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What Everybody Ought to Know About the Mediterranean Diet

Written by guest author Eva Alexander;

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a)  Mediterranean diet is high in fat content.  Can people enjoy weight loss and optimum weight management if they follow this diet?

Mediterranean diet is high in fats.  But these consist of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.  These are healthy fats needed by your body.  In contrast, the typical American diet is rich in saturated fats.  It should be noted also that fat content in your diet does not determine weight loss.  It is your calorie consumption that will generally influence weight loss and optimum weight management.  Mediterranean diet provides lots of healthy benefits but it is still essential to lower your calorie consumption to achieve better results.

b) What makes the Mediterranean diet different from the common American diet?

Americans consume high numbers of red meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy, while the Mediterranean includes very little. The diet also differs from the typical American diet through its dependence on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, olive oil, beans, breads, cereals, and potatoes.

c) Explain why the incidence of heart disease is lower in the Mediterranean?

Diet is a major factor in lowering the incidences of heart disease in the Mediterranean region.  This has been proven by research and studies conducted by health and diet experts. Another big factor is the holistic approach of the Mediterranean diet.  This diet does not only focus on foods but on maintaining a healthy lifestyle as well.

d) Is exercise still required if one is following a Mediterranean diet?

Of course, exercise is one of the most crucial aspects of Mediterranean diet.   When this diet was developed in the sixties, exercise and physical activity were part of the culture of the Mediterranean people.  The development of the Mediterranean diet institutionalized the correct food choices and holistic lifestyle.  With this diet, daily walk for an hour and once a week whole body exercises are required.

e) How the Mediterranean diet differ from the Low Carb diet?

Mediterranean diet is substantially different from Low Carb diet.  For one thing, the Mediterranean program has lower protein component.  You will only get 15 percent calories from the protein of Mediterranean diet.

f) Wine is a regular feature of the Mediterranean diet.  Is there a recommended amount for wine consumption each day?

The rule of thumb is to consume wine in moderate amounts.  Men should get 5 percent of their daily calorie intake from wine.  For women, the calorie consumption from wine should be 2.5 percent.

g) Final Tips

The Mediterranean lifestyle is your way to achieve good health.  You need to include foods in your diet that are rich in Omega 3, root crops, and vegetable oils.  Combine these with breads, cereals and fruits and you can prevent heart disease.

About the Author – Eva Alexander writes for Mediterranean diet breakfast , her personal hobby blog focused on tips to eat healthy on the Mediterranean way.

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The Body Clock Diet – How does it Work?

body-clock-dietThe Body Clock Diet was created by dietitian Lyndel Costain.  Your body has its own clock to regulate all the processes in your body such as metabolism, appetite, energy levels and sleeping time. All of the processes are preprogrammed and take place in their time.

If you cooperate and work with your body clock you can lose weight and live healthier. When you eat a well balanced diet on a regular basis, the feeling of hunger is turned on and off by the natural way. The Body Clock Diet keeps the dieter in sync with his or her natural rhythms. The key is a healthy diet along with the right timing.

The Body Clock Diet is based on the healthy approach of balancing your diet with the necessary nutrients such as plenty of starchy carbs, protein rich foods, low-fat diary products, fruits and vegetables.

The Body Clock Diet is a 14 day diet plan and each day includes 3 well balanced main meals and 2 snacks between them. Whit this diet plan it’s very important when you eat to be in sync with your body clock. Grains and cereals should be eaten in the morning to gain effect of insulin on the brain, low glycemic index carbs and lean proteins should be consumed at dinner to gain most effect on the digestive process.

With the Body Clock Diet you may lose up to 2 pounds per week. This diet plan should be combined with healthy levels of exercise at least thirty minutes per day four to six times per week

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High-Fiber Diet for Weight Loss and Better Health

dietary-fiber-for-weight-lossHigh-fiber diets can help you to lose weight. Typical diets include only 10 to 15 grams of dietary fiber a day, but the daily value should be 25 grams. Most of us don’t have enough fiber in our diets. The average person eats half of what he or she would need.

People who are on high-fiber diet and successfully lose weight eat about 45 to 50 grams of fiber a day. Fiber provides a sense of fullness. It also regulates the speed at which your body processes sugars and it helps to limit the intake of fat and cholesterol.

