Jul 6, 2009

So What Can I Eat since I'm Diagnosed as Diabetic?

By Lauran Stevenin

Fat is burned by exercise. Stored fat in the body causes you to feel more fatigued and makes you less apt to work to rid yourself of excess weight. Even if you eat moderately, but feel you don't have the energy to a little bit of exercise, you are likely to continue to keep those extra pounds. Don't think that you have to exercise at the gym for 3 hours a day, four or five times a week to lose some of that weight. It's gradual exercise that is the best for you to get started with. Break that cycle of fatigue and weight by starting a little bit at a time.

Eating well balanced meals does two things for you. You can become healthier and lose some weight in the process. Well, that is if you eat fewer calories than you expend with the exercise. For example a large person can eat 2000 calories and exercise enough to use 2400 calories and the end result is inevitable . . . weight loss.

There are two schools of thought about vegetables. One supports the benefit of more enzymes in raw vegetables. The other raves about the extra flavor you can add even though you lose some of the beneficial enzymes in the cooking process. Raw fruits and vegetables provide more enzymes and fewer calories. Those vegetables that provide extra fiber in your diet also help you feel full without eating a lot of extra calories.

Don't feel like a "health nut" if you consider squeezing your own juice. That's a stereotype given to people who generally put health above all else in life. Well, let's face it. If you've been diagnosed with diabetes, you SHOULD be taking better care of your health and squeezing your own juice is one way to do that. Using a blender and avoiding adding extra sugar will give you juices that have a lot of good enzymes, lower sugar content and are better for you. You might even try guava or red grapes. They make a tasty juice as well as controlling your blood sugar level.

High carbohydrates, fat and sugar content are the bad parts of this society's eating habit. So many fast food restaurants have popped up that make meals quick (i.e. frying) and sweet (soda, shakes and even little sweet pies) it is difficult to find ways to eat away from home and maintain a healthy diet for the diabetic. No one said you couldnt have ANY of those things, but you MUST balance the things you eat.

A lot of vegetables are rich in fiber that helps clean fats and blood glucose from your body. This helps you lower blood sugar levels. A lot of people eat salads (frequently) to maintain their diabetic diets. The real confusing part of this plan is that salad dressings many times contain mayonnaise and sugars to improve flavor. While the flavor is improved, the sugar level of the salad skyrockets to concerning levels. The main thing to consider here is either low calorie salad dresings or moderation. Moderation can be used as a control factor.

While the pancreas produces insulin to regulate the sugar level in the blood, one of it's main purposes is to produce enzymes to help with digestion. Over time, it loses the ability to function properly in most people. Then come the problems associated with diabetes. Our job at that point is to help the body digest foods and regulate sugar levels. We may add acidophilus to help digestion. Then we regulate the diet to reduce the need for insulin production.

Four of the fat-fighting compounds you can always count on are calcium, fiber, omega-3s and vitamin D. Calcium is found in dairy products. When considering dairy keep in mind it's best to use fat-free or soy milk products. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are high in fiber. Walnuts, flax seed and fish contain a lot of omega-3s while vitamin D is found not only in dairy products, but also in eggs and fish like tuna, salmon and sardines.

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Jul 5, 2009

Don't Mix Alcohol and Muscle Building

By Ricardo d Argence

Believe it or not, there are those who wonder if alcohol has an effect on their muscle building activities. The answer is a resounding yes alcohol will adversely affect your work out.

Protein shakes are the first drink that serious muscle builder will reach for, and for good reason. Protein is critical when muscle building, and its absorption should not be interfered with. When alcohol is consumed, the synthesis of protein is impaired.

Protein synthesis is the process where amino acids in the system join together for the purpose of creating complete proteins. It has been shown that consuming alcohol can slow this process down by 20%.

Another critical factor in muscle building is the testosterone level in the body. You have probably noticed that women don't build the amount of muscle mass as me do. There reason for this is the low testosterone levels in women; women normally have 15-20 times less testosterone in their bodies than me do.

But what does testosterone have to do with alcohol consumption? Alcohol is known to decrease the testosterone levels while increasing the estrogen levels.

Hydration. When you drink alcohol, the kidneys must use massive amounts of water to process the toxin. Yes, the body recognizes alcohol as a toxin. When this happens, the body can quickly become dehydrated.

