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Dieters Need More Calcium Marilyn Pokorney

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Women on diets need more calcium than normal to avoid bone loss, say Rutgers University researchers.
Studies showed a weight loss diet of 1.5 pounds a week for 6 weeks cuts absorption of calcium. In 57 postmenopausal dieters it was discovered that those women who took 1,800 mg of calcium a day absorbed 78 percent more calcium than those who took only 1,000 mg a day. To prevent bone loss, women dieting after menopause should get 1,700 mg of calcium a day, the experts say.
For people on low-fat, high fiber diets calcium requirements are also higher. Studies show that 19 percent less calcium is absorbed. It is theorized that the healthier diet moves food faster through the gastrointestinal tract.
While it is common knowledge that calcium is necessary for bone-growth research shows that calcium also fights fat absorption. Studies reveal that calcium blocks fat storage in fat cells. A minimum of 1,000 mg. of calcium daily improves total cholesterol and good HDL, but lowers bad LDL.
Despite the publicity of the importance of calcium for healthy bones research shows that consumption has gone down over the past 30 years.
Experts recommend 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D daily for people under 50, and 1,500 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D for those over 50. The safe upper limit for calcium intake has been set at 2,500 mg a day. Experts think going above that on a daily basis may invite kidney stone formation.
Once started, never stop taking calcium/vitamin D supplements daily. USDA researchers found that after a 3- year study over one-third of participants stopped taking the supplements. Within one year women lost all bone-density gains and men lost their gains in two years.
For those who are lactose intolerant calcium and vitamin D supplementation is even more important because it will be difficult to get the daily requirement through diet alone.
For those allergic to cow’s milk. Drink enough soy milk to give you 500 mg of calcium per glass as compared to 300 mg in cows milk. Studies at Creighton University in Omaha, NE, showed that 25 percent less calcium is absorbed from soy milk as cows milk.
For more information on calcium and coral calcium: http://www.apluswriting.net/diettips/evitaminscalcium.htm

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Dieters: What Gift Will You Give Yourself? Janice Elizabeth Small

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What kind of December will you give yourself this year?
You choose!
You can drop all pretense of trying to lose weight and let yourself go for the whole month, making the most of every opportunity to wolf down more calories. Or you can carry on eating when you’re hungry, stopping when you’re full, making the best of the food choices available to you – even at parties. And you can eat extra healthily on the days when there’s really nothing special happening.
You can give up exercise for the month and slump down on the sofa every night watching your waistline expand. Or you can keep active (even if you don’t have time for your usual routine) by putting lots of energy into your preparations, keeping moving as you go about your day and fitting in 10 minutes of exercise (a walk, a stair climb, a few stretches) here and there.
You can get completely frazzled leaving everything until the last minute and set yourself up for a huge amount of stress and comfort eating. Or you can spend just a few minutes each day on preparations and cut out last minute panics.
You can make yourself sad and depressed by comparing your family party with the ones portrayed in the media or you can just decide to enjoy it, knowing that the media parties are the figment of the producer’s and the designer’s imagination (and the pictures were shot in August in a studio).
You can spend all your energy and time finding great gifts for everyone else and set yourself up for disappointment by just hoping something nice comes your way. Or you can make sure that you have something you really want this year, by dropping hints, asking directly (some people would love to know – it takes the pressure off!) or even just buying whatever it is you want and wrapping up the perfect gift just for yourself.
So you choose what kind of December to have. You can come out of it frazzled, overweight and disappointed or happy that you’ve enjoyed the break and haven’t done too much damage to your waistline.
Which will it be this year?
Choose wisely, give yourself the gift of a great December and have a fantastic time.

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Dieters: How to Avoid Loose Skin Problems Janice Elizabeth Small