High-fiber diet has other health benefits:

  • Helps to lose weight
  • Decrease the risk of colon and breast cancer
  • Prevents high cholesterol
  • Prevents diabetes
  • Prevents heart disease
  • Prevents high blood pressure
  • Ease constipation

Fiber is indigestible and found in plant foods, including fruits vegetables, grains and beans. There is no fiber in meat or in any other animal food. There is soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water in the intestinal tract. It helps you to feel fuller for longer and it promotes better digestion. Soluble fibers are found in higher concentrations in fruits, oats, barley, and beans.

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Pilates for Fitness

pilates-exercise-movePilates has been around for many years and is getting popular than ever. Pilates is connecting the mind and body to build strong core foundation. Pilates is similar to yoga but it provides different results.

The benefits of Pilates are:

  • Improves your body alignment
  • Strengthens the abs, back and stabilizer muscles
  • Stretches, strengthens and relaxes your body
  • It makes your body strong and flexible

Pilates helps with flexibility and strength but it’s not a cardio workout. It should be part of a healthy exercise workout, but it shouldn’t be the only exercise.

In many moves you hold your torso in place while moving your limbs in different direction. This challenges your balance, core strength, stability and flexibility.

If you are interested in Pilates you can join a club in your neighborhood or you can practice it at home. You can perform it on specially designed equipment or on a mat. Most Pilate classes today have been adapted to the mat and use equipment such as ring, band, ball or others.

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Losing Weight Can Lower Your Cholesterol Level

exercise-to-lower-cholesterolTo reduce your chance of developing heart disease you want to keep your cholesterol level under 200 mg/dL. You can have a healthier heart if you:

  • Have a healthy weight
  • You are more physically active, regularly exercise
  • Avoid foods high in saturated fat. Foods high in saturated fat include foods from animals, such as fatty cuts of meat, poultry with the skin, whole-milk dairy products. Some of the vegetable products such as coconut, palm oils are also high in saturated fat. Eating foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products can lower your cholesterol level too. Limit saturated fat intake to 8%-10% of total calories per day.
  • Avoid foods with high dietary cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol can raise your blood cholesterol level but not as much as saturated fat. Dietary cholesterol is found only in foods that come from animals. Many of these foods are also high in saturated fat. You should eat less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day.
  • Take cholesterol medicine if it’s necessary

Keep a healthy weight, exercise, and eat foods which are low in both cholesterol and saturated fat

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Weight Loss with Alli Diet Pill – Does it Really Work?

alli-weight-loss-pillAlli is an over-the –counter weight loos pill approved by the FDA. Is it really the solution for overweight adults who are struggling to shed excess pounds permanently?

Alli is the reduced-strength version of Xenical a prescription drug for obesity. Alli is meant to be used in conjunction with low-calorie, low-fat diet and regular exercise.

Alli disables lipase, an enzyme found in the digestive tract. By doing that your body won’t be able to absorb fat and the undigested fat passes through the intestines and is eliminated thru bowel movements.

Alli is taken with fat-containing meals, up to three times a day. It’s recommended that you eat less than 15 grams of fat with each meal. Higher fat intake can cause diarrhea, gas with oily spotting and urgent bowel movements.

With Alli you will only lose a few pounds more than you would lose with diet and exercise. The small number of studies estimates the weight loss based on studies conducted for the prescription-strength Xenical. With Alli you could probably lose an average of 3 pounds a year.

Alli’s side effects can include:

  • Gas with an oily anal discharge
  • Diarrhea
  • More frequent bowel movements
  • Hard to control bowel movements

You can limit the side effects by eating a low-fat-diet.

With certain conditions you shouldn’t take Alli:

  • Taking cyclosporine
  • Problems with absorbing food
  • Taking blood-thinning medication
  • With diabetes or thyroid disease

Alli will decrease the absorbtion of fat-soluble vitamins. With Alli, you should take daily vitamin supplement.

Most people regain weight after stop taking Alli. Alli can be taken indefinitely along a low-calorie diet and exercise.

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Benefits and Sources of Vitamin A

eating-carrotYou should eat fruits, vegetables and healthy food every day. They are good sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. An important vitamin is vitamin A. You will find out why you need it and what are the good sources of vitamin A.

Vitamin A is fat-soluble vitamin. There are two forms of vitamin A, retinol and beta-carotene. Your body can convert beta-carotene into retinol. You can find both kinds in foods.

Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin, bones and eyes. It is also works as a cell-protecting antioxidant.

Excess vitamin A is stored in your body. Too much vitamin A supplement can result in birth defects, liver damage and nervous system disorder. Large doses of beta-carotene supplements can increase the risk if lung cancer.  This is only true for the artificial vitamin A found in supplements.

