Staying Healthy on a Low Carbohydrate Diet
Marjorie Geiser

It is estimated that about 32 million Americans are following some type of low carbohydrate diet. This is the result of fad diet authors claiming that carbohydrates are the cause for Americas rising obesity problems. The backlash against carbohydrates is a result of the low fat craze that started in the 80s.When consumers started cutting down their fat intake, manufacturers figured out that they could create low fat processed food products that the public would buy. Because these products claimed to be fat free, Americans didnt pay attention to the fact that they were not also calorie free, and as a result, the total amount of daily calories has slowly been increasing. In fact, although the total percentage of calories from fat has decreased, the actual amount of fat intake has increased by 10# per year since 1975! The increase of carbohydrate has also increased, at a rate of 20# per year, mostly as a result of highly processed foods.

It is estimated that 3800 calories are now produced for every American man, woman and child. We have evolved from a world of feast or famine, but were in a state of perpetual feast, although our bodies have not changed. We have no defenses against excess calories: Every year, 300,000 to 400,000 deaths in the US are attributed to obesity.

Meanwhile, Asian and Middle Eastern populations consume 50-75% of their calories from rice and have some of the lowest rates of obesity and heart disease in the world. People living in the Mediterranean also have fewer health conditions commonly seen in the US. This diet consists of whole grains, vegetables, legumes, nuts and fruits. Their diets are rich in fish and low in meats and poultry. Although their fat intake is about the same as in America, the type of fat is primarily monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, where Americans eat primarily saturated animal fats.

Regardless of the actual advantage or disadvange to following a low carbohydrate diet, there are three recommendations for maintaining good health while following such a diet. The first is to choose healthy fats over the unhealthy, saturated fats, when considering fat intake. Examples of healthy fats would be plant fats that have not been hydrogenated, which makes the fat more solid at room temperature. It is believed that hydrogenation is actually more harmful to health than saturated fats found naturally in animal products. Plant fats would include nuts, avocados, and olives. Oils such as olive oil, canola oil and peanut oil are better choices than fats that come from animal sources, such as butter, lard or bacon grease. Multiple studies over the years have shown that excess animal fats lead to higher risks of cancer, heart disease and other inflammatory disorders. Saturated fats have been linked to increased cholesterol, LDL (the bad) cholesterol as well as to increased LDL cholesterol oxidation. In fact, in January 2004, an Atkins representative put out a press release advising the public to decrease their amounts of steak, eggs, and saturated fast to less than 20% of their total fat intake.

The next recommendation to ensure good health is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Although fruits and most vegetables are restricted in the initial phase of some low carbohydrate diets, they are then allowed back in limited amounts. The phytonutrients that come from a diet rich in fruits and vegetables have been shown to decrease blood pressure, as well as protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. Its easy to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, once you get in the habit. Examples are; add some berries to breakfast, eat a tomato at lunch, include broccoli with dinner, drink some vegetable juice with snacks, and have a large salad with your meal.

The final tip to ensure good health is to eat a diet of whole foods, rather than fall back on the easy snack, convenience foods of today. If Americans had just cut down their amount of fat intake in the 80s, without finding new ways to snack, we may not be seeing the epidemic of obesity we see, today. When people started going on the low carbohydrate diets, they eliminated a large number of calories by eliminating snacking, especially at night, where common snacks are chips, crackers, and other high fat, high refined carbohydrate foods, such as ice cream. Today, though, much like in the 80s, manufacturers are now developing low carb and low net carb snack foods. We can now find low net carb chips, crackers, ice cream, popcorn, even low carb pizza! As Americans start to increase their intake of these foods, we will soon see a slowing of the weight loss many had seen initially. In order to call themselves a low net carb food, manufacturers subtract the fiber and sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrates in the product, rather than produce products without carbohydrate. There is no actual FDA standard for what a low net carb food is, yet, though, so right now its anything the manufacturer wants to say it is. These foods also are very high in fat and saturated fat, usually through hydrogenation. So, not only will calories be added back into the diet through resuming unhealthy snack habits, but they will be calories consisting of high amounts of the unhealthy fats.

So, while following a low carbohydrate diet, in order to ensure continued good health, follow these three recommendations: 1) Make most fats you eat the healthy, plant fats, rather than eating a diet high in animal or hydrogenated fats, 2) Eat plenty of nutrient rich fruits and vegetables, which are high in disease-fighting antioxidants, and 3) eat mostly whole, fresh foods and very little processed snack foods, even if they say low carb, in order to avoid hidden and unnecessary fat and calories.