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We lose weight to look great and feel good about our bodies. And yet even when we lose a lot of weight and look great in our clothes we can still feel unhappy at how our bodies look undressed.
The problem?
Unwanted loose sagging skin left as a reminder of our former shape. Here are the 5 keys to prevent loose sagging skin when you undergo a weight loss program.
1. Lose weight slowly
Skin has remarkable powers of elasticity and yet it does not snap back instantly into shape if you lose a lot of weight quickly – anyone who has ever had a baby will tell you that one for free!
The more gradually you lose weight the easier it is for your skin to keep pace with your new shape. You certainly didn’t put on all those pounds overnight – your skin had time to adapt so don’t try to get rid of them all at once either if you want your skin to stay looking good.
Change your habits gradually so that you lose your weight bit by bit and you’re far less likely to have problems than someone going on a crash diet and congratulating themselves on losing 100lbs in 6 months.
2. Eat nutrient rich foods
If your meals and snacks consist of junk food (even if you eat it in smaller quantities than before) then you’re unlikely to nourish your skin properly and build up its strength.
Choose foods which are high in vitamins and minerals and low in sugar, saturated fat and additives. Include foods high in essential fatty acids such as avocados, olives, oily fish, nuts and seeds and oils made from these and also ensure that you have an adequate supply of lean protein.
3. Preserve your muscle tone
When you lose weight you may find that the skin becomes loose because you have lost some of the underlying muscle which supports it. If you lose more than a pound or two of weight a week then it is very likely you’re losing muscle tissue as well as fat and without specific intense exercises to replace that muscle your skin will sag.
In any case, no matter how fast you lose weight (and even just to prevent age-related sagging) it is always helpful to do some toning exercises for all parts of your body including your face to keep skin firm if you care about looking good.
4. Keep skin hydrated
Drink plenty of water to keep skin healthy. If you drink wall to wall fizzy drinks, coffee and tea skin suffers because these drinks cause you to be more dehydrated than ever. And diet drinks full of additives do not help your skin no matter how few calories they contain. Only water and pure herbal teas will do the trick.
You can add lemon or orange slices to your water and you can have it at any temperature you like but drink enough – about 2 litres a day. That’s about 8 glasses. If it helps try the rubber band trick and put 8 bands on your wrist or around a pot or bottle on your desk and remove one each drink of water you have.
5. Lose weight sooner rather than later
Don’t keep putting off your weight loss program. The older you are and the longer you have been overweight the less elastic and resilient your skin becomes and the more you need to stick stringently to the other guidelines here to prevent skin becoming too loose.
Also don’t get too complacent about being able to eat all you want and then lose weight later before you get hugely overweight The constant yo-yo dieting stretching and then loosening the skin will harm your skin’s elasticity too.
Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small
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Dieters : When You Feel Like Quitting Janice Elizabeth Small

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As the saying goes “Quitters never win and winners never quit!” but sometimes it’s hard to keep going when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and you know there’s a long road ahead.
If you’re wavering in your latest weight loss goal, ask yourself these questions before you throw in the towel. If you are able to step back and understand what is going on, it will help you to adapt your approach a little, and then get back on track with renewed enthusiasm.
So ask yourself:-
– Why do I want to lose weight? What will achieving my aims give me?
– How will I feel if I quit?
– Am I always quitting before I reach my goal? Why?
– How will I feel if I succeed?
– What is making this so hard?
– What have I been doing (or not doing) to make this more difficult or less successful?
– What’s working ok?
– What do I need to change?
– What do I need to learn?
– What strategies could I use to get back on track?
– How can I adapt this to make it work for me?
– How could I get more support?
– What will help me keep going?
– What will I achieve by quitting?
– What would I do then?
The fact is you can achieve anything you want if you keep going. So if you want to lose weight, just don’t quit – adapt whatever you’re doing, try a new plan, just don’t quit and you’ll get there. You can do this! You really can!

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Dieters : When Moderation Doesn’t Work Janice Elizabeth Small

