Secret Diet Solutions

Archive for April, 2010

by Jeff Enfield

Contrary to having diet in its name, the Mediterranean diet is nothing like what you may be used to. Instead of restricting foods like a typical diet, the Mediterranean diet opens the door for a plethora of food and wine choices so that you can enjoy your food and your life.

This heart healthy diet consists of a variety of vegetables, lean meats and fish, olive oil, and red wine in moderation. This type of food intake helps decrease risk of heart disease, stroke and cardiovascular disease. The reasoning behind this is due to the decreased levels of unhealthy fat consumption coupled with an increase of good fats, from food choices such as olive oil, seeds, and nuts. Persons following the Mediterranean diet are known to have a lower LDL, or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol which is associated with heart disease.

The focus of the Mediterranean diet isn’t to be low fat – it is to make healthy decisions regarding the fat sources that go into your body. Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and polyunsaturated fats such as nuts are the ideal choices to make. Not only do they taste great, but they will leave you more satisfied after meals and snacks, help with weight loss, reduced visceral (abdominal) fat and even lower the risk of many types of cancers.

Here are some of the key components of the Mediterranean diet:

* Eating roughly 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily by making them the base of your meals as often as possible.

* Choosing healthy fats over unhealthy ones and eating them on a regular basis such as small portions of nuts or seeds every day.

* Using various herbs and spices to create flavor in your meals instead of salt.

* Having small amounts of red wine with your dinner.

* Limiting your intake of red meat and opting for chicken and fish more often.

* Getting regular exercise by walking or running every day.

* Balancing your life with an active social life.

There is a reason that the smaller, less wealthy regions of Italy, Greece, and Spain all have a similar daily intake of fat yet are much leaner and healthier than North Americans. It is their custom to create a healthy atmosphere surrounding food to ensure proper nutrition and a healthy weight. It is significantly different from any other diet; it is a long-term lifestyle change.
About the Author

Jeff likes to write on diverse subjects and has been doing so for several years. His most recent web page is http://kitchenaidblenderparts.org which provides people with information on KitchenAid blender parts

What makes a diet stop working? What causes a man or a woman go on a diet, full of good intentions, only to discard the diet in a few weeks or months?

Is it discipline? Frustration? A lack of effectiveness? According to nutrition and fitness author Jon Benson, it comes down to one word: “Love.”

“Love is the key to staying on a diet, a workout plan… anything that requires a change of lifestyle. It may seem obvious, but unless you actually ‘love’ the diet you are on, there is little chance of you staying on it for very long,” says Benson. “All diets require a change in how you look at food, how you consume food, and even how you think about food. The problem is most diets make too many demands of the dieter right off the bat. They tell you not to eat certain foods, sometimes making that a permanent restriction, while allowing perhaps a day per week to ‘overeat’ your favorite foods.”

“This is a disaster waiting to happen… and there is a much more balanced, healthy and effective way to diet than this,” states Benson.

Ten years ago Benson was a somewhat typical American male: Overworked, over-stressed, and overweight. Benson’s weight put him officially into the “obese” category and brought with it all the associated disease states such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides (a type of blood fat) and of course massive amounts of “stress fat” around the belly and chest region.

When Benson decided enough was enough, he, like so many others who are truly ready to change their body and their life, went a bit overboard. “Oh sure, I ate the typical dry chicken, oatmeal with nothing on it, bland rice, and tried to never eat anything I actually enjoyed. Lucky for me I actually love chicken, but most of my diet was composed of what I call my “hate foods”, not my love foods — foods I truly enjoyed eating. But my thinking was just like that of the typical dieter: ‘If I eat (fill-in-the-blank favorite food) I’ll get fatter and never lose weight!’ How wrong I was… and after I started and stopped my diet at least ten times during a course of three years I finally got the message.”

Benson decided to use his nutritional knowledge and his background in body shaping to his advantage. “I started thinking, ‘Why not focus on progress rather than perfection?’ Again, this seems like common sense, but most dieters are focused on being perfect all the time. So I began applying some old body shaping tricks to my dietary plan. For example, I started cycling my calories. I would eat more on one day, less on another. This kept my metabolism guessing and never allowed my body to hit that dreaded ‘no more weight loss’ plateau.”

“Then I decided to push the envelope. I started experimenting with including my favorite foods — pizza, pasta, and even desserts, all in reasonable quantities — on my higher-calorie food days. At first it didn’t work out too well. But then I used what I now call my “Caveman Principle” which involves strategically eating protein at specific times with a bit less food volume (and this allowed me to stop counting calories too!) and then including my favorite foods on specific days and, most important, specific times. Timing in this case is everything.”