Marjorie Geiser has been teaching health, fitness and nutrition since 1982. She is a nutritionist, registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and life coach. As the owner of MEG Fitness, Marjories goal for her clients is to help them incorporate healthy eating and fitness into their busy lives. To order her 30-Day Health & Fitness Challenge e-course and learn more about Marjorie, go to her website at www.megfit.com or email her at Margie@megfit.com

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Living a Healthy Life!
Nettie Mae

People are obsessed with dieting and weight loss! Don’t believe me? Just tune-in to any source of advertising…you’re instantly bombarded with the latest diet schemes and “Hollywood” food fads.

Here in America, we have built a thriving industry trying to control our weight and treat the consequences of over-indulgence. The cost of weight loss and obesity related health care treatments is staggering…Americans alone spend around $114 billion every year! And even with all this interest in losing weight, we continue to pack on the pounds like never before…

– A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese…up about eight percent from earlier estimates.

– Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or almost nine million are overweight…triple the rate in 1980!

– Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese.

For Americans, modern life may be getting TOO easy. Our cushy lifestyle means we expend less energy and consequently need fewer calories to sustain our normal body weight.

Think about it for a moment…

Entertainment no longer requires energy expenditure. In fact, it’s usually quite the opposite. We now entertain ourselves in the comfort of our own home while watching TV and munching on our favorite snack. Whether it’s television, computers, remote controls, or automobiles, we are moving less and burning fewer calories. Common activities that were once a part of our normal routine have disappeared…activities like climbing stairs, pushing a lawn mower or walking to get somewhere.

And please do not misunderstand me…I appreciate comfortable living just as much as the next person. But, here is the problem…

With all of our modern day conveniences and “cushy” style of living we have not adjusted our caloric intake to compensate for our decreased caloric expenditure. We consume more calorie rich and nutrient deficient foods than ever before. Consider a few of the following examples comparing what we eat “today” vs the 1970’s (U.S. Department of Agriculture survey):

– We are currently eating more grain products, but almost all of them are refined grains (white bread, etc.). Grain consumption has jumped 45 percent since the 1970’s, from 138 pounds of grains per person per year to 200 pounds! Only 2 percent of the wheat flour is consumed as whole wheat.

– Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but only because French fries and potato chips are included as vegetables. Potato products account for almost a third of our “produce” choices.

– We’re drinking less milk, but we’ve more than doubled our cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as the number one source of saturated fat in our diets.

– We’ve cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for the loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried), so that overall, we’re eating 13 pounds more meat today than we did back in the 1970’s.

– We’re drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than milk, compared to the 1970’s, when milk consumption was twice that of pop.

– We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much vegetable oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat intake has increased 32 percent.

– Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off the charts. People are consuming roughly twice the amount of sugar they need each day, about 20 teaspoons on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is found mostly in junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies. In 1978, the government found that sugars constituted only 11 percent of the average person’s calories. Now, this number has ballooned to 16 percent for the average American adult and as much as 20 percent for American teenagers!

Unfortunately, it would seem that the days of wholesome and nutritious family dinners are being replaced by fast food and eating on-the-run. We have gradually come to accept that it’s “OK” to sacrifice healthy foods for the sake of convenience and that larger serving portions equate to better value.

It’s time recognize that we are consuming too many calories and time to start doing something about it! Each of us can decide TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits WILL become a normal part of our life!

We can begin by exploring our values, thoughts and habits… slowly and deliberately weed-out the unhealthy habits and activities and start living a more productive and rewarding life. And remember, it has taken a long time to develop bad habits, so be patient as you work toward your goal!
About the Author

Sick and tired of being Sick and Tired, Nettie Mae quit her 3rd shift factory job. To see what keeps her going, visit http://www.frutavida4u.com/nettiemae/.

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Healthsparguide.com to Healthy Living
Ray La Foy

Doctors all over the world are up in arms over the dramatic increase in weight – related diseases. Diabetes, high-blood pressure and the like are expected to be top health killers in the next 10 years. The main culprit, as studies have shown, is the unhealthy lifestyle of the so-called microwave generation. Foods, which contain high level of calories but lacks the necessary good nutrients, are digested every-single day by millions of people. It is not surprising that in America, two thirds of its citizens are considered overweight.