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If there’s one habit which will make you lose weight more than any other it’s reducing the amount you eat by eating only when you are hungry and stopping when you are satisfied rather than stuffed.
You can usually lose weight with this habit no matter what type of foods you eat – because we are generally eating far too much of everything these days.
The temptation to eat too much is everywhere. Standard portion sizes have grown out of all proportion to our needs so that the mini muffins of today were the standard size of a few years ago. A “tall” coffee is the smallest size you can get. Snack foods come in multi-packs and jumbo bars. We get mounds of food served up to us in restaurants and we are generally serving bigger portions at home too. You simply get used to indulging in an amount of food you can do without.
Most people can pick up on the portion size idea and reduce their normal intake when they want to lose weight. They relish being able to eat the foods they like, even if they are not eating so much of it. They use a bowl, take a handful of tortilla chips out of the bag and put the rest away. They leave half a muffin on the plate (better in the trash than on their hips) and they reduce the pile of food on their plate. They order less in restaurants and leave what they don’t need without a qualm.
This is great to avoid a feeling of deprivation that dieting so often brings about. Reduce portion sizes by just a third and you drop 500 calories or more from your daily intake losing about a pound of fat (3500 calories worth) a week without making any other changes. Although this is not the best way to eat healthily – for that you’d be better switching foods to include more nutrient-rich items, it does bring results without having to change too much at once.
While this is all very well for many people, there are some who struggle with this whole way of losing weight. That’s the group who crave a particular item or food group.
In this group, eating just small amount of the food they crave leads to eating a packetful no matter how much they want to eat in moderation. It may be the case with chocolate or other high-sugar foods and sometimes with salty snack type foods.
In this case it’s better to stay away from the food entirely for a short time while you learn to control portion sizes using other foods. Then, when you have a sense that you can control how much you eat with other foods, you’re losing weight and feeling good, reintroduce a small portion of the food you used to crave and see how you get on.
It can be a case of trial and error to get this right for your circumstances. We are all different and have different emotional and physical reactions to food. It takes longer for some than for others to be able to cope with a particular craving. Experiment with reintroducing the food after 3 or 4 weeks to start with – that’s generally enough to have seen good results from portion control with the rest of your meals and snacks. If it leads to eating too much then leave it for double that time before retrying. Some people have given up eating chocolate or ice cream forever because it’s almost like an addiction but this is unnecessary for most people once they get the moderation habit.

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Dieters : There Are No Second Helpings In Life Janice Elizabeth Small

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It’s so easy to put your life on hold until you lose weight. It’s easy to say “I’ll do that once I’ve lost a few pounds” or “I couldn’t do that I’m too fat”.
But you only have one life – there are no second helpings. So you owe it to yourself to live your life in the present and to live it to the full.
Going for whatever you want now, rather than waiting until you are slim, can even help you lose weight.
How so?
1. It distracts you from eating
If you’re busy working to achieve something, it keeps your mind occupied with activities other than food.
Have you ever been engaged in an activity where you were so absorbed you forgot to eat? People who live their lives following their passions and going for their goals have a lot more of those moments. It’s called “being in the flow state” and in flow your thoughts are on anything but food!
You know how it is when you’re trying to lose weight – you feel hungry just because you’re thinking about food all the time – what you can and can’t eat, what you should and shouldn’t have eaten at your last mealtime. If you have other things to keep your mind occupied, things you’re 100% involved in, you’ll be able to stick to your weight loss program more easily.
2. It prevents self-sabotage
If you’re just a tiny bit scared that you’re not cut out to achieve what you want to achieve in life, you may be using your weight as a form of protection. And you’ll sabotage your weight loss efforts at every turn to keep those pounds so that you don’t put yourself in the position of trying and failing. Your weight is an excuse to keep yourself within your comfort zone. It helps you justify sticking with what you know and are used to.
If you recognise this in yourself, take just tiny steps towards your goal every day, tiny steps that don’t seem difficult at all. You’ll build your success little by little and gradually lose your fear and your weight.
Start going for your goals and what could be more satisfying? You’ll be losing weight and having a great time too. Life is not all about the number on the scales and your attempts to shift that dial don’t have to be all consuming.
You only have one life, so go for whatever it is you want!
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Dietary Loss Supplement Weight Controversy

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In the world of bodybuilding, the dietary loss supplement weight controversy is huge. If you are serious about bodybuilding, this is an issue that you cannot avoid – especially if you have body fat. So, what is the deal with the dietary loss supplement weight controversy?

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In the world of bodybuilding, the dietary loss supplement weight controversy is huge. If you are serious about bodybuilding, this is an issue that you cannot avoid – especially if you have body fat. So, what is the deal with the dietary loss supplement weight controversy?

In recent years, many weight loss dietary supplements have been pulled off of store shelves by the FDA. It seems that they have horrendous side effects, such as heart attacks, strokes, and liver damage. But weight loss is still important in the bodybuilding world, so what should you do?

You should use the most miraculous body building supplement known to man – creatine. Creatine has an incredible number of benefits, it is safe, and it is highly recommended by doctors, scientists, and bodybuilding experts – and even weight loss experts these days.

It is amazing that there are still so many different dietary loss supplement weight products out there being used by bodybuilders – most of which do not work, and others of which are absolutely dangerous – when we have creatine which is highly approved of, incredibly effective, easily affordable, and simply proven to work.