Nerves are controlled by the muscles. Nerves produce the stimuli that contract muscles using electrolyte minerals that dissolve in water. Water also lubricates the joints and protects them against injury while working out.

Alcohol will rob the body of key vitamins such as vitamins A, B, and C. It will also deplete the body's supply of phosphorous and calcium. When you realize that the vitamins that are most important to muscle building are B and C, it makes sense not to drink alcohol while trying to build muscle.

When trying to build muscle, you need to deplete the stores of fat and increase the muscle mass. Alcohol works directly against this effort. Nutritionists will tell you that alcohol contains empty calories. Empty calories have no nutritional benefit at all. Alcohol also contains twice as many carbohydrates and calories as protein does.

While we are on the subject of calorie it is important to note that the calories taken in while drinking are the first ones burnt. This means that all other fat stores will remain and not be used for energy until alcohol calories are all burned. Not a good combination for a person wanting to build muscle mass and lose fat.

We have examined most of the major points on alcohol and bodybuilding; however, you have to consider the other affects of alcohol on the body. Prolonged use can lead to liver damage, diabetes and a host of other medically related problems. It will be increasingly difficult to build muscle if you suffer any one of these. At the end of the day, is it really worth the cost?

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Jul 4, 2009

Is There an Atkins Grapefruit Diet?

By Frank Williams

The Atkins Grapefruit diet is a diet plan, not supported by the eponymous Dr. Atkins firm, that plays on the fame of the grapefruit diet and the Atkins diet name. However, a closer look at this diet reveals that it may not be all it claims to be.

First off, it's very hard to any find information on the Atkins grapefruit diet plan at all. Smart people realize that when someone is carrying out a deception, or a con, they will often gloss over the facts. This is what the Atkins grapefruit diet seems to be doing in an attempt to get people to associate it with two supposedly effective diets.

Is the Atkins Grapefruit Diet part of the Atkins Diet or endorsed by the estate of the late Dr. Atkins? The answer is no, not only is there no mention of the Atkins Grapefruit Diet on the Atkins web site, but there is no fruit of any kind mentioned in the list of allowed foods in the Atkins diet Induction phase either.

The induction phase allows the following foods: fish of all kinds, all fowl such as turkey and chicken, any shellfish, any meat such as beef or pork, eggs cooked in any style including fried, cheese, vegetables, herbs and spices, fats and oils, low carbohydrate beverages including diet soft drinks.

Please, notice one thing - that fruit is not on that list at all! Later phases of the Atkins diet do include small amounts of fruits such as cantaloupe and even lemon juice, and the pre-maintenance and maintenance phases even allow small quantities of grapefruit, but when looked at in comparison with the amount of Grapefruit recommended on the Atkins Grapefruit Diet there is a massive discrepancy.

The Atkins Grapefruit Diet suggests a cup of grapefruit juice or a cup of grapefruit sections, with 8 and 18 carbs respectively. Even the most generous phases of the Atkins diet recommends restricting consumption to below 8 carbs per day, when it comes to grapefruit. That's a direct contradiction of one diet to the other.

Most sensible people would look directly at the Atkins website the moment they heard of the Atkins Grapefruit Diet. When they found no mention of that diet on their site, a red light would go off and an alarmbell would ring.

In general, remember this: any diet that relies too heavily on one food, such as grapefruit on a grapefruit diet, is unhealthy for any but extremely short periods. The Atkins Grapefruit Diet is not associated with the Atkins diet, and may interfere with the results of the Atkins diet in its early phases.

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Jul 3, 2009

5 Weight Loss Tips For People In Georgetown Over 50

By Josef Brandenburg

Summer couldn't have gotten here any faster even if it tried. A lot of people feel like they didn't get enough time to prepare and are not too eager to go hang out at the beach. It is very possible that you are one of them yourself.

Weight Loss in Georgetown is no laughing matter to the professional over 50-crowd. Besides, everyone wants to look their best at the beach no matter what age they are. You never know when you are going to have your picture taken. A lot of people are under the impression that having a beach body is unrealistic. But the truth is you can look great at any age, all it takes is a bit of planning and effort.