As expected, a great number of quick-fix solutions to eradicate the problem are being peddled by so-called diet-gurus. However, though some of the solutions and diet formulae have worked in certain cases, for the most part, those who have indulged in these drastic methods have found themselves regaining the lost weight – big time! This is because the diet formula being marketed does not correspond with the bodies’ cellular level.

In comes the healtsparguide.com. This no – nonsense website caters to all women and men who wish to know more about losing weight effectively but safely. Healthsparguide.com contains valuable links and as the name suggests, guides to various methods on healthy weight loss regiments.

For example, the website features weight loss health spas and spa resorts that, aside from providing stress management treatments, offer realistic programmes covering the basics of having balanced diets, healthful cooking techniques and of course effective weight loss management. These spa resorts may also be referred to as a spa vacation. Instead of intense workouts, adventure activities are offered. These activities rejuvenate the spirit, at the same time helps tone the body.

What else does healthsparguide.com offer? Diet methods that are designed to hunt down and burn fat tissues without starving oneself. Unlike, say, other diet fads that only weakens the body’s system, the prescription in Healthsparguide.com realistically teaches that the problem of being overweight is the result of eating the wrong food, the wrong types of calories per meal and eating meals in the wrong patterns each day. Therefore, you lose weight not by eliminating the carbs or the protein, but by eating the right food at the right intervals.

To further assist those who want to shed excess pounds, an online diet generator is created, “which gives the right daily menu each day so there’s no need to calculate anything while shifting ones calories.” This is done by constantly “alternating the menu between every possible type of calorie, constantly shifting from one type of calorie to the next, ensuring that the scale keeps dropping.”

The website also provides in depth ranking and reviews of leading herbal diet pills. Not all pill manufactured are however featured. The products chosen have, as tested by experts, demonstrated high overall effectiveness, low occurrences of side effects and high success rate. A trim spa in one pill!

Aside from that, the pill is also ranked based on effectiveness, longevity, safety, quickness of results and success rate. Likewise the rating considered the prices, guarantee, reputation, customer service, ease of use and overall satisfaction.

The benefits that one may get with this online guide are truly endless. For one, the weight loss regiments are safe and cost-effective. Two, it logically explains that in order to lose weight, you have to eat the right food at the right time. And three, weight management programmes created by experts are so practical and easy to use. So, instead of going to a day spa, why not spend a couple of minutes of your time browsing through the wonders of healthsparguide.com.

About the Author

Healthy Living
Learn more at
http://www.healthsparguide.com

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Does Alcohol Have a Place In a Healthy Diet?
Ronnie Bussey

A number of recent news stories have reported that drinking alcoholic beverages has health benefits–some even imply that one or two drinks a day is a government-endorsed route to better health. Other stories say that alcohol abuse is related to many of the major causes of death in America.

The 1995 Dietary Guidelines advise: If You Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So In Moderation. This is virtually the same advice that has been given since 1980. The 1995 Dietary Guidelines added the comment that many individuals throughout the ages have drunk alcoholic beverages in moderation to enhance the enjoyment of meals. The Guidelines also note that there is some recent scientific evidence that for some individuals moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of heart disease.

However, alcohol also has undisputed drug effects, which can be harmful under many circumstances. Some people, in particular, should not drink at all. Alcohol carries with it the risk of dependency and excess consumption, which can cause serious health problems. Therefore, the Dietary Guidelines recommend only that those who do drink alcoholic beverages do so in moderation. They do not recommend that those who do not consume alcohol begin drinking.

SoWhat’s the Bottom Line?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans present information on the pros and cons of alcohol consumption. While there may be some health benefits with moderate alcohol consumption, the Dietary Guidelines clearly emphasize that dependency and excess can cause serious health problems. While moderate alcohol consumption may have some effects that reduce the risk of heart disease, there are other ways of achieving reduction in risk.

There are many factors that reduce the risk of heart disease, including a healthy diet, moderate exercise, avoidance of smoking, and maintenance of a healthy weight. These behavior changes carry less potential for negative consequences. As one person put it, ”people don’t get addicted to fruits and vegetables and don’t get into accidents after eating too many apples.” Thus, the correct interpretation of the Dietary Guideline on alcohol is, if you don’t drink, this guideline is not a reason to start; however, if you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation, with meals, and when consumption does not put you or others at risk.
About the Author

Ronnie is a content writer for http://www.1st In Weight Loss Tips.com
Your Free Source for Weight Loss, Dieting, Health and Fitness Tips!
Promoting Health Living In Today’s Fast Paced Society.

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