Creatine occurs naturally in the body, and it consists of three amino acids, which include Methionine, Arginine, and Glycine. Once in the liver, these three amino acids are combined, and they produce creatine.

What scientists have found is that when you have plenty of creatine in your system, your muscles use more adenosine triphosphate during exercise. This is important, because this is what gives the muscles energy to perform the exercises that you are doing. The more creatine you have in your system, the more ATP you have, and the more exercises you can do.

Creatine is so effective in the process of building muscles that it has been deemed the legal steroid – even though it isn’t actually a steroid. Creatine is perfectly safe, and it does not change your estrogen or testosterone levels in any way.

In terms of weight loss, creatine is effective in that it has been proven to burn off excess fat while building lean muscle mass. This happens very easily. The idea is to absolutely drench your muscles with creatine, by taking a creatine supplement. This in turn will attract water to those muscles. When this happens, the muscles must expand, which makes them bigger.

Bigger muscles require more energy than smaller muscles. When they cannot find that excess energy anywhere else, the muscles will start using stored body fat for energy. Note that exercise is still required; however this is incredibly beneficial for body builders, and in recent years has settled the great dietary loss supplement weight controversy.

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Dietary Guidelines Show Need For Supplements Loren Baker

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The 2005 Dietary Guidelines emphasize getting all of your nutrients from conventional foods, if possible, but also flag the need for some supplemental nutrients.”The fact is that many people do not get all the nutrients they need from diet alone, and there are clear health benefits from getting the full recommended amounts of all vitamins and minerals. A daily multivitamin can go a long way toward filling the gaps, and an additional supplement providing more calcium and vitamin D is advisable for most people,” said Annette Dickinson, Ph.D., president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), one of the dietary supplement industry’s leading trade associations.
“Additionally, supplements of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may be valuable for people who don’t eat at least two fish meals each week.” According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, children and adolescents as well as adults often fall short in vitamin E, adults frequently fail to get enough vitamin C, people over age 50 should get the supplemental form of vitamin B-12, women of childbearing age need synthetic folic acid (a B vitamin), and lots of people need extra vitamin D. According to Dr. Dickinson, “The good news is that all of these supplemental nutrients can be consumed conveniently and inexpensively in the form of a daily multivitamin, for less than a dime a day.”
In addition, the Dietary Guidelines point out that calcium is a critical nutrient that is in short supply for practically everybody—children, teens, and adults. A multivitamin with minerals will provide some extra calcium, but to get the full amount of calcium that is recommended, people will need to use a separate supplement containing calcium (preferably with vitamin D) or consume lots of dairy products or calcium-fortified foods. While conventional foods and fortified foods and supplements are all effective ways to obtain additional nutrients, cost and calories are also factors to consider. The cost of 1,000 mg of calcium can range from 18 cents a day to $1.38 a day, depending on whether a person uses a calcium tablet, soft calcium chews, lowfat milk, a breakfast cereal with added calcium, or calcium-fortified orange juice (listed from lowest to highest cost). The number of calories that will come along with that amount of calcium ranges from negligible to over 300.
“Multivitamins and calcium supplements can provide consumers with a major boost in their attempts to meet their nutrient needs while controlling cost and avoiding excess calories,” said Dr. Dickinson. “The 2005 Dietary Guidelines flag important nutrient shortfalls, and ideally the Food Guide Pyramid (when it comes out) should feature a flag on top to remind people to use appropriate supplements in addition to improving their diets and adopting a healthier lifestyle. Supplements can be an integral part of an optimal diet and should always be viewed in the context of a healthy lifestyle.”
See below for a summary of the Dietary Guidelines comments on nutrient shortfalls. The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement industry ingredient suppliers and manufacturers. CRN members adhere to a strong code of ethics, comply with dosage limits and manufacture dietary supplements to high quality standards under good manufacturing practices. For more information on CRN, visit http://www.crnusa.org.
2005 Dietary Guidelines: Nutrient Shortfalls in the General Population Shortfalls for adults: calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids (as a source of vitamin A) Shortfalls for children and adolescents: calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamin E 2005 Dietary Guidelines: Recommendations for Special Needs Vitamin B-12 for People Over 50 Although a substantial proportion of individuals over age 50 have reduced ability to absorb naturally occurring vitamin B-12, they are able to absorb the crystalline form. Thus, all individuals over the age of 50 should be encouraged to meet their Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA, 2.4 mcg/day) for vitamin B-12 by eating foods fortified with vitamin B-12 such as fortified cereals, or by taking the crystalline form of vitamin B-12 supplements.
Iron for Women Based on blood values, substantial numbers of adolescent females and women of childbearing age are iron deficient. Thus, these groups should eat foods high in heme-iron (e.g., meats) or iron-fortified foods with an enhancer of iron absorption, such as foods rich in vitamin C (e.g., orange juice). Folic Acid for Women of Childbearing Age Since folic acid reduces the risk of the neural tube defects, spina bifida and anencephaly, a daily intake of 400 mcg/day of synthetic folic acid (from fortified foods or supplements in addition to food forms of folate from a varied diet) is recommended for women of childbearing age who may become pregnant. Pregnant women should consume 600 mcg/day of synthetic folic acid (from fortified foods or supplements) in addition to food forms of folate from a varied diet. Vitamin D for the Elderly, People with Dark Skin, and People Who Avoid the Sun Adequate vitamin D status, which depends on dietary intake and cutaneous synthesis [synthesis in skin exposed to sunlight], is important for optimal calcium absorption, and it can reduce the risk for bone loss. The elderly and individuals with dark skin (because the ability to synthesize vitamin D from exposure to sunlight varies with degree of skin pigmentation) and people who get very little exposure to sunlight (e.g., housebound individuals) may need as much as 1,000 International Units per day to achieve protective blood levels of the vitamin.
Fish, EPA, and DHA Evidence suggests that consuming approximately two servings of fish per week (about 8 ounces total) may reduce the risk of mortality from coronary heart disease and that consuming EPA and DHA (two long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish) may reduce the risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease in people who have already experienced a cardiac event.
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Dietary Fiber – For Diabetes, Heart and General Health