If you eat vitamin A rich food, you don’t have to worry about negative side effects. Good sources of retinol are butter, cheese, milk, egg yolks. You can find beta-carotene in dark leafy greens, bright red, yellow and orange vegetables and fruits such as oranges, pineapple, apricot and cantaloupe. A medium carrot has 173% and a cup of milk has 10% of your daily recommended dose of vitamin A.

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How Much Water Should I Really Drink?

drink-waterYou need to be hydrated all the time. About 60% of your body weight is water. You constantly lose fluid through breathing, sweating and going to the bathroom. You need to replenish this water to keep your body in balance.

There are many sources of fluid replacement besides water. Fruits, vegetables and foods like soups contribute to hydration. In fact about 20% of your fluid intake is from foods the other 80% is from beverages.

Sugary drinks, soda are not a good source of fluid replacement due to the calories they have. Americans get more than 20% of their calorie intake from beverages.

Drink tap water if you can. Often tap water is better quality than bottled water and safer for the environment. Tap water usually has more minerals too.

The Institute of Medicine recommends 11 cups of fluid for woman and 15 cups for men a day. If you exercise you need more fluid and pregnant women also need more fluid.

Some simple tips to make sure you are always hydrated:

  • Always have something to drink with you, calorie free water is the best
  • Eat vegetables and fruits as a source of liquids
  • Check you urine color, dark yellow means you are dehydrated
  • Monitor your sweat rate

Always stay hydrated. Your body needs water to control your body temperature, flush toxins and retain moisture.

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Safe Diet Pills for Weight Loss

safe-diet-pillDiet pills are only helpful in your weight loss plan if they make you lose weight faster without jeopardizing your health. The best weight loss pills are herbal diet pills with very little of no side effects. Most of them work as an appetite suppressant. When you take them they send a message to your brain that you are full. This can be very helpful for emotional eaters. Some natural weight loss supplements work as a fat binder, eliminating portion of the fat from food intake. With a natural diet pill you can safely lose 1-2 lbs a week.

Here is list of safe weight loss pills:

Acai Berry is an appetite suppressant made out of the fruits of palm trees grown in Central and South America. Acai Berry comes in the form of powder, juice of fresh berry. Acai is very nutritious and its antioxidants help to lose weight. Acai loses some of its potency during processing. It works best when it’s fresh. Acai also boost your energy level and slows down the aging process. It has no side effects so it can be used in long-term

Proactol is al fat binder.  This weight loss supplement is made from the nutritious leaves of the Opuntia ficus-indica cactus. Proactol binds up to 28% of the fat in your food intake. It also works as an appetite suppressant and controls your food cravings between meals. Proactol doesn’t have any side effects so it can be used long-term to reach your weight loss goal.

Hoodia gordonii is made out of a leafless spiny succulent plan originally from South Africa. It’s a very strong appetite suppressant and it can reduce your calorie intake by 50%. Unfortunately 99% of hoodia diet pills are fake. Hoodia users have reported liver problems and stomach cramps but these side effects could be the results of fake pills.

Resveratrol became popular in weight loss fairly recently. Resveratrol is very rich in antioxidants. Besides weight loss it has many other benefits such as fighting cancer and slowing down the aging process. Resveratrol is found mainly in grape skin and seeds. Red wine is also a good source of resveratrol. Resveratrol can be used long-term.

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What is Resveratrol Used For?

resveratrol benefitsResveratrol is an antioxidant found mainly in red wine. Resveratrol benefits have been featured on 60 Minutes and it’s supported by celebrities, such as Oprah. This product became popular so fast mainly because of the excellent reports and research statements from respected facilities.

Resveratrol is responsible for the so called “French paradox”. The French consume a high amount of saturated fat but the incidence of heart disease is much lower. The French consume a lot of red wine which contains resveratrol.

What are the benefits of resveratrol?

  • Reducing the risk of cancer
  • Reducing the plaque formation in the brain
  • Slowing down the aging process
  • Lowering the risk of heart disease
  • Lowering cholesterol
  • Boosting the metabolism
  • Helping in weight loss
  • Increasing sex drive
  • Helping protect against Alzheimer’s disease

Where can you find resveratrol?

Resveratrol is naturally found in grape skin and seeds. Red and white wine is a good source. Peanuts and peanut butter also contains resveratrol. You can also introduce a resveratrol supplement into your diet.

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