diet
Who this diet for:
People who have struggled with traditional weight-loss techniques.
Those interested in managing their health or weight while eating foods that other diets recommend they avoid or restrict.
Who this diet is not for:
People with established renal disease who have been instructed to avoid increased protein intake.
Insulin-dependent diabetics, who should follow the diet only under close doctor supervision.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women, who should avoid the initial phases of the diet. They may be able to incorporate the lifetime maintenance changes.
The basics: It's the diet that never stops being controversial. Critics have questioned how it could possibly promote weight loss. They've said it's dangerous for your heart. But independent studies published last year have disputed both those points, and millions of adherents swear by it. A recent Harris Poll found that 32 million Americans are on a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet of some sort, with Atkins dominating the pack.
How it works: The diet was founded by Dr. Robert Atkins, who died last year after slipping on ice outside his Manhattan office. Its premise is that by metabolizing fat, rather than carbohydrates, as your primary energy source, you are less likely to gain weight.
Atkins said that the body naturally burns carbohydrates for fuel before turning to fat for energy. So to get your body to burn fat first, rather than carbohydrates, you need to cut the carbs from your diet. Atkins dieters get their energy from nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods instead - mostly proteins.
The Atkins plan has four phases: induction, ongoing weight loss, premaintenance and lifetime maintenance. The only restrictions are on the amount of carbohydrates you eat.
Limiting the carbs: In the induction phase, the first two weeks of the program, you can have as much protein, oils and fats as you want. That means you're allowed all the chicken, turkey, seafood, red meat and eggs, olive oil, butter and mayonnaise you can stomach.
You're limited to 20 grams of carbohydrates a day, though. They can come from leafy green vegetables, cheese, avocado and olives. No caffeine, alcohol, nuts or seeds are allowed. (There is a link to a sample induction menu below.)
The next three phases are more flexible, and let you gradually add more carbohydrates, such as asparagus and blueberries. During the second and third phases, you'll continue to lose weight, but at a slower rate than in the induction phase. The last phase lasts for life. By then you've figured out how many carbohydrates, and which ones, you can eat and still stay at your target weight.
About cholesterol: That people following Atkins have lost weight while increasing their levels of HDL, or "good" cholesterol, and lowering their levels of triglycerides - blood fats that can clog the heart's arteries - defies conventional wisdom about nutrition. Many doctors remain skeptical about its safety and why it seems to work for so many people.
Additional government studies measuring cholesterol levels and other important health markers over longer periods of time may resolve some of the controversy.
"Prior to this low-carbohydrate movement, managing your weight and health meant sacrificing and just not eating certain things or eating less," says Dr. Stuart Trager, chair of the Atkins Physicians Council. "Now it means eating differently. And eating differently gives people more choices and options and lets them take greater control of their health.
"Just knowing how many calories are in different foods always translated into the need to eat less. Improved carbohydrate awareness is extremely empowering and is helping many people who previously weren't able to take a role in lowering their weight to join this movement, shedding pounds and improving their cardiac risk factors."
Daily Exercise Suggestions
Walk 10 Minutes a Day and Increase Your Fitness Level Old thinking was to work out in a sweat-filled gym for hours a day. No pain, no gain. New studies show that even short bouts of activity can increase your fitness level, especially if you're new at working out.
Park and Walk
Whenever you have an errand, park your car as far away as you can handle and walk to the store. At the mall, park at the farthest end and walk the length of the mall. Use every opportunity to walk. At the end of the day, it all adds up to better fitness.
Crunch in Bed
Before you even get out of bed in the morning, do 10 stomach crunches while lying flat on your mattress. Increase daily by one until you get up to 100. Think you'll never get there? Try it. You may eventually have to set your clock to wake up 15 minutes earlier, a small price to pay for a flatter stomach.
10 Essential Health Tips
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!
2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!
3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.
4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.
6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.
7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.
8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.
9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.
10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.
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