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Whether its for weight loss, diabetes, or heart health, dietary fiber is a great way to improve your health. But not all fiber will help you achieve your goals in these areas. Find out what types of fiber you need to control your blood sugar levels, prevent cancer, and improve your cholesterol level

dietary fiber, high fiber diet, fiber

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Most people understand the importance of dietary fiber in their diet. Much has been said about its importance in heart health, diabetes, cancer prevention, and even weight control.

What is less well understood is how different types of fiber effect the body. Some provide fecal bulk, some are absorbed more quickly into the blood stream than others, and thus raise blood sugar levels more quickly, and yet others provide benefits to the heart.

Thus, despite the apparent simplicity, fiber is a complex topic. And whilst all types of fiber are important, if you are looking at preventing or managing specific conditions, its not enough to just look at the total dietary fiber as written on food packaging.

Dietary fiber is broadly classified into soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is fermented in the colon, and plays a role in slowing the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. It also encourages the growth of the ‘friendly’ bacteria that help break down bile, and are involved in the creation of B vitamins like folic acid, niacin, and pyridoxine.

Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, acts a bit like an intestinal broom. It provides bulk to the stools, and makes sure they pass through easily and quickly. This is the type of fiber that keeps you ‘regular’, not insoluble fiber.

Insoluble fiber does provide a feeling of fullness, however. This makes it great for weight loss and controlling hunger. It also keeps blood sugar levels more stable, although research into the rate at which carbohydrates enter the bloodstream have found there to be some significant differences within the foods that make up the fiber group. Dietary fiber can thus be rated by its Glycemic Index, which effectively ranks fiber foods with each other on a relative scale.

The idea is to try and include more low gylcemic index foods. Foods with a high glycemic index cause blood sugar levels to spike, providing too much energy to the blood in the form of carbohydrates, which in turn sets off the body’s sugar controlling hormone – insulin. You thus get a ‘high’ followed by a sudden drop. This in turn leads the body to want more carbohydrates to balance itself again, leading to cravings and overeating, as well as tiredness and moodiness.

Low glycemic index foods include lentils, chickpeas, baked beans, fruit loaf, salmon sushi, barley, milk, low fat custard, soy milk, yoghurt (not diet yoghurt), apples, strawberries, grapes, spaghetti, peas, carrots, fructose, strawberry jam, and chocolate milk.

Moderate glycemic index foods include pea soup, rye bread, porridge, muesli, ice cream, bananas, pineapple, kiwi fruit, new potatoes, beetroot, white sugar, honey, and mars bars.