Benson says this timing includes both time of day as well as eating higher-calorie, higher-fat, higher-carbohydrate foods only after exercise. “Specific exercise, done for short periods of time, can set the body up to receive additional calories and carbohydrates more effectively without storing them as body fat. You just have to have to know when to do it. Do it right and it works like a charm.”

“The end result was a loss of over 70 pounds of fat, and I never gave up eating my favorite foods… not once, but at least three times a week.”

A study conducted at the University of Phoenix could shed some light on why this approach to dieting may work better than traditional “calorie-counting” and overly-restrictive foods plans. People given the option of eating more frequently versus three meals a day ended up eating smaller servings of both healthy foods and, on some days, “junk foods” yet still lost more weight than the three-meals-per-day group. The evidence pointed toward the elevation of the metabolic rate through frequent eating and the psychological ease of being less restrictive regarding foods consumed.

“I believe food should be enjoyed, and in my opinion life is way too short to worry about eating perfect all the time,” says Benson. “When I crafted this approach into what is now known as “The Every Other Day Diet“, it became an overnight smash, and for good reason… it gave people a chance to have a life while they are losing weight. Let’s face it: Anyone can diet for a day or two, and that’s basically what The Every Other Day Diet asks of its users. Of course you cannot go hog wild on your Feed Days (the higher-calories favorite food meals) but just knowing your favorite foods are always just around the corner keeps you on the weight loss track.”

“The end result is a diet that just about everyone can fall in love with. Loving your diet is the key to dietary success, as I said. And I do happen to love me some pizza! I just use that pizza now to actually help me lose weight rather than gain it, all while staying in good health.”

Today, Jon Benson’s online best-seller, The Every Other Day Diet, can be purchased along with nine additional dieters bonuses, including the first 30 days of private email diet coaching free of charge, for only $39.97, and the program is guaranteed for a full 60 days. If you are not satisfied in any way, the company, Jon Benson Fitness LLC, will refund your money without questions or hassles. Click http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/gettrim/video to watch a presentation on Jon’s “Caveman Principle” of eating and why it works so well for hundreds of thousands of people for fast, sustainable, and enjoyable weight loss.

Contrary to popular belief, healthy eating does not have to inflict damage to your wallet. In challenging economic times, many people tend to go for the ?cheapest? food options and sometimes these options are far from healthy.

Healthy Eating On A Budget

Just recently my husband and I put ourselves on a serious ‘budget’ and of course this meant a ‘food budget’ as well.

Below are the simple steps we took to continue to live our healthy lifestyle while saving a few dollars in the process.

1. We drastically cut out eating out. It’s shocking to discover how much you are really spending by buying a quick pizza and ordering quick take out every once in a while. What we often don’t realize is that every once in a while is much more often than we think. We are now cooking at home a lot more and discovering quick, easy and delicious recipes that cost very little when made at home. Now we are no chefs by any means but it’s amazing what you can put together in 20 minutes or less by just getting a bit creative and seeking out new recipes.

2. My husband is now packing his lunch. Truth be told, I pack it for him. I often take leftovers from the night before and put them together in a salad or a sandwich. He was spending an average of $7-$10 each day on lunch and taking his lunch instead will save us over $280 a month.

3. Bargain shop. I have become a master of seeking out the sale. I know which grocery stores will put their fruits and vegetables on sale and where I can get the best bargains. If the weather permits, I always go to the local farmers markets to get fresh fruit and veggies. Not only will you save a ton of money at a farmers market, the produce is fresh and delicious.

4. We have learned to love and embrace leftovers. It is amazing what you can do with leftovers once you get a bit creative. Don’t let food go to waste. Use leftovers from the night before for lunch or re-heat for dinner.

5. Cut out the expensive junk food. It’s shocking how expensive cereal, crackers and packaged snacks are. You can get 10x’s more for your money and value by buying plain oatmeal, making your own bread, and snacking on fresh fruit.

Healthy eating does not have to break the bank. Find good deals, learn to embrace cooking and discover the power of the leftover and you will be well on your way to a healthy, cost effective eating plan.

Get started on your own Fat Loss and Healthy eating plan right away with these Simple and Healthy Meal Plans.

About Isabel Del Los Rios – Isabel De Los Rios is a certified nutritionist and exercise specialist who has already helped over 25,000 people all over the world lose incredible amounts of weight, regain their health and permanently change their lives. She is the author of The Diet Solution Program and the Owner of New Body ? Center for Fitness and Nutrition in New Jersey.