Weight Loss in Georgetown in and among the professional crowd is really fairly simple as long as you do things that will actually work for you and get the results that you are after. The first thing to realize is that is will indeed take some work and concentration but the results will be worth it.

#1. The first tip that we can offer you is that you need to target your time where it will do the most good and that means getting off the treadmill. It really is just not going to improve the way you look or the loss on the weight. Its like the empty calories of the exercise routine. You can accelerate your Weight Loss in Georgetown by avoiding this totally.

#2. Here is some advice about weight lifting; people work their way up to the heavy weights, after starting off with the lighter ones. But the fact is that starting out with heavy weights and working your way up to the heavier ones, is better. Your body is capable of adjusting to what ever you can throw at it. If you go for the heavier weights rather than the light ones, you will get better results, quick.

#3. Another piece of advice is that you should leave out yoga. The outcome of yoga, i.e. relaxation would not be that productive. If you do lose any weight because of yoga, the amount lost would be insignificant. It is mostly used as a relaxation technique.

#4. You should eat less yogurt and granola and more steak so that you can get more protein. To get the results that you want for your body, a good amount of protein in you diet is all you need.

#5. Lastly, don't get hung up on the scale. The important thing is not how much you have lost or what you weight. It is how the weight looks on you. A really skinny girl can look terrible while an overweight one can look so much better simply because of the actual toning process and how the body actually carries the weight.

That is why Georgetown weight loss specialists advise you to look in the mirror and see the difference for yourself at the end of your workout and get rid of the weighing scale.

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Jul 2, 2009

The Benefits Of Cooking With Mediterranean Food Seasoning

By Ferdinand Emy

As in any type of cooking in Mediterranean cuisine people use seasoning, Mediterranean seasoning actually. Apparently, the food of the areas surrounding the Mediterranean sea is the Mediterranean cuisine. The truth is that the Mediterranean cuisine makes up foods from various cultures. These nation-states have influenced each other in time and the process of cooking evolved into sharing common principles. Mediterranean cuisine is characterized by flexibility, a wide range of ingredients and many regional variations. The area has tended to favor the rearing of goats and sheep.

Although currently much of the fish is shipped from the outside since the fisheries of the Mediterranean sea are no longer what they used to be, fish dishes are still very popular. Seafood is still outstanding in many of the standard Mediterranean dish recipes. It is quite apparent that certain types of meats and fruit or vegetables, as it is the case with Mediterranean cuisine, ask for specific/typical seasoning, in this case, Mediterranean seasoning. Pita bread, barbecue or grilled meats, falafel and hummus are among the Mediterranean foods which usually ask a special seasonings which are found in the area around Mediterranean seasoning evidently.

Talking of Mediterranean seasoning you must know that olive oil, though not necessarily a condiment, is created in the Mediterranean countries " Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Italy and Spain, as well as others. Garlic is a representation of a vital ingredient in the Mediterranean seasoning, which is utilized a lot throughout in the Mediterranean cuisine. Adding to the distinctive taste of food are garlic and olive oil which are utilized in the Mediterranean seasoning and cuisine in general. Aside from this, it is generally believed that the ingredients in this type of cooking as well as in the Mediterranean seasoning, and of course the olive oil, are a key contributor to the good health and longevity enjoyed by the Mediterranean people.

You will no doubt need Mediterranean seasoning if you are interested in preparing Mediterranean dishes, or you will not attain real Mediterranean food. You may easily buy various commodities which are labeled Mediterranean seasoning from stores around the country, however, my suggestion is for you to try to prepare your own Mediterranean seasoning because it is not hard at all.

To obtain a good Mediterranean seasoning you only require the right ingredients and a true Mediterranean seasoning recipe, like the 1 below. This combo is what I call Mediterranean seasoning. How much you utilize does not matter, all you need to do is to combine the ingredients in the following proportions in a bowl, whisk, and then pour into a shaker. Place it in a container and then put in the refrigerator, there it is when you require to utilize it for a cursory dusting on a grilled meat, or for a marinade:one part cinammon, 1 part coriander, one part cumin, 1 part dried mint, and then 1 part Italian seasoning or oregano; Besides, put one part onion powder and one part garlic powder.

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