High glycemic index foods include broad beans, bagels, white bread, brown rice, watermelon, udon noodles, desiree, pontiac and sebago potatoes, and glucose.

We need both soluble and insoluble fiber, however. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that in a group of 6000 French men and women, those with the highest levels of soluble and insoluble fiber in their diet had a lower risk of being overweight, a lower risk of having blood pressure problems, cholesterol problems, and they had better levels of triacylglycerols and homocysteine. The last two are measure3 of heart health.

Fiber from cereals was linked to lower body fat, lower blood pressure, and lower levels of homocysteine. Those with a higher intake of vegetables, also a source of fiber, had lower blood pressure and lower homocysteine levels. Fiber from fresh fruit was associated with a lower waist to hip ratio (good news for dieters!), and lower blood pressure. And fiber from dried fruit, nuts, and seeds (like sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds) was also linked to a lower waist to hip ratio, lower body fat, and a better fasting glucose concentration. Fasting glucose relates to having a steady level of glucose between meals. If it dips too low, we crave things, often sweets.

Fiber has another interesting benefit. In people with type 2 diabetes, it has been found to lower the levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol, and increase the levels of ‘good’ cholesterol. It has already been established that fiber supplements will lower the levels of bad cholesterol in people, whether they have diabetes or not. But this new study found that fiber supplements also decreased the reabsorption of cholesterol from meals.

To get this benefit, it is important to time taking the fiber supplement in synch with meals. The study participants took a fiber supplement drink before mealtimes, and this ensured that the fiber was in the intestines when the meal was being eaten. The people in the study participated for 90 days and their average age was 59 years old.

References:
1. Australian Healthy Food, November 2005
2. nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=64759
3. nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=57887
4. nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=64462
5. nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=59737

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Diet Tips For The Whole Family

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Losing weight is never really easy, but when you find it necessary to prepare diet meals for yourself and fare that your family will eat as well, it can become really difficult. If you find yourself in this situation, the solution may be easier than you might think. While your family need not go on a diet with you, making some changes to the way you prepare meals can help to ensure that you stick to your diet goals and your family eats healthier as well.

One of the most i…

weight loss, weight loss diet, obesity, weight loss program

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Losing weight is never really easy, but when you find it necessary to prepare diet meals for yourself and fare that your family will eat as well, it can become really difficult. If you find yourself in this situation, the solution may be easier than you might think. While your family need not go on a diet with you, making some changes to the way you prepare meals can help to ensure that you stick to your diet goals and your family eats healthier as well.

One of the most important things you can do to make the switch to healthier eating is pay attention to the cuts of meat that you purchase and prepare. Whenever possible, purchase the leanest cuts of meat available. They may be slightly more expensive, but the health benefits you receive are well worth the extra cost. To beef up the health benefits even more, switch from frying prep methods to other methods such as roasting, baking, grilling and broiling. This is a great way to lose weight and keep your arteries free and clear.

Everyone, whether you happen to be dieting or not, can benefit from adding more vegetables to the menu. This is only true; however, if those veggies are prepared in the healthiest ways possible. Instead of loading them down with lots of cheese and butter, opt for other tasty methods. Steamed vegetables seasoned with herbs, spices, imitation butter and/or flavored vinegar provide a tasty and healthy alternative to fat and calorie laden vegetable casserole dishes.

Unless you are on a very strict no carbohydrate diet, grains can actually be good for your weight loss plans and form a healthy part of your family’s eating routine as well. The important key is to choose healthy grains instead of those that are high in refined sugar. Opt for whole grain rolls, breads and wild rice. Not only are these choices healthier, but they also taste better.

One of the biggest problems for families where one or more members are on a diet is satisfying the sweet tooth of some without wrecking the diet plans of others. One way to handle this is by stocking the freezer and pantry with dessert options that are tasty but won’t sabotage your weight loss goals. Consider choices such as low-cal and low-fat ice cream or yogurt. Paired with an all fruit spread topping or light whipped topping, there’s a good chance the kids won’t even notice the difference as they dig in. Other great dessert alternatives include fat-free pudding, sherbet, gelatin, fruit cocktail and apple sauce.

If you really want to energize your diet and create a healthier routine for your family, consider skipping dessert all-together and heading outside for a group walk, bike ride or even a game of Frisbee or volleyball. Not only will you be setting a healthy example for the rest of your family, but you’ll also grow stronger as a family unit while spending quality time together.